when was the last time we played really well?

We’ve been poor for weeks now and it’s a worrying sign that pep has now questioned the teams mentality? Had arrogance sneaked in but with getting beat rocked the team?
 
mancity1 said:
Our performances have deteriorated steadily for some 10 weeks now and last night was as poor as we have played in terms of being sound at the back and threatening up front all season in the league at least.

We have become very predictable again and not that difficult to play against similar to MP 's last 18 months in charge.
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I was thinking the same. I hope its not the limitations of our style of play in the premier league. Running low on energy and out of ideas. If thats the case then at least MP had more natural leaders who could dig in. We now have a few hiders. We could do with some stronger personalities. Laporte looks like one. The rest im not so sure.
 
I'm With Stupid said:
Bit harsh on Sterling that. He's had about 3 average games now, but just after signing his contract, he was on fire.
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Yeh, you’re probably right. Definite drop off in intensity though. I think the English players, who didn’t really have a break this summer, have looked particularly jaded. Tripping over the turf, overrunning the ball out of play, and letting the ball roll up his shins (when earlier in the season his first touch was immaculate) are manifestations of that tiredness in Sterling’s case, just as trying to shepherd the ball out of play and getting robbed (and nutmegged), whacking crosses 10 feet over everyone’s heads, not knowing exactly where his opponent is under high bouncing balls, and giving away ridiculous penalties, are manifestations of Walker’s.

The lack of leadership out there at the moment is alarming, as is the fact that 8 years down the line we are every bit as reliant on a fit and sharp Dave, Sergio, Vinny and Ferna to drag us along, as we always were, and that in 18 months time we won’t have them anymore. We need to be very shrewd in the next couple of transfer markets and perhaps go for a bit of devilment
 
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The derby. We were remarkable for most of that game, with the 44 pass goal being the icing.

I came away from that extremely confident we would retain the title.

Fast forward a few weeks and we look a vastly different team.
 
I think when we don’t have our first choice centre mids were predictable
So if you double up on the wingers we’re screwed
Once De Bruyne and Silva are fit we will be unstoppable
The big worry is the injuries in certain areas and we go from amazing to average
 
Something that I started to notice even before the recent defeats is that the number of forward passes seems to have dropped off remarkably. I found myself being frustrated at lack off quick progress up the pitch something that I’d got used to and enjoyed when watching us last season. Players more often checking back and taking the easy option with a sidewards or easy back pass when we used to look to stretch teams quickly. Not sure if this is due to the opposition or our players loosing focus. Either way I’ve been left feeling the way I used to feel watching other teams last season as I’d got so used to our progressive football - disappointed at the slowness of the forward play.
 
Sunday 11th November 2018

City 3 Rags 1

That will be pretty much 50 days ago by the next time we play and we’ve played ten games since then and not played well in any of them!
 
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Teams seem to stand off us even more now whe we play out from Ederson. In both games I barely remember any time when at a goal kick we were put under pressure and then played our way through the opposition.

Even in the Mancini and pellegrini years we needed to almost take the piss in our final third, long enough to draw the other team out. We seem to have totally stopped doing this there and instead do it in the oppositions final third, which against 5-5-0 is pointless.

We need to do it for minute after minute until the opposition get frustrated. Even a team set up to defend for 95 minutes will get frustrated pretty quickly if the ball doesn’t cross the half way line for 5.
 
I don't think it's other teams that have sussed us out. I just think it's how WE are playing that is our demise at the minute. Down the sides for me is where it's all going wrong. We are losing the wide areas far too easily. This means that Gundogan is running back to our goal a lot which is not his natural ability. When teams are snuffing out the wide areas we HAVE to exploit space in the middle. This is what Merlin does with ease and until we find a suitable successor we are going to not be as lethal in doing it. Sterling and Sane were equally as bad yesterday. They either just dribbled into someone or got dispossesed too easily. We need to get back to basics. I would put Jesus AND Aguero up top together as they are both too isolated when on their own.
 
I have said since the beginning of the season that something is missing. Even in the games we have won and played well we have not played with the same intensity. We appear to play well within ourselves as if we are taking a rest in the middle of the game, as if we are trying not to overexert so that we can last the season. Been a strange season.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
Sunday 11th November 2018

City 3 Rags 1

That will be pretty much 50 days ago by the next time we play and we’ve played ten games since then and not played well in any of them!
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Yep. All the warning signs have been there in every game since. It’s more than just a blip now, it’s a total re-visit to Pep’s first season.
 
Tactically, I think Lyon showed how to structure defence against us and counteract effectively. Since then opposition have defended wider and double teamed our wide men. Then losing the spine of our team - Ferny, kdb, merlin, sergio ( plus mendy ) has had a big effect on structure, tactics and ulimately lack of confidence. Other teams around us have had much fewer injuries - lets see how scousers & spurs cope without a few key players ?
 
I think its fair to say how important Fernandinho is, the loss of David Silva doesn't hasn't helped either. Both are as important as each other. Looked lost of ideas when attacking without Silva and wide open at the back without Fernandinhos protection. Sooner they are back fully fit the better. Kyle Walker, as well, hope his form returns soon!
 
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