What's the difference?

[Petetheblu]

Not been through all the comments but from what I’ve seen, nobody has mentioned what to me is the most important thing we’ve missed. Fernandinho in the holding role. Yes, we’ve had him playing but for me it isn’t the same. When he was in the midfield, the balls were rarely getting passed him and that’s partly why our defence was so good last season

I like Rodri, he's got some potential, but he's no Fernandinho. He also a bit slow if I'm being honest and may struggle in a slow side where hes the main man.

Sane has been a massive loss to, his pace and direct play causes loads of commotion.

I'd also add a general lack of pace has hindered us, our build play has been at sleeping pace. With an overall lack of any speed merchants in the team, apart from Kyle and Raheem.

Kompany in the dressing room, injured or not, he's a true leader. Think of what VVD has done for Liverpool. Its so important.

Peps tactics, l love him, but he's way to stubborn. Raheem on the right would have been far better yesterday.

A goal keeper who can save with his hands...I wondering what Eddys stats are for "shot to goal ratio?"...I'm thinking they're poor.

Luck has been an absentee to.


All this said, we're still 2nd, still in the chumps league and still in the FA cup....

Next season, a Vinny replacement (leader), a (back up) left back, a Sane replacement and a set piece and defensive coach....oh and a genie for three wishes.

Overall still plentyto be positive about.

 

[Petetheblu]

What a dumb post. Recycling the worst cliches on here.

Fernandinho got injured in the league cup final last season and didn't start in most of the games after that. And we had a better defensive record without him and with Gundogan replacing him.

Rodri is a top player. The simple reason for our problems, apart from a very natural tiredness from the previous 2 seasons, is that Kompany retired, Laporte got badly injured Stones was injured several times and struggled for form, Otamendi has declined, Mendy needed time to recover from his injuries, etc. Add to that that Sane has missed the whole season, Aguero isn't the same player, Sterling lost form...

You're being to kind in your praise for Gundy mate.

In fernandinho day he was one of the worlds top defensive midfielders and constantly received plaudits, Gundy hasn't yet managed that.

I also remember Kompany coming back and tightening up the defence late last season.

 

[Shaelumstash]

What a dumb post. Recycling the worst cliches on here.

Fernandinho got injured in the league cup final last season and didn't start in most of the games after that. And we had a better defensive record without him and with Gundogan replacing him.

Rodri is a top player. The simple reason for our problems, apart from a very natural tiredness from the previous 2 seasons, is that Kompany retired, Laporte got badly injured Stones was injured several times and struggled for form, Otamendi has declined, Mendy needed time to recover from his injuries, etc. Add to that that Sane has missed the whole season, Aguero isn't the same player, Sterling lost form...

Mate. We've lost 7 times in the league. We've lost 3 times to United. Pretty much every game we've lost has been against a counter-attacking side. If you think the reason we've lost those games is because Sane is injured and Aguero isn't the same player, then you really have no room to be calling anyone else "dumb".

We haven't pressed with anywhere near the same intensity from central midfield this season. If you either don't know, or understand that, then I really don't have the time to explain it to you. Good luck.

 

[alexmcity]

Mate. We've lost 7 times in the league. We've lost 3 times to United. Pretty much every game we've lost has been against a counter-attacking side. If you think the reason we've lost those games is because Sane is injured and Aguero isn't the same player, then you really have no room to be calling anyone else "dumb".

We haven't pressed with anywhere near the same intensity from central midfield this season. If you either don't know, or understand that, then I really don't have the time to explain it to you. Good luck.

We've had a severe injury crisis at CB and our FBs have been poor, apart from Walker, Eddie has been inconsistent, yet you have decided it's Rodri and Gundogan who are to blame. It's a tiresome cliche. Anyway, there is a reason why Pep, the best manager in the world and a trophy machine, plays them. He might not be faultless but he isn't dumb either.

 

[CityEssex49er]

A number of reasons :-

1) Inevitable decline in performances after 2 years of intense pressing, playing the fast passing type of game that Pep has us playing - players are knackered, basically
2) To an extent, we have been ' found out '; other teams know how to play against us
3) Injuries -i) defence - too many injuries in a key area; Stones, Ota, Benny - missing Eric is huge; saw his impact when he played at Leicester; the whole defence looked
solid - hasn't Kyle missed a couple of games too ?
ii) Kev - enough said
iii) Sergio out injured for his usual part of the season. Leroy - massive miss as he gives us something else when he plays - could have been a different out
outcome yesterday with him on the pitch; on his day, unplayable, Gabby
iv) missing Ferna in his usual position
4) VAR - although we have had the odd decision go our way more recently, earlier on in the season, had no luck with it

 

[s1ty m]

Simple, I think.

Hunger.

Fernandinho in defence.

Loss of Laporte and Sane.

No Kompany.

Changing the side too much.

A lack of another striker option.

Gundogan. Lol.

 

[TP2000]

All I’m reading here is a load of passive-aggressive posturing with no real attempt to address the actual analysis of Gundogan’s attributes, or offering any alternative viewpoint. Weak.

Your problem isn’t midfield control. A pairing of Rodri and Gundogan just controlled the game away to Madrid in a Champions League knock out tie.

The majority of your problems this season stem from individual mistakes in your forward and defensive lines. Your forwards consistently miss easy chances. Your defensive line consistently find ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

With your forward line, it looks more like a mental exhaustion issue after three intense seasons. Defensively, Otamendi and Stones simply aren’t good enough. A high press system relies on players who can defend 1 v 1.

Your midfield is not an issue.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Your problem isn’t midfield control. A pairing of Rodri and Gundogan just controlled the game away to Madrid in a Champions League knock out tie.

The majority of your problems this season stem from individual mistakes in your forward and defensive lines. Your forwards consistently miss easy chances. Your defensive line consistently find ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

With your forward line, it looks more like a mental exhaustion issue after three intense seasons. Defensively, Otamendi and Stones simply aren’t good enough. A high press system relies on players who can defend 1 v 1.

Your midfield is not an issue.

Hahaha!

 

[TP2000]

Hahaha!

What’s hilarious is your insistence that pace defines what makes a good defensive midfielder in this system. I wonder how Barcelona ever coped with a DMF as slow as Busquets. They were only one of the greatest teams of all time.

I mean, the end of last season is glaring evidence that your team can not only function, but excel with a player as slow as Gundogan in the DMF position. Of course, you’ll just choose to ignore this.

Turning Fernandinho into a god-like colossus, which he never was, and then lumping all the blame on Rodri and Gundogan is a very simple way of analyzing the game. British fans are obsessed with scapegoating players who lack pace.

 

[Shaelumstash]

What’s hilarious is your insistence that pace defines what makes a good defensive midfielder in this system. I wonder how Barcelona ever coped with a DMF as slow as Busquets. They were only one of the greatest teams of all time.

I mean, the end of last season is glaring evidence that your team can not only function, but excel with a player as slow as Gundogan in the DMF position. Of course, you’ll just choose to ignore this.

Turning Fernandinho into a god-like colossus, which he never was, and then lumping all the blame on Rodri and Gundogan is a very simple way of analyzing the game. British fans are obsessed with scapegoating players who lack pace.

Try not to make sweeping generalisations about how an entire nation of people think.

There’s 65million British people and there’s a healthy mix of opinion on all sorts things.

If you don’t think City’s energy levels in the middle of the pitch have gone down since last season, that’s entirely up to you.

But don’t scapegoat an entire nation because of your own ignorance.