United (A) - Sat 14th Jan, 12:30 | Pre-Match Thread

Match Result Prediction

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The Light Was Yellow Sir said:
Whilst I’m no doubt envious of all the posters on here for whom life seemingly has no down side and every day is one brilliant success after another, with no bad days whatsoever, I really struggle to understand the negativity about this man and this proven group of players. Last night they lost their THIRD game of the season, out of 27 games played thus far. There’s more than a whiff of entitlement on here, the thing above all else, the rags and others are relentlessly criticised for..

Personally, I think getting challenged and coming through it, or not, is what sport is all about. Seeing this group challenged is something we see almost every season and they usually not only rise to that challenge but find a way to overcome it.

I also think that, whilst the idea of P38 W38 GF 114 GA 19 PTS 114 sounds brilliant, it’d soon get pretty tiresome.

Finally, if he were to play the team any of you have ’picked’ and they lose, you’ll no doubt be back on here telling us all how shit he/they are!
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Sorry, dropped off.

Er Bingo! House!

Is "this proven group of players", ....proven?
As you correctly infer - everyone has an off day - but last nights was off the cliff awful - on the back of some less than impressive recant ones - trajectory and all that. Even "this man" (Pep) has admitted that.
 
Uniteds mega run of results is really scary.....

Villa 3-1 L (Away)
Villa 4-2 W (Home) L.Cup
Fulham 2-1 W (Away)
Cadiz 4-2 L (Away) EL
Betis 1-0 L (Away) EL
Burnley 2-0 W (H) L.Cup
Forest 3-0 W (H)
Wolves 1-0 W (A)
Bournemouth 3-0 W (H)
Everton 3-1 W (H)
Charlton 3-0 W (H) L.Cup

We turn up, we beat them it's simple.

We've Stones & B.Silva to come back in, Haaland will be very motivated considering it's where Keane nearly ended his old mans career & KDB, Rodri From the start.

Come on City get your mad up :)
 
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citytill1die84 said:
Uniteds mega run run of results is really scary.....

Villa 3-1 L (Away)
Villa 4-2 W (Home) L.Cup
Fulham 2-1 W (Away)
Cadiz 4-2 L (Away) EL
Betis 1-0 L (Away) EL
Burnley 2-0 W (H) L.Cup
Forest 3-0 W (H)
Wolves 1-0 W (A)
Bournemouth 3-0 W (H)
Everton 3-1 W (H)
Charlton 3-0 W (H) L.Cup

We turn up, we beat them it's simple.

We've Stones & B.Silva to come back in, Haaland will be very motivated considering it's where Keane nearly ended his old mans career & KDB, Rodri Frome the start.

Come on City get your mad up :)
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Hope you’re right about Stones coming back in.
 
I must admit I'm getting pissed off with the way we play out from the back these days, side to side, side to side, back to the keeper. Then we start again side to side back to the keeper. Its doing me fucking head in. Other teams bring the ball out and move it forward, then get on with play it about, I'd rather go route one than that side to side shit
 
Tangled up in blue. said:
I must admit I'm getting pissed off with the way we play out from the back these days, side to side, side to side, back to the keeper. Then we start again side to side back to the keeper. Its doing me fucking head in. Other teams bring the ball out and move it forward, I'd rather go route one than that side to side shit
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You are not alone,its soul destroying at times.

While we are lacking pace and directness in the squad,we should also be aiming to move the ball quicker and be more aggressive in our approach.Our players are set up to attack so it blows my mind that we are reluctant to do so for much of the game.
 
BamberBridgeBlue said:
Criticism is fine but suggesting the most successful Manchester City manager in history has suddenly lost the plot and is technically inept is laughable.
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The amount of pressure that fringe and armchair coat tail followers of this club put on a coach when it is absolutely clear from the first kick who is the culprit is laughable.

Our players yesterday were to a man disinterested with a few possible exceptions. They were playing elitist "we'll win, you'll roll over because we are so great" football. You could have a team of world class coaches fiddling with the lineups and tactics for a week focused on one game but the execution and the determinations 100% on the players who lost it before the game looking ahead to the semis and the derby and overlooking the opposition.

Pep has his quirks- but it doesn't matter who was coaching that lot last night- we would have lost. The opponents were hungry and we had players taking up spots last night who would have been better off not even making the trip.

Even if you do try and play the "Pep is to blame" card if you have no vocal hard ass leader on the field who you are afraid to see int he locker room at halftime if you cock it up in the first half- a player who can pull the team into the fray- the coach's input is even less of a factor. Our leadership on the field is non existent. Gundo as much as I have come to respect him as a player is not a leader of men. KDB is not a leader of men. Not Mahrez, not Phil, not Cancelo, Stones nor Eric are vocal enough. Ruben is the only player in this team I'd give the arm band to and he's injured. I'd say Eddie as well as he is the player on the team I'd have walk with me in a dark alley as he seems the hardest guy on this team- but not sure I like a keeper as captain full stop as the message often doesn't get from the sticks to the front line.

You can well blame the coach for obvious errors- but in this case you do it as you are afraid to have a rummage under the hood and see that there are a lot of parts that are not working and a lot that will need replacing soon- blaming and replacing the steering wheel is much easier.
 
Tangled up in blue. said:
I must admit I'm getting pissed off with the way we play out from the back these days, side to side, side to side, back to the keeper. Then we start again side to side back to the keeper. Its doing me fucking head in. Other teams bring the ball out and move it forward, then get on with play it about, I'd rather go route one than that side to side shit
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One of the most pertinent factors is that teams don't press Eddie anymore, they know it isn't worthwhile and the striker instead should stand right on Rodri.

We have lost the overloads coming out from the back, which is why the ball is now much slower coming forward, been like that for about a year.

Whereas previously Eddie's skillset was essential to us creating a spare man, it stands to reason we have now lost that advantage?

Possibly another reason why the inverted full-backs are asked to make up the extra man in midfield, but that is still too far advanced upfield for the first stages of build-up play.

Walker isn't reliable enough in possession.

Rico is certainly more accomplished on that front.

On the opposite side, we might start to realise just how good Zinchenko was helping to get us out on the left?

Cancelo, for whatever reason, has dropped off big time for a while and his flaky defensive ability doesn't make up for what he can give inside the middle.
 
Worrying that for large parts our passing around at the back is similar to watching England do it, aimless & slow. Can we at least start passing it just infront of the player with a bit of pace on it so the receiving player isn't always having to check back.
 
The Lightbowne Cowboy said:
Yes, those 2,possible 3 less games may become a blessing in disguise.
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Ah yes the old chestnut of being a blessing in Disguise that has worked so well for us in the past Culminating in the monster performance against Chelsea in the champions league final. Losing is never a blessing in disguise, losing in the manner we did is something else entirely.
 
Johnny Mars Bar said:
I'll be honest, I'm expecting us to get beat.

Just too inconsistent this season. Far too many occasions where we look lazy. Far too many top players off their game. Far too many instances where the manager has shit the bed.

I don't see us winning any thing if I'm honest. As long as we get top 4 and finish above the rags and Scouse vermin, that's about as much as we can expect.
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Where would a team who is inconsistent be in the league after 17 games?

Consistency not the problem in the league it’s performances!
 
Rico will start in this. We need his energy.

I can see pep going top heavy to take an early lead & keep them pegged in, however very risky & their first counter could lead to a goal

We need a bit of luck on Saturday as confidence is down
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
One of the most pertinent factors is that teams don't press Eddie anymore, they know it isn't worthwhile and the striker instead should stand right on Rodri.

We have lost the overloads coming out from the back, which is why the ball is now much slower coming forward, been like that for about a year.

Whereas previously Eddie's skillset was essential to us creating a spare man, it stands to reason we have now lost that advantage?

Possibly another reason why the inverted full-backs are asked to make up the extra man in midfield, but that is still too far advanced upfield for the first stages of build-up play.

Walker isn't reliable enough in possession.

Rico is certainly more accomplished on that front.

On the opposite side, we might start to realise just how good Zinchenko was helping to get us out on the left?

Cancelo, for whatever reason, has dropped off big time for a while and his flaky defensive ability doesn't make up for what he can give inside the middle.
Click to expand...

Zinchenko is a huge gap/loss but in fairness,it wasnt unreasonable to think after all this time....we were finally going to sign a proper top class left back as a replacement,and not some extremely raw left winger who had been coverted to a wing back in a farmers league.
 
FantasyIreland said:
Zinchenko is a huge gap/loss but in fairness,it wasnt unreasonable to think after all this time....we were finally going to sign a proper top class left back as a replacement,and not some extremely raw left winger who had been coverted to a wing back in a farmers league.
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I always felt Zinchenko was good enough.

Very few world class talents at left back around.

For what we need, I'm not sure we can do much better in the present market?
 
I can't believe (well, OK I can) the negativity on here. It's true City were bad on Wednesday night and equally true they've only played really well in a few games or parts of games all season. But come on, this is the derby, win and we're two points behind Arsenal. We've got the world's best midfielder and world's best striker in a team guided by the world's best manager and the best goal difference in the league.
Arrogant rag red bastards 0 Manchester City in beautiful sky blue 4.
 
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