United (H) - Sun 15th Dec, 16:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[Big Swifty]

I'm dreading it.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

It’s also a big comedown from the hugely intensive efforts of winning four league titles in a row including a quintuple.

In the last decade, teams who’ve won just one league title have seen massive drop-offs the season after because it takes a monumental effort to win the PL.

United - Champions in 2013, 7th in 2014
Chelsea - Champions in 2015, 10th in 2016
Leicester - Champions in 2016, 12th in 2017
Chelsea - Champions in 2017, 5th in 2018

City - Champions in 1968, 13th in 1969
City - Champions in 1937, relegated in 1938

Even in 2019-20, after achieving 100pts and 98pts to win two PL titles in a row plus a domestic quadruple in the previous two seasons; we finished a distant second on 81pts and we had a much better team that season than we have now.

Liverpool got 99pts then 97pts two seasons running, finishing second and first. Then in 2020-21, fell of a cliff and only got 69pts finishing 3rd.
Then in 2021-22, finished 2nd with 92pts and fell off another cliff to 67pts finishing 5th in 2022-23.

Even to a lesser extent: Newcastle getting into the top four, then dropping off since and Villa doing the same this past two seasons.

How many teams do you see get promoted, have a good season, then get relegated in the second season?

Drop-offs happen. They’re completely natural. The lack of understand of that is absolutely mental from our fanbase, it’s barely being spoken about at all. I genuinely feel like I’m one of the few talking about it.

And we didn’t just win one league title, or two in a row, we won FOUR IN A ROW, in addition to the Champions League (with the hugely tough run of Bayern in the quarters, Madrid in the semis plus a massively tough final against Inter which must have been mentally gruelling in the manner the game went), FA Cup (with final against our biggest rivals), Super Cup and Club World Cup.

This difficult spell and the unexpected perfect storm has shattered the team and Pep.

That fact that it has affected so many players would indicate that its like a post viral infection,which debilitates all normal functions and takes many, many weeks to recover from, and many, many more to regain peak health a fitness.

Its like living in a bubble of fog and haze.

We have made steps forward only experience a succession of futher set backs. That in its self is demoralising and eats away at confidence.....its a vicious circle of negativity that seems never ending.

But it will start to improve, things will begin to improve at all levels, we will see progress and success.

We're Mancunians.

We're City.

Superbia en Proelio !!

Ps....smash the out of town vermin and imposters on Sunday.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

thank you for writing what's in my head - drop-offs are a completely natural part of football. Many would do well to remember that. (City's just happens to look quite stark).

I myself aren't too worried if we finish anywhere from 1st to about....12th? just putter along, do what needs to be done, make sure next season is a better, more joined up effort. All this talk of top 4 being essential is complete nonsense.

N.B. i'd prefer it if we were good again!! but you know, shit happens. it takes time.

CL qualification is vital to attract elite players for the rebuild/refit.

 

[jimharri]

I'm dreading it.

I've hated derby days for as long as I can remember. The thought of losing to them, even when we used to be good, made me sick. Now that we're barely ahead of them, form-wise, I can see them doing us on sunday. They've got a few players with pace, which is our kryptonite at the moment.

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

I've hated derby days for as long as I can remember. The thought of losing to them, even when we used to be good, made me sick. Now that we're barely ahead of them, form-wise, I can see them doing us on sunday. They've got a few players with pace, which is our kryptonite at the moment.

Their attacking pace is a concern, but also the fact that we don't have any ball winners in our team. Will be incredibly frustrating to watch an aging Casemiro and their new guy smashing into tackles unchallenged.

 

[Mancityphilfo2000]

Their attacking pace is a concern, but also the fact that we don't have any ball winners in our team. Will be incredibly frustrating to watch an aging Casemiro and their new guy smashing into tackles unchallenged.

Make the ball sweat it's simple keep possession and have pace wide both sides.

 

[marco]

CL qualification is vital to attract elite players for the rebuild/refit.

correct,i dont get why people think its not

 

[simon23]

There xg was low as the final pass or two wasnt there......a better team than forest takes those opportunities and creates those clear chances
....the real stat that is the only relevant one if you want to use one is yhe amount of games we are losing and the goals concerned because of how we are wide open in midfield and defensively....someone asked what different...there are possibilities...they may not work either but the only certain thing at the moment is that the current set up ain't working as it needs players with certain attributes and abilities to make it work - and they aren't available or able to play in that any more

I never said i knew more thn Pep...infact i clearly said he knows more so what is clear is that you struggle see what is plainly infront of you

I love Pep...he can stay forever as far as im concerned regardless of results...but he us not perfect and says himself that he gets it wrong......this is one of those moments

xG in this game: 3:20 City - 0.80 Forest

It was much closer to 5:1 than to 2:1. And it was an excellent performance overall.

This is why I doubt your suggestions. You can't see what is in front of you but pretend to know better than Pep what he should be doi

 

[handsofstone]

Wonder how fit Kovacic is, think he's essential for when Rodri is out, the bad form has coincided with his injury

If he's fit enough, he starts for me

Tbf given the injuries or "illness" injuries for our squad we never really know who's available

I'd like to see Nunes in the midfield, we will need his legs and Gundogan/Bernardo, even though they're Pep's favorites, need a game out... doubt Pep benches either

I'd get Wilson-Esbrand at LB, but again I can't see Pep doing that

Short on defenders if Ake/Stones/Akanji are all out... could see the return of a back 3 with Bernardo/Jack as wide wingers/wingback or maybe Bernardo at LB... God I hope its not that

 

[Hes the left back remember]

If we go three at the back then fear the space will be exploited by them on the break.
We saw how easily Juve broke on us and can imagine Rat face and fat face looking for balls over the midfield into space left when we are attacking.
We have seen how easy it has been for teams to break on us even forest had opportunities, so hope as Dias said we concentrate on basics like not having all our defenders 10 yards inside their half with no cover on the half way line.
Anyway will be going and looking for committed performance/Pep to get it right/Haarland to bag a few/Silvao to be the Silva we know/Kovacic to be in the team/and anyone to smash moaning ratface!
Come on City!!!