Why this season are we playing so slowly

[Carl_Man_City]

The tempo problems all stem from central midfield. We keep playing immobile midfield pairings and sticking yaya in there: it's a job he doesn't do very well. So there isn't enough link play, especially without Barry, who always passes forward and accurately. We aren't finding the creative players enough, and keep going sideways when on the ball in the middle. We are also not coping with teams who are pressing us high up the park. The players are a little unsure due to the continual personnel and formation changes. So we keep playing the safe option, along the back line, and occasionally looking long. It's making us predictable and we aren't creating enough chances.

That game was there for the taking if we could have got hold of the midfield- just like the arsenal.

Agree completely, last 2 home games the midfield has been overrun. Toure (one of our best attacking players) has been made ineffective by playing in a 2 man midfield, especially with no great covering player alonside him like Barry is. Mancini needs to sort this problem and quick.

 

[bluethai]

I think the root of the problem is our central midfielder who play along side Yaya is not good enough. Beside Barry, who is just doing an ok job domestically, the rest are not good enough for this Euro level imo. They can not move, they can not pass longer than 5 yards, too static, actually these B rate players make us looks like playing with 10 man in every game though.

 

[Marvin]

The tempo problems all stem from central midfield. We keep playing immobile midfield pairings and sticking yaya in there: it's a job he doesn't do very well. So there isn't enough link play, especially without Barry, who always passes forward and accurately. We aren't finding the creative players enough, and keep going sideways when on the ball in the middle. We are also not coping with teams who are pressing us high up the park. The players are a little unsure due to the continual personnel and formation changes. So we keep playing the safe option, along the back line, and occasionally looking long. It's making us predictable and we aren't creating enough chances.

That game was there for the taking if we could have got hold of the midfield- just like the arsenal.

Game there for the taking?

Very strange way of looking at it

It was 50/50 and we created more chances in that game, and conceded more than I have seen at home all season. I think you really underestimate Dortmund. Maybe if they were called Bayern Munich it would be different

 

[Anonymous]

Ok we played at a pedestrian pace last season but we had bursts of speed and energy then went back to possession football. Now we are just really slow and can't retain possession for any length of time.

We had enough chances to win 3 games against a very good team. As good a visiting team a I have seen at the Etihad.

I'd have to agree with you ..... Dortmund were excellent , and must be cheesed off at that late penalty decision ...... i'm struggling to think of a better side that's visited our ground.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

The tempo problems all stem from central midfield. We keep playing immobile midfield pairings and sticking yaya in there: it's a job he doesn't do very well. So there isn't enough link play, especially without Barry, who always passes forward and accurately. We aren't finding the creative players enough, and keep going sideways when on the ball in the middle. We are also not coping with teams who are pressing us high up the park. The players are a little unsure due to the continual personnel and formation changes. So we keep playing the safe option, along the back line, and occasionally looking long. It's making us predictable and we aren't creating enough chances.

That game was there for the taking if we could have got hold of the midfield- just like the arsenal.

We don't take the midfield by the scruff of the neck like previous title winners have always done - the Ginger Pig and Mad Dog, Vieira, Essien et al. We are short of a tackling, creative midfield dynamo! Summat like a mongoose'd do! What's happened to that Dutch guy we 'ad?

 

[Craggers]

Some people will point to the defence, but you defend as a unit and our central midfield is absolutely all over the place at the minute. Yaya and Garcia is a complete mess as neither play the defensive game at a high enough intensity/speed.

^^This. Nail on the head.

Garcia is too slow, cant tackle and cant pass. All the attributes you need to be a holding midfielder. As a result Yaya is having to drop deeper to cover him.

Both Garcia and Yaya were spectators last night in the centre mid role, which left our defence far too exposed and why we are conceding too many goals.

During the last transfer window people were saying "if its not broke dont fix it" and "we only need 1 or 2 quality signings". Do people consider Garcia, Rodwell, Sinclair, Maicon first choice signings, as I don't. I actually think we've done the opposite by signing second choice players, having missed out on the first choice quality additions such as Hazard, Martinez etc.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The tempo problems all stem from central midfield. We keep playing immobile midfield pairings and sticking yaya in there: it's a job he doesn't do very well. So there isn't enough link play, especially without Barry, who always passes forward and accurately. We aren't finding the creative players enough, and keep going sideways when on the ball in the middle. We are also not coping with teams who are pressing us high up the park. The players are a little unsure due to the continual personnel and formation changes. So we keep playing the safe option, along the back line, and occasionally looking long. It's making us predictable and we aren't creating enough chances.

That game was there for the taking if we could have got hold of the midfield- just like the arsenal.

Game there for the taking?

Very strange way of looking at it

It was 50/50 and we created more chances in that game, and conceded more than I have seen at home all season. I think you really underestimate Dortmund. Maybe if they were called Bayern Munich it would be different

what I mean by that is that when we got
Silva on the ball in the first half they couldn't live with us and we created chances. If we could have got control of the midfield it was a game we could have won. The Garcia injury reduced mancini's options, granted.

 

[mancity1]

The tempo problems all stem from central midfield. We keep playing immobile midfield pairings and sticking yaya in there: it's a job he doesn't do very well. So there isn't enough link play, especially without Barry, who always passes forward and accurately. We aren't finding the creative players enough, and keep going sideways when on the ball in the middle. We are also not coping with teams who are pressing us high up the park. The players are a little unsure due to the continual personnel and formation changes. So we keep playing the safe option, along the back line, and occasionally looking long. It's making us predictable and we aren't creating enough chances.

That game was there for the taking if we could have got hold of the midfield- just like the arsenal.

Game there for the taking?

Very strange way of looking at it

It was 50/50 and we created more chances in that game, and conceded more than I have seen at home all season. I think you really underestimate Dortmund. Maybe if they were called Bayern Munich it would be different

what I mean by that is that when we got
Silva on the ball in the first half they couldn't live with us and we created chances. If we could have got control of the midfield it was a game we could have won. The Garcia injury reduced mancini's options, granted.

Couldn't live with us?

Silva did some nice things but there was no end product.

Our four chances in the first half , were a long ball to Dzeko which he fluffed.

Aguerro one on one created with his pace on his own.

a long range effort from the same which most keepers would have tipped over the bar.

Silva's strange attempt to scissor kick when a head would have buried the ball or ay least got it on target.

As for Dortmund how they didn't bury three of those 5 clear chances was down to Hart and good fortune.

They lived with us very comfortably in the first half.

 

[warringtonblue]

when Garcia went off, surely Barry or Milner would have been a better option. Rodwells tendency to always pass back is giving the opposition lots of time to re-group and form 2 banks of 4 that we really struggle to break down

 

[Tony101]

I would say only United has worse central midfield than City of the top teams and thats where this teams weakness is. Before everyone jumps up, yaya toure is not someone I count as central midfield. Rodwell, Garcia, Barry are not great