re: Manchester City 2015-16 thread "The Pepectations are high"

This was the worst fricking day. We advanced but holy shite.

Kompany goes down again.
Otamendi goes down.
Hart and Yaya apparently got into it.
Navas was a spaz. You have one job Navas, run. You run, you pass. You don't lollygag down the sides and kick it out.
Aguero couldn't PAY to receive a good pass.
Mangala made Demichelis look good.

BUT Hart bossed out in the second half, we kept a clean sheet without Kompany and Otamendi, and Yaya showed he still has it. He was a man on fire the second half and I loved it. If we got that Yaya all the time I would be a happy man.

This all couldn't have happened at a worse time. Going into the derby and into the stretch run, hanging onto top 4 for dear life, and EVERYONE was supposed to be back after the break. I hope Nasri and KDB are ready, we are going to need them in the worst possible way when they come back.

I love the guy, but we need to sign a Kompany replacement over the summer. Demichelis is gone and we should ship Mangala out, it isn't working. Otamendi, Denayer, Kompany, and ELITE signing is a bare minimum. We have to have a backup plan for Vinny if he's going to miss this much time.

Watching tonight, I realised that y'all are going to have to spend like crazy to approach a 'Pep' team. You need, at a minimum, four more players (backup for Aguero, two new centre-halves - especially as Kompany, even if fit, isn't a Pep centre-half -, new winger).

I suppose I'm in the minority, but I think they need 2 midfielders, right wing, left back.

I just don't see Yaya and Fernando playing with Pep. Navas the same. And Kolorav... sigh.

I'd like to see if Pep can calm the CBs down before I throw them a way and dump even more money into that position. There's only so much we can spend on CBs when the rest of the team is obviously deteriorating.


Edit: If we wanted to think way out of the box, they could play KDB in a deeper central role. Someone on the city watch podcast suggested possibly moving Delph to LB. That's way outside the box, but an interesting thought if he'd be willing to change positions. I'm not sure if he's the type of player Pep would want at CM.

Though maybe the most important transfer the team could make is a new physio.

I know I'm in the extreme minority in this opinion, but I think our defensive issues are overplayed. City have allowed 31 league goals. The same amount as Leicester and Arsenal. Considering the style of play City have, that's not as terrible as it's made out to be.

I really think the issue is City just don't score at the same rate they used to, at least in away matches. They've only allowed 14 goals this season away, which is pretty stout. Tied for 3rd best in the league. City have 13! away goals in the league. 13!! Tied for 15th. They have lost all ability to break down a defense, and that is ultimately what's going to cost them the league in my opinion.

Which is why I think this window needs to be used on midfielders and attackers, mostly.

quote:

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liverpool and tottenham scoring at will doesn't help.

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Both of these teams torched our midfield, more so than the CBs in my opinion. I just get the sense that the conventional wisdom is that the CBs have been terrible for multiple seasons, even with various changes at the position. Maybe the problem actually lies elsewhere.

That said, if they can get 20m+ for Mangala and get Stones for a reasonable price (probably not), I think they do it simply for homegrown status.

Vinny is out for a month.

I wouldnt worry so much if KDB were in to score us goals.

Looking like 0-3

Everyone's favorite French lesbian is back in full training!

Me right now in this thread:

You could be this guy too.