Manchester City* - 130 charges (and counting...) (Part 1)

Amateur Sunday sides have better fans, nah there is a decent fan base sadly it’s surrounded by not much and some of the entitlement which you see has creeped into Newcastle as well (who do or did have a decent fan base).

https://www.currys.co.uk/appliances/fans-heating-and-air-treatment/heating-and-cooling/fans?searchTerm=fans

Even Currys has better fans. And some of them do look a bit ok

Note to wannabe managers:
Don’t park the bus against them.
If you do, you’re just a shit Sam Allardyce.

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I agree wholeheartedly. Teams should have a go. They will be broken down anyway if they just park the bus, so might as well try to win.

For Man Utd, it applies even more, as they are supposed to be a big team, and even if they aren’t a patch on what they were, they still have some who can play.

Thats the biggest thing. Not losing, but the manner of it. So small time. They don’t deserve to finish any higher than sixth, at the most.

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They force you in many ways, you cannot do just one or the other. If you sit back all game, then they feel like yeah we’ll play the game thank you very much, it’s the game they want and it’s likely they’ll break you down at some point. If you just have a go, you’re too naive.

Saying “having a go” and actually doing it is very different though. I remember thinking about that Barca side from 10+ years ago as a potential opposition player, the worst must be not to defend them (that alone must be hard), but being in possession your team’s half.

To beat City or take points off them, you have to do a bit of everything in different phases of the game, survive a lot and be lucky. Yeah, in some moments you have to be also opportunistic and effective, take certain risks that may look wild. But that cannot be a main game plan of course.

Of course that defending comes first, be it in a more proactive way like we do or more lower blocks. It’s inevitable, I don’t remember many teams forcing the initiative against them for more than certain periods in the game. Pose a threat going forward. Over the years, they’ve had certain issues with teams playing 3/5 at the back and naturally being strong in transitions.

There can be no criticism of Utd’s game plan. They gave it a go when they had the ball (which is what saying they “parked the bus” implies they didn’t) and they aren’t good enough to have forced any other dynamic in the game against city than one in which they were forced to defend for long stretches and try to hit them on the counter. They just went good enough at any phase…not good enough defensively (city should have scored 5 or 6), not good enough with their counters (too many missed passes), and wasteful with the opportunities they created.

You cannot get a result against city without massive luck when you are so bad in all 3 phases of the game.

I hope we have Salah back.

City may be the best side in the country pressing, but once you get through it, there are massive gaps between the midfield and the backline.

Poch is getting a lot of stick right now, and rightfully so. But he exploited that space better than anyone.

A frontline of Diaz Nunez and Salah could give them nightmares.

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Chelsea generally had them that game.

They couldn’t cope with that counter attack and if they could finish it would have been curtains.

Yes Man City missed a few but less guilt edged than Chelsea. They also defended far better than they have done for most of the season.

Pep’s gonna have them sit a little deeper and much more conservative as they always do at Anfield. He doesn’t come here to win, he comes here to get a point.

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That may not be the case with them a point behind us?

With a 3 team race, in the scenario where the two big games are both draws, it is a disaster for City.

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They will have to plan to beat us to get ahead of us, then they control their own destiny. Likewise, we will be planning to beat them - home game, huge rival, great chance to open up a gap.

I don’t think anyone will plan for a draw, as there’s too much upside to be had with a win, but of course a draw is one of the three possible outcomes.

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What about match abandoned due to plague of locusts? :thinking:

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And no-one ever mentions asteroids.

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Until it’s too late

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That’s a bit strong. If they draw at Anfield and v Arse they will still be favourites

Liverpool v City draw
Arsenal beats Brentford
Liverpool beats Brighton
City v Arsenal draw

Would mean

  1. Liverpool 67p
  2. Arsenal 65p
  3. City 64p

Don’t think City would still be favorites if that happens.

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City will always be the favourites in the media, though, because they’re apparently the best thing since sliced bread.

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All I see is 11 W’s in our league future…

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Disagree. Sure 3 points would give us the ‘freedom’ to draw one game, but that may be all we could drop and I’m not sure If be banking on that. Cheaty could easily win their remaining games and Arsenal just don’t enter that conversation. While I’d be okay with anything but a defeat on Sunday, I think if we’re actually going to win the league it’s a game we’re going to win.

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