Will we score more but conceed more this season?

[Mr. Aguia]

I found it more exciting to watch us play under MH, but our defense has been great over the last few seasons under RM. I really hope that we find the right balance.

unless you have Lionel Messi in your team...champions are built on solid defence,s.........Mancini built from the back....Hughes built from the front.....oh yeah plus the fact he was just an average manager............

United built on solid defence? They were shocking last season.

 

[John.des]

I found it more exciting to watch us play under MH, but our defense has been great over the last few seasons under RM. I really hope that we find the right balance.

unless you have Lionel Messi in your team...champions are built on solid defence,s.........Mancini built from the back....Hughes built from the front.....oh yeah plus the fact he was just an average manager............

United built on solid defence? They were shocking last season.

Only in the first half of the league. In the first 19 league games they conceded 28 thats a lot but it came from winning 7-8 matches with results like 4-2, 4-3 and 3-2 regularly.
So they conceded a lot but also scored enough always to win.

But they improved their defence after Christmas and they only conceded 15 goals in the second half of the league which was better than our stat in that period.

So yeah you have to have a very strong defence in general or if not you have to be prepared to win matches 3-2, or 4-3 a lot.

 

[m7mcfc]

This thread has reminded me of the "We've got Kevin Keegan 100 goals a season" chant.

 

[daxman]

Our defense will be better. Sure we have conceded a lot in preseason. But the real problem isn't the defense, but how well the midfielders and forwards are adapting to it.

We have to increase pressure up top. Negredo and Fernandihno do a good job of this, but the others are still pretty slow getting used to it. Samir Nasri hustles a bit more now, and Milner does his usual hard work hustle. But they don't do it as a team or in unison. We have to defend as a single unit. First, early loss of ball in the final third, all the close players must immediately either attack the ball aggressively, or aggressively attack the passing options. Thus forcing the team to punt the ball up field.

If the first wave of attack doesn't retrieve the ball back, then you fall back into a zone and close down your man hard, while the forward defending the ball, forces the player on the ball to pass it into the short side of the field. This would aid the second wave of closing down. By the end of the second wave, if we still don't have the ball, then we are back in a good defensive set, and they need to break us down proper.

We are actually pretty good once our defense is settled. We just need to make it to that point. I trust the Manager will straighten it all out before the first month of the season is done. So I am not sweating.

That said, get a good CD in. One of either Mangala, or Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will be my choices. Mbiwa will definitely be my first choice. Like his style.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Our defense will be better. Sure we have conceded a lot in preseason. But the real problem isn't the defense, but how well the midfielders and forwards are adapting to it.

We have to increase pressure up top. Negredo and Fernandihno do a good job of this, but the others are still pretty slow getting used to it. Samir Nasri hustles a bit more now, and Milner does his usual hard work hustle. But they don't do it as a team or in unison. We have to defend as a single unit. First, early loss of ball in the final third, all the close players must immediately either attack the ball aggressively, or aggressively attack the passing options. Thus forcing the team to punt the ball up field.

If the first wave of attack doesn't retrieve the ball back, then you fall back into a zone and close down your man hard, while the forward defending the ball, forces the player on the ball to pass it into the short side of the field. This would aid the second wave of closing down. By the end of the second wave, if we still don't have the ball, then we are back in a good defensive set, and they need to break us down proper.

We are actually pretty good once our defense is settled. We just need to make it to that point. I trust the Manager will straighten it all out before the first month of the season is done. So I am not sweating.

That said, get a good CD in. One of either Mangala, or Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will be my choices. Mbiwa will definitely be my first choice. Like his style.

That is the most American analysis of City I've ever heard. Err.....read.

 

[Challenger1978]

Our defense will be better. Sure we have conceded a lot in preseason. But the real problem isn't the defense, but how well the midfielders and forwards are adapting to it.

We have to increase pressure up top. Negredo and Fernandihno do a good job of this, but the others are still pretty slow getting used to it. Samir Nasri hustles a bit more now, and Milner does his usual hard work hustle. But they don't do it as a team or in unison. We have to defend as a single unit. First, early loss of ball in the final third, all the close players must immediately either attack the ball aggressively, or aggressively attack the passing options. Thus forcing the team to punt the ball up field.

If the first wave of attack doesn't retrieve the ball back, then you fall back into a zone and close down your man hard, while the forward defending the ball, forces the player on the ball to pass it into the short side of the field. This would aid the second wave of closing down. By the end of the second wave, if we still don't have the ball, then we are back in a good defensive set, and they need to break us down proper.

We are actually pretty good once our defense is settled. We just need to make it to that point. I trust the Manager will straighten it all out before the first month of the season is done. So I am not sweating.

That said, get a good CD in. One of either Mangala, or Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will be my choices. Mbiwa will definitely be my first choice. Like his style.

Playing a high defensive line in the PL is usually suicidal as half the teams in the PL are kick and rush merchants and you're playing right in to their hands. We're either going to end up like Kevin Keegans Newcastle of the 90's or something very very special. We'll just have to wait and see how it all works out.

 

[Skashion]

I'll be extremely pleased if we best our +64 goal difference from the 11/12 season. Likewise our 89 points.

 

[Super David Silva 21]

I've been thinking this for some reason.

Think we'll score a lot of goals but also ship a few as well, hope i'm wrong.

 

[supercity88]

I think now the hard yards have been done in pre season the team will look a lot more coherent and be able to press teams for the entire 90mins. I think Pellegrini will adapt that tactic when it is necessary. Pressing is all about getting the ball back. It failed against Arsenal but the team were admittedly tired. Arsenal are one of the best sides for keeping the ball and passing in the league, most of our opposition, under pressure will not be able to keep the ball so well. Yes it will take our players time to adapt but overall, especially in the champions league, we need to assert our authority on the game. We are a brilliant side in terms of players, we often play at far too slow a pace and in the Champions League, Ajax, Real and Dortmund all played at 100mph compared to our walking pace and we were overun. Against Real we kept the ball well but when they pressed and won it back they had a chance within 20secs, we need to use this tactic to improve as a team. I think there could be some issues to begin with but I still think we will defend well.

 

[Colins Bellend]

This High line was played in nearly every home game last season and a lot of aways