The Title Race 2022/23

[bluedreamer]

What I find frustrating of late is that in some games it is clear that our line up or tactics aren’t working, yet we don’t change things up . Now we have Alvarez we have a great plan B , but it needs to happen sooner before we go behind.
Remember how Dechamps made two changes before half time in the WCup final and he was hailed a genius.

 

[roy.or.r]

I want us to win the CL this time.

 

[Cricket Blue]

Has everyone forgot 2012?
Bring it on

 

[g180aj]

I can't see it doing any harm. He would certainly bring us closer to goal and earn us our fair share of free-kicks in dangerous positions.

I do think Kev needs to come out of the centre now, most of his best work these days is wide right and his crossing would come in to the box far quicker and from deeper too.

If we have two holders, there is more margin for risk.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to switch it up a bit and have Foden left, Kev right with licence to cross.

My concern with Jack in the centre would be his work rate, I don’t think he works hard enough for us to play there.

 

[Manc123]

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to switch it up a bit and have Foden left, Kev right with licence to cross.

My concern with Jack in the centre would be his work rate, I don’t think he works hard enough for us to play there.

i dont think his work is as much of risk if hes got 2 sitters behing him. I think the original post tolmie was commenting on was relating to a more 4231 formation rather than 433. Kind of the free role just behind haaland

 

[supercity88]

I'd like to see Grealish in the midfield three, on the left side ahead of Rodri and with De Bruyne on the right hand side. I think we'd see a lot more of Foden in the wide left role there and on the wide right stick with Mahrez/Alvarez.

Grealish wants the ball to feet and he wants to draw players in and either go past them or play into the space they've left. Wide left we lose a lot of his talent. Similarly, Foden isn't going to go past people being wide left. His strength is getting the ball in tight areas and also his movement off it. Jack excels when others are moving ahead of him. He'll either play it into the space or he'll exploit the defender being drawn out of position and attack it. I think there would be a huge improvement in the attacking third with Jack and Phil linking with Haaland on the left and De Bruyne and Mahrez/Alvarez doing the same on the right.

Defensively we can improve, but I think Jack would be more effective defensively being in more central areas. He's got the legs to get back, it's just the positional discipline he lacks but with Rodri and two centre backs behind him he's got more cover. It's worth a try in my opinion.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Remember the lockdown season when we was fucking shite right up until December then all of a sudden something clicked and we never looked back. I feel this is going to happen but of course needs to happen soon.

We had Fernandinho then, admittedly.

He was the one who got the whole team together before that Chelsea game that season and told them we were a pale shadow of ourselves.

I'd have loved Pep to have offered him a role as his number two and the chance to play in the Cups this season if playing was such an issue.

Loved that guy.

 

[Blu3m00n91]

Pep stopped playing two deep-lying midfielders after West Brom at home and moved Gundogan further forward.

Whenever we have formations that include three centre halves or two defensive mids, it takes away an attacking creative player from the team.

We are better when we have more creative players on the pitch playing further forward.

At the moment we have nobody playing in the ‘David Silva’ position, I feel like we have a massive hole in the middle of the attack behind Haaland where nobody is playing>>>

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We have lots of the ball out wide but too little centrally.

I thought we looked a bit too much like this against United on Saturday:

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With Bernardo dropping next to Rodri to get the ball, de Bruyne playing quite wide where the ‘RB’ is, Cancelo joining in further forward and two wide players with Haaland surrounded by red shirts and no City players anywhere near him.

Yeah it makes more sense to go back to the 5-5 system. 4 midfielders behind Erling

We had Fernandinho then, admittedly.

He was the one who got the whole team together before that Chelsea game that season and told them we were a pale shadow of ourselves.

I'd have loved Pep to have offered him a role as his number two and the chance to play in the Cups this season if playing was such an issue.

Loved that guy.

Sure tho we still have big characters? Dias, Gundogan? From what I’ve seen in the behind scenes stuff these guys are quite vocal in big moments

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Yeah it makes more sense to go back to the 5-5 system. 4 midfielders behind Erling

Sure tho we still have big characters? Dias, Gundogan? From what I’ve seen in the behind scenes stuff these guys are quite vocal in big moments

They are, but we also need Ruben fit on the pitch.

Stonesy is the big one for me. The only player willing and able to break the press from deeper.

 

[citizen_maine]

Stonesy is the big one for me. The only player willing and able to break the press from deeper.

He'd be one of the best players in the world if he could stay fit for more than a fortnight.
I blame @EcclesBlue
Not sure what she does to him in that dungeon between games