The last 15 mins of games...

blue b4 the moon said:
4 months to get a DM lined up and two weeks into the window and nothing has happened, that's why we're not closing out games.

Our bed was made after Rodders was injured but since the window opened we've been lucky to a degree against West Ham and now this.

There is the issue,
we bring on a hero from what seems another lifetime who is as much use as me on the pitch.

If we miss out on CL football by 2 points it was last night.
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Not the United game?
 
I think pep takes off players all the time when they have scored 2 goals, like keeping them hungry for the hatrick in the next match,totally backfired last night bringing on gundo was a big mistake to the balance of the team, weren't we like 2 nil up with like 10 minutes to go? Surly defence should be priority we were all over the place, and completely outplayed us in the last 15 minutes. This keep close for 70 and attacking us later on in the game seems to be the new plan,and it's working perfectly.
 
The keeper said:
I think pep takes off players all the time when they have scored 2 goals, like keeping them hungry for the hatrick in the next match,totally backfired last night bringing on gundo was a big mistake to the balance of the team, weren't we like 2 nil up with like 10 minutes to go? Surly defence should be priority we were all over the place, and completely outplayed us in the last 15 minutes. This keep close for 70 and attacking us later on in the game seems to be the new plan,and it's working perfectly.
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100%
 
geoff hammond said:
Not the United game?
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There's many to call but, that was pre the window opening.

The crux of my post was STILL not addressing the single most important issue of why we keep dropping points from winning positions even after the window has been open for 2 weeks after knowing Kovacic can't manage 90 mins and there's nobody to cover him.
 
The keeper said:
I think pep takes off players all the time when they have scored 2 goals, like keeping them hungry for the hatrick in the next match,totally backfired last night bringing on gundo was a big mistake to the balance of the team, weren't we like 2 nil up with like 10 minutes to go? Surly defence should be priority we were all over the place, and completely outplayed us in the last 15 minutes. This keep close for 70 and attacking us later on in the game seems to be the new plan,and it's working perfectly.
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In fairness, Brentford attacked us throughout. We just should have chnaged shape & tactics (and personnel) when 2 up with 10 minutes left. Even at 2-1 the only sub was like for like and we were pushing forward for a third.
 
Craig said:
It was a very good chance to score with still a few minutes left. He should’ve scored but everyone was guilty of missing chances. They got a bloody goal kick from it. It’s not as if he lost the ball trying a mazy dribble in his own half. We should be able to defend and regroup from a dead ball towards the end of a game.
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I disagree. If we had held on to the ball for a few more minutes we would have come with three points. Instead we continue to throw away points by conceding goals late in the game.
 
Donmcfc said:
I really want James McAtee to do well and become a regular first team player but his high and wild shot near the end of the game gave possession back to Brentford when we should have been keeping the ball in play and running down the clock.
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That's just stupid.

You might as well blame Savinho for taking shots and not putting through Haaland when he had the chance! It's not the taking the shot to try and bury the game, it's the constant trying to recycle the ball and retain control, when we've been in bad form for weeks!

It was, precisely that, when Bernardo had the ball that he decided to turn away from attack and recycle that led to an interception along the way and them scoring.

Do not blame McAtee for trying to bury the game at a point we NEEDED that to happen!
 
Philosophy seems to get in the way again. I think Pep cannot contemplate completing a game the way most teams at the Etihad begin a game - eleven defending the goal. There's summat up when philosophy gets in the way of points. I'm a great believer in 'the curse of the two goal lead', but why not deploy yer troops to negate it. Seventh when we could be fourth.
 
I don’t think its going to change even if we do bring in a Rodri ( backup/replacement) and the other targets,something isn’t right behind the scenes it’s like complacency and just taking our eye off the ball and with pep it’s as if he’s going through the motions and not interested in changing anything,I also dismiss what foden said about players knackered after 70 mins or whatever,older players like kdb or gundogan I can understand but foden himself haaland and so on not having it they are what 23-25 yrs old come on..
 
It’s a mentality thing. We were fine last night, keeping the ball - movement, buzzing around their area - in the 90th minute. Then we got lazy when it came to defending 2 minutes later when they had it.

The defence is weak. Ake is the only one there who seems willing to put his body on the line. Gvardiol is mint, love him, but he’s not a unit of a defender. He doesn’t seem to love the art of defending like Ake does. Or Dias. Like Vinny did. Or even somebody like Otamendi. Players willing to throw themselves into the line of fire and do the dirty work. Akanji is too weak in the air - mustard on the floor but weak in the air.

And then the mentality of the team goes because they know they can’t trust each other to see a game out. It’s probably why we started attacking last night go get a third. When, in Pep’s time, have we seen 7 of our players pushed up on the edge of their area in the 90th minute when we’re 2-1 up instead of controlling possession and starving them of the ball?

They’ve lost that belief in themselves and I presume Pep has lost it in them too given the tactics to kill the game with a goal rather than with possession last night. The issue is, it didn’t work and neither has possession all season. 2-0 is no longer a safe lead. Fuck, 3-0 wasn’t to Feyernoord!

I just hope we get top 4 and the new boys hit the ground running. Need them to make an impact. Whether it’s purely because a new face is something different and will change the attitude in the team, I don’t know. But they’re needed and needed quick.
 
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