This striker-less system is working quite well for them at the moment.
Man City 2020/21 - General discussion
- Thread starter Suedesi
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It will be glorious if Pep beats Jose in the final with Mou's tactics.. Just kidding. To your question the answer is NO, Pep is finally realising that the biggest strength his own City team possess is the lightning counter attack. Less possession and a little bit more directness in the final third, that will do the trick. City is in the mix for all the trophies this season.
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They have been super solid in defense lately. We have been creating loads of chances against every team lately but couldn`t create more than a handful against them. Chelsea couldn`t do much either last week.
Think they'll win the league quite comfortably.
Defence looks miles better and they seem to be able to switch between possession and counter attack in a much more fluid way lately. On a side note, De Bruyne is up there with Vieira as the best premier league midfielder I've seen play against United. We always have such a massive task containing him.
Honestly, the leagues is theirs if they want it. On form they're still the best side in the league.Gits.
City are the real threat this year. They're clearly a cut above the rest.
We'll have to go some to stop them winning the league.
We'll have to go some to stop them winning the league.
If they were clearly a cut above they'd be running away with the title by now. But they aren't.
It was a good performance by them but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they dropped points next PL game.
I have to say. They have finally sort out their defensive problems, this is the first time a team that don’t play 5 at the back can tame our attacks. Defensively they are becoming more solid now especially with more proper CM like Gundogan than more AM like David Silva and both their centre backs are very solid together (after spending crazy on lot of centre backs). Stones finally showed why he’s worth 50m (might be too early to say it should wait until end of the season).
Everyone's just being reactive City have been poor with decent performances but average results this season, unable to finish chances. Aguero has been missing for large amounts, multiple injuries in defence and no apparent established leader since Kompanys departed. But they have performed to the same intensity throughout the entire season yet people were calling for Pep to be sacked.
Ruben Dias is a really good defender. Only 23 too. How much did they pay for him?
They look a far more advanced side than us both in terms of ability and experience.
If anything, it shows us that there is still a great deal of work to be done before we can consistently challenge again. We're on the right track, but we're not there yet. We need another striker as relying on Martial isn't enough, he doesn't have enough presence and he lacks that natural strikers instinct. I still find him more effective on the left flank, but that's just my opinion.
Gundogan and Stones are basically new signings at the moment. Stones is playing how we need Maguire to play and Gundogan how we need Pogba to play.
Saying that I’d hold off on all the ‘city will walk the league’ ‘city are back stuff’. Liverpool had a spell of games against Wolves, Leicester, Spurs and Palace where they were outrageously good and now look at them. This season is different..
Saying that I’d hold off on all the ‘city will walk the league’ ‘city are back stuff’. Liverpool had a spell of games against Wolves, Leicester, Spurs and Palace where they were outrageously good and now look at them. This season is different..
68 million euro.
Meh, personally I see this as a one-off, not a symptom of a wider City superiority. Again, if they were that good they'd be higher up in the table.
Mind, if they have a very strong 2nd half of the season then I'll be proven wrong obviously.
£65m I think
They are the archetypal ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ example. We have to bear in mind that they’ve lost players like Silva, Yaya, Kompany and haven’t had Aguero on form for two years and a 35 year old Fernandinho. Despite all that, they are looking like a machine again and we look a mile off. Then again, they have Guardiola as manager. Depressing.
The main difference between Dias and other defenders City signed in last few years is he's a natural leader. And what a difference it makes. Finally someone who can replace Kompany.
Losing 5-2 against Leicester in their first home game of the season seemed to be a watershed moment for them. Since that game Guardiola has clearly been trying to implement a more conservative style which has had a few teething problems but now they seem to have got their groove back and found a good balance.
I think generally Guardiola has played this season smartly, knowing that no team is going to run away with it and how much of a slog it’ll be it’s like he’s almost deliberately paced his side in the 1995-2003 Fergie style, keeping them just about in touch with the the teams at the top but much fresher for the run in.
I think generally Guardiola has played this season smartly, knowing that no team is going to run away with it and how much of a slog it’ll be it’s like he’s almost deliberately paced his side in the 1995-2003 Fergie style, keeping them just about in touch with the the teams at the top but much fresher for the run in.
They benefitted from having a break due to positive Covid tests. They were fresher against Chelsea and whilst we matched them in the first half they were fresher in the second when we flagged.
It true but doesn't change the fact they still have quality squad. I have said it before you can name lot of their XI and their bench could be considered as upgrade to our XI and our bench.
Dias & Stones are to me the massive difference this season compare to last season, they became tough to breakthrough in defense now. Stones has been solid this season so far.
I always thought even Belgium looked better that game when De Bryune played as a false 9 when Lukaku was out.
They bought Lukaku back in and lost the next game.
They have found something I didnt want them to find out.
They bought Lukaku back in and lost the next game.
They have found something I didnt want them to find out.
You're not alone in this.
If they can keep Dias fit and be as defensively solid as they have been the past few matches, City will stroll the league in my opinion. I’d put money on them in Europe too!
They were really good defensively yesterday. Switched from high pressing into a low block in the space of 5 seconds. We had no answers to that and the Stones-Dias partnership is probably the best in the league.
Agree, stones and Dias complimented each other so well. City will need to hope they can keep both fit as it makes a huge difference.
Fernandinho sitting in front is still their best especially the way he can break up play and avoid yellow cards a majority of the time (fred needs to see how he stays on his feet and does it subtly)
They were the better team, but Biggest shame was we conceded from a set piece so early in the second half from an avoidable free kick and a delivery that should have been cleared
Fernandinho sitting in front is still their best especially the way he can break up play and avoid yellow cards a majority of the time (fred needs to see how he stays on his feet and does it subtly)
They were the better team, but Biggest shame was we conceded from a set piece so early in the second half from an avoidable free kick and a delivery that should have been cleared
Their squad is the best in the league no question. Even though they're were supposedly depleted by Covid they brought Mahrez in for B Silva and had Aguero and Rodri on the bench.
I would say they have better defense and squad depth than Liverpool (without VVD) but I still put Liverpool XI stronger on paper.
Guardiola's wet dream. If he could play without central defenders too then he would be over the moon
I know I'm biased but Dias looks like the best centre-back in the league right now. Also he's only 23, just 1 year older than someone like Mbappe.
Weren't we apparently interested in Dias years ago? He plays well beyond his years already. Bit infuriating.
They are really good, but we already knew that. We’re still about 3 first team players behind them. I think our depth is arguably better in midfield & up front. Defensively they are miles better.
The 4-2-3-1 (along with Dias, and Stones' return to form) immediately made them more solid, however Cancelo's deployment as some sort of playmaker in midfield has helped them on the offensive side as well. Their only weakness is up front, where they could do worse than bringing in another striker. Aguero is old and Jesus is not that type of CF (good player though)
The price City paid for him is looking like a relative bargain, and they even managed to get rid of a perpetually error prone player in the process. Great bit of business that.
It's much too early to say they've turned a corner going off the last 2 results. Chelsea are extremely poor at the moment & were recently comprehensively outplayed by an Arsenal team in the bottom half of the table. We were a shadow of the team of the last few weeks yet we were only undone due to mistakes of our own making.
They are heavy favourites for the league though as you won't win anything without a competent defence. The only realistic challenge for the title can come from Liverpool & ourselves. Liverpool have lost their defensive lynchpin & our hopes rest on keeping Baily fit for the majority of the remaining season.
They are heavy favourites for the league though as you won't win anything without a competent defence. The only realistic challenge for the title can come from Liverpool & ourselves. Liverpool have lost their defensive lynchpin & our hopes rest on keeping Baily fit for the majority of the remaining season.
I admire your optimism, but I think last night exemplified just how far we are behind them. They never looked in any trouble and with a fit forward, they could have imposed another nightmare on us. We’ve had a few good results of late, but with less than impressive performances. We are a mile off being realistic Title challengers - our big chance of a trophy disappeared last night and that was the League Cup. However, we are markedly better than we were 12 months ago, so patience is needed when you’re taking baby steps.
It's interesting that he was only City's 3rd choice CB after Koulibaly and Kounde.
Feel like City use the Carabao Cup as a propelling point of motivation.
Win it, and drive forward towards the bigger titles.
A mid season confidence booster.
Makes sense, in a way.
Win it, and drive forward towards the bigger titles.
A mid season confidence booster.
Makes sense, in a way.
The feckers are back in form.
1. Man Cited
2. Manchester Utd
3. Dippers
4. Spuds
1. Man Cited
2. Manchester Utd
3. Dippers
4. Spuds
Dias has been a great signing for City and Stones is playing like the player everyone thought he could be. I know he's been injured a lot, but even when healthy Stones has been keeping Laporte out of the first 11 this year. That says a lot about how well Stones has been playing. Kind of wish Rashford wasn't offside yesterday. A nice own goal could've been just what the doctor ordered to get Stones playing like shite again... 