Can't complain too much about yesterday, didn't let myself get too down about it and have taken all the digs from the plastic wankers at work today. I knew it was coming, everyone did based on how we've played for the most part of this season and the team selection. I don't buy that we've been fucked over by injuries, not to the extent of how shit we've been.
How many times are we going to get caught out by playing a defender who's legs have gone against a younger, pacier forward? Why is our manager not bollocking our centre halves for continually going to ground, lunging into tackles in dangerous areas? Why, when we're 'attacking' and I use that term very loosely, do our wingers refuse to cross the ball? Why is our midfield constantly outnumbered? Why was Yaya, in a 2 man midfield yesterday, taking free kicks on the edge of our box? Why can't Joe Hart take a quick kick/throw, ever. He sees the man, he wants to do it but ALWAYS waits until the chance has passed. We are without a shadow, the slowest, most predictable side in this league. Aguero hit the post yesterday with a header. Passed long from defence, yaya crossed, Aguero on the end of it. That was the only time we tried to get anyone to stretch their legs and it worked. The rest of the time was get forward, cut it back try to play it through 11 men, rinse and repeat. Why does Bony get straight back into the squad ahead of Nacho? (Bony actually did OK yesterday). Why do ALL other teams want it more than us? Why do other teams work harder than us? Why, when we're playing 2 wingers, is one of the best centre forwards in world football dropping 40 yards so he gets a kick of the ball? Why is an obviously unfit Silva playing? Why, when we have 2 of the fastest players in the league who both play on opposite wings, do we never utilise this threat? Why can we never challenge for the 2nd ball after a long ball forward?
Yesterday we could have played Nacho, Garcia and young Tosin. They'd have been right up for it. The result may have been the same (I don't think it would have been) but it would have given the team and the fans a lift.
I think we're going to struggle on for the rest of the year. I think the chairman likes being a nice guy too much and won't sack Pellegrini. I think this whole saga has been handled appallingly, from Bayern leaking the initial story of Pep coming here (which we couldn't control) to the way we've allowed this absolute clusterfuck of effortlessness and ineptitude to manifest. We're in dire need of someone to knock a few heads together.
Will we gets champions league next year? I doubt it. As a 'customer', that's how were seen now, I'm not fussed, I'll still go to the games, as a club that now cares more about official tampon partners and whether Tarquin and Felix from Hertfordshire will enjoy their Jamie Oliver burger more than whether they're going to keep hold of the 40,000 or so people who go no matter what, it's absolutely disastrous.
We're going to need/want to shift a sizeable part of our squad over the summer. Starting with both goalkeepers. Hart may escape the cull because of the magnitude of changes. But I think Pep will be looking to replace him due to his reluctance to catch a cross and his awful distribution. I'm hoping, for sentimental reasons, he's just having a bad time because the manager is a fucking wanker and this can be coached out of him. Denayer needs to come back, vinny needs to get fit and Mangala had a decent game yesterday. I think there's a player in there somewhere. We need fullbacks although I think Kolarov has a place believe it or not. Maybe Zab too but as 2nd choice. Clichy, sagna and Demichellis are gone. Fernando, silva, navas and yaya are gone too. Bony is out. In my opinion, we need to replace those 8 outfield players with probably 4/5 and promote denayer, Garcia and give nacho a shot as 2nd striker behind Aguero. If Pep wants to play 2 up top or a front 3 we may need to buy another striker. But DeBruyne and Raheem will fill in/play as forwards/attacking midfielders.
Training methods will also be changed under the new man. Hopefully, this will eradicate the muscle injuries we've had this year.
On the whole, we have been fucking gash for months. Pellegrini looks completely lost, he also doesn't give a toss. We've gone backwards through poor recruitment, lack of competition for places and an unwillingness to change. The engineer, ain't.
Gone off on a complete ramble there... As you were.
