The Manchester City Thread.

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We just started as a 4141, went to a 433 and then finished with a 3142 :lol

Theatre of dreams said:
How much did he spend this year. And they've gotten worse imo. Especially at the back!
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We only bought stones in defence, but lost Kompany / Mangala & should have replaced Sagna/Clichy & Kolorov really. Txiki is getting worse. They held off replacing all these to chase Pep and now we need a MAJOR overhaul of the defence.

Offence is pretty decent though, LOVE SANE (nicknamed BACON by the lads, brilliant).
 
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Theatre of dreams said:
Formation changed yes but style of play no.
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Your style of play shouldn't change. You start doing that, and the players stop believing what you're selling them. Pep's style of play is tried and tested and works. He just doesn't have the players to carry it out right now.

City be fine under him.
 
Theatre of dreams said:
Formation changed yes but style of play no.
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Style he'll never change, just tempo or direction of attack (trying through Silva/Middle in the first - switched to wide through Sane/Sterling in the 2nd), look for amendments rather than buying a target man for a late long ball game, never happen with Pep.

Moving to the 3-5-2 going wide with a 2nd striker is the most you'll prob see.
 
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Scouseinthehouse said:
Your style of play shouldn't change. You start doing that, and the players stop believing what you're selling them. Pep's style of play is tried and trusted and works. He just doesn't have the players to carry it out right now.

City be fine under him.
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Not necceserally true. Sometimes in games it just doesn't work and the oppo stop it. Just thought he should of tried something the last 15-20 mins when Monaco weathered the second half storm.
 
Pep will improve City no doubt once he had players he needs as will Mourinho at Utd. Then will see where both clubs are. Suppose same goes for Conte.
 
Theatre of dreams said:
Not necceserally true. Sometimes in games it just doesn't work and the oppo stop it. Just thought he should of tried something the last 15-20 mins when Monaco weathered the second half storm.
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Naturally. You can't win every game. That's football. No team ever has. No team ever will.

But you keep believing and repeating what has always worked for you, that you fully believe in, and you'll win more games than you ever lose. Same bollocks when people go on about Klopp not having a plan B costing L'pool. Poor execution of the Plan A is all that's cost L'pool. A style that's proven to work against anyone. L'pool got away from their style the past few months and it's cost them dearly. Barca brought it home again to me against PSG. Barcelona don't change for ANYONE! And it's lead them to being the team they are today. Tweak little things like your formation when different players come in. But your style of play, which should be decided the pre-season, should be what you stick with through the season if you want consistent success.

If you fully believe in what you're doing, and it's proven, then I'm 100% behind keeping on doing it. Eventually it'll click and you'll win far more than you lose. Peps style is unstoppable when it's flowing. When he sorts the squad out they'll be no bigger threat this Country than City.

*Edit* That's not to say another approach doesn't work or isn't right. You do what's right for you. Just what's right for Pep has brought him ridiculous success, and taken the game on a whole other level. So there's nottin' wrong in him keeping on doing and drumming into his players his tried and proven style that he fully believes in. Eventually it'll become second nature to the City lads.

As a City fan I'd really appreciate that. Even through the losses this year. He promises you something and you can see he's following that through every game. That's where you begin to really believe in what he's telling you and fully trust him.

And when he sorts out the problems, good luck everyone else.
 
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**** right, we'll be masters of the "JUNKIE LA SUPERSTITION"
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Naturally. You can't win every game. That's football. No team ever has. No team ever will.

But you keep believing and repeating what has always worked for you, that you fully believe in, and you'll win more games than you ever lose. Same bollocks when people go on about Klopp not having a plan B costing L'pool. Poor execution of the Plan A is all that's cost L'pool. A style that's proven to work against anyone. Barca brought it home again to me against PSG. Barcelona don't change for ANYONE! And it's lead them to being the team they are today. Tweak little things like your formation when different players come in. But your style of play, which should be decided the pre-season, should be what you stick with through the season if you want consistent success.

If you fully believe in what you're doing, and it's proven, then I'm 100% behind keeping on doing it. Eventually it'll click and you'll win far more than you lose. Peps style is unstoppable when it's flowing. When he sorts the squad out they'll be no bigger threat this Country than City.
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While I agree in the most. Barca have defo changed under Henrique. He has Barca mixing it up with the Barca way and a more direct style at times especially this season. It's the one thing I had a bug about us losing to Chelsea. It's a knock out game why not just go for it the last 10-15 mins. Once Mourinho came on Monaco got back control and City weren't having success anymore like when they scored the goal.
 
Not sure about this 'one style is good enough as it's proven' approach, to my mind it has been City's downfall on many occassion this season, just through insistence on playing out from the back alone. It's only as good as the opposition makes it at the end of the day and conceding 6 goals in 2 legs would be sending alarm bells to most teams. But because Pep has this aura it seems inevitable he will fix it, I'm not so sure, he no doubts get them playing his style very efficiently but when he was at Barca and Bayern he inherited much stronger defence.

At the moment that defence of City's doesn't look any closer to being fixed as it did at the start of season and it doesn't matter how good you think your style is, if you keep on playing that way with a defence that can't it's just inviting problems. The amount of individual mistakes isn't pure blame on the players, it's the managers reponsibility for putting that style on to a defence that can't effectively play out from the back.
 
You can relate it to Liverpool and Klopp's style as well, I mean when it works, it really works but when it doesn't things go pear-shaped quickly. If you have this constant attitude though that 'well it has achieved success in the past so why change?' it will just invite problems if you can't adapt when opposition figures out the best way to combat it.

Liverpool's problems since the turn of the year (sorry wrong thread but I'm raising it here as Scouse made the point) that it has been because Liverpool haven't executed the Klopp style as well as they can may be somewhat true. But it isn't the whole story as it has equally been about how the opposition have adapted to it now and set up better to play against it. Then if there is no plan B which seemingly there isn't you struggle to win.
 
zzeezzy said:
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At the moment that defence of City's doesn't look any closer to being fixed as it did at the start of season and it doesn't matter how good you think your style is, if you keep on playing that way with a defence that can't it's just inviting problems. The amount of individual mistakes isn't pure blame on the players, it's the managers reponsibility for putting that style on to a defence that can't effectively play out from the back.
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Its was ever gonna be this season, the best cb is injured and prob done. Both fullbacks were already done, He has a new keeper (ish, Bravo is gash) and is constantly changing from a 3 to a 4, as well as the personnel game to game.

The defence has really only had Stones added to it, and is in constant flux game to game.
 
What's unforgivable here is that we know how fundamental full backs are to peps play style, and city have known for 3 years he's coming. None are identified. He's had 3 years to watch the city centre backs and decide whether they need work (they do), and yet only stones acquired. There's sticking to the way you're playing, and then adapting when it's not working. Fernandinho was getting overrun and yet nothing was done to help him, and therefore get city a foothold in the match. Madness
 
Mike. said:
What's unforgivable here is that we know how fundamental full backs are to peps play style, and city have known for 3 years he's coming. None are identified. He's had 3 years to watch the city centre backs and decide whether they need work (they do), and yet only stones acquired. There's sticking to the way you're playing, and then adapting when it's not working. Fernandinho was getting overrun and yet nothing was done to help him, and therefore get city a foothold in the match. Madness
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Couldn't believe how attacking he went. And no Toure in the team even Delph to help out Fernandinho. Nieve!
 
Point Mike. City's recruitment, knowing they've been building toward Guardiola, has left a lot to be desired. Like they spent so much time and effort adding the ornate centre piece to show off their house without putting the foundations in first.

Been a little surprised personally that he's not dipped into the youth well more this year given his previous at having no problem promoting the top kids. There's a couple of Spanish FB's that have been seemingly knocking on the door for a few years now. Maffeo , who I think played against Utd the Lge Cup? (Might of been Europe. Early season anyway); and Angelino who they loaned out to the MLS the other year to aid his development/ experience. Both look terrific (particularly the LB Angelino) at U-23 level. Think they're both 19 but don't quote me. Maybe they aren't deemed ready to step up yet, but I've been real surprised being Pep and liking quality youth he's not looked at them more in Cup games at least rather than switching senior players positions round to compensate the slim pickings he has the flanks this year.
 
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