What do you think is wrong?

[urmston]

Totally predictable style of play and no ability or desire to deviate from it to cope with circumstances.

Plus the defence is rubbish for the amount of money it cost.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

The current injury problems make it even more important that you take full account of the oposition and plan and set up based on that, especially when you don't have the players that can execute your normal playing style. Asking Martin to play a high line yesterday when it is obvious to all that watch that he no longer has the legs to execute that is in my opinion flawed at best and negligent at worst.

Especially when you've got the players to be the best counter attacking side in the country, so could quite clearly play a bit deeper without affecting the chances created too much.

 

[franksinatra]

I think its a mixture of the various imbalances within the squad which have still not been addressed and the series of continual changes in key positions caused by injuries and selection.

The manager clearly does not have faith in Kelechi to lead the line so why start the season with only two strikers. We had a perfectly good fourth/third choice centre half in Denayer so why not use the Otamendi money for this position?

Fernando is still not good enough in midfield, Bony was never suited to our side and Navas for all the endeavour he brings never provides a goal or anything when the chips are down. Without Yaya neither of the fernandos are able to successfully link the defence to attack resulting in the continual loss of possession at Spurs/United etc.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I genuinely thought the attitude of the players was good in defeat yesterday

We took the game to Stoke all game we just could not defend. This dip is vey far removed from the Mancini season and Pellegrini's 2nd season where we really were complacent

I have seen one game where the attitude was wrong: Liverpool

I fundamentally disagree. Yesterday was just as bad as Liverpool, attitude wise. It really looked like no one could be bothered.

 

[blueinsa]

I fundamentally disagree. Yesterday was just as bad as Liverpool, attitude wise. It really looked like no one could be bothered.

Agree. the players didn't turn up yesterday.

 

[Tricky Dickys Right Foot Shot]

You not heard Pellegerini? He said it's because we have so many injuries, especially with Kompany and Aguero..... You know, those two players that have been injured for the last 3 years!

Laughable really that he'd even use this excuse granted that beginning of the season he was praising how big our squad is and saying he was happy with the players at his disposal, now it's because we have 3 key injuries we can't beat Stoke.

Bournemouth have way more injuries than us and still beat Chelsea 1-0!

When is the guy going to admit he's fucking clueless at times.
Taking off Fernandinho was the final straw yesterday and the booing from the City fans yesterday proved it.

 

[leighton]

I think after the game on Tuesday we have something like 8 to 10 league games before the champions league returns. These games are now vital. We need to be winning the majority of them and not losing any of the games. Regarding the league cup I'm not too fussed we just need to get players back and in form. Kun being out for so many games and not having a reliable replacement that will put in a shift is killing us. Maybe a change of tatics will beneifit us. Time to play a system where we are hard to beat we can counter teams and score goals. Drop Yaya and go with the attacking 6 of Fernandhino , Delph , KDB , Silva and Sterling with Kun up front. Maybe have either of Yaya or Fernando coming in for the other 2 defensive midfielders. We need to pressure the teams when we not go the ball and get it back higher up the field.

MP is like Wenger he wont change his style he believes in his ways when were on form we are brilliant and unplayable. Its a long hard season but the league season starts against Swansea at home this weekend we have a load of cup finals coming up and its around Xmas and New Year that the top 4 teams either break away from the rest and it is were the cream rises to the top. We all know a settled back 4 will win us the title. We can get that losing our leaders in Kompany and Zabba for most of the season in the defence is killing us. MDM is finished as a player with us. Totally finished at the club now. He was a stop gap player who has over stayed his welcome. Feel sorry for Denayer as these games he is missing out on would of helped him at the club. I wouldn't be shocked if we go out and try and sign 2 players this window coming up a forward and a defender is needed. I think MPs time at the club is so 50-50 he can turn it around he has shown it in the past but with the season the way it is going. You cant make a case for him staying if PEP does become available at the moment in the summer.

 

[daztrueblue91]

I fundamentally disagree. Yesterday was just as bad as Liverpool, attitude wise. It really looked like no one could be bothered.

It seemed like the players were terrified of losing the ball because they knew Stoke would counter us at ease.

As a result players were reluctant to run behind their defence or leave their position and Stoke had a field day defending against us.

What's shocking is that it seems our way of being more defensive is to stop being fluid in attack. In essence that did nothing to prevent the high line from being exposed. In fact in made it easier for Stoke to regain possession.

Since being battered by Liverpool we have conceded a number of good chances against Stoke, Southampton and Juve.

That is what I just don't get.

We are missing key players, have a large number of games in quick succession, as Pellegrini pointed out the players are tired and yet we do nothing to address the defensive frailties.

It's lunacy to expect tired players to go out and press high up the pitch. It's also lunacy to expect to play your normal game with the spine of the team missing. Yet this is exactly what our manager does.

Keeping it tight and being more defensive in times of need is not abandoning your principles, it's common sense.

When we dicked United 6-1 Ferguson adjusted and kept it tight and ground out a number of 1-0 wins. He slowly rebuilt the confidence and the performances improved.

We seem to play with the blind hope the opposition will ignore our frailties and roll over for us.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

We are missing key players, have a large number of games in quick succession, as Pellegrini pointed out the players are tired and yet we do nothing to address the defensive frailties.It's lunacy to expect tired players to go out and press high up the pitch. It's also lunacy to expect to play your normal game with the spine of the team missing. Yet this is exactly what our manager does.

Keeping it tight and being more defensive in times of need is not abandoning your principles, it's common sense.

Of course it is. Having lost the game in the first 15 minutes against Liverpool, the last thing we should have done was allow that to happen again yesterday. If players are tired, then keep things compact for the first 30 minutes or so. I'd have played the two Ferns and Delph yesterday, plus Navas and Sterling, told them to keep close to the defensive line and let Stoke do all the running for the first part of the game, while we sit back and look to break. Up front I'd still probably have started Bony in order to give Silva and KDB a bit of a rest. Or we could have started Iheanacho, knowing that he can't play on Tuesday, and given Bony (who was never going to get much out of the Stoke defence) a rest. Then after 60 minutes, if we're doing OK, you could take one of the midfield three and one of Navas or Sterling for Silva & De Bruyne. Then swap Bony & Iheanacho later on.

 

[creditunionhero]

We have been overrun in midfield early on in games, we don't have anyone on the pitch who can recognise we need to adjust our formation/positions. We need to be flexible enough to play tighter/more expansive as necessary. It does not help that Pelle sits on the bench without reacting or communicating to his players. Fernando dived in early for both of stokes goals which left the back four exposed, in my opinion he should have been told to be more cautious from kick off until we had more control of the game and to ensure we didn't,t concede early.