West Brom (h) post-match thread

mcfcbill91 said:
Immensely frustrating game last night, but I don't feel we're at disaster levels yet.

Regardless of rotation, the playing pattern of CL/EL sides since October compared to the rest of the league is certain to have an effect. There's very little time to work on changing tactics and recovery/rest.

There's also the empty stadium factor. Not surprising there's so many dull games between the top sides - a crowd provides so much energy and pressure. I feel it's easier to see these games out in total silence. I'm feeling disconnected from football and City to a degree not being able to go.


I don't disagree with the more pragmatic approach Pep has taken of late. Far too many games last season we were ripped on the counter or conceded stupid goals. You would feel nervous whenever a team crossed the half way line. There's a huge change of late where we've kept the 6 clean sheets and found a reliable partnership between Stones & Dias.

WBA's one shot on target was the deflected chance from the ball hitting Cancelo and running into Grant's path. The goal is a fluke and can happen regardless (is it even a free kick?) of how good you are defensively.


The one issue that's carried over from last season, regardless of the number of chances we've created, is the lack of composure and quality finishing. The chances in injury time both have to hit the net. Sterling yet again has fluffed a key chance - like West Ham & Lyon. Gundogan had a good game but the header is weak and too close to the keeper.


It's the same on Saturday, Jesus had a good chance and Mahrez a golden one. Both missed.

For all the complaints of slow play etc, we've given the opposition nothing in open play and then proceeded to miss the chances to win the game - injury time or 10 minutes left, they have to hit the net.

Opposition bus parking etc isn't going to change. We need to take these chances and we'll either win the games then, or it opens the game up and we start hitting 3 or 4 in a game. Liverpool had 14 wins by a single goal last season. It's going to be tight this season and plenty of games may only see a few big chances - we need to take them.
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Good post.
 
Akira said:
Look at how many men are in the box, and how much further they pushed up compared to last match. Hardly the same.
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This is the crux of it. We can’t play slick flowing football against teams who set up with two banks of five around their own penalty area. That said we’re still making enough chances to win a game.
We’re still going to win the league this season but it’s going to be a grind. Not due to City but because the rise of anti football in the premier league
 
Shirley said:
Hilarious, the new City generation.
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Season ticket holder for 26 years.

We’ve been linked strongly with Haaland and Messi while we’ve also reportedly expressed an interest in Alaba & Aouar in the past as well.

So they’re hardly unattainable names plucked from thin air. Rather they’re the level of players we need to be going for. Two of them would actually be free transfers.

Maybe we should go for players like Rodri, Mendy and Cancello just to keep you happy.
 
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argyle said:
Look at how we used to play.

Fast, accurate passing and, importantly, fast movement off the ball.

What the hell has happened to this team?

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This season has seen a fairly dramatic reduction in intensity from almost all teams, it's the reason why so many matches feel like practice matches (nothing to do with the atmosphere IMO), and then you add the less ambitious teams parking two buses into the mix and it's a recipe for disaster for us.

Our game against parked buses is to play the ball around, keep possession, search for that split-second moment when an opponent was been pulled out of position and play a ball through their lines to open them up and create a chance. Slow and pretty boring to watch but effective more often than not.

No normal end of season R&R has resulted in reduced player stamina levels.
Reduced player stamina levels have created matches of a significantly lower tempo.
Lower match tempo has resulted in more organised defences.

...consequently those moments that we crave appear less and less frequently.

That's what we're watching nowadays, in my opinion.
 
the-ecstacy-of-eight said:
This season has seen a fairly dramatic reduction in intensity from almost all teams, it's the reason why so many matches feel like practice matches (nothing to do with the atmosphere IMO), and then you add the less ambitious teams parking two buses into the mix and it's a recipe for disaster for us.

Our game against parked buses is to play the ball around, keep possession, search for that split-second moment when an opponent was been pulled out of position and play a ball through their lines to open them up and create a chance. Slow and pretty boring to watch but effective more often than not.

No normal end of season R&R has resulted in reduced player stamina levels.
Reduced player stamina levels have created matches of a significantly lower tempo.
Lower match tempo has resulted in more organised defences.

...consequently those moments that we crave appear less and less frequently.

That's what we're watching nowadays, in my opinion.
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Who is playing the ball through their lines, our two CDMs?

Do opponents get pulled out of position by static attackers?

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but we aren't playing the game you describe. It might be what we're trying to do but we aren't actually doing it. It's not more effective than not -- it's more ineffective, which is why we have more combined draws and losses than wins in the Prem.
 
Mr Blue Moon said:
This is the crux of it. We can’t play slick flowing football against teams who set up with two banks of five around their own penalty area. That said we’re still making enough chances to win a game.
We’re still going to win the league this season but it’s going to be a grind. Not due to City but because the rise of anti football in the premier league
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They had 8/9 back then but look how much quicker we moved the ball and the width we had. Look at the left side we had Sane hugging the left touch line, Delph who obviously no superstar but someone who could play one and 2 touch to Silva or Sane. Half the time it takes Mendy 3 touches to get it out of his feet. Teams parked the bus just as much but we played much quicker, had better players and weren't scared to take chances. Scouse win tonight and we're 8 behind. Good luck closing that gap again given how we have been playing for 18 months now.
 
Sometimes i feel like Pep is trolling us.

When asked why he didn't play the in form Stones his answer" no he is not injured,i just fancied a change "

There you have it,we have a bit of continuity at the back,we start to develop a defensive understanding.We stop conceeding as many goals.

He gets bored and rotates it.He does my fucking Head in with it.

Like a crazy scientist always looking to recreate the Wheel.

I think all our problems are down to him.I think on the whole the squad is done with him,and his Ranieri on steroids fucking about.They are going through the motions at the moment.Team selections have nothing to do with form,and everything to do with Pep,and it shouldn't be like that.Hence why some players look miles off.
 
Genuine question. Would anyone take Nagelsmann now if given a chance? Personally, I would give it to Pep till the end of this season and if things don't get better, start looking at altenatives.
 
cleavers said:
It should have been cleared 3 times, so the free kick is only a part of the problem, the defending was all round abysmal.
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True, but even so could you see WBA scoring up until the free kick. Bloody soft goal to concede
 
chaddblue said:
How many times have we said we'll never see Mendy in a City shirt again.. after another one of his catastrophic performances..

He always pops up to be given another chance
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how much did he cost, will have a job getting him out of the door
 
HelloCity said:
Bernardo has offered absolutely nothing for 15 months and Jesus was near invisible last night. People talk about service but Aguero offered more of a threat in 20 minutes than Jesus did all game.
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thought we had got " a good un " when we first got bernardo, , whats gone wrong.
 
Tokyo32 said:
Why do you think a single person would make the difference. Everyone has been crying for foden but he was not that impressive today and the chance he got to shoot he did the same thing as Mahrez which is cut into a man and lose the ball. I personally don’t think we have a one man problem, every one is stinking the place. The system is broken and that is on Pep to change it.
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The icing on the cake was pep complaining about the 4 minutes., running round like John fucking Cleese, no class last night pep. embarrassing.
 
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