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

I thought they were meant to play entertaining footballing? They've been dull as as feck in the last few games.
 
Going forward they’re relentless and possess so much skill and creativity but, that back 4 today looked shaky and martial and rashford could do some serious damage against them.
 
Has any team in any league have this kind of record ever after 15 games? They are just too good. I think we can safely say best team in the world right now. Even in CL I can't see their equal.

Don't be silly, they are the best team in England but not the world. Even at their best in that title winning season (2014), Barcelona absolutely outclassed them over the pitch and showed us how far behind our league was
 
They've dropped a couple of levels lately but are still winning, which is annoying.
 
Posted this in a another thread but it's probably more topical here...

They're scraping wins against Southampton, West Ham and Huddersfield. As these teams have more and more to play for, and as fatigue sets into Guardiola's precious little circus show they will definitely drop points.

They're defense is not strong, think about that. Think about the great PL defenses and then compare this citeh sides...

If we can stay close enough, a chance will arise, and if we're ready when it does, José'll come up from behind and take em.

That's what José does, he's ruthless in that role. And as a United fan, and also as a human being who dislikes where citeh's money comes from, I want to watch it happen.
 
Has any team in any league have this kind of record ever after 15 games? They are just too good. I think we can safely say best team in the world right now. Even in CL I can't see their equal.
Strange timing considering they just struggled through the last three games against weak opposition.

They will drop points very soon. I can see them dropping 10-12 points between now and the end of January. Hopefully we can start it next weekend with a convincing win.
 
A nicely rested Kompany to go in to the derby and play out of his skin looks likely. Shame we won't get to go up against Mangala. Messi Lingard would have had that oaf on toast.
 
I thought they were meant to play entertaining footballing? They've been dull as as feck in the last few games.

They have but they have won witg late goals 3 times.
That's very good for team spirit and character.
 
I worry that they're simply too good to drop more points than us between now and the end of the season as they've so far largely kept pace with us defensively while being better than us offensively. In fact if anything they've looked a better team offensively than their current lead suggests. For all that they've shown weaknesses in recent games, we've shown just as many.

However, we can certainly beat them in a one off game, they're not invincible. If we do that then who knows what happens? Maybe all it takes is an injury/suspension to a key player like De Bruyne or Otamendi and suddenly weaknesses are exposed. They wouldn't be the first team to fail to respond well enough once things really go against them.

At this point they still have an awful lot to do to secure the title, it's only December.
 
When you have the Fantasy Premier League results page up with City 1 - 1 West Ham and you don't want to refresh the page to face the terrible reality :(

Yes they've been off-colour for weeks now but they dug in and got maximum points. We have to face the fact they are looking like champions, when other teams are having an off-day they slip up but City are a machine.

On the positive side I'm much more hopeful of inflicting their first defeat next week than I was a month or so ago.
 
Not at our best, poor first half but excellent in the 2nd half. So, so form the last month but still winning. Signs of a good team. Derby next which I'm worried for but thankfully we can send a B-Team to Shaktar while United will have to play a very strong one v CSKA.

Hope Pep lets the unbeaten record slide v Shaktar and doesn't let play any of KDB, Fernandinho, Silva, Sane, Sterling, Kompany, Otamendi or Walker. The result matters not a shite to keep us as fresh as possible for the derby. Feck the unbeaten run, we need to prioritise now as we're tiring.
 
Nah, one of the top teams will beat them eventually.

On the back of our last 3 games it could come at anytime. If I had to bet I'd say next Sunday given the way we defend set pieces.
 
Going forward they’re relentless and possess so much skill and creativity but, that back 4 today looked shaky and martial and rashford could do some serious damage against them.

Yeah but Mangala and Danilo probably won't be playing so the chance of today's back 4 playing is minimal (thank feck)
 
On the back of our last 3 games it could come at anytime. If I had to bet I'd say next Sunday given the way we defend set pieces.

Our team is massive. Our fecking delivery is shite though.
 
Has any team in any league have this kind of record ever after 15 games? They are just too good. I think we can safely say best team in the world right now. Even in CL I can't see their equal.
Have you seen PSG this season?
 
Their defence is terrible. Kompany is awful, Mangala has no business playing for them and Otamendi needs someone competent next to him and raises his level depending on his partner. I fancy us to beat them tbh. Bar Stones none of their cbs can bring the ball out of the back and it affects thier build up.
 
Everything literally going Citys way so far this season but eventually it will even itself out,the all conquering team of 6/7 weeks ago looks to have subsided somewhat especially last 3 games where they have struggled compared to earlier in the season,can see Utd winning 2-1 next weekend!!
 
Not at our best, poor first half but excellent in the 2nd half. So, so form the last month but still winning. Signs of a good team. Derby next which I'm worried for but thankfully we can send a B-Team to Shaktar while United will have to play a very strong one v CSKA.

Hope Pep lets the unbeaten record slide v Shaktar and doesn't let play any of KDB, Fernandinho, Silva, Sane, Sterling, Kompany, Otamendi or Walker. The result matters not a shite to keep us as fresh as possible for the derby. Feck the unbeaten run, we need to prioritise now as we're tiring.
Why? Genuine question...
 
Our team is massive. Our fecking delivery is shite though.

Thank God, KDB is on our side. Imagine his delivery to Lukaku and co. against Mangala and Otamendi. Thoughts would give me nightmares.
 
Not at our best, poor first half but excellent in the 2nd half. So, so form the last month but still winning. Signs of a good team. Derby next which I'm worried for but thankfully we can send a B-Team to Shaktar while United will have to play a very strong one v CSKA.

Hope Pep lets the unbeaten record slide v Shaktar and doesn't let play any of KDB, Fernandinho, Silva, Sane, Sterling, Kompany, Otamendi or Walker. The result matters not a shite to keep us as fresh as possible for the derby. Feck the unbeaten run, we need to prioritise now as we're tiring.

We've effectively qualified mate as long as we don't lose 5-0 or worse. Doubt we will be playing full strength. I think Zlatan will start.
 
Big chance of going unbeaten this season given that no team actually plays them and tries to win.
 
I mean, you have to wonder. In their last 4 games with late winner goals couldn't at least 1 fecking team squeeze a draw? They all ended up doing jackshit in the 2nd half, you cannot give City that much freedom/space to look for the late winner for the whole 45 minutes.
 
Do you think we need a ‘strong side’ to avoid losing 0-5?

0-4 loss leaves us top of the group

Oh right, fair enough. I thought you guys only had to lose.
 
Thank God, KDB is on our side. Imagine his delivery to Lukaku and co. against Mangala and Otamendi. Thoughts would give me nightmares.

Just remembered we have Young, but that's about it for any kind of consistency.
 
http://sokkaa.com/2017/03/27/top-7-football-clubs-with-biggest-fanbase-worldwide-today/2/ - Again Chelsea dwarf Liverpool here... In fact according to this only Real, Barca and United are bigger and have more following then Chelsea.
This source forgot about Van Gaals FA Cup. Older post and it doesn't change anything about your statements, just think it's hilarious that people who think they are capable of judging something as difficult to measure as the total fan base would miss an FA Cup.
 
Not too bad. Mangala is terrible and with Kompany back it should be better.
Kompany is awful as well. he was terrible in their last game. His awfulness brings Otamendi's level from this season back down.

With two out of the 3 stooges starting I fancy us beating them.


Sit deep, put 2 players in the channels and hit it long. We won't dominate the mf battle so we should cede the possession and be compact. defend in a 442.
 
Definitely starting to see the chinks in the armour now. There is signs of fatigue, if we can somehow get a win it’ll be a big dent in their confidence.
 
The number of points they're winning in the last 10 minutes reminds me of Fergie's last season.

MD3 - Southampton 2:3 Man Utd (was losing 2:1 until RVP scored on 87' and 90')
MD5 - Liverpool 1:2 Man Utd (RVP scored winner on 81')
MD11 - Aston Villa 2:3 Man Utd (Hernandez winner on 87')
MD16 - Man City 2:3 Man Utd (RVP winner 90' though they did equalise on 86')
MD19 - Man Utd 4:3 Newcastle United (Hernandez winner on 90')
MD37 - Man Utd 2:1 Swansea (Ferdinand winner on 87')

though we weren't infallible

MD23 - Spurs 1:1 Man Utd (Dempsey equalised on 90')
MD38 - West Brom 5:5 Man Utd (we were 5:2 up then conceded three goals on 81', 81' and 86')

Can see the chinks in City's armour but it doesn't mean nothing if they don't actually drop points. 8 point lead at this stage of the season is huge. A win for us next weekend is vital, a draw wouldn't be the end of the world but a win for them would give them so much confidence.
 
Everything literally going Citys way so far this season but eventually it will even itself out,the all conquering team of 6/7 weeks ago looks to have subsided somewhat especially last 3 games where they have struggled compared to earlier in the season,can see Utd winning 2-1 next weekend!!

Think you may be disappointed on this. Nothing to suggest their luck is going to run out anytime soon. If anything i predict they are going to become luckier. They are now getting luck in advance (regards Pogba)

I mean, you have to wonder. In their last 4 games with late winner goals couldn't at least 1 fecking team squeeze a draw? They all ended up doing jackshit in the 2nd half, you cannot give City that much freedom/space to look for the late winner for the whole 45 minutes.

Teams are deciding to park the bus & stop venturing forward as the game goes on. The ball just ends up coming right back at them. The game today was a case in point. West Ham were having success defending deep but countering when it was on. In the second half they were just hoofing it aimlessly out of defence giving it straight back to City. This will rarely work as it's inviting pressure & eventually someone will make a mistake which will cost a goal. As soon as City took the lead West Ham went back to there original tactics & should have equalised.

The last few games should show opposition managers that this City side have been massively over-hyped. If you play an intelligent game against them you will get something but you have to keep playing.