Skoorb
Alert Team
After the false dawns of three consecutive victories and two clean sheets, City enter 2017 finding themselves 10 points behind the relentless league leaders and with only the last vestiges of their scintillating start to the season keeping them ahead of the chasing pack. By the close of play on the first day of the New Year we could see City slip out of the top four should Tottenham and Arsenal secure wins over their opponents Watford and Crystal Palace respectively.
I am not going to put any money on anything other than seeing us sitting in fifth place by 6pm.
So much for "out with the old, in with the new"- more like "same old, same old" as City pretty much handed all three points to their opponents on a plate, gift wrapped and with a nice bow on top. Happy New Year everyone. Here. Have a bonus present.
After a promising enough start the players managed to construct the concession of a goal that would grace any park across the country on a Sunday morning. I think the ball was nestling in City's net some 17 seconds after Toure, seemingly without a clue as to who he should pass to from a free kick outside the Liverpool box, decided to abrogate any responsibility and kick it somewhere the vague direction of Kolarov on the left wing. Kolarov's careless loss of possession followed by Sterling and Zabaleta between them failing to prevent a cross onto which the Georginio Wijnaldum, seemingly racing into the penalty area without any City player thinking they ought to try and track him, out jumped Kolarov and thundered his header past Claudio Bravo (although I expect he may be held responsible by some for not catching the ball with both hands before throwing it out to a team mate whilst in mid-air before he landing back on the ground). Clueless and suicidal football. I find it inexplicable that with all the talent in our team that they couldn't think of something better to do with a free kick on the edge of their opponent's box. Maybe it is something else Pep doesn't coach.
Groundhog Day. We might as well give the opposition a 1-0 head start before we even step onto the pitch these days. :067:
Sean Dyche will bring his hard working Burnley side to the Etihad buoyed by a 4-1thumping of Sunderland and scenting blood in the water. Our team's inability to keep the ball out of our net especially early on in games is killing us and will not have gone unnoticed by other managers. Score first, defend in numbers appears to be the only formula required. It isn't rocket science.
City wil be without Sane again along with the perma-injured Delph, long term absentee Gundogan and club captain Kompany. His decision to watch the game whilst among the City faithful at Anfield was interesting. I hope they were polite but didn't pull any punches in telling him just how frustrating they are feeling as they watch this talented side stumble and stagger between games, unable to find any rhythm and seemingly all at seas when it comes to delivering any sort of consistency. When we chose to play the ball forward at pace and 'punch' it through the opponent's midfield shield we look like we can do some damage. However despite appearing to have become a convert to the Pep cause, Toure (for me at least) has started to exhibit his tendency to play the easy wall pass back to a team mate in defence rather than work hard to seek a position where he can receive the ball, turn and move the ball forward quickly. Saturday saw a reversion to the incessant what I call 'W' passing across the width of the pitch at the half way line - the ball zig zagging it's way from side to side as the opposition players work their socks off to deny forward passes and City engage in the Possession Without Progress which seems to enthuse our coach but offers zero threat to opponents and starves Aguero of any meaningful opportunities. Other players underperformed on Saturday evening - De Bruyne was seriously off the pace and couldn't barely pass water; Silva struggled to get into the game: Sterling tried hard but was thwarted mostly by a turbo charged Milner who was determined to make a statement; Fernandinho looked a shadow of the player who has been pushing for player of the season so far; Aguero failed to make anything happen toiling alone up front but seemingly not bursting with the energy one might expect from a player who has just had a long (albeit enforced) rest.
We can only hope that the players have thrown off any cobwebs and are ready to get right at it come 3pm on Monday.
I wonder what the odds are on City conceding the first goal within the first 15 minutes?
Pretty short I reckon.
Like most City fans I do not have any (current) football coaching badges but I think most of us would agree that you don't really need one to know that if you stop giving your opponents an easy head start you may actually have more chance of winning the game.
Simple really.
Come On City!!!
I am not going to put any money on anything other than seeing us sitting in fifth place by 6pm.
So much for "out with the old, in with the new"- more like "same old, same old" as City pretty much handed all three points to their opponents on a plate, gift wrapped and with a nice bow on top. Happy New Year everyone. Here. Have a bonus present.
After a promising enough start the players managed to construct the concession of a goal that would grace any park across the country on a Sunday morning. I think the ball was nestling in City's net some 17 seconds after Toure, seemingly without a clue as to who he should pass to from a free kick outside the Liverpool box, decided to abrogate any responsibility and kick it somewhere the vague direction of Kolarov on the left wing. Kolarov's careless loss of possession followed by Sterling and Zabaleta between them failing to prevent a cross onto which the Georginio Wijnaldum, seemingly racing into the penalty area without any City player thinking they ought to try and track him, out jumped Kolarov and thundered his header past Claudio Bravo (although I expect he may be held responsible by some for not catching the ball with both hands before throwing it out to a team mate whilst in mid-air before he landing back on the ground). Clueless and suicidal football. I find it inexplicable that with all the talent in our team that they couldn't think of something better to do with a free kick on the edge of their opponent's box. Maybe it is something else Pep doesn't coach.
Groundhog Day. We might as well give the opposition a 1-0 head start before we even step onto the pitch these days. :067:
Sean Dyche will bring his hard working Burnley side to the Etihad buoyed by a 4-1thumping of Sunderland and scenting blood in the water. Our team's inability to keep the ball out of our net especially early on in games is killing us and will not have gone unnoticed by other managers. Score first, defend in numbers appears to be the only formula required. It isn't rocket science.
City wil be without Sane again along with the perma-injured Delph, long term absentee Gundogan and club captain Kompany. His decision to watch the game whilst among the City faithful at Anfield was interesting. I hope they were polite but didn't pull any punches in telling him just how frustrating they are feeling as they watch this talented side stumble and stagger between games, unable to find any rhythm and seemingly all at seas when it comes to delivering any sort of consistency. When we chose to play the ball forward at pace and 'punch' it through the opponent's midfield shield we look like we can do some damage. However despite appearing to have become a convert to the Pep cause, Toure (for me at least) has started to exhibit his tendency to play the easy wall pass back to a team mate in defence rather than work hard to seek a position where he can receive the ball, turn and move the ball forward quickly. Saturday saw a reversion to the incessant what I call 'W' passing across the width of the pitch at the half way line - the ball zig zagging it's way from side to side as the opposition players work their socks off to deny forward passes and City engage in the Possession Without Progress which seems to enthuse our coach but offers zero threat to opponents and starves Aguero of any meaningful opportunities. Other players underperformed on Saturday evening - De Bruyne was seriously off the pace and couldn't barely pass water; Silva struggled to get into the game: Sterling tried hard but was thwarted mostly by a turbo charged Milner who was determined to make a statement; Fernandinho looked a shadow of the player who has been pushing for player of the season so far; Aguero failed to make anything happen toiling alone up front but seemingly not bursting with the energy one might expect from a player who has just had a long (albeit enforced) rest.
We can only hope that the players have thrown off any cobwebs and are ready to get right at it come 3pm on Monday.
I wonder what the odds are on City conceding the first goal within the first 15 minutes?
Pretty short I reckon.
Like most City fans I do not have any (current) football coaching badges but I think most of us would agree that you don't really need one to know that if you stop giving your opponents an easy head start you may actually have more chance of winning the game.
Simple really.
Come On City!!!
