Why are we so bad in Europe?

[daztrueblue91]

Last nights shambolic performance and the way we have player this season got me thinking why are we so bad in Europe. Not just results but I mean the performances in general have been poor, we have looked a shadow of ourselves in the league. I have come up with a few reasons why and does anyone else agree?

1. In the league we can dominate and bully teams and teams in the league especially when we play at home as teams fear us. In Europe no one is scared of us and we are struggling to impose our dominance on teams who are tactically better than us.

2. Lack of options to different systems, when you look at our players the majority of our squad all play in the same position and have a real lack of versatility especially up front. We have 4 strikers all fighting to play in the striker position. Playing Aguero, Dzeko, Mario or Tevez wide is an awful decision as they are ineffective out wide and lack the discipline to perform the defensive duties. Also 3-5-2 in a no go although it can be the best formation when utilised properly like Juventus but we have not got the players for the system and should not be using it.

3. We do not have a strongest 11 in Europe, This is our biggest problem IMO. It constantly seems like Mancini trys to accomodate players into a system just so they can play. For example most of us on here will agree that 4-2-3-1 is our strongest formation and in the league we can play our best players and win. This is because we get away with switching off at times where as in Europe we get exposed. 4-2-3-1 could work for us in Europe as long as we pick players who can perform in the system.

----------------------------- Hart -----------------------------
Zabaleta -------- Richards --------- Kompany ------------ Clichy
--------------- Barry/ Garcia -------- Yaya --------------------
Milner ---------------------- Silva ---------------------- Kolarov
----------------------- Any of the strikers --------------------

These players in the system would stick to their duties a lot better and IMO offer us the better chance of keeping the ball and defending better.

Last night I was dissapointed and blamed Mancini and although Bobby is not faultless I think untill we sign some decent pacy players we will struggle in Europe as the lethargic build up play is not working and we are just getting picked off at will.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

It seems every team we face in Europe has an abundance of pace, so they can pass the ball to each other at ease as they run around our slower players and they can close us down when we have the ball at ease too.

Also two strikers away from home is naive. Five midfielders, one being Yaya who can join in the attack, and one striker is a must away from home. All the best teams play five in midfield away from home and many even at home.

 

[Tevez City]

Not starting Tevez was his first mistake

Bringing Kolarov as a first sub was his second

Wasting 50 million pound in the summer was his mistake also.

 

[Anonymous]

To be honest , even though we didn't get a kick in the first ten minutes , we were actually doing pretty well until they equalised right on half time ..... a cross that a half asleep Gareth Barry really should have cut out before it reached de jong.

A lack of discipline , organisation , and focus cost us that goal ..... and it was the worst possible time to concede it.

You just knew it was gonna go horribly wrong from there on , culminating in the sort of deflected goal that inevitably goes in when things aren't going your way!

 

[John.des]

Frank De Boer's critique was very true the likes of Agüero, Nasri, Balotelli, Yaya sometimes doesnt give a shit to come back when a player joins in the attack from their defence.

They know exactly even if we get the ball back we wont play it fast to them we like to slow down pass it back, back to hoffing while all their players organize back themselves into right positions.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

To be honest , even though we didn't get a kick in the first ten minutes , we were actually doing pretty well until they equalised right on half time ..... a cross that a half asleep Gareth Barry really should have cut out before it reached de jong.

A lack of discipline , organisation , and focus cost us that goal ..... and it was the worst possible time to concede it.

You just knew it was gonna go horribly wrong from there on , culminating in the sort of deflected goal that inevitably goes in when things aren't going your way!

There's quite a bit we aren't getting right at the moment, certainly compared to last season (Europe apart) and it seems that each time we get it wrong we blow a good chance at one end and at the other concede! Gotta come right soon!

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

Lack of any width and no real creative cm are two big problems for me.

 

[Dethred]

Answer to the original question:

Roberto Mancini

 

[Anonymous]

lack of defensie cover from players like nasri, silva and toure

Answer to the original question:

Roberto Mancini

we get it you dont like mancini :)

 

[Roll On City]

Not starting Tevez was his first mistake

Bringing Kolarov as a first sub was his second

Wasting 50 million pound in the summer was his mistake also.

Seriously!!! Not that he didn't complaint and wanted reinforcement....