Wolves (A) Post Match Thread

[nellyonthewing]

Our vulnerability to defend set pieces concerns me..Are we zonal marking or just ball watching.?

 

[citizen_maine]

Our vulnerability to defend set pieces concerns me..Are we zonal marking or just ball watching.?

Because you can't ball watch marking man to man?

 

[93.01]

Personally, I don’t think we will be the same team this season without Sane playing regularly. He scares defences and they cannot cope with him. With Kevin out all the more need for Leroy. Not to mention the excitement he creates to us the fans.

I agree but as someone stated earlier he needs to step it up. It's early I guess so there is time for him and mahrez to play themselves into form.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Because you can't ball watch marking man to man?

I'd be quite happy if they watched the ball. That's what is going to hurt. It's pissing about doing nothing, that's the problem.
Luckily we don't suffer from this, too much.

 

[simon23]

Why is it a concern people like you can see it? Surely if you can see it our many coaching staff will be able to see it too.

yeah I didn't mean it to come out like that

Its just more of an observation that seems glaringly obvious. Teams will expose it yet we seem to carry on playing that way.....postives outweigh negatives I guess but for me against the better teams this won't work

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Thought we liked like the 2016/17 team - gave the ball away cheaply and allowed Wolves to counter attack is. If we’d kept possession better we’d have had more control. Vinny was poor for once and Gundogan was poor and weak in the tackle. Plenty for Pep to ponder. Got to wonder if Delph is a better option than Gundogan.

Kompany was 'poor' for a total of about 5 seconds in the 90+ minutes - just two poor events. Was quite magnificent at times in the game.

 

[Neville Kneville]

City fans should read what a guy with no skin in the City game had to say about Ilkay.

This is what people without preconceived agendas see. But I digress...

So if we knew 10 fans of other clubs who said he was shite, you would change your mind presumably.

Fucking hell.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Mendy needs to improve defensively but his ability to cross is a natural gift from the gods. He's also played some delicious through balls. In this game, he also made the most tackles of any City player so he is hardly a lost cause as a defender! He seems like an intelligent committed guy so I would expect him to improve how he defends under the tutelage of Mr Guardiola. I'd also add that Traore is going to make a mug of plenty of full backs.

I don't believe playing Mendy should be any impediment to Sane getting into the team; it's just up to Leroy to find the appropriate level of form. What having Mendy in the side might mean though is Sane and Raz having to swap wings more often; plus there is now Mahrez to compete with for game time.

I actually think we could play Mendy, Delph & Sane in the team. Not every week of course but I recon we could do it & whatsmore, it might be pretty good.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Nasri consistently had the best pass completion of any of our midfielders when he was at the club too. That's all well and good when you play in deeper positions but when you are playing in the more advanced role those passes also have to matter. Unfortunately there are too many games when Gundogan has filled in for De Bruyne or Silva in one of the advanced positions and I'll go back and look at the stats and Gundogan will have the best pass completion or the most passes of any of our midfielders but I won't remember him creating anything. I honestly prefer when he fills in for Fernandinho in the deeper role. I dont like him in the more advanced position, no one is questioning that he is a tidy player that knows how to keep possession, what we don't see is the requisite incisiveness and creativity. Nasri had the same problem in my eyes although Nasri also didn't work hard enough whereas Gundogan does put in a shift.

The number of midfielders anywhere in the world that would compare well with David is miniscule. Colossal pass completion rate - but pass completion rate is not the whole story. These are not safe square, roll it back passes - we're talking about a massive number of forward passes through small gaps - inches from the opponent. How does David keep getting into space ? He continually takes up positions half way between the two nearest defenders and they hesitate as to which one should close him down as he receives the ball. Even though he's not quick in a straight line, he's gone before one of the defenders are anywhere near and is looking for Raheem, Leroy, Benjamin et al on the overlap or Sergio, Jesus through the middle.

 

[cleavers]

I read this on the Grauniad comments.
It's by a poster called ZeeZeeTopFulham
I found it interesting, and hope you will too.

"
A very interesting game. City can rightfully feel aggrieved by the nature of the goal they conceded, but Guardiola will almost certainly be critical of the performance seen today.

The usually superb Kompany was sloppy with his distribution of the ball and off pace for much of the game, leading to Walker and Laporte at various times having to cover for him, perhaps depleting the effect Walker had along the flank. Laporte himself wasn’t brilliant, though given he scored the equalizer his criticism isn’t as strong. The two centre backs are undoubtedly among the finest in the division but today they were stretched and tested – the subsequent effort players around them needed to exert to repel counter attacks was clearly visible to the Wolves offensive line! Walker, meanwhile, might be one of the most intelligent full backs England has produced in a while – you can see how Guardiola has moulded him since his acquisition and subsequently the man has become crucial to this defence – how many might City have conceded if Walker hadn’t been there to mop up the loose balls and pacey runs posed to his side? Mendy was decent also, though like Walker you feel he might have had a greater impact if he wasn’t prohibited by the potent threat Wolves had going forward.

Continuing with the theme of players Guardiola has had an effect on, Raheem Sterling has gone from strength to strength under him and was once again the best attacker on the pitch for City. Tremendous, mazey dribbles mixed in with phenomenal quick passes, easily the player most threatening to the Wolves back line and perhaps the only player who can say they performed close to what their best is for the City lineup. Not only that, but his efforts across the entirety of the pitch are crucial – observe the way Sterling tracks back, uses his body against other players, never relinquishes a challenge, compared to Mahrez or Sane when they came on. I have no doubt in my mind that Sterling is one of the best attackers in the division at present and was perhaps the shining light of the team today – unfortunate to have had his first half effort saved, as well.

The others can’t be praised too much – Aguero had several chances that a player of his quality should have finished, both Silvas were surprisingly wasteful with the ball and were contained exceedingly well by their opponents, and while there were plenty of nicely constructed moves you could feel the tension and signs of panic trickling into their game, evidenced by the freakish mind lapses that led to misplaced passes, miscommunication and even foul throws. Gundogan distributed the ball nicely and perhaps would have had more statistical impact (in the form of goals/assists) if his teammates had been on the same wavelength today.

It was not that the quality wasn’t there for City… but that the efforts of a frankly superb Wolves performance was too much to overcome even for a side as talented as this. Boly’s goal was fortunate to say the least, but that doesn’t change the quality and composure of the performance, as any side that gives this City team a conundrum deserves substantial praise. Observe the splendid passing range of midfielders like Joao Moutinho and Neves, the breathtaking pace of Traore and Costa, the prowess and menace of Jota and Jimenez. Is that fortune, the mere roll of dice for a plucky underdog – or the cultivated formidability of a team ready to challenge any side in the top flight? Wolves continue the trend of demonstrating the Championship is no cakewalk – you top the division by being the best in the division, by recruiting well and melding a workable play style, and Wolves have shown just how talented a side they are with that performance. The one major sticking point for me is the officiating of the game – if we have the technology to ensure a goal illegally scored doesn’t stand, why not utilize it?

This is football, and one would be remiss to draw serious discontent from one draw for City – turn your focus to the composure and diligence of the Wolves performance, and consider that sometimes well drilled resolve and organization can beat the greatest of Goliaths.

Its a very good report that, and from a neutral too, its a pity that many City fans are too close to be able to see it like this, and why for a difficult away draw, ie a good point, we are approaching 100 pages, when a 6-1 home win produces just 35.

I agree with pretty much all the opinions on our players, particularly the defence, it wasn't far off being a very good performance really, despite some of the rubbish posted in this thread, and Wolves in particular played well, and made it a tough game, I expect they'll take further points of our rivals as the season moves on.