The battle for 4th place

[SWP's back]

strongly worded but bang on

I only do strongly worded sorry.

 

[dubblue]

totally agree. I said so at the time on here and got pelters for it. if I could see it why couldn't txixi and co?

I always felt that first season was in spite of him and said so at the time. Unfortunately he never proved myself and many other City fans wrong. Hopefully this is a lesson to the clubs hierarchy when faced with a similar decision again. Pep will get universal backing from every City fan as we have all seen what he is capable of,although I think it will take him a season or two to get the squad he wants.

 

[prof-taf]

injuries are one thing. refusing to change a player or a formation that didn't work is malpractice imo.

Do you really think our players are savvy enough to change formation mid season, Bobby tried and failed.
Re- player change, I can only think of bony and nacho that fit this argument and let's face it an 18 year old wouldn't have changed much.
Anyway, he'll be finished soon, and likely take 3 points off us next year when he returns as an opposition manager. Sods law.

What strikes me about our position is the complete silence from above, almost as if they have something big up their sleeve.
Here's hoping

 

[bert38]

I always felt that first season was in spite of him and said so at the time. Unfortunately he never proved myself and many other City fans wrong. Hopefully this is a lesson to the clubs hierarchy when faced with a similar decision again. Pep will get universal backing from every City fan as we have all seen what he is capable of,although I think it will take him a season or two to get the squad he wants.

You could argue that pushing Real Madrid v close in the semi final of the Champs lg showed that it wasn't 'in spite' of him..Pep may find it harder than many assume.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

If my options are; walk along a path in the piss pouring rain or throw myself off the cliff to get out of the rain, then I'd state they are limited options. What I wouldn't do, is throw myself off the flaming cliff.

You can say limited options as much as you want, but I've posted on the pre game threads so many times ("I hope he doesn't do this or we are fucked...") only for him to then do that, and us get fucked. Making a mistake is easy enough, failing to learn from that mistake over and over again shows he's either a fucking idiot, or didn't give a fuck.

He's the nob that states "we don't change our style, we play the same way every game". And he's right, he does, that's why every manager in the league has worked out how to play us.

I can't think of five managers currently employed in the PL that I honestly think would have done worse over his tenure, given his resources. He's a fucking fraud and luckily, we have a manager coming in that will actually plan and train for each game to nullify the opposition and make the most of their weaknesses as opposed to simply think "we don't change, let them worry about us". That thinking should have died out in the 70's.

Watch him play Delph on the wing today.

 

[SWP's back]

Do you really think our players are savvy enough to change formation mid season, Bobby tried and failed.
Re- player change, I can only think of bony and nacho that fit this argument and let's face it an 18 year old wouldn't have changed much.
Anyway, he'll be finished soon, and likely take 3 points off us next year when he returns as an opposition manager. Sods law.

What strikes me about our position is the complete silence from above, almost as if they have something big up their sleeve.
Here's hoping

The formation that kept not working is 442 away from home with Bony upfront and Nando and Yaya in a two.

The players didn't have to be savvy to be played in a 433/451 did they?

An 18 year old wouldn't have changed much? You missed his 13 goals and strike/assist rate second to none in the squad? Are you actually Pellers?

 

[SWP's back]

You could argue that pushing Real Madrid v close in the semi final of the Champs lg showed that it wasn't 'in spite' of him..Pep may find it harder than many assume.

By "pushing them close" do you mean just defending, not attacking and relying on Hart to make several crucial saves to only lose 1-0 rather than 5-0?

 

[dubblue]

You could argue that pushing Real Madrid v close in the semi final of the Champs lg showed that it wasn't 'in spite' of him..Pep may find it harder than many assume.

I think Pep will find it very difficult and alluded to that in my post. I honestly didn't think Real had to break a sweat in that second leg,it was a dire performance and the aggregate scoreline flattered us.

 

[abu13]

I have this horrible feeling that as this is his last home game he may want to give a final appearance to some of his out going players as well, i'm not talking about them starting but maybe bringing them off the bench.

I think he may start with Yaya and one of Zabba or Kolarov. I suspect MDM may come off the bench late on.

Hope i'm wrong but I susect we will get turned over again. We need a win today nothing less, I'd go with 442 with Nacho and Aguero up top.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

By "pushing them close" do you mean just defending, not attacking and relying on Hart to make several crucial saves to only lose 1-0 rather than 5-0?

I've lost count how many times joe has saved us from getting embarrassed this season. Liverpool at home could of been double figures.