Manchester City 17/18 discussion | "If you're here for the Champions clap your hands" (#6505)

I am very confused with this City side. First why do you play 3 CB if you spend 200m pounds in last 3 seasons on CBs and rheir best CB is still Kompany. I mean if you spend that amount on CB you should have a pair who you will trust. Also spending 150m pounds on FB/WB and you play Sane as your wingback.
Why they didn't buy a CM/DM is beyond me. They only have Fernandinho.
KdB basically plays as CM for them and he isn't suited for that roll.
Aguero is on downhill road for a few years now, Jesus is still young and inexperienced so strikers department isn't that good at all.

There is no real balance in that team TBF.
 
Jesus that Pep interview with Sky was proper crap. Does he think he's being smart?
 
City under Guardiola look like a team bereft of identity. They supposedly have this array of attacking options and keep throwing money at it, expecting acquisitions to simply just bed in and gel with the team, whatever the cost.
They look inconsistent, no one really seems to know what they're supposed role is, or how long they will have time to settle in the side.
They need to keep a balanced team, built around a spine, with a clear set of instructions on the game plan, both offensively and defensively.
Would they have scored tonight without the wrong choice from Holgate? I don't think so. Evertons' defence was coping well, looking resolute.
 
Not sure why the criticism of them tonight. I thought they were good considering they played like 50 mins with 10 men. Just tried to walk it into the net too much.
 
I want to see what City look like with the additions of Gundogan, Mendy and Bernardo Silva.

Also, Pep likely has a choice to make, Aguero or The Eyebrows.
 
Think they'll drop too many points against tough, organised teams. They'll rack up a few 7-0s against fodder though.
 
Bojan11 said:
Not sure why the criticism of them tonight. I thought they were good considering they played like 50 mins with 10 men. Just tried to walk it into the net too much.
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the criticism about the first half before the sending off. They looked very vulnerable in the back leaving so much space. I think teams like Chelsea and us will kill them in the counter attack.
 
Jerch said:
Why they didn't buy a CM/DM is beyond me. They only have Fernandinho.
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I've been wondering about this since last season. Very strange, considering Guardiola himself was that kind of player and he brought in Alonso at Bayern.

I suppose Gundogan was his choice for that role but I always considered Gundogan more of an upgrade over Fernandinho rather than a deep-lying midfielder.

Bojan11 said:
Not sure why the criticism of them tonight. I thought they were good considering they played like 50 mins with 10 men. Just tried to walk it into the net too much.
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They looked better with 10 men. That's because Pep returned to what he does best: make the pitch large in possession, quick meaningful ball movement and a much more technical game.

First half was very static in comparison, and that's because he's 'having' to play with two strikers. One of Aguero or Jesus might be dropped soon.
 
Couldn't have asked for a better start really. All our rivals have dropped points and we're two for two with 8 goal difference.
 
The problem for City is Everton looked dangerous every time they crossed the half way line.
That's a team that don't have any pace.
 
Quite poor tonight, even before the sending off they didn't create much. They're normally a lot more fluid and creative than that. Strange.
 
Silva doesnt seem half the player he was, having the Samson effect with his hair maybe. KDB is best as a cam or RM in a 4231. Sane at LWB seriously? Im sure a youngster woulda done better from there u21s.

Aguerro or Jesus one has to play, dont think I am bothered about them as much as I thought I would be...i would even go as far as saying I could see them without Pep next year.
 
Amazed by how little this city side resembled a Guardiola-coached team tonight. Dunno if everton did it on purpose, but with all the space they gave up in the first half they kind of duped city into constantly going for hurried, vertical passes, which prevented them from setting up into everton's half and pin them into their box. Was funny to watch

also, everton are atrocious. Can't believe they're supposed to be the 7th best team in the PL. It's early so they might get better, but ye gods...
 
Giggsyking said:
the criticism about the first half before the sending off. They looked very vulnerable in the back leaving so much space. I think teams like Chelsea and us will kill them in the counter attack.
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Adisa said:
The problem for City is Everton looked dangerous every time they crossed the half way line.
That's a team that don't have any pace.
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BobbyManc said:
Aguero and Jesus should not start together. There is too much talent in midfield to justify having one of Aguero/Jesus shoehorned out wide.
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Agreed.

Don't need 3 CB's, don't need Aguero and Jesus together. Mendy to fill in at LB, Bernardo Silva should come in ahead of David Silva.

Walker - Kompany - Stones - Mendy

Gundogan - Fernandinho - KDB

Silva - Jesus - Sane

Much better balance on both sides of the pitch IMO.
 
Pep trying to be too smart will be City's undoing. Playing attackers at full back, full backs in central midfield, number 10's as central midfielders etc; You'd think he didn't have unlimited funds the way he's been reluctant to bring in midfielders. They have an unbalanced squad and are too top heavy for me. One injury to Kompany and it's going to be rough for them. Not sure what they have done recently to have the media fawning over them as they have been unbalanced and inconsistent for a few years and let key players age without getting adequate replacements.
 
Watched the extended highlights, take this with grain of salt.

Red card screwed City's chances of coming away with the win, especially after the keeper conceded a soft goal from Rooney. They were fantastic in the second half, coming close several times to winning. Impressive how they pegged Everton back with only 10 men, not many teams will do that to you (cf Chelsea against Burnley). Mendy coming back will improve their defense, and their ability to penetrate teams that sit deep. Soft yellow from the ref, but Walker is an idiot.

Still early in the season. I'd be surprised if Guardiola is still tinkering with a full squad 7-10 games into the season. Most teams are still trying to figure things out, we're the outliers it seems.
 
I'll say it: with Aguero lacking clinical finishing since last season and it showed again tonight (I don't know if it's the Pep effect of over thinking things now) there's not many goals in that team. Where's the cutting edge?

For all the talk of their world class attacking talent on offer, who the fecks actually getting goals? I'm not surprised he wants Sanchez.
 
VanGaalEra said:
Agreed.

Don't need 3 CB's, don't need Aguero and Jesus together. Mendy to fill in at LB, Bernardo Silva should come in ahead of David Silva.

Walker - Kompany - Stones - Mendy

Gundogan - Fernandinho - KDB

Silva - Jesus - Sane

Much better balance on both sides of the pitch IMO.
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The 3 CBs is Pep's overly-cautious response to last season's shortcomings. I think it is a system that will come in handy this season, especially in Europe. However, if Kompany can stay fit, we should mainly focus on four at the back. One of Sterling or Sane has to start for us in an attacking position, we're too easy to defend against otherwise. I'm not sure about dropping David Silva for Bernardo. Silva was our PoTY last season, and rightly so. Based on today's showings, I'd be dropping de Bruyne before Silva.
 
For the past few seasons, when I look at their squad I think that they are going to be fantastic. But for some reason it hasn't really come together for them over the last few years.
 
Only second game of the season, but against Everton they didn't look too great even before Walker's red card, which was harsh, it was a foul but never a booking, although the ref evened it up when he booked Schneiderlin for that tackle on Aguero that wasn't even a foul, never mind a yellow.
Looking through their team they have a few under-performing, some past their best and a few who still have real question marks over them.
 
People are jumping into conclusions. IMO, they will clearly be better than last season.
I think People will stumble into a XI that simple and works well by default.
 
Pace Abuser said:
I'll say it: with Aguero lacking clinical finishing since last season and it showed again tonight (I don't know if it's the Pep effect of over thinking things now) there's not many goals in that team. Where's the cutting edge?

For all the talk of their world class attacking talent on offer, who the fecks actually getting goals? I'm not surprised he wants Sanchez.
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They will score plenty of goals.
 
Inter Yer Nan said:
Pep trying to be too smart will be City's undoing. Playing attackers at full back, full backs in central midfield, number 10's as central midfielders etc; You'd think he didn't have unlimited funds the way he's been reluctant to bring in midfielders. They have an unbalanced squad and are too top heavy for me. One injury to Kompany and it's going to be rough for them. Not sure what they have done recently to have the media fawning over them as they have been unbalanced and inconsistent for a few years and let key players age without getting adequate replacements.
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I still don't get why he needs to make their formation so complicated. He's playing so many attacking midfielders in multiple positions at the same time, refusing to play a midfielder so he needs to play three defenders. It really makes no sense. He has virtually unlimited resources and instead of addressing the issue of having just one midfielder in Fernandinho (who's also 32 and won't be able to play every single game), he goes for his fifth attacking midfielder who plays exactly like the other four (and is even called the same as one of them). Even someone like Paulinho would have made sense, not to mention two players who are also departing Monaco this year but would suit them more than Bernardo Silva did (Bakayoko and now Fabinho).

Also, spending £80m on two right backs when you can play only one of them is rather strange too.
 
The whole set up is odd but Sane at wing back is especially baffling, he needs to be free of defensive responsibility and allowed to run at defenders. It's a complete waste of a player who looked so promising at the end of last season.
 
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