Watford (A) - Post-Match Thread

[oldius]

Goes under the radar how good he’s been.

That is really interesting. I am a huge fan but thought he had a less effective game than that - it just shows how much of what he does is not always seen.

 

[1961_vintage]

Joint top!

 

[cyan]

Ahhhhh ... the latest thing the sheep say.... City are boring

Anybody who says that is either bitter as fuck or knows fuck all about football

Funny that you've never heard a 'pundit'... even the most anti City ones... say it EVER

City can be boring, and if you were a neutral I think you would pick and chose the games you watched. But that boringness is determined by the way the opposition play against us - a good team willing to match us and stop our passing lines makes for a good match, but perhaps still too technical for those who still want to watch the ball being pumped into the box.

Against a team whose only tactic is to pack the box, we will pass and probe looking for the opening, there are often not a lot of goal opportunities, little to put in the highlights package and if you are half watching whilst doing something else there will be little to draw you away from whatever else you are doing. And even if we get a couple of early goals and such a team then tries to attack us a bit more, then it can become a landslide - great for us, OK for a neutral who wants to watch good teams destroy poor teams - but if you like sport to have some jeopardy then even our 5-0 wins are not particularly thrilling.

Our thrilling games are against teams that can match our technique and press. PSG a couple of weeks ago, Chelsea, Liverpool. They ask questions of our defenders as we play out from the back, they isolate our midfield options and they have the ability to nullify our press. They have the ability to take of advantage of the chances that our high risk game will present. Anybody who enjoys good competitive sport will appreciate these games. Yet they often still only produce a couple of goal opportunities - because both sides are capable of stopping the other sides attacks before they become dangerous. For those who want to see the ball pumped into the box in the hope that the keeper will spill it or a deflection will create a shooting opportunity - it is still boring, because the good sides (other than Liverpool) don't work on those percentages.

I guess whether we are boring depends on what you want from sport and it will be hard for the neutral who quite understandably will want a Watford, or Villa or Everton to match us and beat us. But most of the time that won't happen, then you have to appreciate why good players are good players and enjoy their skill. We are in the fortunate position of being able to appreciate their skill and enjoy the fact that they produce wins for the team we support.

 

[stan bowles]

When we ran up massive scores (Burton and Watford at Wembley in the Cup Final) we were accused of being "disrespectful". Or the backing of our owners gave us such a massive advantage that we were killing the game because we were so much better. They can't have it both ways !

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

If we were more clinical it would have been double figures , not worried about our goal difference because it will not be needed , we are the best team and prove it every week , beating teams by 4 or 5 goals is entertaining but its wins/points that matter and we will get more than any other team.
We will not have any contenders for the golden boot but i predict at least six of our players will score ten or more goals and combined with the best defence in the league it is a recipe for another title win , our style of play can only be described as total football and there isnt a team that can live with us in this form

 

[hammocity]

Mate... our first 15 games have been far more difficult than Chelsea's or Liverpool's.. a fact the media have either not noticed or decided to ignore. I think at the start of the season, the general feeling on here was that if we were still in touch by the turn of the year we'd be favourite's to win it. It's beginning to look like we'll be in a far better position than 'still in touch'. A contentious issue for some, but if we get a striker in January we'll become even better (imo) and give ourselves an even greater chance

Also, Pep manages the squad better than any other gaffer, we will have Mahrez missing for the AFCON but all the players get rested when required and it reaps rewards at the business end of the season. Klipperty Kunt will have his “special” remedy ready but burn out and AFCON will really test his players.

 

[Mancity1980]

My thinking exactly. If we did put our chances away we'd be winning by cricket scores every week and that just doesn't happen in football for some reason.

Can you imagine if we do get one that successfully slots into our system (for which there is no guarantee) and we start finishing games off in the first 20, 30 minutes? Combine that with Pep’s insistence that we continue to control and pick apart our opponents, our goals scored column would go through the roof. Surely we would ease up which most great teams have done in the past (that’s the reason cricket scores don’t happen much in football).

 

[hammocity]

Agreed, Kev's form has been indifferent for a while now. Bernardo's extra workrate and goals mean he's first choice. We are creating chances without Kev and missing most of them so at the moment he's a luxury player to come on with the game won, or a really tight game he might make the difference.

Think Bernie will get a little rest now, definitely won’t play Tuesday and I guess he’ll sit out the FA Cup 3rd round and be on the bench for at least a couple of League games. He’s so important to us but Pep won’t burn him out, he’s such a fantastic lad off the pitch as well, love the little fella.

 

[BlueBas]

Feel with Grealish, we've got to give him time. Got to remember it takes time for players to understand what Pep is trying to get them to do, but once it clicks we have the likes of Foden, KDB, Bernardo et al. Once it clicks with Grealish, I feel we will have another world class player in our team!

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Feel with Grealish, we've got to give him time. Got to remember it takes time for players to understand what Pep is trying to get them to do, but once it clicks we have the likes of Foden, KDB, Bernardo et al. Once it clicks with Grealish, I feel we will have another world class player in our team!

I thought he played the system really, really well last night. His positional play was ace, he knew when to drive at them and knew when to pass, and if he'd scored one or two of his chances we would be talking about a great performance. Bernie outshone him but that would have been true of peak Messi last night. Him, Foden and Cancelo are developing very nicely on the left, they are going to do big things for us.

 

[spiny]

We were very close to signing him the year before we signed walker. But, reminds me of a typical british self entitled football player.

Look at the top top player Kyle Walker has become compared with Rose. Back in time, many pundits thought them on a similar level.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Think Bernie will get a little rest now, definitely won’t play Tuesday

He wouldn't even be on the plane if I had my way, same with Gundogan and Rodri. Foden, Grealish and Kev all need minutes in their legs, so it's not like we'd be putting out a weak team even.

 

[Ancient Citizen]

Feel with Grealish, we've got to give him time. Got to remember it takes time for players to understand what Pep is trying to get them to do, but once it clicks we have the likes of Foden, KDB, Bernardo et al. Once it clicks with Grealish, I feel we will have another world class player in our team!

I think we already have, Grealish attracts defenders in numbers, which frees up
other players, but I can see what you mean, it sometimes looks like he's not as
involved. Pep plays him for a reason though, and he seems to know what he's doing.

 

[chaddblue]

Watching that match made me remember how much I dislike Danny Rose. Forgot he was still playing top class football.
Still.at least he followed Kyle walker out of spurs and got his dream transfer away from the Lane..

Hardly recognised him. He’s put some timber on

 

[itsnevereasy]

Watford fans calling us boring…. They have their keeper having the game on his life to thank for it not being at least 8-0. Well at least they can go watch their first team today, rag supporting c**ts. Even one of the goal keepers is a rag fan running around on YouTube in rag shirts, embarrassing.

The media - City need a striker… Why? When we are playing like this do we really? I’d say we need a bit of focused coaching on finishing the chances we have more than signing a striker. But then it would be really “boring” as we’d score at least 6 every game.

How fucking great is it being a blue these days, football that is on a another planet vs. The kick and rush of some teams. No egos in the team, they all play for each other, the best manager to ever grace the planet and owners that any another fan would sell their first born for…. And not a thunder **** of an owner like Elton John - ‘Waves at the Watford fan would keeps coming for a browse.’

 

[paulchapo]

Watford fans calling us boring…. They have their keeper having the game on his life to thank for it not being at least 8-0. Well at least they can go watch their first team today, rag supporting c**ts. Even one of the goal keepers is a rag fan running around on YouTube in rag shirts, embarrassing.

The media - City need a striker… Why? When we are playing like this do we really? I’d say we need a bit of focused coaching on finishing the chances we have more than signing a striker. But then it would be really “boring” as we’d score at least 6 every game.

How fucking great is it being a blue these days, football that is on a another planet vs. The kick and rush of some teams. No egos in the team, they all play for each other, the best manager to ever grace the planet and owners that any another fan would sell their first born for…. And not a thunder **** of an owner like Elton John - ‘Waves at the Watford fan would keeps coming for a browse.’

Our football is on a different planet to every other team. We are on a par with Pep's great Barcelona side, the only difference is we haven't got a peak goalscoring machine like Messi.

It's not boring it's beautiful to watch. Other teams make some of our games appear boring by timewasting and putting eleven men behind the ball. That's not our fault.

I get why other teams fans would say it though. When your team can't get a kick of the ball ( Can our players though eh you Watford thugs) and are chasing shadows then yes it must be awful for them. Long may their pain continue.

 

[Roachy]

Lovely clean, crisp, accurate passing throughout.

 

[Octavian]

They’re really hurting about us.

That bloody song was doing my head in. I’m sure They were singing it non stop for about an hour

About the cup final, could be their source of bitterness about City…

I certainly have, I have never watched the game back on T.V., didn’t read the programme, and have never worn the special shirt again (of which I two bought one for the wife), as far as I am concerned we have only had one cup final and that was in 1984, the other one was a non event. Do others on here feel the same?

 

[Asa's left peg]

TBF, football's not for everyone and what these 'fans' specifically want is called 'winning'. Now, we have learned the hard way that football isn't just about 'winning'. It's about taking the piss, being shite, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, dodgy chairman, inflatable bannanas, hero's who play their first games just before they leave and other life experiences. Other stuff like 'Matrix' football is a bonus.
They are lucky, because other supporters have this 'winning' malarky, more seriously - and it has led to some serious mental health issues.

 

[Ted_Bovis]

They’re really hurting about us.




About the cup final, could be their source of bitterness about City…

But. But. But. They sang the whole game!