Man City 2020/21 - General discussion

Is there any question of them not playing today, or is this just speculation post Mendy request for big booty Latina*?

*Gonna insert that phrase in as many posts as possible today
 
It should be noted that they have massively benefitted from the rest and planning time afforded by the Everton postponement. Ironic that their lack of discipline has ultimately benefitted them today. Nonetheless they have played very well, although I do not think they are at the level that puts them ahead of United.
 
Completely in the race, played great today and just 4 points behind with a game in hand.
 
Best performance in a while and the first time in ages we've swatted aside a top team.

Gundogan is a completely different player this term, Stones and Cancelo too. Its weird that the players who were our weakest the last couple of years are now are standouts every game.

I think we have 10 wins and a draw when starting Stones in the PL this season and only 2 goals conceded. John Stones, the only player at the club I had completely written off along with Rodri (who's also been better).
Watch them all have nightmares in the semi-final now because I praised them.

People told me I was wrong when I said I still fancied us for the league or to be there or there abouts after our poor start and we would struggle for top 4. It was clear as day City (along with United just needed to click). Long season though and right now hard to bet against any of United, City or Liverpool with Spurs as slight outsiders.
 
padr81 said:
Best performance in a while and the first time in ages we've swatted aside a top team.

Gundogan is a completely different player this term, Stones and Cancelo too. Its weird that the players who were our weakest the last couple of years are now are standouts every game.

I think we have 10 wins and a draw when starting Stones in the PL this season and only 2 goals conceded. John Stones, the only player at the club I had completely written off along with Rodri (who's also been better).
Watch them all have nightmares in the semi-final now because I praised them.

People told me I was wrong when I said I still fancied us for the league or to be there or there abouts after our poor start and we would struggle for top 4. It was clear as day City (along with United just needed to click). Long season though and right now hard to bet against any of United, City or Liverpool with Spurs as slight outsiders.
Click to expand...

Ive always rated Stones highly. Great player.
 
They played really well today. Sterling showed glimpses of good situations today but you could tell he was nowhere 100% match fitness, There was parts of the game where he could barely run... Don't know whether he's carrying an injury or not just seemed off the pace. Best I've seen Bernando play in a while. Gundogan was the best player on the pitch MOM. Good to see Stones play well from a English point of view.
 
I have said before, man city still have very good squad. They have enough quality players that could fill in half of our XI and most of our bench.

Ruben Dias, Gundogan, Sterling, Cancelo/Walker, KDB will get into our XI in my opinion no brainer. And their squad players like Bernardo Silva, Torres and Mahrez on the bench are better than our squad option VDB, James and Mata. They still have Aguero (not sure whether he will ever 100% fit again but he’s a year younger than Cavani).
 
Feed Me said:
It should be noted that they have massively benefitted from the rest and planning time afforded by the Everton postponement. Ironic that their lack of discipline has ultimately benefitted them today. Nonetheless they have played very well, although I do not think they are at the level that puts them ahead of United.
Click to expand...
Chelsea had 6 days off, we had 7.
 
So, was their toothless appearance at the start of the season just labour pains from their transformation to a defensively more solid system?
Right now their ability to score 2 or more goals consistently still looks a bit suspect to me, I don't think the majority of opponents will be as susceptible to yesterday's approach without a real striker. But as football wisdom has it defense wins competitions, so I'll be interested to see how this approach works out for them.
 
GhastlyHun said:
So, was their toothless appearance at the start of the season just labour pains from their transformation to a defensively more solid system?
Right now their ability to score 2 or more goals consistently still looks a bit suspect to me, I don't think the majority of opponents will be as susceptible to yesterday's approach without a real striker. But as football wisdom has it defense wins competitions, so I'll be interested to see how this approach works out for them.
Click to expand...
Yep. No striker and an off form Sterling will hold them back this year.
 
GhastlyHun said:
So, was their toothless appearance at the start of the season just labour pains from their transformation to a defensively more solid system?
Right now their ability to score 2 or more goals consistently still looks a bit suspect to me, I don't think the majority of opponents will be as susceptible to yesterday's approach without a real striker. But as football wisdom has it defense wins competitions, so I'll be interested to see how this approach works out for them.
Click to expand...

We should have scored at least 5 vs Chelsea and the same vs Newcastle and Arsenal (who both parked the bus). Our finishing and final ball is still somewhat lacking but I think the bit of confidence we've gotten back we'll average 2 per game or so from here on out. Its still down on our previous seasons. The big concern is finishing off the top teams, those are the games I'd worry about us in from here on out. I think tiredness aside we'll put the bottom teams away comfortably but without the 5 and 6-0's we usually get.
 
City's superior depth could be a huge asset vis-a-vis Liverpool and United in the months to come. I still don't think most football supporters have wrapped their heads around the toll of an unusually condensed and congested fixture list, especially on teams that advance in Europe, all coming after an abbreviated summer break. A team like United or City that was in multiple competitions last summer and now is progressing in all competitions this year is going to end up playing around 70 matches in the calendar year from 6/20 thru the end of 5/21. In a normal year a club in Europe might play around 50-60 depending on progress in the cups. That is a significant difference. We're going to see some hugely jaded players and unfortunately probably some significant injuries over the next few months as clubs limp toward the finish line.
 
GhastlyHun said:
So, was their toothless appearance at the start of the season just labour pains from their transformation to a defensively more solid system?
Right now their ability to score 2 or more goals consistently still looks a bit suspect to me, I don't think the majority of opponents will be as susceptible to yesterday's approach without a real striker. But as football wisdom has it defense wins competitions, so I'll be interested to see how this approach works out for them.
Click to expand...

What?

They have simply transitioned to a more defensive system because they can’t play in the same swashbuckling style anymore.
 
Feed Me said:
What?

They have simply transitioned to a more defensive system because they can’t play in the same swashbuckling style anymore.
Click to expand...
Obviously, but wouldn't you agree they seem to have found a new style that's working fine at the moment?
 
Thanks to Southampton we're four points behind Liverpool with two games in hand. Still well in the title race.
 
GhastlyHun said:
Obviously, but wouldn't you agree they seem to have found a new style that's working fine at the moment?
Click to expand...

It’s working well, clearly. But your post made it seem like their pains at the start of the season were because they were transitioning to a new style. Pep has clearly shut up shop because they can’t press effectively any more.
 
padr81 said:
He did.

Just fecking with you dude. I think at one point most City fans thought we were.
Click to expand...


I didn't see the white text until I quoted ffs haha. To be fair our form has improved so much along with Stones in defence. I'm so glad to see him doing well again.
 
BlueMoonOutcast said:
I didn't see the white text until I quoted ffs haha. To be fair our form has improved so much along with Stones in defence. I'm so glad to see him doing well again.
Click to expand...

Yeah the West Brom game was the point where I was like "We're fecked". Thankfully Liverpool have been kind and let ourselves and United back in.
 
Brighton H, Palace H, Villa H, West Brom A and Sheffield H next before those terrible four weeks. City have to win those five and then they'll be in the title race. Players like Bernardo, Mahrez, both strikers and Sterling need to step up.
 
Pep's Suit said:
Brighton H, Palace H, Villa H, West Brom A and Sheffield H next before those terrible four weeks. City have to win those five and then they'll be in the title race. Players like Bernardo, Mahrez, both strikers and Sterling need to step up.
Click to expand...
If city win their next 6 games, they will got to Anfield with Maybe a 4 or 5 point lead. Win their, then it could get interesting.
 
must surely be after a striker in the window?

if they can get someone good, it could make all the difference
 
Another clean sheet, that's 7 in the last 10 games, although two of them were goalless draws. Still definitely a level below their 100 points version, since the goal scoring department is ways behind, but it looks like they have found a way forward from last season's slump.
 
GhastlyHun said:
Another clean sheet, that's 7 in the last 10 games, although two of them were goalless draws. Still definitely a level below their 100 points version, since the goal scoring department is ways behind, but it looks like they have found a way forward from last season's slump.
Click to expand...

Who'd a thought Pep parks a better bus than Jose? Its weird watching a Pep team do this after what we've witnessed the last 11 years. When we sit in we look phenomenal defensively. Maybe Pep is finally learning not every team can Barca 09
 
Dias was outstanding for them tonight. Stones has improved a lot too.
 
It might be that level of defensive performance that's the difference in the league, Dias was just something else. What a signing he looks
 
Acole9 said:
Dias was outstanding for them tonight. Stones has improved a lot too.
Click to expand...
The less I hear about Stones the better he apparently plays. Seems to have been playing well for a while apparently.

The more the media talks about him the more he seems to mess up.
 
In Ruben Dias they may have finally found a replacement Kompany. As a unit defending better now than they ever did under Pep.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.