The Midfield

VOOMER said:
We used to have a front 5 that put real pressure on any team who tried to play around at the back. That doesn't happen anymore. Most of the squad is old, ageing and knackered . The recruitment has been woeful and led to a lot of our injuries. Tonight Madrid barely broke sweat, they had us sussed. Tonight was a lesson, doubt anything will have been learnt.
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Watch Pep's press conferences. He knows City's physicality is very weak.
 
We have been struggling for months yet we haven’t changed formation. Our biggest issue is midfield so why are we not making it compact instead of wide open.

Makes no sense we are asking old players to do a job they can not do
 
Pep needs to find his way with a midfield thats dominating games with great passing and possession skills but also having energy, legs, pressing to not get shat on so often as we have been this season.

Rodri being back will help but if he has to put up with Gundo, Kova, KDB, Bernardo in the midfield next season too next to him or front of him, we are in trouble.

if anything maybe we need to push Rodri to be number 8 and Nico number 6. Rodri does have skills to arrive at the box, make last passes, great long shots etc. but he could do all these playing at 6 too when when camped on opposite half and had serious control in games.

we used to be angry that we have 20 shots and 0 or 1 goal in some games but bloody opponent has 1 goal from 1 shot all game.

well these days opponents allowed to have 5-10-15 shots and we keep conceding 2+ regularly...
because we have zero midfield control vs anyone half decent. no help to defence either who are getting both barrels due to lack of pressing upfront, lack of midfield presence...
 
Blu1 said:
We have been struggling for months yet we haven’t changed formation. Our biggest issue is midfield so why are we not making it compact instead of wide open.

Makes no sense we are asking old players to do a job they can not do
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We have changed from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2, with two CMs and wingers tucking in, then pushing up the FBs when the wingers release.

That said, the second CM has been the problem, even with Nico playing now.
 
Blu1 said:
We have been struggling for months yet we haven’t changed formation. Our biggest issue is midfield so why are we not making it compact instead of wide open.

Makes no sense we are asking old players to do a job they can not do
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We have no other options… the players aren’t equipped to sit deep (look how few 50/50 duels we win). So our only option is the make the pitch as condensed as possible by pushing up… unfortunately if through injury/fatigue the team can’t effectively press then tonight happens
 
DeBruyne has still created more chances than anyone else in our midfield this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s created more chances than the rest of our midfield combined! Sell him and we’ve got no creativity in our midfield even though we’ve got shitloads of midfielders.


Keep: Nico Rodri Wright DeBruyne Foden Bobb McAtee Echeverri O’Reilly Mukasa


Sell: Kovačić Gündoğan BSilva Nunes


Buy: Wirtz
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
DeBruyne has still created more chances than anyone else in our midfield this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s created more chances than the rest of our midfield combined! Sell him and we’ve got no creativity in our midfield even though we’ve got shitloads of midfielders.


Keep: Nico Rodri Wright DeBruyne Foden Bobb McAtee Echeverri O’Reilly Mukasa


Sell: Kovačić Gündoğan BSilva Nunes


Buy: Wirtz
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KDB can create chances given time and space on the ball.
 
Our midfield is absolutely disgraceful. Gundo, Bernardo, Kovacic, KDB and Nunes. How have we accumulated these old men/players that aren’t good enough? We are so behind the curve when you see how physical these teams are at the elite level. We don’t compete.

I think the club all got too comfortable with each other personally, coupled with poor incomings. If Nunes and Kovacic were Bellingham or Rice and Mac Allister it would be very different.

The balance is all wrong. We have too many similar old players.
 
Bluefen said:
We have no other options… the players aren’t equipped to sit deep (look how few 50/50 duels we win). So our only option is the make the pitch as condensed as possible by pushing up… unfortunately if through injury/fatigue the team can’t effectively press then tonight happens
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Yep and you need legs to sit deep. Plus it the antithesis of Pep but the we don’t have the players to play the way he wants.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
DeBruyne has still created more chances than anyone else in our midfield this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s created more chances than the rest of our midfield combined! Sell him and we’ve got no creativity in our midfield even though we’ve got shitloads of midfielders.


Keep: Nico Rodri Wright DeBruyne Foden Bobb McAtee Echeverri O’Reilly Mukasa


Sell: Kovačić Gündoğan BSilva Nunes


Buy: Wirtz
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What is wrong with Bobb? Has he had a setback: he was training about 4 weeks ago. Not been seen since.
 
Rodri at no. 6, Gonzalez at 8, Echeverri at 10.

Echeverri might become a star. You should all be very excited that he will be joining City soon.
 
KdB, Silva, Kovacic, Gundogan, Grealish, Nunes,....

these should not be in the squad next year - time to move on
Add one of stones or Ake to that list as well

Rico - keep but as a useful squad player...no more


We need to replace at least 3 of those named above with outright starting 11 ability...not potential and if you include one of the centre halves that woukd be 4 players brought in who can slot straight into the starring 11

Bobb, echevari are unknowns. McAtee - does he have that final couple of percent to make it at the very top?

Sav and doku - time to see if you can step up a level
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
DeBruyne has still created more chances than anyone else in our midfield this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s created more chances than the rest of our midfield combined! Sell him and we’ve got no creativity in our midfield even though we’ve got shitloads of midfielders.


Keep: Nico Rodri Wright DeBruyne Foden Bobb McAtee Echeverri O’Reilly Mukasa


Sell: Kovačić Gündoğan BSilva Nunes


Buy: Wirtz
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Stats are one thing.....performances are another...he is way off where we need him to be. He won't be fit for half the games, can't play 3 in a week, can't run, won't defend which makes us wide open ..
Keeping kdb at this point is a huge mistake

I'd also add selling Grealish
 
I'm a bit gutted that Nico still isn't the pacey, energetic legs we desperately need in midfield. I think he'll be a good player when we get back to being a top team and dominating the ball, but out of possession last night chasing the game wasn't his game at all. Quite alarming that he's slower than an over-the-hill Gundo who is 11 years his senior.
 
kunaguero10 said:
I'm a bit gutted that Nico still isn't the pacey, energetic legs we desperately need in midfield. I think he'll be a good player when we get back to being a top team and dominating the ball, but out of possession last night chasing the game wasn't his game at all. Quite alarming that he's slower than an over-the-hill Gundo who is 11 years his senior.
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I agree it shocked me how slow he was he was left floundering a couple of times, think he will be good in a 3 when not isolated.
 
I think our recruitment is good, Khusanov, Nico and Marmoush look bright for the future, in hindsight Gundo’s return was a mistake. We also can’t compensate for all our injuries especially Rodri, we can’t get a break with defenders, I don’t think Dias, Ake, Stones or Akanji have all been fit at the same time all season.
I think Jacks time is up, again Doku has been injured too many times and Bobb was coming good before the leg break.
Clear out time now, Gundo Nunes Bernie even KDB need to move on, let’s get 3 or 4 new summer signings then go again
 
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