West Ham Vs City Pre Match Discussion Thread

[BlueHammer85]

I hope Demichelis is fit by the time of the game. I would like to see Demichelis + Nastasic at CB. Fernandinho dropping deep to help the defense. Can play a high defensive line and neutralize the long ball game. I know they did decent passing etc. vs Spurs but if our midfielders are able to sustain long possession, you can be sure Big Sam will go back to his trusted long ball tactics, especially if Hart is low on confidence. Richards and Kolarov as RB and LB. Clichy didn't look so good in his last outing.

we dont play that way even when Carrols playing, were certainly not going to play that way with no strikers

 

[FredTilson]

I certainly remember a decent amount of long balls in the last game you lot played at the Etihad (April?)

 

[BlueHammer85]

I certainly remember a decent amount of long balls in the last game you lot played at the Etihad (April?)

i didnt see that match, only brief highlights and maybe we did that match after going behind...


Here’s the list of long passes attempted last season in the Premier League by each team:

Newcastle 2,283
Fulham 2,131
Wigan 2,047
Everton 2,042
Liverpool 2,041
Tottenham 2,028
Swansea 2,024
Chelsea 2,003
Norwich 1,995
Stoke 1,989
Man United 1,968
Sunderland 1,952
West Ham 1,901
Aston Villa 1,893
West Brom 1,889
Reading 1,855
Southampton 1,826
QPR 1,800
Arsenal 1,755
Man City 1,611

... so lets hope your defence can deal with our long balls especially with no striker

or lets just stop churning this same old myth because of Bolton under big sam

 

[FredTilson]

I certainly remember a decent amount of long balls in the last game you lot played at the Etihad (April?)

i didnt see that match, only brief highlights and maybe we did that match after going behind...

Unless you can get me long ball stats on west ham vs city when west ham are behind (or city are dominating possession( (ie the scenario I was alluding to in my first post), those stats are meaningless. I never intended to call west ham a long ball team . I don't watch enough west ham games to have an opinion either way. More importantly, considering that Joe Hart is not the most confident keeper right now and Pellegrini looks like he'll stick to the high defense line (which led to Everton's first goal against us), it will be a smart move to play long balls in to try to unsettle the defense and force them back. Sam Allardyce is and isnt a lot of things, but one thing that he surely is, is a shrewd SOB.

 

[carlos tevez is a blue]

Duh, this weeks off between matches are annoying. Lets hope for a strong performance. My guess is 4 : 1 CITY.

Here´s something that should help you all with waiting .)
It has been taken in Turkey during the CL week when CITY were playing Plzeň.

regards from CITY fan in Prague

Hello, how are you? x

 

[SrilankanBlue]

Hate international breaks errrgh atleats Vinny will have more time to recover I guess

 

[daxman]

I certainly remember a decent amount of long balls in the last game you lot played at the Etihad (April?)

i didnt see that match, only brief highlights and maybe we did that match after going behind...

Unless you can get me long ball stats on west ham vs city when west ham are behind (or city are dominating possession( (ie the scenario I was alluding to in my first post), those stats are meaningless. I never intended to call west ham a long ball team . I don't watch enough west ham games to have an opinion either way. More importantly, considering that Joe Hart is not the most confident keeper right now and Pellegrini looks like he'll stick to the high defense line (which led to Everton's first goal against us), it will be a smart move to play long balls in to try to unsettle the defense and force them back. Sam Allardyce is and isnt a lot of things, but one thing that he surely is, is a shrewd SOB.

City's highline is a part of the tactical change that includes high pressure on the ball, and shortening the field. Unfortunately, some of our players are still doing a poor job getting with the program. Aguero was the main culprit on the Everton goal of failing to pressure high up. Thus making the work of the highline tougher.

The philosophy is quite simple. If you have pressure on the player on the ball. And you have your defensive line up at the half line, the opposition either needs to be fantastic in possession (Barca, Swansea Bayern or Arsenal like) or they would be forced to hoof it up field. This should favor City if the guy hoofing it is under pressure and unable to make a good long pass. Even guys who aren't under pressure, tend not to be good with long balls, talkless when under intense pressure. And the pressure should be in packs.

City does this in spurts, but unfortunately not consistently enough. Sadly, some of our best players are the biggest culprits.

 

[Marvin]

I certainly remember a decent amount of long balls in the last game you lot played at the Etihad (April?)

i didnt see that match, only brief highlights and maybe we did that match after going behind...


Here’s the list of long passes attempted last season in the Premier League by each team:

Newcastle 2,283
Fulham 2,131
Wigan 2,047
Everton 2,042
Liverpool 2,041
Tottenham 2,028
Swansea 2,024
Chelsea 2,003
Norwich 1,995
Stoke 1,989
Man United 1,968
Sunderland 1,952
West Ham 1,901
Aston Villa 1,893
West Brom 1,889
Reading 1,855
Southampton 1,826
QPR 1,800
Arsenal 1,755
Man City 1,611

... so lets hope your defence can deal with our long balls especially with no striker

or lets just stop churning this same old myth because of Bolton under big sam

Surprising stat that. I was under the impression that West Ham played a lot of long ball stuff, but that proves they don't.

Wigan near the top - bit surprising too. And Stoke just average?

 

[FredTilson]

i didnt see that match, only brief highlights and maybe we did that match after going behind...

Unless you can get me long ball stats on west ham vs city when west ham are behind (or city are dominating possession( (ie the scenario I was alluding to in my first post), those stats are meaningless. I never intended to call west ham a long ball team . I don't watch enough west ham games to have an opinion either way. More importantly, considering that Joe Hart is not the most confident keeper right now and Pellegrini looks like he'll stick to the high defense line (which led to Everton's first goal against us), it will be a smart move to play long balls in to try to unsettle the defense and force them back. Sam Allardyce is and isnt a lot of things, but one thing that he surely is, is a shrewd SOB.

City's highline is a part of the tactical change that includes high pressure on the ball, and shortening the field. Unfortunately, some of our players are still doing a poor job getting with the program. Aguero was the main culprit on the Everton goal of failing to pressure high up. Thus making the work of the highline tougher.
.

Of course, in theory the high defensive line is a very good strategy and is what top European sides do, unfortunately, as you pointed out, we have not been able to execute it properly till now. That's precisely I wanted to see Demichelis in this game, he is used to high pressing style and maybe more suited to Pellegrini is trying to do.

 

[daxman]

Unless you can get me long ball stats on west ham vs city when west ham are behind (or city are dominating possession( (ie the scenario I was alluding to in my first post), those stats are meaningless. I never intended to call west ham a long ball team . I don't watch enough west ham games to have an opinion either way. More importantly, considering that Joe Hart is not the most confident keeper right now and Pellegrini looks like he'll stick to the high defense line (which led to Everton's first goal against us), it will be a smart move to play long balls in to try to unsettle the defense and force them back. Sam Allardyce is and isnt a lot of things, but one thing that he surely is, is a shrewd SOB.

City's highline is a part of the tactical change that includes high pressure on the ball, and shortening the field. Unfortunately, some of our players are still doing a poor job getting with the program. Aguero was the main culprit on the Everton goal of failing to pressure high up. Thus making the work of the highline tougher.
.

Of course, in theory the high defensive line is a very good strategy and is what top European sides do, unfortunately, as you pointed out, we have not been able to execute it properly till now. That's precisely I wanted to see Demichelis in this game, he is used to high pressing style and maybe more suited to Pellegrini is trying to do.

I think my point was that it wouldn't matter who plays at CD, as the problem with the highline/highpressure often emanates somewhere other than at the CD position. If the midfielders and forwards are not doing there part, it matters not how good the CD is at playing the highline. The key to the CD playing it well, lies in how well the midfielders and forwards do their jobs. Sure Demichelis might still be better than say Lescott, Nasty or Kompany at the system, but his effectiveness lies outside of him. For examaple, as much as Lescott got blamed for the Everton goal, had Aguero had hounded the defender who played the ball earlier, like he should have. Lescott would have never been in such a disadvantaged situation against Lukaku.