What's the difference?

[blueinsa]

I don't know, after rewatching the game, I'm more down on it than I was yesterday. The scoreline was fantastic, but emotion aside, over the course of 90 minutes, we didn't actually pay that well.

It was very much fits and starts again after watching a re-run but the vast improvement was in desire and tempo.

We looked hungry and we looked a team again and thats the main thing as the quality we have coupled with tempo and desire will win us a lot more games than we will lose.

The quality has never been in doubt. The desire to work as a team has and by team i mean the players, coaches and manager.

 

[taconinja]

Well, something is always going to have to give. I've rarely seen a team completely dominate the entire game from start to finish. I agree we did allow for quite a bit of possession by Sunderland, but at that point they had to take the game to us. Can we improve? Of course. Our pressing could use work for one thing.

Yeah I sort of agree, the only thing I'd say about the pressing is that I thought we played a bit deep but looking at it I think we did that a bit deliberately to nullify the pace of the quick Sunderland forwards, remember at the SoL they counter-attacked us really well in the 2nd half.

A good point. The only really worrying moment was when Lescott dropped off Gyan too far and Gyan got that shot away, but it's better than conceding a penalty to be fair. At times, I worried at our lack of possession, but on reflection I think after going up by two, that was our game plan. The counter certainly worked.

 

[blueinsa]

Yeah I sort of agree, the only thing I'd say about the pressing is that I thought we played a bit deep but looking at it I think we did that a bit deliberately to nullify the pace of the quick Sunderland forwards, remember at the SoL they counter-attacked us really well in the 2nd half.

A good point. The only really worrying moment was when Lescott dropped off Gyan too far and Gyan got that shot away, but it's better than conceding a penalty to be fair. At times, I worried at our lack of possession, but on reflection I think after going up by two, that was our game plan. The counter certainly worked.

Lescott's weakness as a defender is that he is very much hands on with lots of body contact giving the opposition player and ref every opportunity.

I see he is slowly but surely getting that bad trait out of his game and it can only be down to match sharpness and confidence.

Looks like a player again and even with Kolo available he is worth his place as a starter right now.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

hopefully the penny has dropped with mancini that this is the best way to play.

hey mancio, i bet you hated watching us attack yesterday ;)

"But but but, we have GOT TO DEFEND, NO NO NO NO NOOOO"

TBH it seem to me you look at the result and then if we won you say "is becouse we attack" and if we dont won you say "is becouse we dont attack" , unfortunally read a game its not so easy...

yesterday we did NOTHING different from other games a part from SCORE when we had the chances.

and scoring two in the first 20 mins force the opponents to leave their bus from the box so we can counter on the breack, a thing that we did well having some kay players like yaya and silva not tyred by a midweek game.

This. taking our chances was the only difference.

our early goals at fulham,west ham,newcastle,at home to villa, and our very early MISSED chances against scum away,arsenal at home( both silva) and at chelsea(yaya) indicate that we are not defensive as some folk think-how can you be defensive when you go for a teams jugular straight from the kick-off..? Mario shaved the post at both westham and wolves away within minutes of the kick-off.

As Mancio says-you take your chances, the other team has to change the way they are playing..thats when city kill teams-no other team has the ability to do what we do when we have the bit between our teeth. defensive football my arse.

 

[Project]

Average positions.

Some 442. *cough*

 

[Bluemoon115]

Average positions.

Some 442. *cough*

Well Mancini said he sent 'em out to play 442 (or words to that effect).

Look how well the team played by ignoring him ;-P

 

[CaptainCarlos]

We created fewer chances than we did at home to Birmingham, Blackburn and Fulham but we put them away this time.

This is one of the main reasons for me. And the movement with and without the ball was better than usual. I dont think we created shit loads of chances though.

Enjoyed it immensely!

This!! One of the keys reason being REST! We were indeed tired and the rest has done us some good. Granted Sunderland was poor, defender made mistakes and so on...

But like Mancini always says.. anything scores when the opponent makes a mistake!

-- Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:18 pm --

It wasn't really a 442 though. Of course after Sky rammed it down our throats so often people may well have thought it was. But if anything it was the same 4231 that we have played all season, but this time with Silva playing as the AM instead of Yaya.

check the chalkboard for Silva and you can't say he played on the left.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/E151X6Qqgj7NOVi80x85" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chal ... 7NOVi80x85</a>

The change is something a lot of people have been crying out for. 2 central midfielders with Silva sitting in front and being allowed to roam. It means that Yaya is able to make those runs we love in the space he used to occupy as AM. For the first hour or so Balotelli and Tevez were flexible. If one dropped left or deep, the other would take the position as the lone striker, ensuring that we always had an outlet and kept their defence occupied. AJ was the only one that was stationery of the front 4. The rest were quite fluid, but that is the point of a 4231 and its variations. The rigidity isn't in the formation, but the players. Often we would play DJ and GB as the two midfielders, and put YT as AM. Silva would be stationed out on the left and sometimes move inside. AJ on the right, and Tevez up front... but because he often drops back to force the issue we are left without an outlet to play balls in behind. The fluidity of the system meant that when needed Balo and Tevez could also be up front together for periods during the game.

Yesterday for me was the first time the system has really come together and show an indication of what Mancini wants. While a 7/10ish performance, Kolarov would bomb down the left in the space made vacant by Silva and Tevez linking in the middle and drawing Ferdinand in.

Seriously?

4-4-2, as plain as day.

Wasnt a 442.. Look at Marios positioning, it was the same old with Yaya in place of Barry, Silva in place of Yaya and Aj in place of Silva..<br /><br />-- Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:22 pm --<br /><br />

Case closed then.

;-)

in fact...here it is.. :)
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11679_6851110,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 10,00.html</a>

He also says we always played like this.. But due to player injuries and tiredness blah blah..

So in that case we have always been playing 442 ??

 

[Nerazzurri]

Average positions.

Some 442. *cough*

Clearly a 2-2-2-1-3.

This is more or less how a 442 look when you play a left winger with a free role offensively. Compare Balotellis, Johnsons and Silvas defensive duties in the first half - 442. Numbers doesnt really matter that much though and your assessment of how having another attacking midfielder on the field is still valid.

 

[Superace]

Right, I'm not denying it wasn't a great performance yesterday but it's being way too sugarcoated.

The first two goals were caused by terrible defending, Phil Bardsley was terrible enough to even be substituted off at half time, and how often does that happen to defenders who aren't injuried? Yaya Toure's goal was the definition of a gift.

It was good to see your team have some sort of attacking intent for once and not sitting back on their arses, even having Balotelli flash a smile for once in his life. However you cannot say it was a tremendous performance on your half, 3 of your goals were Sunderland's fault completely.

What a load of bollocks.

 

[greeny-ctid]

What did we get right against Sunderland that transformed us in such a dramatic fashion?

For me?

* Playing Toure in a full midfield role rather than as a support striker

* Playing Balotelli as a striker rather than a winger

* Playing Silva in the midfield role rather than as one of the front three

* Playing Johnson to give us that width and pace that has been so lacking these past couple of months

* Playing round pegs in round holes

* Mancini looking like he has generated a team spirit as evidenced by the reaction to the goals

* Playing Sunderland at a time when they are plunging!

Great performance yesterday, the workrate was as it should be, we hunted the Mackems down in packs whenever they had the ball, and de Jong was world-class.

Let's just keep this momentum going for another couple of months...

top post agree 100%!