Who and what’s to blame?

[tolmie's hairdoo]

We have gone from one of the quickest teams in Europe to one that is far too adverse to risk and playing across opponents.

I don't think Rodri is the player we need and I do like him for the stuff he does do well.

The ageing and loss of Fernandinho in the middle of the park is bigger than any departure of Yaya or Vinny in recent seasons.

Ironically, our slower tempo is probably best served to the Champions League.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

we are second. Other then winning it agin there isn’t much more we could do. I’m not suggesting nothing is wrong, just that some expectations are unrealistic - winning it every year, which plenty seem to think.

You cant win it every year and 2nd is no disgrace but United finished a distant 2nd to us in 17/18. If you celebrate finishing 2nd and don't fix what needs to be fixed, you don't challenge for 1st the following seasons, you challenge for top 4. It is a fine line.

 

[domalino]

We have gone from one of the quickest teams in Europe to one that is far too adverse to risk and playing across opponents.

I don't think Rodri is the player we need and I do like him for the stuff he does do well.

The ageing and loss of Fernandinho in the middle of the park is bigger than any departure of Yaya or Vinny in recent seasons.

Ironically, our slower tempo is probably best served to the Champions League.

Mahrez is a big problem with regards to speed.

Hes played really well but he just slows everything down immensely. By the time he's taking 10 touches, tried some step overs, checked back and passed inside the opposition are completely settled.

Sterling is much slower on the left as well, because he has to check back inside constantly.

So by playing Mahrez we end up with 2 slow wingers. It also effects the speed of passing because instead of being able to pass down the channels into space, Rodri, Silva, KDB etc. Have to pass directly to feet and into more crowded areas.

Thst doesnt mean there isnt a place for him in the squad but we need another left winger with genuine pace so that we can replicate the Sané/Sterling partnership.

 

[bluemoon32]

Who's to blame ?
Pains me to say it but Klopp and Liverpool just being too good this season

 

[ninjamonkey]

Just a reminder that an awful lot of people on here suggested we didn’t need to sign a centre back after Kompany left.

There’s two main reasons we’ve put up such a weak title defence. First one is losing Fernandinho. Rodri simply doesn’t have the pace or mobility to play that role and you can’t teach that either. Putting Fernandinho at CB not only made our centre backs weaker but they lost all the protection they were given in previous seasons and that’s why we see teams run through us at will. Our biggest weakness is counter attacks and pace so we bring in a guy with iron boots to play in that position. Really poorly thought out plan m, we had to bring in somebody who could move or we had to change our approach to accommodate what we’ve lost, we did neither.

Secondly the loss of sane or more accurately the lack of any pace and willing runners in the side. Look at all the teams we’ve struggled to break down and see you a pattern of matches where we’ve just looked clueless because every player wants to be the man on the ball making the pass and nobody is willing to make runs. Sane and sterling were the two to do that, sane got injured and Sterling after a great start and universal praise changed his style and now wants to be on the ball too much rather than making the off the ball runs that made him so good in this side (other than the counter attack how many runs behind did he make last night?)

Rectify those two problems and we will be good enough to win the league again.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

we are second. Other then winning it agin there isn’t much more we could do. I’m not suggesting nothing is wrong, just that some expectations are unrealistic - winning it every year, which plenty seem to think.

If we were close then I’d agree. But there’s a realistic chance we go 26 points behind after our next match. So I’d say there’s a lot more we could do yet still finish 2nd. We are quite a way off them.

 

[pappa]

It depends on who you believe. Various people in the club will say we don’t want to overpay for players, the obvious example being Virgil Van Dyke. But there are plenty of examples of players we were in for but pulled out when it got too rich.

So, is it the club being run financially prudently, which is ironic given where we are with UEFA and CAS. Or is it FFP constraints?

The fact is we are not a club who will spunk £100 million plus on an Mbappe, Bale, Dembele etc. To be fair I’m not sure I want us to be that.

Whilst “where did it go wrong” is a valid question, and clearly things did go wrong, you can’t win everything.

I agree mate we should of pulled out the stops for van dyke.we chased maguire then balked at the price

 

[Kippax77]

Last seasons epic title race definitely took more out of us than them.
We ended up regaining title, league cup plus FA cup with highest score for an
unprecedented domestic treble. At the parade that night i felt drained, so i can
only imagine how the players felt. i knew we couldn't be that good again this season,
i was just hoping that neither could Liverpool, that they would fade off after collecting
their 1st trophy.
Personally i don't think Stones Mendy Zinchenko are good enough for city.
Jesus flatters to deceive. But my biggest worry for the future is Sterling.
I thought it was just wan bassaka he wont try to take on, but it seems every game now
every full back hes up against he just never seems to try to take them on.
His form 2nd half of season as been woeful, he seems a passenger.

But now the scousers have won it, hopefully VAR/refs will all start and maintain a level playing field next season
thus creating an interesting title again. (and get the rags penalty tally down as well, as thats embarrassing enough for the league)

 

[Tb1981]

We have gone from one of the quickest teams in Europe to one that is far too adverse to risk and playing across opponents.

I don't think Rodri is the player we need and I do like him for the stuff he does do well.

The ageing and loss of Fernandinho in the middle of the park is bigger than any departure of Yaya or Vinny in recent seasons.

Ironically, our slower tempo is probably best served to the Champions League.

We don’t really have a plan b or any variation of plan a
We just do it until it fails then continue doing it a bit more

 

[mayo31]

I have not read all of the posts but simply for me to lose 8 games with the squad we have is bad, it could be called a disgrace

I get you cannot win the title every season but this is a huge fall in our standards. The last time we lost more games was in 15/16 when we lost 10 but we still have 6 games to go.

To me its obvious at the back we have problems at CB and LB.

Also is Rhodri the DM we need, he looks too slow in pace and reactions but it is his first season.

Whatever the CAS outcome we need to strengthen