Training Ground work bearing obvious fruit

[Didsbury Dave]

I agree with all of it apart from the final point. I still think there's plenty of work to be done on the defending. Its not that we're being caught out because our attacking play, its that we still look flimsy when we come under pressure. We had a very dodgy 20 min spell at Fulham, even allowing for the freak nature of Kompany's og. The Swansea goal just before half time looked as if it had been coming for 15 mins. We even struggled to cope with Blackburn's long throws. There's a chasm in terms of the quality of our defending compared to our attacking play.

We can certainly improve further at the back, but we aren't a team who's going to keep twenty clean sheets a season, mainly because we go for the jugular in every game. But I think we have been getting better and better defensively as the season has progressed. I thought we were pretty comfortable against Blackburn, even without Vinny, and last night we were rock solid. IT's a long time since I felt nervous at opposition corners.

I think a world class centre half will be high on our shopping list, ideally a left sided one, but as it stands, we are doing pretty well with what we have I'd say.

 

[blueyorkie]

Agree with all of that Dave, to me the key is a high tempo to our passing and movement and has been for some time now. Our poor performances tend to be when the intensity falls and we become slow and predictable in the passing and movement.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

IT looks to me like the evolution of this wonderful team of ours is being incubated directly on the training ground. You can see the progression in so many areas as the season progresses.

1) Corners - We are an enormous threat from corners. We are looking for the short one less, and putting it into the same front post area every time. There are big players are winning headers and the others make clever runs to the back post. Then, even if the header isn't "middled", we have lads arriving to convert at the far post. Ya Ya did this against United. Negredo at Blackburn, loads of others. Not hugely compilcated, but devastatingly effective this season.

2) Free kicks - Ya Ya has his technique perfect for those on the left side of the box, Kolorov from the right. Even Silva has taken one or two dangerous ones.

3) Penalties - I keep reading on the training reports how we practice penalties every session, and we have had three takers and havent come close to missing one yet.

4) High tempo passing - the bedrock of our game. Every single player looks to keep the ball moving and to bang it into feet. The continual movement which accompanies this is what keeps posession and leads to chances.

5) Off the ball movement and running - Look how many times our forwards make clever, diverting runs when we drive down on goal. Again, simple stuff but we are doing it really effectively

6) Breaking down stubborn teams - Last night was the culmination of a progressive improvement in our ability to break down defensive teams. What we do is play our little triangle passes a little deeper, draw a player or two out, then ruthlessly exploit the space that has created. And we vary things all the time - occasional ball from deep, occasional overlap, etc. This drags the opposition all over.

7) Using the width of the park - Our fullbacks and Navas and to a lesser degree Milner are adept at overlapping and running at the full back. This is creating us a lot of corners, from which we are a threat, and a lot of goals as well

8) Effective defending. Whilst we stuttered at the beginning of the season, we have learnt to play the high line when necessary. We don't look vulnerable to corners/setpieces either, and the individual errors which blighted the early games have all been ironed out. Whilst we will always conceed goals due to our killer instinct, last night again was another rock solid display from the back line.

All of this progression is clearly down to technical training ground work and you have got to give enormous respect to the manager and his coaching staff for this. It's been a joy to see this evolve over the course of the last few months, and a joy to see how our player are responding to this.

Cracking post DD. Number 6 is my personal favourite.

Have to say that last night was the most Pep'esque performance I've ever seen from a non Pep team. The way we passed them to death at times. The way every player knew when to move and when to hold. The way every player (barring long shot Edin) played for the team.

The long time Pellegrini watchers will know that at Malaga at Villareal - it was around this time into his tenure that you saw the team playing how he wants. We see that now with City too.

Haha i agree about 'long shot Edin'. That was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect performance. Dzeko does that too often. As soon as the other striker scores a goal, he starts shooting from anywhere. He needs to realise that both his goals came from great team play and were scored from inside the box, not from 35 yards out.

 

[alib]

4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 aren't always done away from home though?

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

IT looks to me like the evolution of this wonderful team of ours is being incubated directly on the training ground. You can see the progression in so many areas as the season progresses.

1) Corners - We are an enormous threat from corners. We are looking for the short one less, and putting it into the same front post area every time. There are big players are winning headers and the others make clever runs to the back post. Then, even if the header isn't "middled", we have lads arriving to convert at the far post. Ya Ya did this against United. Negredo at Blackburn, loads of others. Not hugely compilcated, but devastatingly effective this season.

2) Free kicks - Ya Ya has his technique perfect for those on the left side of the box, Kolorov from the right. Even Silva has taken one or two dangerous ones.

3) Penalties - I keep reading on the training reports how we practice penalties every session, and we have had three takers and havent come close to missing one yet.

4) High tempo passing - the bedrock of our game. Every single player looks to keep the ball moving and to bang it into feet. The continual movement which accompanies this is what keeps posession and leads to chances.

5) Off the ball movement and running - Look how many times our forwards make clever, diverting runs when we drive down on goal. Again, simple stuff but we are doing it really effectively

6) Breaking down stubborn teams - Last night was the culmination of a progressive improvement in our ability to break down defensive teams. What we do is play our little triangle passes a little deeper, draw a player or two out, then ruthlessly exploit the space that has created. And we vary things all the time - occasional ball from deep, occasional overlap, etc. This drags the opposition all over.

7) Using the width of the park - Our fullbacks and Navas and to a lesser degree Milner are adept at overlapping and running at the full back. This is creating us a lot of corners, from which we are a threat, and a lot of goals as well

8) Effective defending. Whilst we stuttered at the beginning of the season, we have learnt to play the high line when necessary. We don't look vulnerable to corners/setpieces either, and the individual errors which blighted the early games have all been ironed out. Whilst we will always conceed goals due to our killer instinct, last night again was another rock solid display from the back line.

All of this progression is clearly down to technical training ground work and you have got to give enormous respect to the manager and his coaching staff for this. It's been a joy to see this evolve over the course of the last few months, and a joy to see how our player are responding to this.

This is what are destroying teams. Everyone talking about these shit teams that keep turning up at the Etihad, but they cant get near
the ball. They press and we pass around and break on them, so they sit off and our tight one touch football breaks them down.
Great to watch and long may it continue.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 aren't always done away from home though?

rome wasnt built in a day pellegrinis style means there will be teething problems i imagine will get even better still.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Spot on, DD.


5) Off the ball movement and running - Look how many times our forwards make clever, diverting runs when we drive down on goal. Again, simple stuff but we are doing it really effectively

Not just the forwards. How many times did Zab go belting down the wing and not get the ball, only to go battering on at the next opportunity. Great team work all the way through - players and management both.

 

[manimanc]

92 goals scored already backs up what DD says in spades....
92 fuckin goals.....and nearly half the season left. ....
Wow.....just wow!!!

 

[Cityfan]

3) Penalties - I keep reading on the training reports how we practice penalties every session, and we have had three takers and havent come close to missing one yet.
.

Shite goalkeeping coaches obviously.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

IT looks to me like the evolution of this wonderful team of ours is being incubated directly on the training ground. You can see the progression in so many areas as the season progresses.

1) Corners - We are an enormous threat from corners. We are looking for the short one less, and putting it into the same front post area every time. There are big players are winning headers and the others make clever runs to the back post. Then, even if the header isn't "middled", we have lads arriving to convert at the far post. Ya Ya did this against United. Negredo at Blackburn, loads of others. Not hugely compilcated, but devastatingly effective this season.

2) Free kicks - Ya Ya has his technique perfect for those on the left side of the box, Kolorov from the right. Even Silva has taken one or two dangerous ones.

3) Penalties - I keep reading on the training reports how we practice penalties every session, and we have had three takers and havent come close to missing one yet.

4) High tempo passing - the bedrock of our game. Every single player looks to keep the ball moving and to bang it into feet. The continual movement which accompanies this is what keeps posession and leads to chances.

5) Off the ball movement and running - Look how many times our forwards make clever, diverting runs when we drive down on goal. Again, simple stuff but we are doing it really effectively

6) Breaking down stubborn teams - Last night was the culmination of a progressive improvement in our ability to break down defensive teams. What we do is play our little triangle passes a little deeper, draw a player or two out, then ruthlessly exploit the space that has created. And we vary things all the time - occasional ball from deep, occasional overlap, etc. This drags the opposition all over.

7) Using the width of the park - Our fullbacks and Navas and to a lesser degree Milner are adept at overlapping and running at the full back. This is creating us a lot of corners, from which we are a threat, and a lot of goals as well

8) Effective defending. Whilst we stuttered at the beginning of the season, we have learnt to play the high line when necessary. We don't look vulnerable to corners/setpieces either, and the individual errors which blighted the early games have all been ironed out. Whilst we will always conceed goals due to our killer instinct, last night again was another rock solid display from the back line.

All of this progression is clearly down to technical training ground work and you have got to give enormous respect to the manager and his coaching staff for this. It's been a joy to see this evolve over the course of the last few months, and a joy to see how our player are responding to this.

I agree with the first seven. There have been some very noticeable positive shifts which are great to see.

But with #8 i think where we have been cutting out most of the bollock droppers (Kompany's own goal and a few from Dimichelis were the most recent ones and they were five or so games ago) but we've been wide open and in-disciplined and still conceding goals at a similar rate we have been all season.

This was until last night, where for the first time i've really seen it, we were shutting doors all over the pitch like we haven't been all season. I'd like this tempo and determination of play when we don't have the ball to become a real feature of our play. I think it's the biggest ting that's been lacking all season. Hopefully we take this forward from now on, especially away from home where i haven't seen it once in the Prem. It was the most impressive thing from our performance last night.

 

[FantasyIreland]

The improvement in our all round game is obvious,we are playing amazing football which,like DD has posted so well,has been learnt and perfected on the training ground.
What is also obvious is the team bond and morale,each and every player is giving their all,some are showing characteristics and abilities I wasn't aware they were capable of..... and we are playing as a collective and not as individuals,the players seem equally happy for a teammate to take the plaudits as they would themselves.
I believe this team,coupled with one or two more quality additions,can achieve very special things indeed - all those lean years filled with pain,misery and unpredictability,while never forgotten,are long gone and were worth every minute to witness the fantastic football we are being served right now:-))

 

[Matt Mills]

Completely agree great squad + great manager = great training = great results

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Negredo's movement was awesome. As soon as Yaya, Nasri or Silva get the ball. he looks to run in behind the back 4 every time, into channels, expecting balls over the top. Sometimes the pass is made (and he gets a chance), other times we will play a bit of short passing triangles in midfield. If the latter happens, he immediately checks his run and shows himself for a ball into his feet so he can hold it up, lay it off, turn the defender if they are too tight to him etc. If he can't get behind the defence, Pellegrini has drilled it into him that he must then immediately become the link between midfield and attack, so he quickly runs TOWARDS the ball instead of away from it. Pellers has coached them well.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The improvement in our all round game is obvious,we are playing amazing football which,like DD has posted so well,has been learnt and perfected on the training ground.
What is also obvious is the team bond and morale,each and every player is giving their all,some are showing characteristics and abilities I wasn't aware they were capable of..... and we are playing as a collective and not as individuals,the players seem equally happy for a teammate to take the plaudits as they would themselves.
I believe this team,coupled with one or two more quality additions,can achieve very special things indeed - all those lean years filled with pain,misery and unpredictability,while never forgotten,are long gone and were worth every minute to witness the fantastic football we are being served right now:-))

Dead right, FI, mate. We haven't had a single bust-up or negative story from the camp all season. Apparently the Paps don't even come to Carrington any more. Can you believe that?

Another thing Pellegrini deserves huge credit for in this respect is that there can't be a player in that squad who can feel peeved that they haven't been given a chance. Some may have wanted more games, but everyone has been actively included, even when their form has dropped off . Dzeko, Lescott, Clichy and Garcia are examples of this: players who've been allowed to play their way back into form. This has to be a big factor in that team ethos and spirit which you can see building up.

We are a happy camp, and a confident camp, and with our quality, trophies will surely come.

I think Pellegrini is a fucking brilliant manager and I wouldn't swap him for anyone in world football right now. The perfect man for our club, and I'd wager that Abu Dhabi are over the moon with him. And massive credit to Txiki and Soriano for getting him in too, when other choices were available.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

The improvement in our all round game is obvious,we are playing amazing football which,like DD has posted so well,has been learnt and perfected on the training ground.
What is also obvious is the team bond and morale,each and every player is giving their all,some are showing characteristics and abilities I wasn't aware they were capable of..... and we are playing as a collective and not as individuals,the players seem equally happy for a teammate to take the plaudits as they would themselves.
I believe this team,coupled with one or two more quality additions,can achieve very special things indeed - all those lean years filled with pain,misery and unpredictability,while never forgotten,are long gone and were worth every minute to witness the fantastic football we are being served right now:-))

Dead right, FI, mate. We haven't had a single bust-up or negative story from the camp all season. Apparently the Paps don't even come to Carrington any more. Can you believe that?

Another thing Pellegrini deserves huge credit for in this respect is that there can't be a player in that squad who can feel peeved that they haven't been given a chance. Some may have wanted more games, but everyone has been actively included, even when their form has dropped off . Dzeko, Lescott, Clichy and Garcia are examples of this: players who've been allowed to play their way back into form. This has to be a big factor in that team ethos and spirit which you can see building up.

We are a happy camp, and a confident camp, and with our quality, trophies will surely come.

I think Pellegrini is a fucking brilliant manager and I wouldn't swap him for anyone in world football right now. The perfect man for our club, and I'd wager that Abu Dhabi are over the moon with him. And massive credit to Txiki and Soriano for getting him in too, when other choices were available.

Hope he sticks two big fingers up to the papz, who were and are calling him for never winning owt (in Europe).
We all know the reasons for this. He has a great squad here and the sky's the limit or maybe beyond.

 

[vintiz]

Its Amazing how we've coped in the absence of Aguero !!!

I think the manager also deserves credit for being able to get the very best out of the entire squad.

 

[aguero93:20]

Its Amazing how we've coped in the absence of Aguero !!!

I think the manager also deserves credit for being able to get the very best out of the entire squad.

The rest of the squads performances seem to have gone up a notch, although Merlin has undoubtably had something to do with that, how good are we going to be with a fully fit team?

 

[Tricky_Trev]

The improvement in our all round game is obvious,we are playing amazing football which,like DD has posted so well,has been learnt and perfected on the training ground.
What is also obvious is the team bond and morale,each and every player is giving their all,some are showing characteristics and abilities I wasn't aware they were capable of..... and we are playing as a collective and not as individuals,the players seem equally happy for a teammate to take the plaudits as they would themselves.
I believe this team,coupled with one or two more quality additions,can achieve very special things indeed - all those lean years filled with pain,misery and unpredictability,while never forgotten,are long gone and were worth every minute to witness the fantastic football we are being served right now:-))

Dead right, FI, mate. We haven't had a single bust-up or negative story from the camp all season. Apparently the Paps don't even come to Carrington any more. Can you believe that?

Another thing Pellegrini deserves huge credit for in this respect is that there can't be a player in that squad who can feel peeved that they haven't been given a chance. Some may have wanted more games, but everyone has been actively included, even when their form has dropped off . Dzeko, Lescott, Clichy and Garcia are examples of this: players who've been allowed to play their way back into form. This has to be a big factor in that team ethos and spirit which you can see building up.

We are a happy camp, and a confident camp, and with our quality, trophies will surely come.

I think Pellegrini is a fucking brilliant manager and I wouldn't swap him for anyone in world football right now. The perfect man for our club, and I'd wager that Abu Dhabi are over the moon with him. And massive credit to Txiki and Soriano for getting him in too, when other choices were available.

Hope he sticks two big fingers up to the papz, who were and are calling him for never winning owt (in Europe).
We all know the reasons for this. He has a great squad here and the sky's the limit or maybe beyond.

I found it funny on Sunday Supplement this season, when the journos said, and I quote, "Pellegrini's press conferences are awful - he gives us nothing." They have no stick to beat us with, other than money of course but we're used to that.

 

[cleavers]

All of this progression is clearly down to technical training ground work and you have got to give enormous respect to the manager and his coaching staff for this. It's been a joy to see this evolve over the course of the last few months, and a joy to see how our player are responding to this.

And add to that the individual improvement in some of our players, particularly Nasri, Kolorov, Aguero, and in recent weeks even Dzeko and Garcia, the management of the goalkeeper situation where we now use both keepers, and seem to be keeping both happy. Its great to watch and as you say the evolution has been great to see take place, we still need to prove our consistency away from home over a longer period, and against the best teams, but since we lost at Cheslea the record is very good, Sunderland apart, which was both a heavily rotated team, and with a very significant player missing through injury.

 

[cleavers]

Haha i agree about 'long shot Edin'. That was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect performance. Dzeko does that too often. As soon as the other striker scores a goal, he starts shooting from anywhere. He needs to realise that both his goals came from great team play and were scored from inside the box, not from 35 yards out.

I'll counter that by saying a shooting Edin Dzeko is a confident Edin Dzeko, so I hope he keeps it up, he'll score a few and miss a few, but if he's happy and playing with a smile on his face then its only to our benefit, he certainly played with a smile last night.