Stoke Vs City Post Match Discussion Thread

[Anonymous]

I'm still in support of Pellegrini , he should be given time , although i'd be the first to admit that i didn't really know an awful lot about him before he arrived here.

However i've looked at his record a bit since then and i just can't see how he's a vast improvement on Mancini ...... and that's what we should be looking at , an improved manager who can create a better team.

Pellegrini has been scratching his head a bit lately , and looking a bit perplexed as he's viewed our differing and frustrating performances , but it's earlydays and we need to keep faith with him ...... if he fails then both these spanish guys currently running this club should be held totally accountable , he's their choice of manager .

It's of little comfort Begiristain telling us that the 'atmosphere is better' at the club now if the players are inconsistent and constantly underachieving.

 

[mancity1]

I'm still in support of Pellegrini , he should be given time , although i'd be the first to admit that i didn't really know an awful lot about him before he arrived here.

However i've looked at his record a bit since then and i just can't see how he's a vast improvement on Mancini ...... and that's what we should be looking at , an improved manager who can create a better team.

Pellegrini has been scratching his head a bit lately , and looking a bit perplexed , as he's viewed our differing and frustrating performances , but we need to keep faith with him ...... if he fails then both these spanish guys currently running this club should be held totally accountable .... it's of little comfort Begiristain telling us that the 'atmosphere is better' at the club now if the players are inconsistent and constantly underachieving.

They will be and they will be gone for sure and certain and should that eventuate the owners will pay much more attention to people who know how to improve teams to the standard a club with our resources must be at and able to make more astute appointments at the appropriate level for appropriate prices.

 

[decmancity]

I'm still in support of Pellegrini , he should be given time , although i'd be the first to admit that i didn't really know an awful lot about him before he arrived here.

However i've looked at his record a bit since then and i just can't see how he's a vast improvement on Mancini ...... and that's what we should be looking at , an improved manager who can create a better team.

Pellegrini has been scratching his head a bit lately , and looking a bit perplexed , as he's viewed our differing and frustrating performances , but we need to keep faith with him ...... if he fails then both these spanish guys currently running this club should be held totally accountable .... it's of little comfort Begiristain telling us that the 'atmosphere is better' at the club now if the players are inconsistent and constantly underachieving.

They will be and they will be gone for sure and certain and should that eventuate the owners will pay much more attention to people who know how to improve teams to the standard a club with our resources must be at and able to make more astute appointments at the appropriate level for appropriate prices.

LOL.

 

[mancity1]

I'm still in support of Pellegrini , he should be given time , although i'd be the first to admit that i didn't really know an awful lot about him before he arrived here.

However i've looked at his record a bit since then and i just can't see how he's a vast improvement on Mancini ...... and that's what we should be looking at , an improved manager who can create a better team.

Pellegrini has been scratching his head a bit lately , and looking a bit perplexed , as he's viewed our differing and frustrating performances , but we need to keep faith with him ...... if he fails then both these spanish guys currently running this club should be held totally accountable .... it's of little comfort Begiristain telling us that the 'atmosphere is better' at the club now if the players are inconsistent and constantly underachieving.

They will be and they will be gone for sure and certain and should that eventuate the owners will pay much more attention to people who know how to improve teams to the standard a club with our resources must be at and able to make more astute appointments at the appropriate level for appropriate prices.

LOL.

If Pelligrini is not given the opportunity to extend his 2 year deal by being sacked beforehand it will be seen as a failure and blame lies fair and square at the people who employed him and this combined with the investments made in players that cannot move the team forward means they will be in deep doo doo and held to account.

It the same in business , if it fails to meet its objectives the chief decision makers are held to account by the shareholders and moved on . They still get a big fat payout hardly deserved but they are gone for good.

Make no bones about if we fail to move on past the group stage and fail to qualify for the Chumps League next season both of which at present are more likely than not and I stress at present the Barca men will be gone as they should be.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I don't think 3 clean sheets proves anything about the defence tbh, we've been lucky in that Hull and Stoke are average teams with average strikers, the defence has looked vulnerable in all bar the Newcastle game. Yes that is partly down to the poor cover offered by the central midfield but I wouldn't be complacent about the defence. As much as I like the guy Zaba has had a poor start to the season and no CB combination without Kompany has looked that secure so far which is a big worry given Vinny's recent injury record.

I'm not being complacent about the defence, but they seem to copping much of the flack, and I don't think that's right because as you rightly point out we have injuries in that department, and despite that we have still only conceded goals in 1 game this season. Yes we have conceded a lot of chances that could/should have been put away, but I will maintain that this is because we have nothing in front of the back four, and that because there is no link between defence and attack, the ball is coming back far too quickly. I don't think this system will work in the PL, and hopefully MP will see this soon, whether it works in europe we'll see, but we should get more time and space there (should note).

For me this is all about the balance of the squad. In terms of protection for the back four, we have let NDJ and Barry go in the last 18 months and they haven't been adequately replaced. Garcia isn't fit for purpose and players like Yaya and Fernandinho are just not disciplined defensive midfielders, it isn't their game. I can only assume someone has decided that we want to move away from using genuine defensive midfielders, which imo is a mistake as I think that position has become crucial in English football. In Spain it might be ok to have a deep lying midfielder who happily bombs forward whenever he gets the chance but over here I think the defensive aspect of that role is much more important. In terms of the defence, someone has made a big mistake. During the transfer window it is an opportunity to correct imbalances of the squad, if anything our squad became less balanced. Going out and spending 90 million on attacking players is fine but we all know that more attention should have been paid to strengthening at the back. 3 million or whatever on an aging, slow centre half, right at the end of the window was negligent in the context of how much we had spent on other areas. Unless Kompany comes back imminently and stays fit pretty much all season then we're fucked in terms of a title challenge imo.

 

[hgblue]

I don't think 3 clean sheets proves anything about the defence tbh, we've been lucky in that Hull and Stoke are average teams with average strikers, the defence has looked vulnerable in all bar the Newcastle game. Yes that is partly down to the poor cover offered by the central midfield but I wouldn't be complacent about the defence. As much as I like the guy Zaba has had a poor start to the season and no CB combination without Kompany has looked that secure so far which is a big worry given Vinny's recent injury record.

I'm not being complacent about the defence, but they seem to copping much of the flack, and I don't think that's right because as you rightly point out we have injuries in that department, and despite that we have still only conceded goals in 1 game this season. Yes we have conceded a lot of chances that could/should have been put away, but I will maintain that this is because we have nothing in front of the back four, and that because there is no link between defence and attack, the ball is coming back far too quickly. I don't think this system will work in the PL, and hopefully MP will see this soon, whether it works in europe we'll see, but we should get more time and space there (should note).

For me this is all about the balance of the squad. In terms of protection for the back four, we have let NDJ and Barry go in the last 18 months and they haven't been adequately replaced. Garcia isn't fit for purpose and players like Yaya and Fernandinho are just not disciplined defensive midfielders, it isn't their game. I can only assume someone has decided that we want to move away from using genuine defensive midfielders, which imo is a mistake as I think that position has become crucial in English football. In Spain it might be ok to have a deep lying midfielder who happily bombs forward whenever he gets the chance but over here I think the defensive aspect of that role is much more important. In terms of the defence, someone has made a big mistake. During the transfer window it is an opportunity to correct imbalances of the squad, if anything our squad became less balanced. Going out and spending 90 million on attacking players is fine but we all know that more attention should have been paid to strengthening at the back. 3 million or whatever on an aging, slow centre half, right at the end of the window was negligent in the context of how much we had spent on other areas. Unless Kompany comes back imminently and stays fit pretty much all season then we're fucked in terms of a title challenge imo.

I've been banging this drum all summer mate. We needed a top quality centre back, a top quality holding midfielder, and a top quality striker. We actually signed a bunch of players who play in positions where we were already strong, or who were similar to what we already had.

 

[calos willetts]

Looking at our first four games, only the first game we looked good, the rest we have been knowhere near the standard we should be playing at, I know we havnt looked good but people are so quick to jump on the negatives and say how bad we are and how crap our defence is, but are people forgetting we have a lot of injuries and we are still adapting to a new style of play, and 3 clean sheets out of four games that's Realy a defensive crisis , if that was another side like chelsea or the rags people would be saying they solid and gritty, people are just to quick to slate us me thinks

 

[Bill]

lets get all our players back and see how we do then.

assuming he picks them that is.

 

[hallstreetblue]

The People on here, asking for Pellegrini's head after 4 GAMES, are obviously new comers and haven't been on the roller coaster ride through decades of misery, as the majority of us have. Have a word, or go and hunt some glory elsewhere. Spuds are lookin good aren't they? Go n' check em out!

 

[Ifwecouldjust.......]

Barry was class for Everton today all the blue dipper sceptics were converted after 45 minutes. Big mistake letting him go.

Agreed