We have the best squad.....

[Rolee]

We may have the best squad all told but really there's fuck all in it between us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Rags when you go through options in each position.

 

[cityboy1]

Best squad crappy manager,simples

This, surely were allowed to critisise the team when they havent consistently played well for months and we have the best squad in the league and somehow were third behind arsenal and leicester we should be running away wih this league considering how bad the rags and chelsea have been

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Here we go again. "But but but... we're in 4 competitions". That'll soon change. Not a single team in the top half of the league (nor several in the bottom half) would swap their manager for ours, and that is our problem. The squad is the best in the league, but our TEAM is one of the worst at actually playing as a team. And that's because our manager is awful.

 

[Marvin]

I am getting ever more frustrated by the sense of entitlement and complete contradictions I keep hearing in the media and amongst our Fans. I keep hearing the well used mantra, that 'we have the best squad' therefore we should be doing better on the one hand but then on the other I'm continually reading that Yaya is past it, navas can't cross, mangala is a liability, bony is sh*te, de bruyne doesn't track back, Fernando is rubbish, Sterling isn't worth 50m and can't finish, Kolarov can't defend. Zabaleta is on the wane, and I could go on. How then does that equate to having the best squad ? All the above can't be true and then we have the best squad.

We either have the best squad, in which case the slagging of the players is valid and we are slightly underperforming, or, the above comments I have read about the players is true and Pellegrini is working a minor miracle. You can't have it both ways.

These contradictions are compounded further by the fact that we are 3 points off the top of the league, quarter finals of the champs league - finishing top of footballs elite competition - and in the semis of the capital one cup and we've won 12 out of 15 games at home. This is hardly the sign of a team that is struggling. You can't even claim that we should be doing better with the money we've spent, were vastly outperforming the rags who have spent considerably more than us and arguably from a stronger base, same with Chelsea same with Arsenal who's records 'overall' this season don't stack up to ours.

It's time fans got a real sense of perspective and think what it feels like to be a villa fan or Leeds fan. I expected better from City fans. I genuinely thought that having experienced the hard times would make us grateful for what we are experiencing now, instead the sense of entitlement is disappointing.

How has it got to this where fans are moaning like the world has ended when we are still in every competition ?

We do have the best squad. Look at recent league tables and the players we have bought.

There is one player who is past it, who is being played on past his sell by date to the detriment of the entire team. Evidence. The last 2 seasons and our inability to handle any good teams who play at a high tempo - Everton being the latest in a long line of examples.

Last season was a black mark against this club and all its players. We had the best players. We were Champions and we gave up one year of our lives, a ince in a life time opportunity. This time I think the attitude of the players Fernandinho, Kompany etc has been much better, but we're being held back ultimately by a coach who is in limbo. If it was his neck that was on the line in future seasons I think we would have seen City transition to a new team but we're waiting.

 

[Marvin]

Here we go again. "But but but... we're in 4 competitions". That'll soon change. Not a single team in the top half of the league (nor several in the bottom half) would swap their manager for ours, and that is our problem. The squad is the best in the league, but our TEAM is one of the worst at actually playing as a team. And that's because our manager is awful.

I agree with everything but the last word. It maybe that he feels he's out the door come the end of the season so he's just going to stick with the tried and tested formula. Events though must surely force his hand.

There were 3 good things that came out of Wednesday.

1) Toure was so bad, Pellegrini has to play him properly i.e. as and when not every damn minute
2) The result. Could have been worse
3) Aguero. The on switch is close to being flicked

 

[Aussie!]

Best squad: City
Best team: Leicester

 

[jonmcity]

We have an ageing squad that needs to be sorted.

 

[meltonblue]

We have the best first eleven, I'm not sure we do have the best squad. Whenever any of the spine is out, it is not a seamless transition in terms of the way we play to put someone else on there - it changes the dynamics.

The way we set up, I've always thought that we only play well if certain pairs are together. If Kolorov is playing, then we need Sterling in front of him. If Toure is playing, then we need Fernandinho (at least) along side him. If any central defender is playing, it seems to need kompany.

We've been very unlucky with injuries (I think we miss Nasri more than people realise). At the same time though, I don't think we are as balanced as we have been in the past. The first five games of the season, with Sterling and Navas on the wings, gave us variety in attacking approach as one likes to cut in, one stayed wide, and also more stability in that both cover for their fullbacks.

Personally, I would like to see us either move back to a 442 or play either silva or de Bruyne in the centre and sacrifice the other.

 

[casualdeyna]

Even though I agree with the general OP point that criticism can go OTT quite often I honestly don't know what Villa, Leeds, or the "City of old" have got to do with our poor away form.

We aren't Villa, Leeds, or the City of old. I know this thread doesn't mention us when we were crap but I'm sick of hearing about the bad old days when we are talking about our current team. We are a team that has won two out of the last four titles, a team and squad with bags of ability that should be challenging for honours and has had hundreds of millions spent to "improve" on those title winning teams.

So you can say people may be going OTT but please don't try and cover up criticism because other clubs are crap or that we used to be crap. It isn't just the defeats away from home it is the abject performances too.

Honestly not sure what is wrong with people getting stuff off their chest on a football forum, surely this is what forums are for? This isn't all aimed at OP, just don't think there should be a split between what people have termed moaners and happy clappers, we all want the same thing, just some people are quicker to voice their concerns or frustrations sooner than others.

 

[bluemoon32]

Best squad talent wise maybe but we have a fair few flat track bullies in that squad.