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

[MadchesterCity]

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.

Maybe we need to go long and play Ake next to Haaaland for the knock ons

 

[IronsideKozuch]

If he was impatient by nature, he'd have formed his judgments a long time ago on City and fucked off decades before Pep!

I can form a judgment in a matter of minutes, that's a by-product of experience, whether it be football, food or the weather.

If we don't question, we don't improve. I can formulate a judgment of Pep based on his positives and negatives.

I'm sure the poster can defend himself, but you see the irony, don't you?

You have formulated a patronising judgment of somebody you don't know. At least he has the advantage of watching Pep from afar to base his own opinion on.

With the greatest of respect, as I don't even know if English may be your first language, and I don't speak any other ;)

i wish English been my first language, would be easier with some cases in my job;), trying to improve though.

My point was only this - judgments, especially judgments that raises criticism againts againts our manager, are formulated far too easily and without proper knowledge. Supporting club for years, even at its worse, is about loyalty, not about patience or not in our judgments about ongoing reality - evaluating is an intellectual process, where experience is important, but could be also misleading. Thats why its easy to make a judgment about for instance food (i dont like this english breakfast - because this is solely about my experience, tastes), but should be much more complex about so called mistakes made by best ever coach. We (supporters) pretend to know better, although we are not close to training process, actual mood of players and so on. Experience alone without abstract structure of so called thinking could lead to stupid conclusions, for instance: I met rude City supporter, so I think City supporters are rude, even though its not hard to process, that there are thousands of such supporters and their personality may be different etc.

I take Your standpoint and wish You well, my point is this - we have arguably best football coach in history and then, when we do not win every game, we makes charges, that hes making mistakes left and right. In reality we do not even have a basic knowledge, what may be hidden behind particular bad team performance. In my book loyal approach to such times is to acknowledge limited info about a matter and to trust the leader, in this case - Pep. Maybe what appears for me at first sight as a mistake was not, because for example Rodris fitness before Chelsea's final game was very bad, but it had not been disclosed for a public. Margins are also very slim - maybe on less mistake with Havertz goal and one better shor or pass by Gundogan and we would talk about genius Pep in UCL final, not about great and famous mistake?

I refuse charge that I am only a Pep's supporter, because my attachment to City goes well earlier than 2016 or even 2008. Again, to make accusation like this without any factual background, You show that You are able to make this accusation on what factual background exactly? That I defend Pep? Its a bit silly, isnt it?

My accusation in my world had better grounds: do not doubt decisions of arguably best football manager ever because we lost a cup game or team has a decrease in form for a few weeks. This way of judging proofs to be impatient, rush and deprived from factual grounds.

 

[oakiecokie]

Ah well thank fuck we`ve got Mendy back for tomorrow.

 

[SCEtoAUX]

Win lose or draw I'm pretty certain we'll go on to win the league. Arsenal have been excellent so far, but I wouldn't put it past them to lose three or four on the bounce at some point.

 

[FantasyIreland]

No it doesn't. Obviously tactics change but some of Peps of late have been ludicrous and cost us or almost cost us games. He is guilty of overthinking at times and confusing the players in the process. Our best first eleven should beat most teams in the world eight out of ten times. Playing players out of their normal position is leveling up the game for the opposition. It's hard enough dealing with shit biased officials without making our job harder ourselves.

I've supported this club for over fifty years, over half of that we were pretty average to poor so I'm no Johnny come lately only here because we are successful.

Pep is a very successful coach, one of the best in world football but he isn't God and he makes mistakes. Right now he seems on a mission to experiment, whether it's boredom or not who knows?.Some of our performances have suffered as a direct result of his tinkering. Now all this tinkering may stumble on a formation that moves us onto another level and he'll be hailed a genius again. Time will tell.

My thinking exactly.

 

[bert38]

Stones out

 

[houraisen]

WTF

 

[Pingu the Penguin]

I hear the rags are 3/1 to win. Big price that for the home team and given respective form

 

[KearsleyBlue]

Just get the 3 points in the bag. Would take a 1-0. Gomez, Cancelo and Akanji nowhere near the lineup please.

 

[bert38]

WTF

Which is why he didn’t want to risk Akanji the other night.