Pellegrini....

First topic message reminder :

I don't understand why it's taking so long for Pep to adjust to the Premier League.  Didn't Pellers win us a League Cup Trophy and a Prem title in his first year with us?  Not that I want him back as his last year was awful - but he didn't have any better players than we have at the present time.  Is it Pep, his style of play or simply down to the team not trying hard enough or having enough confidence?

Lack of a plan B has been the problem for the last 2 managers 
Can't see much difference with Pep so far,the lack of focus on such a porous defence has been incredibly negligent from such a lauded genius
I've been distinctly underwhelmed by him so far

Topdawg wrote:My point about Utd is that they are poor overall. I don;t care what they spent on Pogba as he's not done owt.

Pep could have got some defenders as well as the MF and attackers he did. Change 8 players? Why not? What he did last summer hasn't really worked overall. Yet. Maybe it will given time.

So talk has been kept in house, but he's said a couple of times at least that the team didn't do what he said and we've seen a few games where they just don't seem to be up and at it.

A philosophy is worthless if you don't have the players to fulfill it. If he didn't have the players why bang your head against a brick wall?

Ok....so before the season started, you expected us to win the PL, get to the semi's or final of the CL and win both cups - with a team that we all knew were getting too old?

If he would have brought in 3 defenders and kept Joe Hart.....would he have gotten the best out of Sterling and turned Navas into what Sane brings?

There is absolutely no way, a Manager will make 8 changes to a starting 11 and introduce a new philosophy.

We've had some awful luck with injuries. Imagine if Vinny, Gundogan and Gabriel remained fit all season? That's a spine of the team.

I'm really not sure what people's expectations were last summer.

The rags have spent a fortune.
LFC have spent loads.
Chelsea have.
Spurs have added players.

None of those teams have had the injuries we have. Chelsea and LFC weren't in CL football either. Spuds have won what so far? Chelsea will probably win the PL....but what have LFC won?
United won the Mickey Mouse cup, but what else will they win?

The days of just 2 teams fighting for the PL is over.....it's a 6 way race now.

Yes, I thought we may have challenged Chelsea a bit more....but some games we dropped points, the margins are that small.

Apart from Chelsea all the other teams have had injuries
The rags have won the Mickey Mouse cup and will be favourites to win the Europa Cup. If they win and we come 4th do we lose our spot or is the Europa winners an extra CL place ?
My expectations were a lot better than what Pep has done so far. I expected us to go further in the League Cup I expected us to beat Monaco after being 5.3 up 
I expected us to do much better against the top 6 teams than last season I expected us not to be trounced by the likes of Everton & Leicester. I expected Pep to be able to change the tactics when they were obviously failing. I expected the defence would be strengthened either pre season or in January instead of using the stump Kolarov as a makeshift CB when he is wank at defending. I expected Pep to see that Navas was fucking useless. I expected 1 or 2 youngsters to be given more of a chance I expected us to be higher up the table with more points than we have I didn't expect Spuds & LPoo to be above us even though they didn't have CL they still had Europa. I didn't expect Pep to be such a stubborn fucker. I expected him to be a far better manager than Pellegrini but it doesn't appear he is ... So far.... Hopefully next season we will see what Pep can really do

Guess we all see things differently.

I am a pragmatist I accepted from the out set that pep was new to the league & wasn't going to walk it. I was also hesitant to accept the veiw as that most pundits have that we have strength in depth. Our defence was ageing Kompany's long term injury only escalated the problem & the goalkeeping debacle which was of peps doing. His one big mistake. My major disappointments has been this season so far. The discipline & suspensions that cost us, Gundogan & Jesus injuries both at a time when we were getting up a head of steam & finally the standard of refereeing. If things even themselves out then we are due a large amount of good fortune, so lets hope we have that fortune & win the FA cup.

A couple of disappointing displays which have already been mentioned. No one likes to be on the end of a caning but it was the way we got caned which was disappointing.

Realistically I am looking forward to some good signings in the summer the bulk of which should be the defenders, The further development of the youth teams & hopefully see some of them filtering through to the 1st team & a more clinical City.

Agree Oz....think your last remark hits the nail on the head for this season.......a more clinical City.

We pretty much dominated most teams this season, created far more chances than most teams on the whole, but for wasteful finishing, we've gone on to draw or lose a number of games that we should have easily won. Those games alone have cost us at least 6-9 points, which would have meant us being much closer to Chelsea.

Most teams in the PL could say the same thing apart from the dominating games

Mentioning injuries and suspensions is just a smokescreen. At various times this season Spurs have been without important player. Recently without Lloris, Rose, Walker and Kane. They've managed.

Topdawg wrote:Mentioning injuries and suspensions is just a smokescreen. At various times this season Spurs have been without important player. Recently without Lloris, Rose, Walker and Kane. They've managed.

Are you being serious? Walker and Rose were out for the odd games, as was Lloris. Kane has been out for 3 weeks and is back on the bench today. Slightly different to having players out for 80% of the season in Kompany, half a season for Gundogan and 3 months for Gabriel.

Lloris has played: 48 games this season

Walker has played: 44 games this season

Rose has played: 33 games this season

Kane has played: 38 games this season

Facts Dawg...not opinions.

So rose has missed a third of the season...

Fact.... we were top scorers last season with Navas playing for us

Think Lpoo & the scum have had plenty of good players injured as well. Can't really use injuries as an excuse Vinny has been out for a couple of seasons now Jesus only came in Jan. We have plenty of MFs to cover Gundogan

We have plenty of players to cover injuries yes but are they as good "no" it's like replacing a rolls Royce with 2 seater smart car. It can do the same job that's all it has going for it. It is hardly a like for like replacement. our covering replacements are barely adequate & in the full backs case we are lacking in the 1st choice dept let alone back up I don't get we can't use injuries as excuses. They are not excuses they are facts.

I mentioned earlier pundits seem to drawl over our squad but our strength in depth is very shallow in deed.

Again..I agree Oz.

Look, we'll just go back and forth over this debate....and everyone is entitled to an opinion..

Personally, I see what Pep is trying to do and I back what he's doing. I'm more than happy to win nothing and get top 4 this season, as I'm looking at the long game, not just making this season, a total view of Pep's managerial acumen. Think he's proved that already.

I'm sure come the end of the season, LFC, Arsenal and United fans would rather have our season than theirs.

As I said we've only had 3 injuries Jesus only came in Jan. Vinny has been a crock for a while now and Pep should have brought another CB in. Gundogan is a MF We have Sterling Sane KdB Yaya Delph Silva Fernandinho Fernando Nolito Garcia. Admittedly they are not all world beaters but we should be able to get a decent MF out if that lot. I didn't mention Navas cos he's a waste of space
Other teams have had far worse than us

LFC...Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino, Mane

Chelsea...Hazard, Pedro, Willian, Kante

Spurs.....Eriksen, Alli, Wanyama, Dier, Dembele

I'd take many of theirs over ours.....

Are they better than
Sane KdB Fernandinho Silva Sterling ??

TMG wrote:Are they better than
Sane KdB Fernandinho Silva Sterling ??

I'd have Alli and Coutinho at the very least for our first 11. Some of the others are far better than we have.

We have serious problems then

I wonder who is far better than Silva, Sane, Sterling, KdB...

City MF/Attack now...we tend to play with 2 sitting with one going forward.

Fernandinho/Delph and TLMLF
Sterling, KDB, Silva, Sane

You telling me that Alli wouldn't be better than Fernandinho or TLMLF? Or we couldn't squeeze Coutinho into our team?

Alli, Silva
Sterling, KDB, Coutinho, Sane
Aguero

I rest my case.

Some of the others are far better than we have...
Don't backtrack now...

Topdawg wrote:Some of the others are far better than we have...
Don't backtrack now...

Huh?

How am I back-tracking? I named a load of players who were great for their teams, then fitted 2 of them into our team. How am I back-tracking????

You'd rather have TLMLF or Fernandinho in your team ahead of Countinho and Alli? Really???????

Hang on a minute here we seem to have got side tracked. My point was replacement players covering for injuries not regular 1st team starters.

Toure, Fernando, Delph, Navas ,Alex Garcia, those are the players I regard as the back up midfielders although pepe has played Toure a lot more That is the strength in depth I am talking about not regular 1st teamers.

we have had full backs especially right  backs injured for a few games this season as we have had Fernandinho playing right back & now Navas. We even had Fernando at right back for 2 games. We had sane at left back, so this we havn't had injuries is bullshit. we have & we have had them long enough to disrupt the fluency of a settled side. I also stated we have missed Fernandinho 7 league games Aguero 8 through suspensions due to ill discipline again our strength in depth tested Kelechi hardly the adequate replacement for Aguero.

Peps consistently changing the back 4 to try & get them used to playing with different personnel or maybe to rest this ageing defense has also played a part in our inconsistencies., but I do understand his reasoning trying to keep them all fit with games coming thick & fast

you mentioned 13 players and said you'd take many of them over our players. What you seem to have meant is that you'd take many of them above Fernandihno and Yaya which isn't quite the same.

That wasn't a reply to me was it dawg???

Nope. 'Teas a reply to tother one

This is getting a little confusing. My reply was to TMG, then Dawg came in and decided to name only 4 MF's. My point was, other teams have great players as well...and if you just want to mention those 4 players...on form, you'd have to put Eriksen in ahead of KDB and Hazard over Sane or Sterling...

So the MF would be;

Alli, Eriksen
Sterling, Silva, Coutinho, Hazard

You said many of them were better but I really don't think so from the list you gave. We're now equal top scorers in all competitions with the arse (101 goals). Actually, we are 5th top scorers on the league I think behind arsenal who have 2 games in hand. Does that mean 4 teams have got better than us in  12 months or have we got worse?