What's the problem(s)?

[Wilmslow Road]

The end of the day Mendy is shit.
whilst they both have failings.
Angelino could bomb down the wing and deliver a cross.
Zinchenko whilst not a great defender could pass a ball.
Mendy ha neither of these qualities.

 

[alexmcity]

A lot of over reactions.

We had many injuries and problems with covid, didn't play any friendlies, are not in top physical form yet, played 5 games in 12 days with a small group of players, have new players, etc.

We are now in a much better situation squad wise compared to last season.

 

[bellsouth]

All the problems come from not being able to get the 2nd goal when leading - and in my opinion thats because we only have one natural, instinctive finisher in the squad and he now spends as much time injured as he does playing - with the number of chances we create in every game, the answer surely is getting another instinctive striker in? If we go 2 or 3 up, the games over

 

[the_tevez_wiggle]

I think since our last league win, we have lost our spine of the team. Kompany, silva and aguero (yes hes still here but isn't reliable or as sharp as before). But we have replaced them with young players and/or too late.
Kompany - was a warrior, a leader and became so in his prime. Stones will never replicate those qualities. Dias may do but he is 24, most only produce these qualities 26 and onwards.
Silva - was a genius, pep even said he was the greatest between the lines, in the spaces. The master of the assist to the assist. Foden is great but he isn't David, he's a different player, different strengths.
Aguero - a killer in the box, low centre of gravity, strong as hell and hard to get the ball off. Jesus is an all action, grafter, who is learning to poach goals. Again a different type of player.

The players we have lost were in their prime, strong, crafty due to experience. The players we have replaced them with are learning what kind of player they are, nevermind the most difficult system in football with the highest amount of information to take in. Dias looks like a kompany replacement but vinnie wasn't vinny till after 25, yet we expect foden, Jesus, laporte, torres, ederson, dias, bernado, etc to play like players we want to build statues for.

This team we are watching is pep 2.0. They will need at least a year playing together working out themselves and strengths of each other.

Stones - was never good enough to take over from kompany, is a top notch backup till thb comes into his own
Nico - great for us but stayed 1 year past his best. Thanks for all you did.
Mendy - looked the real deal before injuries battered him. Lovely guy but back up is where he is at unless he clicks and regains pre injury form.
Mahrez - failed experiment, lovely guy, lovely player in the wrong system.
Zinchenko & gundogan - both top lads, no mither, but neither good enough in their preferred position and average in positions they cover.
Both need to go to bring in a left back and a mobile alternative to rodri. Not all games are the same and our cdm requirements should change to reflect that.

I'm sorry, but if ppl expect more than a top 4 finish and maybe a domestic cup this season is overly hopeful. We need at least 4 more players before a ball is kicked next season lb, mobile cdm, kun replacement and a dictator (if mahrez leaves a player who plays across the front 3).

We were always going to have a drop off unless we went out and bought top players like vvd for kompany, messi for sane, mbappe for kun. We didn't even buy the top young players as in kounde, sancho, haaland, etc. What we have bought will be great barring injuries (mendy), weak mentality/problems (stones), but we need to let them grow as a team.
The spine is looking strong laporte, dias, rodri, kdb, sterling and Jesus but they aren't near their prime yet as a group.

Sorry for long post.

 

[Nascent Blues]

I don't know the stats, so I might be talking unmitigating bollocks, especially considering all the goal-scoring records we've broken, but if you put 22 chances the way of Firmino, Salah and Mane then they will score more than a single goal. Or, to put it another way, if you you were to put 22 chances the way of Aguero, Tevez and Balotelli/Dzeko, then they would have scored more than a single goal. In other words, we don't have clinical strikers on the end of the vast majority of chances that we create.

Now, whether we'd create the same number of chances with 3 strikers on the pitch, rather than creative midfielders/attacking forwards is another question, but we are simply not clinical enough.

But like I say, I could be spouting pissed up bollocks.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

I don't know the stats, so I might be talking unmitigating bollocks, especially considering all the goal-scoring records we've broken, but if you put 22 chances the way of Firmino, Salah and Mane then they will score more than a single goal. Or, to put it another way, if you you were to put 22 chances the way of Aguero, Tevez and Balotelli/Dzeko, then they would have scored more than a single goal. In other words, we don't have clinical strikers on the end of the vast majority of chances that we create.

Now, whether we'd create the same number of chances with 3 strikers on the pitch, rather than creative midfielders/attacking forwards is another question, but we are simply not clinical enough.

But like I say, I could be spouting pissed up bollocks.

Or you could be spouting pissed up sense :)

 

[eastmanc]

Honestly mate if the recruitment wasn't poor we wouldn't have been this bad for 18 months. Since we beat the dippers to the league who have we signed that's been good?

20/21 ok window, could have been better.

Players in​

PLAYER	FROM	FEE	DATE
Ferran Torres	Valencia	£20,800,000	04 Aug, 2020
Nathan Ake	Bournemouth	£41,000,000	05 Aug, 2020
Ruben Dias	Benfica	£61,200,000	29 Sep, 2020
Total: £123,000,000

19/20 shite window

PLAYER	FROM	FEE	DATE
Pedro Porro	Girona	£11,000,000	01 Aug, 2019
Joao Cancelo	Juventus	£60,000,000	07 Aug, 2019
Issa Kabore	Burkina Faso	£4,000,000	29 Jul, 2020
Total: £75,000,000

18/19 shite window

�

FROM	FEE	DATE
Philippe Sandler	PEC Zwolle	£2,200,000	01 Jul, 2018
Riyad Mahrez	Leicester	£60,000,000	10 Jul, 2018
Claudio Gomes	Paris St-G.	Undisc.	24 Jul, 2018
Daniel Arzani	Melbourne C	£801,000	08 Aug, 2018
Ko Itakura	Kawasaki F	£990,000	14 Jan, 2019
Ante Palaversa	Hajduk Split	£7,200,000	31 Jan, 2019

We never learn imo when we win titles we don't improve our squad, it happened with Mancini & Pellegrini and imo it's happening to Pep.

No idea why Rodri isn't on that list lol.

How slow is Rodri.

 

[decmancity]

We don't take our chances and shoot ourselves in the foot with defensive mistakes. Quite simple really

Potentially and Aguero and Jesus return away from solving problem one and getting a set back 5 on the pitch for a run of games to solve problem two.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

All the problems come from not being able to get the 2nd goal when leading - and in my opinion thats because we only have one natural, instinctive finisher in the squad and he now spends as much time injured as he does playing - with the number of chances we create in every game, the answer surely is getting another instinctive striker in? If we go 2 or 3 up, the games over

It's not just strikers who need to score goals though. We used to have Touré who you would bet the house on whenever he had a clear shot at goal. Midfielders need to chip in with more goals, and our wingers do too. It wouldn't hurt if we could pick up a few more from corners and free kicks too. God knows how many times Sergio Ramos has scored big goals for Real Madrid. Kompany bagged a couple of memorable ones :)

 

[Banner92]

Lack of fight, lack of energy, lack of passing/dribbling/finishing ability, lack of movement, lack of shape, list goes on, one thing for definite is city are really frustrating to watch at the minute due to pure lazy carelessness when it comes to the basics, whether that be down to fatigue, management or team morale it needs addressing ASAP, will be a long frustrating season otherwise

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

All the problems come from not being able to get the 2nd goal when leading - and in my opinion thats because we only have one natural, instinctive finisher in the squad and he now spends as much time injured as he does playing - with the number of chances we create in every game, the answer surely is getting another instinctive striker in? If we go 2 or 3 up, the games over

We stopped playing once we scored. From that point on until 80 mins we were shite. Just like last week for much of the game and just like much of the the second half of the Wolves game. The players need to fucking buckle down and sort it out because it’s not been anywhere near good enough so far.

 

[Blu1]

No striker replacement for aguero in 2 seasons now. Jesus is not going to be our main striker

No silva replacement ie creative player

No fern replacement.
midfield is more an issue than defence. We are so slow & weak in the middle of the park.

The game has changed younger, stronger players with much more skill are coming through now. Our midfield gets bullied

 

[GRB]

We were so spoilt with Kun, Tevez, Balo and Dzeko. So so spoilt.

“Only this”

 

[vin]

Embarrassing how many chances we miss. Fucking appalling from the forwards

 

[Citycity76]

Jesus is not a CF

Sterling is not a CF

Simple

 

[Tevez City]

Maybe its the 3 amigos ( Txiki, Ferran & Pep )

But I think Pep have ruined his best formula after the centurion season.

 

[s1ty m]

Replacing generationally great players with mediocrity.

Dear God can people not see Mahrez, Rodri, Torres, et al, for the mediocrity that they are?

2012 title game, starting line-up:

Hart
Zabs Komps Lescott Clichy
Nasri Yaya Barry David
Tevez Kun

The likes of De Jong, Dzeko and Balotelli to come on.

Honestly, they'd wipe the floor with the current team. Ederson and KDB would get in, Laporte for Lescott too. Although Ederson is turning into Christ knows what.

That's progress then? No, we've bought badly and it's plain as day.

 

[Withnail]

The first 45 minutes at Wolves were very impressive and give me real hope for this season. The pressing and intensity were excellent, however those levels have dropped a lot since then and our performances look jaded and lack energy.

Losing Jesus does not help, but Bernardo needs to be restored to the team.

 

[wolviedinho]

Problems:

Covid- Squad & Financial implications.

No preseason-Unacceptable level(20 min spell after that ran ragged).

Recruitment- Need time and team is struggling.

Older players - Midfield is shot now fern is older and no forward has been a nightmare.

FFP- We ate unable to spend what is needed to buy the very best. Min we need a top forward, Silva replacement, combative cm and a lb.

Var & The system- We are up against it and due to our poor performances it is highlighted the corruption even more.

Solutions:

The club need to find a way to be able to purchasing the very best players. I don’t care how they do it but if we want to be the best we have to buy the best or we need to completely shake up the scouting network and find the players this way as I have no idea what the scouts do.

In summary: Can all of the above happen? Probably not but the fitness needs sorted ASAP.

 

[Mike N]

How have we managed to lose such quality, and personality, and replace them with lesser players? We’ve completely ignored our main issue, not converting the dozens of chances per game, and instead focused on

Replacing generationally great players with mediocrity.

Dear God can people not see Mahrez, Rodri, Torres, et al, for the mediocrity that they are?

2012 title game, starting line-up:

Hart
Zabs Komps Lescott Clichy
Nasri Yaya Barry David
Tevez Kun

The likes of De Jong, Dzeko and Balotelli to come on.

Honestly, they'd wipe the floor with the current team. Ederson and KDB would get in, Laporte for Lescott too. Although Ederson is turning into Christ knows what.

That's progress then? No, we've bought badly and it's plain as day.

our once very strong squad is now very average when you get beyond 15