Will we win the league? Yes or no.

[Mancity1980]

Todays result has picked me up a bit. Beat Arsenal next week and then beat Fulham away and I think Arsenal might just cop their first taste of title chasing pressure going into their game against Chelsea.

agreed

 

[steviemc]

3rd best defensive record in the league.

'Struggling'?

It's a strange one that. Our defending hasn't looked as solid as in previous seasons, but the overall PL picture shows we're not doing too badly. The goal conceded at Saints was down to an individual piece of skill rather than piss-poor defending. In the last 6 games we've scored 20 goals, conceded 4. Leaking goals is not a current problem.

It's because many of our conceded goals are directly leading to dropped points. Spurs have a GD in the minus numbers, yet they're only a couple of points behind us. Now obviously we tonked them, but even if you turned that result into a 1-0 win for us, they'd still have a shit GD and nearly as many points. When we're knocking them in we're really knocking them in, but when we're away many chances and half chances are going in. WBA case in point, 1 shot on target, 2 goals!

The WBA game didn't cost us any points. In the last 6 games, there has only been 1 game where 3 points were lost, that was the Sunderland game, where we conceded 1 goal. So I still say that our defensive situation is not as bad as some would believe. As I said previously, if conceding goals was a problem, it certainly doesn't seem to be a current one.

 

[adrianr]

It's a strange one that. Our defending hasn't looked as solid as in previous seasons, but the overall PL picture shows we're not doing too badly. The goal conceded at Saints was down to an individual piece of skill rather than piss-poor defending. In the last 6 games we've scored 20 goals, conceded 4. Leaking goals is not a current problem.

It's because many of our conceded goals are directly leading to dropped points. Spurs have a GD in the minus numbers, yet they're only a couple of points behind us. Now obviously we tonked them, but even if you turned that result into a 1-0 win for us, they'd still have a shit GD and nearly as many points. When we're knocking them in we're really knocking them in, but when we're away many chances and half chances are going in. WBA case in point, 1 shot on target, 2 goals!

The WBA game didn't cost us any points. In the last 6 games, there has only been 1 game where 3 points were lost, that was the Sunderland game, where we conceded 1 goal. So I still say that our defensive situation is not as bad as some would believe. As I said previously, if conceding goals was a problem, it certainly doesn't seem to be a current one.

I'm just making a more general comment on why despite the overall statistics not looking too bad, it seems like our defence has been poorer. I'd be interested to know how many points we've dropped from conceding goals compared to our previous defensive side (even though we have a fairly small sample size with Pellers squad so far), or just how many goals has put us within a goal of dropping points (Like WBA) - IE, squeaky bum time.

Regardless, once the team understands the formation and what the manager expects us to do; press properly as a team, the defence will be no better or worse than any other good defence. Of that I have little doubt.

 

[Blue Coop]

Todays result has picked me up a bit. Beat Arsenal next week and then beat Fulham away and I think Arsenal might just cop their first taste of title chasing pressure going into their game against Chelsea.

agreed

The Arsenal game couldn't be coming at a better time in my opinion, especially because they play Chelsea the week after and the pressure will be on going into the heavily congested Xmas period - a real chance to pile on a good amount of pressure. FYI, the bookies currently have us a 2.75 favourites for the title, if you fancy us to beat Arsenal, that's a great price, as it will drop to around 2.25 if we see them off, less if we do it in Spurs/United style.

 

[steviemc]

It's because many of our conceded goals are directly leading to dropped points. Spurs have a GD in the minus numbers, yet they're only a couple of points behind us. Now obviously we tonked them, but even if you turned that result into a 1-0 win for us, they'd still have a shit GD and nearly as many points. When we're knocking them in we're really knocking them in, but when we're away many chances and half chances are going in. WBA case in point, 1 shot on target, 2 goals!

The WBA game didn't cost us any points. In the last 6 games, there has only been 1 game where 3 points were lost, that was the Sunderland game, where we conceded 1 goal. So I still say that our defensive situation is not as bad as some would believe. As I said previously, if conceding goals was a problem, it certainly doesn't seem to be a current one.

I'm just making a more general comment on why despite the overall statistics not looking too bad, it seems like our defence has been poorer. I'd be interested to know how many points we've dropped from conceding goals compared to our previous defensive side (even though we have a fairly small sample size with Pellers squad so far), or just how many goals has put us within a goal of dropping points (Like WBA) - IE, squeaky bum time.

Regardless, once the team understands the formation and what the manager expects us to do; press properly as a team, the defence will be no better or worse than any other good defence. Of that I have little doubt.

Yep, I agree with that. I don't have the same confidence in the back four, and we do seem to have been lucky that other teams have squandered some easy chances. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that even with Komps injured we've rode the storm quite well defensively, all things considered.

 

[citymad]

Good result for us although its still hasn't changed my mind that we wont win it. Its still Arsenals to lose and after watching an excellent Everton side go toe to toe with them I'm not sure we'll even finish in the top 4. If we don't sort out our away tactics, mentality and concentration were in real danger of missing out. The fact that the dippers and the toffees may not have big squads will be evened out by not having the champs league to contend with.

 

[TheMaineRoad]

Good result for us although its still hasn't changed my mind that we wont win it. Its still Arsenals to lose and after watching an excellent Everton side go toe to toe with them I'm not sure we'll even finish in the top 4. If we don't sort out our away tactics, mentality and concentration were in real danger of missing out. The fact that the dippers and the toffees may not have big squads will be evened out by not having the champs league to contend with.

Jesus Christ.

 

[citymad]

Good result for us although its still hasn't changed my mind that we wont win it. Its still Arsenals to lose and after watching an excellent Everton side go toe to toe with them I'm not sure we'll even finish in the top 4. If we don't sort out our away tactics, mentality and concentration were in real danger of missing out. The fact that the dippers and the toffees may not have big squads will be evened out by not having the champs league to contend with.

Jesus Christ.

Its a reasonable concern. Don't be so arrogant, you mean you haven' t even given it a thought ?

 

[Marvin]

Good result for us although its still hasn't changed my mind that we wont win it. Its still Arsenals to lose and after watching an excellent Everton side go toe to toe with them I'm not sure we'll even finish in the top 4. If we don't sort out our away tactics, mentality and concentration were in real danger of missing out. The fact that the dippers and the toffees may not have big squads will be evened out by not having the champs league to contend with.

Jesus Christ.

Its a reasonable concern. Don't be so arrogant, you mean you haven' t even given it a thought ?

No one can be sure of anything in football, but we can and should win the League let alone finish in the top 4.

We changed manager in the Summer, signed a number of foreign players, who had to settle in, and with Kompany Out and Hart having a melt down, we've done very well to stay within 6 points of the leaders. With the majority of these problems hopefully behind us we should only get stronger.

Silva is about to re-join the team, to be followed shortly by Jovetic and Nastasic. Confidence should be growing.

 

[George Hannah]

gotta be in with a shout, back in our own hands after today's draw