Premier League Gameweek 33+34

If you go through the PL winners over the last three decades, how many had poor defensive records? Yes some of the personnel were lacking, but the records were still good.
We dont even have a poor defensive record now. Joint second best before today. Something like 5 in last 17? Because our forward play protects the back 4 and scares sides into staying back or commiting players forward.
Before we got our attack sorted our defensive record was far worse than this but the catalys for that isnt even a CB.
 
Watch this From about 3 minutes in. DT completely rattled by United.


Hilarious. His cutting analysis of our defence is how much Maguire cost (irrelevant to performances on the pitch) and his nickname. Fecking loser
 
Watch this From about 3 minutes in. DT completely rattled by United.


He makes a hilarious point about Greenwood though. Even the fans on this forum bumped the Greenwood v Martinelli thread as soon as Greenwood scores.
 
Liverpool arent the norm. City have won leagues with Stones and Fernandinho in defence with Delph at fullback. Luiz was the lynchpin of Chelseas win. Wes Morgan before that.
You control the ball further up or play counter attacking football and you can protect a weaker defence.
Our league is terrible to be honest.
Teams were genuinely at times not even bothering to have a go at the City defence because of the sheer fear that managers had of Pep dismantling them on the counter. They had a string of late Sterling winners in the 17/18 season which only added to the inevitability of defeat. The loss of key players and ageing of their star men has left them vulnerable. Particularly through the middle, they’re very easy to get at. We got hammered by them but although we were severely lacking sharpness and most of the defence playing like they had partied all week we had many good moments and situations that on another day have us several goals up. They made the types of mistakes we usually pounce on. Once we were chasing the game it was over as nobody looked bothered to keep shape and the counter was always on.

But getting back to the point, their defence only needed Fernandinho and dominion over the football. Once he was removed they have nobody there and it shows. Titles require an excellent defence.
 
We got 100 points with Otamendi and Stones as 1st choice for half a season! I'd argue its the complete opposite, you can Tony Pulis your way to getting a results vs City but you can't Pulis your way to the title.

If I had to guess, I would say the team thats scored the most goals has won the title more oten than the team thats conceded the fewest.
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/data-why-scoring-goals-is-more-important-than-conceding-less.447862/

I have a thread on that. Good attacks take you much further than tight defences.
 
That‘s because you dominate most games though, far more than other teams are capable of. You lost Laporte this season and look at the difference it made. You’ve outscored us as well.

We scored over 100 goals in 13/14 and conceded 50. City conceded far fewer than than and won the league. Go through the league winners over the PL era and you’ll rarely find one with a bad defensive record.

I might be wrong but in City’s final 19 games of last season didn‘t you only concede something like five goals?

We did but we did because we dominate games, when we don't that same defence gets murdered time and again Our defence is neither great nor terrible. The same defence that this season got trounced for the most part set the PL record for games unbeaten in a row because they didn't really have to defend.

19-20 - Liverpool best defence.
18-19 - City best attack
17-18 - City best attack
16-17 - Chelsea (2nd best attack, 3 best defence) 1 goal scored less than Spurs in 1st, 8 more goals conceded than Spurs in 1st)
15-16 - Leicester 3rd best attack, 3rd best defece. Closer to best defence than attack
14-15 - Chelsea (best defence)
13-14 - City best attack
12-13 - United best attack (miles behind City in defence)
11-12 - City best attack and defence.
 
Do you think United can dominate games consistently enough next season to compete for the league?

Honestly yes, I also think Ole will revert to counter attack in tougher matches which has a good record vs top 6. If they play on the front foot vs the weaker sides like today then for sure but their defence will take the kind of battering Cities does. My big concern is if one of Rashford, Martial or Greenwood have the ability to score like an Aguero, Kane, Salah etc.. They look like it currently but need that striker who'll bury one every 120 minutes of so.

We've seen with KDB, VVD how one massive hole in a squad being filled can push a team on levels.

That said I don't think they are quite on Liverpool/Cities level until they do it consistently.
 
Disappointing that Leicester result. Not even a goal made up after scoring 5. That could well give them their confidence back too.

Our two games in 48 hours looks like it could be crucial.
 
Chelsea Watford what we thinking? Chance of a slip-up?
 
Need an Arsenal and Watford win. The former is more than probable, but Watford.... they would have to get very lucky `I think!
 
Not counting on us to catch Leicester on GD.. we need to beat them and hope they drop points somewhere else.. which looking at their fixtures, is quite likely.

We need to keep winning..
 
Disappointing that Leicester result. Not even a goal made up after scoring 5. That could well give them their confidence back too.

Our two games in 48 hours looks like it could be crucial.

Na, their tiny squad will get destroyed over the next 2 weeks imo. Hard to go away to Spurs and Arsenal in such a small space of time.
 
Disappointing that Leicester result. Not even a goal made up after scoring 5. That could well give them their confidence back too.

Our two games in 48 hours looks like it could be crucial.
We've had a lot of results go our way lately, plus they were due to win at some point. They've got tougher fixtures ahead so they still should drop more points, fingers crossed.
 
Teams were genuinely at times not even bothering to have a go at the City defence because of the sheer fear that managers had of Pep dismantling them on the counter. They had a string of late Sterling winners in the 17/18 season which only added to the inevitability of defeat. The loss of key players and ageing of their star men has left them vulnerable. Particularly through the middle, they’re very easy to get at. We got hammered by them but although we were severely lacking sharpness and most of the defence playing like they had partied all week we had many good moments and situations that on another day have us several goals up. They made the types of mistakes we usually pounce on. Once we were chasing the game it was over as nobody looked bothered to keep shape and the counter was always on.

But getting back to the point, their defence only needed Fernandinho and dominion over the football. Once he was removed they have nobody there and it shows. Titles require an excellent defence.

Were you still drinking celebrating the title on Thursday? I don't think anyone bar a Liverpool fan could say that.
 
Not counting on us to catch Leicester on GD.. we need to beat them and hope they drop points somewhere else.. which looking at their fixtures, is quite likely.

We need to keep winning..
So would you say it's not in our hands?
 
Na, their tiny squad will get destroyed over the next 2 weeks imo. Hard to go away to Spurs and Arsenal in such a small space of time.

We've had a lot of results go our way lately, plus they were due to win at some point. They've got tougher fixtures ahead so they still should drop more points, fingers crossed.

Yeah, it would have been too good to be true. Just hoping the 3-0 doesn’t give them wind in their sails!

Really could do with arsenal beating them next game. We could do with being on top of them before that horrible Monday-Thursday changeover.
 
No Pepe for Arsenal. feck..
Dont lose... defend with 10 if you have to...
 
so finally an Arsenal manager realized that David Luiz only works in a back three.
 
Were you still drinking celebrating the title on Thursday? I don't think anyone bar a Liverpool fan could say that.
Personally yes! You’re an excellent team and because we weren’t fully sharp and didn’t capitalise on our openings you tore us apart. Games between us are extremely high quality and decided on fine margins. The first goal is immensely crucial. We get it and can hit you on counter, you get it and we have to push up and you can shred us on the counter. They’re always tactically complex games with small details in the way they’re played deciding it. To beat city every single player has to be at 100%.

What I meant by what I said is we had some situations that on another day we are sharper with.
 
That Arsenal team looks weak on paper, but they are not that young except for Saka and Nketiah...

Can an Arsenal fan explain why the team doesn’t seem to press like they way they did against United in the last game between us? Is fitness an issue ?
 
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Chelsea Watford what we thinking? Chance of a slip-up?

There's always a chance of a slip up when you are facing a team fighting for survival. Personally can't see it today though I think Chelsea will react after that West Ham result.
 
Teams were genuinely at times not even bothering to have a go at the City defence because of the sheer fear that managers had of Pep dismantling them on the counter. They had a string of late Sterling winners in the 17/18 season which only added to the inevitability of defeat. The loss of key players and ageing of their star men has left them vulnerable. Particularly through the middle, they’re very easy to get at. We got hammered by them but although we were severely lacking sharpness and most of the defence playing like they had partied all week we had many good moments and situations that on another day have us several goals up. They made the types of mistakes we usually pounce on. Once we were chasing the game it was over as nobody looked bothered to keep shape and the counter was always on.

But getting back to the point, their defence only needed Fernandinho and dominion over the football. Once he was removed they have nobody there and it shows. Titles require an excellent defence.

Come on you sound like Klopp with the excuses. They battered you. I hate both city and Liverpool but I know what I saw.
 
Out of the three or four times I've watch Arsenal TV it's always him looking like he's one step away from a heart attack.
If you havent seen the AFTV v United Stand football match, I highly recommend it. It's brilliant. Peak DT.
 
That Arsenal team looks weak on paper, but they are not that young except for Saka and Nketiah...

Can an Arsenal fan explain why the team doesn’t seem to press like they way they did against United in the last game between us? Is fitness an issue ?
Because it was their cup final.