Agreed the game was better when we just booed the ref or lino...or had a laugh at them ...now its all silly lines, manipulated, they just make up the lines to suit a narrative. They rarely consider when the ball is actually leaving the players foot etc. VAR / Media / Social Media childish tribalism all makes the modern game a bit shitI think there is a lot that needs reviewing as far as the rules go but again the problem is that a lot of the rules are subjective so its never going to be right for everyone.
Clear excessive force. Endangering a player. Red card.I think we would have been complaining about it.....
No intent to hurt, no excessive force...plays the ball....yes his foot goes over the top but thats after it hits the ball .....i think the fact that so many people from so many clubs are saying it puts at least doubt over it at the very least.
And this is where the problem lies......most decisions in football are subjective.....besides offside and goals.....fans have to to stop making excuses for results due decisions in games....
Should the guy have been sent off in the wolves game.....possibly... However again if it was us Id feel hard done by..... again there was no mallice in it and yes its a foul but its an attempt to play the ball on the stretch. He doesnt endanger the player...
I personally want to see 11 vs 11 in games. However, we are seeing it more than ever with players trying to get each other sent off and its spoiling the game....and its fueled by media and social media....The game has become more about the narratives than the skill and the tactics. Rodri was sent off for us but in reality he grabs the guy but in the real world the guy doesnt fall about on the floor holding his head....
I personally believe the bar has been set too low for cards/sendings off...yes if its endangering an opponent/deliberate foul play/cheating/high tackles etc or if a player is clearly becoming aggressive with a series of challenges. However it's a physical contact sport.
I will say I do agree with the rules about crowding the ref however being cards....
Haaland a passenger without any service.Don't think anyone played well.
Kovacic was terrible.
Ake looked like he had lead in his boots.
Think the ball boy behind the net touched the ball more than haaland.
Cant seee us beating Arsenal without Rodri, Bernardo and KDB but its a funny old game.All good again if we beat Arsenal ,but not going to happen playing like we did today, massive improvement needed from everyone on the field
Because we haven't got players of their calibre now. It's a benchmark.The past? Why mention players who played years ago, you know in the past?
Yes, you're expressing an opinion and pep has his. Alvarez can play CF and Foden can adapt to that role, but Pep, quite rightly expects his players, even minus Bernardo, Kevin and co to be able to thread the ball through the gaps to Erling. In fact, I expect any pro footballer, especially a Prem player on £100k a week to be able to put the ball where they want to. That's why they're pro footballers and the rest of us aren't.I'm not asking anyone to 'trust my judgement', I'm just expressing my opinion. There's no need to play high and mighty with me.
In my opinion, Pep's tactics (particularly in the absence of KDB) are more suited to a more cerebral type of player than Haaland.
The thing with Haaland is that he'll probably score a hat-trick against Arsenal next week. He's an enigma.
City need to be all over these decisions. Call pgmol and demand an apology aka the scousers.Agreed, and since people will sometimes let a ref off the hook, if the first one was soft. I've just gone back to look at the challenge which Hwang did get a yellow(24th min) for as well. No such excuse here, it was almost as bad as the one on Walker if anything: Studs up, way above knee level, bringing his foot down on Akanji's foot after he'd volleyed the ball.
The fact that MOTD ignored this is annoying too. If it happened against any of their darling clubs, they are all over the ref about this, with their violins out for the red shirts. It's a disgrace, as Drogba would say.
Bobb is just starting out - they lad has unbelievable skill and technique - no-one's saying he's the answer yet - no player on the planet with his level of experience would be the answer. But once he's been totally integrated into what we do, and character permitting, he'll be a colossal player for us.With players out namely Stones, Kev and Rodri we looked a bit out of ideas. This isn't going to be popular but I will say it, Phillips and Bobb are not the answers to our problem.
Not at all. I just wish we wouldn't be so slow and mechanical away from the Etihad. Since the start of last season we've scored more than once in less than 40% of our away matches and that number gets much worse against what would be considered top sides...We won twice, drew 3, and lost 4 in the Prem v. the 9 other top half of the table clubs away scoring 1 or less 6 times, 11 goals total. We won 8 and lost once v. those same teams at home, scoring 29 times. In the CL v. Sevilla, Dortmund, Copenhagen, Leipzig, Bayern, and RM we were a perfect 6-0-0 with 24 goals scored at home. 1-5-0 away with 7 goals scored. Stark differences. We are absolute monsters at the Etihad and a very good squad away with more flat performances than maybe we should have...The away games are always hard because we are the Champions, They always fancy a little bit of you to shout about.
This season was always going to be after the Lord Mayor's Show and how do you beat what we did last season
We will find a way to rise up and make some more headlines this season, let's not forget it's still very early and we sit top of the table so it's not that bad is it
Was on annual leave but decided to go watch game anyway as he was caravaning up that wayMay have been asked but why was Pep in the stands yesterday, was he banned ?
Pep's biggest mistake yesterday by a country mile was not playing Gvardiol with both Rodri and Stones unavailable. Wolves were backing off of both Dias and Akanji while swarming our front 5 and daring both to do something with the ball that could hurt them. Dias had the one early ball into Nunes that Dawson took off Haaland's foot at the last second and Akanji had a decent shot on goal. That's the extent of it.I have to say that that was a complete and utter brain fart by Pep.
To slow getting the ball up the pitch.
Haaland placed in the centre of the box but no crosses being put in to exploit his height.
And of course Kovacic and Nunes being crabs all games playing the ball across the pitch - not forward.
Yes, you're expressing an opinion and pep has his. Alvarez can play CF and Foden can adapt to that role, but Pep, quite rightly expects his players, even minus Bernardo, Kevin and co to be able to thread the ball through the gaps to Erling. In fact, I expect any pro footballer, especially a Prem player on £100k a week to be able to put the ball where they want to. That's why they're pro footballers and the rest of us aren't.
Is Erling an enigma? In the opinion of many he is. When Erling played against us for Dortmund, he was quiet in both games, but nevertheless some of his lay offs were absolutely world class. Some aspects of his game seem to go unnoticed.
Father Ruben Dunne ;)I rewatched the highlights of United-Wolves game from first round, they missed big chances, even a sitter, and then didnt get a clear pen of Onana in extra time.
how the fuck team that can miss so many half chances, good chances vs United does score 2 against us from effectively one shot on target?
this needs to stop opponents develop a mindset that if they keep a clean sheet all they need is one chance vs us to score. same ones when they play United they can almost miss open net ones...
Well said. Our ‘poor’ away form is hardly ever discussed as the fact we are so good at home and usually end up winning the league masks over it. It’s certainly worth discussing though.Not at all. I just wish we wouldn't be so slow and mechanical away from the Etihad. Since the start of last season we've scored more than once in less than 40% of our away matches and that number gets much worse against what would be considered top sides...We won twice, drew 3, and lost 4 in the Prem v. the 9 other top half of the table clubs away scoring 1 or less 6 times, 11 goals total. We won 8 and lost once v. those same teams at home, scoring 29 times. In the CL v. Sevilla, Dortmund, Copenhagen, Leipzig, Bayern, and RM we were a perfect 6-0-0 with 24 goals scored at home. 1-5-0 away with 7 goals scored. Stark differences. We are absolute monsters at the Etihad and a very good squad away with more flat performances than maybe we should have...
Still milking this lol