The Title Race 2022/23

[crystal_mais]

Arsenal are a bit like us in the sense the team (midfield especially) is made for having the ball. They're not that great without the ball once you beat their initial press.

How many times have we watched the opposition go right through the middle of us with a single pass this season? Arsenal are the same. Spurs, despite being absolute turd, must have had half a dozen decent chances yesterday.

Totally agree - we can batter them when we play them but we need to be totally on it

 

[waspish]

If we win the next 6 games we'll be top, and we'll win the league.

Beating Arsenal twice would show them and everyone else they're the weaker side, we play an extra game, so the gap would be cut to max 2 points and I think they'll drop some in their run of United-Everton-Brentford.

Agree we just have to win our next 6 games

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Touch of the Comical Ali’s about this, Tolm :)

We’ve got huge issues.

We will always have issues, whether it be losing a derby, losing at Anfield, not scoring against Palace.

We have our two best defenders out injured but the main priority is to ensure we keep in the mix and ensure Arsenal and United don't play without pressure.

It's a long road and City have come back from far worse situations, seemingly when all is lost.

I suspect Pep and the lads do have one firm eye on the Champions League this season, but another Prem title is still there to be had.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

You seem to know things that are going on behind the scenes, what do you think it is? For me the players look fed up of trying to play a False 9 system with a world class striker feeding off scraps. The constant passing is slapping them.

You might be right, but I have no knowledge of such.

This season was always going to be a slog for all the top teams.

 

[domalino]

We’ve got huge issues.

I think we only have one issue that matters - the supply to Haaland.

As soon as we fix that we're starting every game 1-0 up and the other issues will sort themselves out.

 

[domalino]

For me the players look fed up of trying to play a False 9 system with a world class striker feeding off scraps.

How have we been trying to play a false 9 system? Haaland couldn't be further from a false 9.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

We will always have issues, whether it be losing a derby, losing at Anfield, not scoring against Palace.

We have our two best defenders out injured but the main priority is to ensure we keep in the mix and ensure Arsenal and United don't play without pressure.

It's a long road and City have come back from far worse situations, seemingly when all is lost.

I suspect Pep and the lads do have one firm eye on the Champions League this season, but another Prem title is still there to be had.

I think we have a number of issues all coming at once- adjusting the system to bring in Haaland, no proper no.2 with Pep, Bernardo dropping in performance, Foden struggling post World Cup, injuries to Dias and Stones, poor recruitment at left back and a very disjointed season with the World Cup break.

Despite all that there are players still doing well- Mahrez has played well of late, Grealish has made an impact in recent league games, Haaland is still a monster and Lewis has played well.

I don’t think the league is gone but we need to start much better (especially away), we were poor first half away to Chelsea, Southampton and on Saturday. I thought we would grind out a result Saturday like Chelsea away but we were done by a shocker of a decision.

We may still need to grind out results while we try and get our mojo back. Arsenal celebrated yesterday as though they’ve won the league. I would to see what happens if we put some real pressure on them.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I think we have a number of issues all coming at once- adjusting the system to bring in Haaland, no proper no.2 with Pep, Bernardo dropping in performance, Foden struggling post World Cup, injuries to Dias and Stones, poor recruitment at left back and a very disjointed season with the World Cup break.

Despite all that there are players still doing well- Mahrez has played well of late, Grealish has made an impact in recent league games, Haaland is still a monster and Lewis has played well.

I don’t think the league is gone but we need to start much better (especially away), we were poor first half away to Chelsea, Southampton and on Saturday. I thought we would grind out a result Saturday like Chelsea away but we were done by a shocker of a decision.

We may still need to grind out results while we try and get our mojo back. Arsenal celebrated yesterday as though they’ve won the league. I would to see what happens if we put some real pressure on them.

It was interesting to hear Shaw's post-match comments?

He said they had watched our games of late and how poor we had been in the first-half of matches.

Also said they worked on only having minimal possession and Ten Hag wanted the supply to Haaland stopped only in the final third and to close the passing lanes for Rodri.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I think we only have one issue that matters - the supply to Haaland.

As soon as we fix that we're starting every game 1-0 up and the other issues will sort themselves out.

Correct. Pep can fix it and he will.

Perhaps he will need to sacrifice total dominance of the ball or look for more balls over the top, but he will know exactly what the problem is.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

It was interesting to hear Shaw's post-match comments?

He said they had watched our games of late and how poor we had been in the first-half of matches.

Also said they worked on only having minimal possession and Ten Hag wanted the supply to Haaland stopped only in the final third and to close the passing lanes for Rodri.

And despite all that they only got a result by virtue of one the worst decisions in the history of the premier league