Even if City had not signed any players I would have still backed them just purely on the Guardiola factor. Give Pellegrini this City side and I'd back him too.
Our Rivals' squads next year - Manchester City (2016/2017)
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I think current form dictated the selection, but in hindsight yes it was the wrong pairing. But, it also didn't help that we had two passengers in midfield (Lingard and Mkhitaryan ) who were supposed to be outlets to relieve the pressure from City's press.
Barcelona haven't done too badly with him for the last two seasons. If we're judging players on the game today only then you can get a refund on Pogba. Silly post.
He will most likely have had very little to do in his games for Barca. When you have a front 3 of Messi, Neymar & Suarez the ball tends to be going in the opposite direction more often than not.
He has been badly exposed a number of times today. Opposition teams need to pressure him with crosses & when he has the ball at his feet. The goals will fly in NQAT.
So assuming you're a City fan, can you honestly say you feel confident with him between the sticks? He reminded me today of that time we started Valdez for one game and I nearly shat myself.
Does KDB go out wide when Gundogan comes into the team?
Bravo will be fine, one mistake doesn't constitute a player can't do something. He made a mistake, everyone makes mistakes.
From what I've seen from him in the past, his handwork has improved a lot. He wasn't exactly a liability for Barca in the air.
From what I've seen from him in the past, his handwork has improved a lot. He wasn't exactly a liability for Barca in the air.
Silva for me, in place of Nolito.
Nolito has been really good too, not bad headaches to have I guess.
Barcelona play in a different league to you. Both literally and figuratively.
I expect so, I recall Guardiola saying he prefers de Bruyne on the outside. Gundogan will come in and do what de Bruyne is currently rather than sitting deeper alongside Fernandinho I expect, so still a 4-1-4-1.
Interesting, KDB in the centre would be much more dangerous.
So Nolito or Sterling drop out?
Hard to drop either of them at the moment. Both Nolito and Sterling have looked good so far this season. Sterling looks like a completely different player to the one Pellegrini was managing.
I've just been assuming Gundogan walks straight into this team, maybe he doesn't?
I don't think Pep will put him in right away as things stand. Maybe Silva would be the one he replaces or rotates with given Silva's the oldest in that midfield I think?
Silva was brilliant today, but he´ll never be able to maintain this form over the course of a season. Gündogan will be a starter once fit. KdB is their most productive (and best) player so I expect him to start most of the games. Silva, Nolito, Sterling and Aguero will compete for the other three positions; all of them offer something different.
You don't think Aguero is pretty much a garaunteed starter when fit? More so than any of the others I would say. Mainly because the change in quality is the biggest there. Iheanacho is a hell of a talent, but he's not Aguero.
I think there's not much in the quality between us and them, but I think their players are more in tune with each other and mesh better. They have greater synergy. Our team was more "broken" so it's expected.
Also they've got a superb #10 in De Bruyne. Think he's better than Ozil.
Also they've got a superb #10 in De Bruyne. Think he's better than Ozil.
We were poor today but I was shocked by how crisp City's passing was today... Pep has really improved them
Strange to see how tired our players were....Shaw and Bailly in particular
Strange to see how tired our players were....Shaw and Bailly in particular
yes. I agree. He is just so injury-prone, that it would make sense (in my mind) to rotate him quite a bit even if he is fit. Sure when push comes to shove (CL-KO game or big game in the league) he´ll certainly play, but you would have the luxury to rest him against many teams.
Depends on the opposition. In the games where the opposition is only going to really sit back then I'd stick with the team we have, in the bigger games though I'd say Gundogan and Fernandinho is a must, and de Bruyne is too good to bench, so out wide he goes in place of Nolito/Sterling.
I think a lot of us were banking on City struggling to adopt Pep's style, how he'll adapt to the league and how well things will work when he's not got the best squad in the world to choose from.
It's early days but it's not promising for us so far.
It's early days but it's not promising for us so far.
Thats exactly what I was banking on!
However, I still not sure if City were amazing because of all the space we gave them because of an ill disciplined Pogba and invisible Lingard and Mhkitaryan. Im sure we'd also have been sensational if City's midfield triangle was equally poor.
Its a shame we started to poorly; it cost us the match. However, had we also started well, the two teams would probably have cancelled each other out and it would have been a mind numbing no score bore.
I think he has a big issue in acclimatising Bravo into PL football. Likewise, CL football will complicate his team selections and those 'wet and windy mid week games' have yet to arrive. Still plenty of time to go.
I would guess that against weaker sides at home, Gundogan could go where Fernandinho is now and Fernandinho might drop in the back 4 next to Stones.
Please explain this to the fans who have their knives out for Blind and Mhiki.
KDB was great today. Should of had a hattrick. Fairplay to him, he really worked his butt off today.
David Silva, KDB, Otamendi and Fernandinho really did well too.
Stones is overrated AF
My one concern for City is Depth and player personnel: Pepe brought in all the right pieces this summer (not sure of Sane yet). Hopefully, by next summer, Pep get's his ideal players....
If Gundogan never recovers/becomes injury prone, Pep should try to get Thiago from Bayern Munich.
David Silva, KDB, Otamendi and Fernandinho really did well too.
Stones is overrated AF
My one concern for City is Depth and player personnel: Pepe brought in all the right pieces this summer (not sure of Sane yet). Hopefully, by next summer, Pep get's his ideal players....
If Gundogan never recovers/becomes injury prone, Pep should try to get Thiago from Bayern Munich.
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A long way to go but wow wow wow that first half from City today was nearly perfect football......i was totally gobsmacked in my seat and many others around me too.
And we all remember too that Bayern Munich looked always amazing in the "Hinrunde" and always only very good in the "Rückrunde".
Meh. Pride comes before the fall. Let the media wank themselves silly over Pep. The same thing happened last season with their 5 wins in 5 games start and they struggled to qualify for top 4 in the end. Pep's team always have a drop in quality after the winter break, and I'm sure they'll drop points over the Christmas period.
City are not going to win the title this season
City are not going to win the title this season
He made about a dozen mistakes yesterday and luckily got away with most of them. However that said he's just landed in the UK and his debut in the PL was in the Manchester derby at OT. Tough start. He is a good keeper and should get better but IMHO Hart is better suited to the PL even if he too has the occasional brain-fart.
Pretty ridiculous assumptions (or are they prayers) ? City blew you away without Kompany, Gundogan and Aguero and Sane had just his first introduction to the PL, he'll improve a lot. I picked Chelsea for the title pre-season but I have to admit City are looking damn good and damn strong all over (bar Bravo).
TBH Blind should not be a starting CB for a team with title aspirations, though I accept he's behind Bailly and Smalling. SO for what he is now, a back up CB/LB he's a good player to have in the squad. Mhiki however is a quandary because he should be playing at AM but you have Rooney and Pogba, even Mata, who are also vying for that slot (or should be).
So 2 - 1 constitutes a drubbing in your book. Why don't you watch the match before coming on a Utd board spouting this drivel. Kompany & Gundogan are crocks & will never be regular first teamers (again) Sane had all the space in the world yet seemed to run around like a headless chicken. Aguero would also have made little difference yesterday as City created very little. All 3 goals in the game owed huge amounts to luck.They are much better than I thought (hoped). I think yesterday was their first real test and they deserved the win. Still think Sterling is crap against decent fullbacks and I expect his form to drop like last season.
I see that a few United fans are also already getting edgy about Pogba. They don't like being told by his defenders that Pogba needs the team to be set up just right for him before he can play well.
They're started fantastically. Hoping Spurs can do everyone a favour and take some points off them. They need to be taken down a peg. Their self belief must be through the roof right now. Lots of positive momentum that can only be dented by a poor result or two.
I watched every minute. Guess you didn't. But for Bravo fecking up it's unlikely you would have got a goal back before HT and despite all your bravado you didn't get one back in the 2nd either. The rest of your post is biased hyperbolic shite.
City were all over us in the first half and could've quite easily been out of sight. We made a decent comeback in the 2nd but the first half was an incredibly one-sided contest.
The goals weren't all that lucky, either. City benefited massively from dodgy defending from us on both of them. That's not luck - that was down to deficiencies within our defence. Our goal came due to a mixture of terrible goalkeeping and a well-controlled finish from Zlatan. Nothing lucky about that.
City were better overall though, dominant at times and deserved the win.
What I thought was interesting is when the second half started and we were on top, Pep immediately took of Ihenacho and brought on Fernando to defend more. That's something most people would attribute to Jose rather than Pep. And it was a great decision because it gave them more defensive bodies. But what would have happened had it been Aguero playing and not Ihenacho?
They look like a very good team but it's early days. They arguably looked better at the start of last season and ended up with pretty terrible season overall. I guess Pep will have them playing consistently good football but whether it translates into results at the end of season is another matter.
I don't expect them to do very well in Europe mind. They are still missing quality compared to the top guns and Pep was not very good tactically there in the last three seasons. His away record in Europe is pretty poor too.
I don't expect them to do very well in Europe mind. They are still missing quality compared to the top guns and Pep was not very good tactically there in the last three seasons. His away record in Europe is pretty poor too.
He'd have taken Aguero off also.