You need grit sometimes and we are coming up to the business end of the season, where churning out wins is more important than showing off. If we manage to win the title with a couple of games to go, the swagger will return big time. Funnily enough, that's exactly what happened when we won the first division title under KK with a few games to spare. The swagger returned pretty quickly after the trophy had already been won. Chavski under Jose were the same.
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where did we lose our swagger?
- Thread starter bondsman
- Start date
BlueAnorak
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31 Oct 2010
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- 26,166
Slowly from November 1st to December 26th.
During this time...
- Our opponents stopped defending with a high line.
- Our opponents started playing with an extra free midfielder who's job was to close down in the centre or fullback and be a second full back when our full-backs ventured forwards.
- Our speed and quality of counter attack gradually evaporated (Both Arse games excepted).
- We stopped shooting from 20+ yards.
- The surging runs from Midfield by YaYa and Full back Richards dried up.
- We decided that possession football was the be-all and end-all of football to walk the ball into the net was the only way to score.
- We stopped passing down the channels to get the ball early to our strikers.
I haven't seen any signs of it improving much either.
That said our defending has been much better of late. :-)
During this time...
- Our opponents stopped defending with a high line.
- Our opponents started playing with an extra free midfielder who's job was to close down in the centre or fullback and be a second full back when our full-backs ventured forwards.
- Our speed and quality of counter attack gradually evaporated (Both Arse games excepted).
- We stopped shooting from 20+ yards.
- The surging runs from Midfield by YaYa and Full back Richards dried up.
- We decided that possession football was the be-all and end-all of football to walk the ball into the net was the only way to score.
- We stopped passing down the channels to get the ball early to our strikers.
I haven't seen any signs of it improving much either.
That said our defending has been much better of late. :-)
Ducado
Well-Known Member
BlueAnorak said:Slowly from November 1st to December 26th.
During this time...
- Our opponents stopped defending with a high line.
- Our opponents started playing with an extra free midfielder who's job was to close down in the centre or fullback and be a second full back when our full-backs ventured forwards.
- Our speed and quality of counter attack gradually evaporated (Both Arse games excepted).
- We stopped shooting from 20+ yards.
- The surging runs from Midfield by YaYa and Full back Richards dried up.
- We decided that possession football was the be-all and end-all of football to walk the ball into the net was the only way to score.
- We stopped passing down the channels to get the ball early to our strikers.
I haven't seen any signs of it improving much either.
That said our defending has been much better of late. :-)
Well considering that YaYa has not played for 8 games he was not in a position to do surging runs was he!
A little to much drama in this thread we are still top of the prem when all is said and done
Hart Dog
Well-Known Member
The winter stole it, be back again soon enough
tregyblue61
Well-Known Member
Do you think all the chopping and changing for league, chimps and domestic comps might have something do with it?
Not really had a settled starting line-up for some time now.
Not really had a settled starting line-up for some time now.
Bojinov The Bull
Well-Known Member
I did a thread like this a month or so ago and got absolutely slated for daring to say something even slightly negative about the way we play.
For me the main differences are that we now don't look to move forward as much, we are more content to pass sideways and backwards like last season and we move the ball around much more slowly. Also, earlier in the season players would pass and then make a forward run into the box to give them an option to pass it forward and create a chance, now we pass and the player just stands still on the spot, Nasri being the prime example. Finally, Aguero and especially Dzeko dont spend as much time in the box where they should be to finish chances off, they are always out on the wings trying to pick the ball up and create something themselves meaning that when they do get into the box there is nobody to pass to.
For me the main differences are that we now don't look to move forward as much, we are more content to pass sideways and backwards like last season and we move the ball around much more slowly. Also, earlier in the season players would pass and then make a forward run into the box to give them an option to pass it forward and create a chance, now we pass and the player just stands still on the spot, Nasri being the prime example. Finally, Aguero and especially Dzeko dont spend as much time in the box where they should be to finish chances off, they are always out on the wings trying to pick the ball up and create something themselves meaning that when they do get into the box there is nobody to pass to.
bob stockport
Active Member
- Joined
- 10 Aug 2011
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- 41
I agree it has become a slog since Chelsea away
ifiwasarichfan
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- 4 Dec 2008
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- 7,941
I wouldn't call it "Swagger" it's a style. Mr Mancini once he got in all the players he wanted had City looking like a perfect love child with the finesse of Arsene's Arsenal and the power of Jose's Chelsea.
Recently we seem to have lost the Chelsea part.
Recently we seem to have lost the Chelsea part.
Stillsy
Well-Known Member
Chelsea away we lost it.
Dave Ewing's Back 'eader
Well-Known Member
It's not the swagger that's gone - don't think we had 'swagger'. It was spontaneity that seems to have diminished. We seem to play a numbers game and if there isn't an opening we go down the 'snake' and start again. We don't take risks like we seem to do at the beginning of the season. Try summat and it seemed to come off, try summat and it doesn't come off yer stop trying summat!