What is stopping us being one of the best in Europe?

[HelloCity]

Assessing our team/squad where do you think we need to improve the most if we are to arrive at Champions League finals?

Do we need to alter our style of play a little bit?

What positions areas are we weakest in?

Saw an interesting comment on here the other day that said we haven't bought one top class defender since the takeover.

I think we're a left back, centre half and world class goal scoring midfielder away from being able to go into the latter stages of the CL with a huge expectation of going through.

 

[dobobobo]

Assessing our team/squad where do you think we need to improve the most if we are to arrive at Champions League finals?

Do we need to alter our style of play a little bit?

What positions areas are we weakest in?

Saw an interesting comment on here the other day that said we haven't bought one top class defender since the takeover.

I think we're a left back, centre half and world class goal scoring midfielder away from being able to go into the latter stages of the CL with a huge expectation of going through.

UEFA.

 

[kaz7]

We have to cheat and play act,we are too honest

 

[ake_stan]

The posts about a world class defender are baffling. We've had the best defence in the league past 2 seasons.

 

[Blue Streak]

The posts about a world class defender are baffling. We've had the best defence in the league past 2 seasons.

In the Premiership but not in Europe. Zabba and Kompany aside we don't have world class defenders.

 

[quiet_riot]

Squad depth. Or lack of it.

 

[sir baconface]

There's no substitute for experience. At this stage we are relative newcomers to European football. Obviously that changes with each passing season and I'd expect the direction of travel to be for us to progress further and further in the competition.

The likes of Real, Bayern and Barcelona have been doing it at top level for years, if not decades. They are some way ahead of us and I don't expect us to win it in the next couple of seasons.

 

[LoveCity]

We lack intensity in certain games and become lackadaisical. The performances against United and Spurs at the Etihad this season showed the true potential of the team. We blew them away. Yet after blowing United away we went and lost to Villa only because of carelessness and a lack of concentration.

Two things I think can help:

1. More pragmatism next season. Most seasons won't end on goal difference so defend leads and preserve energy. And in big games, especially Champions League and against Mourinho's Chelsea (0/6pts this season), a 3-man central midfield. We were better away than at home against Chelsea with an extra midfielder and just unlucky because of Hart.

2. A few more backups capable of playing with great intensity and without a major drop in quality. More rotation means less injuries and our top stars being able to play with the aforementioned intensity.

And maybe a little more pace. It's cliché, but we would be lethal if we had more direct options and pace on the counter. Incisive pace that is, not Aaron Lennon. Too often we win the ball and let the opposing team reform their two lines of four because we don't go straight at them.

 

[ifiwasarichfan]

Very little. Another midfield player and a top drawer central midfield player should just about do it.

I didn't see anything at all in the Chelsea v Athletico match that worried me.

 

[dobobobo]

The posts about a world class defender are baffling. We've had the best defence in the league past 2 seasons.

In the Premiership but not in Europe. Zabba and Kompany aside we don't have world class defenders.

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