Got killed on counters. It was comical. Defense was pretty poor. 2 of their youngsters, one of whom was making his debut, scored their first goals on us.
Really hope Gabriel Jesus comes on soon. Apparently the deal isn't yet finalized.
Man City Discussion
- Thread starter MrE
- Start date
Really hope Gabriel Jesus comes on soon. Apparently the deal isn't yet finalized.
I've been reading some of the comments on r/soccer
Pep, like Vieira, is steadfast on playing out of the back. But Bravo is just bleeding goals like Saunders.
This team just has no soul at the moment. It really hasn't been the same since the title win in 2012. Everything since then has been one long slip-slide downhill (and yes, I'm aware that we won a league title and two League Cups in that period). I think my excitement for the Pep era died pretty much the minute it became clear he was intent on forcing Hart out of the club, and he's not done an awful lot since then to convince me he actually knows how to manage a team that isn't already a potential Champions League winner.
At the moment I find myself obsessed with the idea of what will happen in Guardiola resigns/is fired over the next 12 months, particularly as that will surely make Soriano/Beguiristain's positions untenable, and possibly Khaldoon's too...
(Yes, I am by nature an intensely negative person, and much of what I obsess about is largely overexaggeration, though it does have some basis to it)
At the moment I find myself obsessed with the idea of what will happen in Guardiola resigns/is fired over the next 12 months, particularly as that will surely make Soriano/Beguiristain's positions untenable, and possibly Khaldoon's too...
(Yes, I am by nature an intensely negative person, and much of what I obsess about is largely overexaggeration, though it does have some basis to it)
I think Pep is starting to realize the EPL is mountains better than the bundesliga and LaLiga. 80% of the teams can beat the leaders on any given day, if the cards fall right, and he's never had to worry on a weekly basis like the present. Not having Kompany and Hart has sapped the team of any heart (or soul - your word but same effect) and it doesn't seem like they can dig down and figure out how to play into that fifth gear of never-say-die.
Frankly, as a ManU fan I'm amused by it. I just don't know what trickle-down ramifications it'll have regarding NYCFC and Vieira's future. That unknown is troubling.
That's the thing. I don't think he's realising that at all. Instead I think he's learning a completely different lesson entirely - that English football is full of elements he views as being (for want of a dramatic enough word - I don't think this is how he would describe it exactly) more "barbaric" than the football he is used to.
He believes in a worldview where any team which wants to be the best must ruthlessly control possession and where that possession will inevitably create a goalscoring opportunity or ten. Additionally, like PV he shares the belief that it shouldn't matter if you concede three goals because his style of play "should" result in his teams scoring four every game.
Additionally he suffers from that most curious of traits which many of the world's best innovators over history have had - the ability to come up with a design which trumps everything which came before it, but then the total inability to accept that his new design will one day be made obsolete itself. In his case he is particularly unlucky in that it had already been pushed off top spot by the type of play we are seeing particularly in the PL at the moment but also (IIRC, I don't get to watch them) from major several teams in La Liga (Atletico/Sevilla?) where the idea is that it's actually better to have as little possession as possible, and then when you regain it to use the opportunity to absolutely devastate your overstretched opponent with a brutal counterattack.
You can kind of see it from many of his press conferences of late - he's made various comments including "I'm not used to opponents who play long balls", "I don't believe in tackles" and the way he continually asserts that he was unlucky to lose because City had more possession, with absolutely no reference to their inability to create chances. He seems to believe in a philosophy where simply having possession should create goals, as if an amateur side who were allowed to spend an entire match passing in their own half should therefore be expected to run out 3-0 winners.
Undoubtedly the current team is simply not set up to work to this style, and it's entirely possible (I have no option but to pin my hopes to it) that given another couple of transfer windows - and with something silly like 11 first team players out of contract this summer - he may be able to craft one and find that suddenly the goals do flow. But I'm seriously, seriously concerned by his stark refusal to even countenance being more pragmatic in the hopes of at least ticking over in the meantime. He - and, troublingly, CFG as a whole - very much have this mindset that it's better to be relegated with 90% of possession than survive with 10%, and I think that could really hurt him this year. That's if he survives - he is literally unsackable right now, because his bosses owe their own positions to his hiring, but right now it honestly looks like he's fallen out of love with football, and there's more than a few people starting to whisper that he might be considering retiring from management altogether before his contract is up.
I have historically been a Pep booster, but I'll admit to some schadenfreude (as an Everton fan) that being one goal down to his former roommate's lesser team produced the above sulk.
I do think City got a little unlucky today, as they (specifically de Bruyne) sent quite a few dangerous balls into the box which easily could have been converted into goals if someone had gotten on the end of them.
I get the impression that once opposing teams figured out, after City's first ten games, that a high press and a disciplined counter exposed all of City's weaknesses that the City squad has been demoralized and unsure of their roles on the pitch. Pep seems to have thrown in the towel and is waiting for a real transfer window to get the players in who are capable of playing Pepball, and I think most of the current squad knows their days in Manchester are coming to a quick end.
I have historically been a Pep booster, but I'll admit to some schadenfreude (as an Everton fan) that being one goal down to his former roommate's lesser team produced the above sulk.
I do think City got a little unlucky today, as they (specifically de Bruyne) sent quite a few dangerous balls into the box which easily could have been converted into goals if someone had gotten on the end of them.
I get the impression that once opposing teams figured out, after City's first ten games, that a high press and a disciplined counter exposed all of City's weaknesses that the City squad has been demoralized and unsure of their roles on the pitch. Pep seems to have thrown in the towel and is waiting for a real transfer window to get the players in who are capable of playing Pepball, and I think most of the current squad knows their days in Manchester are coming to a quick end.
BREAKING: Manchester City buy all of Barcelona and Bayern Munich players for a reported £1.2 Billion
I have historically been a Pep booster, but I'll admit to some schadenfreude (as an Everton fan) that being one goal down to his former roommate's lesser team produced the above sulk.
I do think City got a little unlucky today, as they (specifically de Bruyne) sent quite a few dangerous balls into the box which easily could have been converted into goals if someone had gotten on the end of them.
I get the impression that once opposing teams figured out, after City's first ten games, that a high press and a disciplined counter exposed all of City's weaknesses that the City squad has been demoralized and unsure of their roles on the pitch. Pep seems to have thrown in the towel and is waiting for a real transfer window to get the players in who are capable of playing Pepball, and I think most of the current squad knows their days in Manchester are coming to a quick end.
Seeing this expression on his face almost makes up for his petulant behavior at the 2014 MLS All-Star Game. Almost.
What he do?
Also maybe NYC can send Man City Saunders.
God knows he will do better than Bravo.
Andre Marriner completely fucked City today. Kyle Walker pushed Raheem Sterling in the box with a clear goal scoring opportunity. Red card. Penalty. But no, and Tottenham score the tying goal 2-2.
VIDEO ASSISTANT REPLAY IMMEDIATELY. DRAIN THE REFEREE SWAMP.
VIDEO ASSISTANT REPLAY IMMEDIATELY. DRAIN THE REFEREE SWAMP.
Was very impressed with the team today. Tottenhams goals came out of no where and the second shouldn't have happened. But damn we need to finish chances. Countless balls through the box with no one making the run to far post. Disappointing. Jesus looks magnificent. Only watched him for 5 minutes and the nbcsn stream switched to golf for some reason. But damn when he's on the ball you can't help but get excited. His first three touches resulted in a near assist, a near goal and an offside goal. If he lives up to the hype he was a steal at 35 mill
Awesome experience being at the match. It was a high intensity match throughout and the atmosphere was electric. Really nice experience having seen Gabriel get his first minutes in and when he put the ball in the net the roar of the crowd was insane, prior to us finding out he was offsides.....
Not sure if this was posted already, but it's at least slightly interesting. I didn't know that they couldn't increase their wage bill in 2015 and 2016 because of failing to comply with FFP in 2011. To remedy that (according to this video) they "outsourced" staff. Could that be why we ended up with Vieira?
Manchester City slicing and dicing at West Ham, already 2-0 through 21'
In the 16', #17 (De Bruyne) scored
In the 20', #21 (Silva) scored
In the 16', #17 (De Bruyne) scored
In the 20', #21 (Silva) scored
Up to 3rd place after a 2-1 win over Swansea with a goal in injury time thanks to G. Jesus, who scored both of City's goals.
Unconfirmed reports that Real Madrid have offered City 150M pounds for him...
Unconfirmed reports that Real Madrid have offered City 150M pounds for him...
This might be the best deal city will ever make. They only paid 27 m pounds for him. That's chump change. 3 goals in 2 premier league starts. 1 assist as well if I recall.
Even if he just meets expectations you could be looking at a Ballon D'or winner in a couple of years.
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