West Brom (h) post-match thread

[blue for life]

Hate to say it but this season has that infamous rag word ‘transition’ written all over it.

 

[Semper aggressus]

Go on then, what's your idea for breaching a six man backline?

Play the way we were in the Centurions season, with better attackers and midfield than we currently have.

And include an option in the squad to have a battering ram style forward if that isn't working in the odd game. Cause havoc in the box and someone could get a tap in or anything. Probe a few times by all means, but if that is failing to break down a ten man defence get a few lads in the box and fucking launch it. I betwith a big lad in tneir like Haaland someone would get on a knock down in that situation.

Need aggression in midfield, some drive and will to win, including diving and pressuring officials, tactical fouls, etc. Put in some proper crunching tackles on opponents' danger men.

Basically have the squad than can allow us to try different options throughout a game.

But mostly, have some bloody shots at goal instead of passing sideways and backwards for its own sake.

 

[Father Paul]

It's sub-standard from so many players.

I'm pleased for Gundo, I have given him pelters for so many performances in recent seasons but it is now abundantly clear he isn't the problem, it's that big lump next to him.

Gundo is the only risk taker in the team outside of Kev, with arguably more end product this season.

He looks leaner than I have seen him before and has been out best player this season.

You can see why Pep continues to rotate Foden, he doesn't impact games half as much starting, same goes for Jesus.

I'm just frustrated as in the half-time matchday forum I said the obvious was to take Mendy off and put Walker in, yet Pep left it too late.

For me, to countenance that City have paid £230m for Mendy, Cancelo, Rodri and Mahrez, is a failure that cannot be easily excused.

Still confident we will be there at the business end but a striker in January wouldn't go amiss!

Well if we are to be there at the business end we are starting to run out of road.I know the gap points wise is manageable but a feeling of despair is starting to resonate about the place. I hope all the players wake up this morning and realise we are starting to disappear down a hole. The next couple of weeks will be crucial for this group and maybe the manager.

 

[Coatigan]

You deserve credit for this well meaning if somewhat desperate attempt to lift spirits.

My own, as much as anyone else's, truth be told.

I do stand by my point though, shades of grey mate, it's not the bricks it's the mortar, or whatever choice of phrase to say, there is a bit more to it.

 

[willipp]

Hate to say it but this season has that infamous rag word ‘transition’ written all over it.

The worrying thing is, what exactly are we transitioning to?

 

[Cellarite]

In the end, i'm happy enough with a point, because it was beginning to look like one of those 'just not your night' games where they would knick a goal at the end, or var would give them a stoppage time pen or something.

Sometimes, things just go against you, the own goal from a free kick that was never a foul, multiple missed chances and top top saves that on another night would have gone in. The game itself, out of context, these ones happen.

Again, we are hugely underestimating the effect fans in the stands would have had in that game, the extra pressure it would put on their defence in those last 20 minutes, the bit of belief it would give our forwards. Enough to get that winner. Let's not bullshit ourselves, we have had these games every time we won the league, we found ways to win them and it was marginal. We also had suckerpunch losses too.

The problem is has been happening a few times.

The bigger issue for me is the narrative this creates. We've already rewritten the last season, and a fair few now seem to be going into kickoff with a low expectation, and then watching the game to try confirm it.

We Are slower than we have been, we are less 'frightening'. But we still keep the posession and we still create the chances. What seems to be missing is belief and confidence. You can see it, from half an hour in, players are in despair and disbelief at missing chances as if it is the 90th minute. It almost looks as if they have convinced thenselves the goals aren't coming.

The narrative around pep will start to build too, can't hack it more than 3 years, anywhere else he'd be sacked, and that will feed into the cycle.

We need a big scoring dominant game to shed the weight, and to follow it up with a basic win. Then it might kick a bit of self belief off.

I think pep should be using torres way more, and regularly, because he is the one player currently not bogged down with this mentality. He is new to the team and league, has that fresh naivity but also that pure hope, has confidence and belief in himself, and the hunger to prove himself and justify his big move. And that will produce goals where a currently fragile sterling or mahrez will miss them.

Say for example a 5-0 win over Burnley followed by a 2-0 win over Fulham?

 

[Father Paul]

Hate to say it but this season has that infamous rag word ‘transition’ written all over it.

Let's hope the transition does not last 7 going on 17 years like that mob.

 

[chaddblue]

Media blackout today.. they will be rejoicing at our demise

not a great time for city to turn shit... the black mood will deepen later when we’re told we’re staying in tier 3

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Well if we are to be there at the business end we are starting to run out of road.I know the gap points wise is manageable but a feeling of despair is starting to resonate about the place. I hope all the players wake up this morning and realise we are starting to disappear down a hole. The next couple of weeks will be crucial for this group and maybe the manager.

I just think this season is so strange for every top club that it affords us some margin for error, certainly one we couldn't rely on before.

It's massively frustrating to think even last season's form would probably see us walking away with the title this season.

I do think we need to get creative in the market again because nobody is going to give us our money back for people such as Mendy, Mahrez, Cancelo and Rodri.

All four of those should be traded next month, that's how little I rate their contributions.

Send them all to Barca plus Garcia for Messi and De Jong.

Never happen but...

 

[HelloCity]

Is Rodri even better than Javi Garcia?

Id probably have him above Fernando and that’s about it.