We haven't been anywhere near consistent enough; absolutely scintillating in some games but very pedestrian in others and, as Thursday showed, sometimes both in the same game. I think it has proved impossible to maintain the standard of '17-'18 and '18-'19 for a third successive season. Vinnie's departure was a real blow, made worse by the fact that there was no-one even remotely capable of replacing him - the touted Maguire is so far off Vinnie as a player, a leader and an influence as to be laughable. Then losing Sane 15 minutes into the community shield and then Laporte so early really meant we were struggling. These are all underlying factors which help to explain to some extent the falling away from the heights of the last two seasons and help explain why players not named above and not injured have been rather pale shadows of themselves.
There are, however, structural weaknesses in the team which help complete the picture. The defeat at Norwich highlighted a weakness at defending corners which Spurs had already exploited and corners have remained a problem. But there are others. The only team from the top seven which has failed to beat us is Leicester, and when we think back to these defeats there is an obvious vulnerability to pace on the break. In all the defeats the opposition has enjoyed very little possession but still carved out chances to win. Chelsea on Thursday, United at the Etihad, Spurs at their place, Wolves at the Etihad all ran the ball at City when they had the chance, through midfield and an exposed back line. Chelsea at the Etihad did for the first half hour but not well enough to win. This needs attention.