Premier League Gameweek 18 (16th - 18th December 2017)

For all the "amazing", "out-of-this-world", "extra-terrestrial", football that "no-one can live with" Prp's golden boys are ahead by a solitary goal from a badly marked set piece header. :lol:

When you relentlessly smother the opposition you're more likely to make your own breaks. It's not by chance this keeps happening.
 
Not even a defeat now would change anything, they're unplayable at the moment. Not because they're extra special at football, just their confidence is rocking.
They'll win the league, I'm certain of that.

But when an unbeaten run ends, it can be hard for a team to find confidence. Or if they win something really early, motivation.
 
Drugs lol. The reason we can press so intensely is because we spend so little of the game defending. When you have the ball so much you can really sprint in defence to get it back because with the ball in play for about an hour per game, City only have to defend for a maximum of 15 minutes per game.

See the difference between our pressing and Spurs in the first 5 minutes and in the last 10 of the first half.
 
The Liverpool game was key. They had looked pretty poor up to that game and did so in the early running against Liverpool. Aguero scores against the run of play, Mane got sent off and they panned them 5-0. It gave them the confidence and started their awesome run.
Yes that’s the game that kick started this run for them. Until they scored Liverpool were on top and should have been leading. Football at this level has such fine margins.
 
For all the "amazing", "out-of-this-world", "extra-terrestrial", football that "no-one can live with" Prp's golden boys are ahead by a solitary goal from a badly marked set piece header. :lol:

They could be losing 1-0 from a fluke worldie and it wouldn't change it......on a good shooting day, this could easily be winning 4-0 and that's in the 30 minutes I've been watching. They are creating relentless chances, they are relentless putting pressure on any team that even bothers trying to play from the back, they play superb when IN possession......I could care less about the actual score sometimes, clear brilliance is sometimes clear. Not sure if it's has magical has 09-11 Barca, but in terms of Premier League, it's very much the best patch I've witnessed and well they haven't had the bad luck for the results to say otherwise either. It's insane.
 
Anyone else thinking drugs? :nervous:

All Pep’s teams have been done for violating doping protocol I believe. City were done for not providing the whereabouts of their players for testing three times in a year, although I think the first infringement was shortly before he joined. An Olympic athlete can be banned from competition for such a transgression but the football authorities are slack on doping.
 
Unless someone stops Celtic, it won't happen. Who would we go for? They just won't take the risk on an up and coming manager again. British or foreign.

I don't understand the Celtic reference...I'm probably missing something.

My assumption would be Pochettino, who's still young enough to build something long-term. I agree that I find it hard to believe you'll see anything resembling the tenures of Arsene/SAF in this league again...but that's what a system like ours depends on.
 
Ederson’s left foot is just gracious.....

How did he learn to kick like that? He is just picking City players with ease.
 
Anyone who thought Poch's bottlers would stump City should be ashamed of themselves
 
Jeez hate thsee city players falling over at every 50/50 tackle. This is the whole Spanish mentality that pep brings with him. Found it very funny the way walker was looking behind and waiting for the spurs player to touch him just that he can just fall down.

As for possession football, lvg just killed all the excitement for that brand when he managed. I like fast counter attacking football any day over all these pass pass pass thing. Just my taste.
 
They could be losing 1-0 from a fluke worldie and it wouldn't change it......on a good shooting day, this could easily be winning 4-0 and that's in the 30 minutes I've been watching. They are creating relentless chances, they are relentless putting pressure on any team that even bothers trying to play from the back, they play superb when IN possession......I could care less about the actual score sometimes, clear brilliance is sometimes clear. Not sure if it's has magical has 09-11 Barca, but in terms of Premier League, it's very much the best patch I've witnessed and well they haven't had the bad luck for the results to say otherwise either. It's insane.
Time to rebrand the CAF methinks …
 
City's wins are becoming more and more psychological I think.

I honestly don't think they're that great - they're a good side, but the narrative of 'this is the best side in Europe' (which they clearly aren't), being bleated by managers and pundits as teams just turn up and play into their hands over and over again during this first half of the season seems to be in opposition players minds.

I think that when it really, really matters to lower teams, we'll start seeing them being tactically taken on a lot more. West Ham, Huddersfield and Southampton showed that these level teams could quite easily be taking points off them.
 
Absolutely horrendous goal to concede that, I actually loled at the reply, still a half to go need much more intensity though.
 
The difference between a great and extraordinary side.

City practically have won the title in the first half of the season. But their form can dip in the second half, bit like Chelsea in 2015.
It won't matter much as when that happens they will still have a huge gap at the top anyway. Losing and their reaction won't tell anything, trophies will be the final thing they're judged on.
 
They've been doing that for years though tbf, Silva playing in Milner/Zabaleta for overlaps and cut backs was a constant theme of their play. It's just gone to a different level.
Absolutely. I did say world class fullbacks. I know Walker is a debatable one, but he's one of the best in the league and he does what they need him to.
 
They could be losing 1-0 from a fluke worldie and it wouldn't change it......on a good shooting day, this could easily be winning 4-0 and that's in the 30 minutes I've been watching. They are creating relentless chances, they are relentless putting pressure on any team that even bothers trying to play from the back, they play superb when IN possession......I could care less about the actual score sometimes, clear brilliance is sometimes clear. Not sure if it's has magical has 09-11 Barca, but in terms of Premier League, it's very much the best patch I've witnessed and well they haven't had the bad luck for the results to say otherwise either. It's insane.
Arsenals Invincibles were better.
 
All Pep’s teams have been done for violating doping protocol I believe. City were done for not providing the whereabouts of their players for testing three times in a year, although I think the first infringement was shortly before he joined. An Olympic athlete can be banned from competition for such a transgression but the football authorities are slack on doping.
True that.
 
The Liverpool game was key. They had looked pretty poor up to that game and did so in the early running against Liverpool. Aguero scores against the run of play, Mane got sent off and they panned them 5-0. It gave them the confidence and started their awesome run.
Yes.

Even against Arsenal, despite their domination and all the possession, there was a moment where at 2-1 you felt the visitors had it in them to creep back into the game.

If Mane keeps his cool and Wenger starts Lacazette, the games at Anfield and the Emirates will be tight.
 
Jeez hate thsee city players falling over at every 50/50 tackle. This is the whole Spanish mentality that pep brings with him. Found it very funny the way walker was looking behind and waiting for the spurs player to touch him just that he can just fall down.

As for possession football, lvg just killed all the excitement for that brand when he managed. I like fast counter attacking football any day over all these pass pass pass thing. Just my taste.
Both can be done. Many teams show it.
 
That's why I specifically said bar his touchline antics as those are obviously overdramatic, goes without saying that.
Didn’t he complain about injuries (Kante?) and there’s the continued talk about conflict inside the club, anyway he didn’t have a chance to show his true colors up till now I guess. Chelsea and him have been worse than us this season, but all the talk is about Mourinho and United. A prick on the field is a prick off the field also, he will have his turn.
 
Wow the amount of Blue pep sucking ;)

Mods can you add a not suitable for work tag as im not so sure some people in this thread are wearing cloths
 
I don't understand the Celtic reference...I'm probably missing something.

My assumption would be Pochettino, who's still young enough to build something long-term. I agree that I find it hard to believe you'll see anything resembling the tenures of Arsene/SAF in this league again...but that's what a system like ours depends on.
We chose SAF because he broke up the Old Firm dominance with Aberdeen and won a european trophy with them.
 
City's wins are becoming more and more psychological I think.

I honestly don't think they're that great - they're a good side, but the narrative of 'this is the best side in Europe' (which they clearly aren't), being bleated by managers and pundits as teams just turn up and play into their hands over and over again during this first half of the season.

I think that when it really, really matters to lower teams, we'll start seeing them being tactically taken on a lot more. West Ham, Huddersfield and Southampton showed that these level teams could quite easily be taking points off them.

Just curious (I don't think we are the best in Europe either) but atm who is "clearly" better? I would say there is a case for PSG and Barca being better, but "clearly".
I agree that the praise we get is over the top (best PL team ever etc..) but I would say no one in Europe is clearly better than us, nor are we clearly better then PSG, Barca or a reinvigorated Bayern.
 
Ederson’s left foot is just gracious.....

How did he learn to kick like that? He is just picking City players with ease.

The guys in the studio pointed out how Ederson's passing negates the high press from Tottenham. Insane what a keeper of that caliber does to your team.

As for possession football, lvg just killed all the excitement for that brand when he managed. I like fast counter attacking football any day over all these pass pass pass thing. Just my taste.

Nothing wrong with preference, but associating LVG with possession football id like associating Pulis with counter attacking football. Why associate a kind of football with a manager who couldn't do it well?