First Impressions Of Jesus?

[DoomMerchant]

Gone off the boil a bit last few games and looked leggy after a very promising second quarter of the season.
Is he struggling from the lack of a winter break he normally gets or is he getting found out, maybe a bit of both? Negredo also has been struggling recently.

Last night he was quite poor imo, we really needed him to provide an outlet. Maybe give him a rest.

i think he's been way better than you might expect for a first season in the prem.

People act like we bought a 30M winger...he was quite affordable and for what we paid he's done a solid job.

Last night...he shouldn't have been playing in my opinion, and neither should Kolarov. But hindsight, is...as they say...asshole vision.

[nottsblue]

Considering he has pace to burn I'm a tad disappointed we don't see him taking on defenders more often like Sterling does for dippers.
Great signing and that minor gripe aside am well pleased we have him

[DoomMerchant]

Considering he has pace to burn I'm a tad disappointed we don't see him taking on defenders more often like Sterling does for dippers.
Great signing and that minor gripe aside am well pleased we have him

Sterling i think is a bit better on the ball than Jesus, but i think Jesus has a better cross on him.

I'll head to the cloak room. Cheers.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Gone off the boil a bit last few games and looked leggy after a very promising second quarter of the season.
Is he struggling from the lack of a winter break he normally gets or is he getting found out, maybe a bit of both? Negredo also has been struggling recently.

Last night he was quite poor imo, we really needed him to provide an outlet. Maybe give him a rest.

i think he's been way better than you might expect for a first season in the prem.

People act like we bought a 30M winger...he was quite affordable and for what we paid he's done a solid job.

Last night...he shouldn't have been playing in my opinion, and neither should Kolarov. But hindsight, is...as they say...asshole vision.

I wasn't getting at him so much. Merely pointing to the fact he looks quite tired and leggy at the moment and is probably not used to playing in the level of games he has been.
It showed last night and imo he needs a rest to recover.

[phips]

he's been inconsistent going forward and still dives too much but i do think his willingness to track back and defend has improved.

[Slim]

I don't think he's that quick when the ball's at his feet. When there is clear space down the flank he should adopt the Martin Petrov dribbling technique, boot and chase.

[Dubciteh]

Gone off the boil a bit last few games and looked leggy after a very promising second quarter of the season.
Is he struggling from the lack of a winter break he normally gets or is he getting found out, maybe a bit of both? Negredo also has been struggling recently.

Last night he was quite poor imo, we really needed him to provide an outlet. Maybe give him a rest.

i think he's been way better than you might expect for a first season in the prem.

People act like we bought a 30M winger...he was quite affordable and for what we paid he's done a solid job.

Last night...he shouldn't have been playing in my opinion, and neither should Kolarov. But hindsight, is...as they say...asshole vision.

Who would you have played instead of the both of them? i think Navas was a nailed on cert for the barca game i didnt think there was a viable alternative.

he has played a serious amount of games lately, i think he just needs a rest which he will get with nasri and milner back. He is at his best when rotated and also is a great weapon to have from the bench like fulham away which we havent had recently as he has to play every game.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Gone off the boil a bit last few games and looked leggy after a very promising second quarter of the season.
Is he struggling from the lack of a winter break he normally gets or is he getting found out, maybe a bit of both? Negredo also has been struggling recently.

Last night he was quite poor imo, we really needed him to provide an outlet. Maybe give him a rest.

i think he's been way better than you might expect for a first season in the prem.

People act like we bought a 30M winger...he was quite affordable and for what we paid he's done a solid job.

Last night...he shouldn't have been playing in my opinion, and neither should Kolarov. But hindsight, is...as they say...asshole vision.

Who would you have played instead of the both of them? i think Navas was a nailed on cert for the barca game i didnt think there was a viable alternative.

he has played a serious amount of games lately, i think he just needs a rest which he will get with nasri and milner back. He is at his best when rotated and also is a great weapon to have from the bench like fulham away which we havent had recently as he has to play every game.

I agree with Mr. Merchant. Jovetic and Nasri was my choice pre game. We wouldn't have been as solid defensively but they both can provide good out balls with their ball retention abilities, I accept Samir is not 100% but felt he could've given us an hour( I know I'll be accused of hindsight here but that was the team I predicted on another forum I visit)

[Ted Hughes]

Nasri would have come on, when Barca were less fresh. That was one tactic the Count did get right imo. Had Jovetic started, imo, there's a decent chance we would be ahead in this tie, which brings me neatly to Navas.

In a normal game, Navas gets the ball & we pile into the box giving him loads of options. Therefore it is well worth putting in a cross.

In recent games we have been either tired (Chelsea/Norwich) a bit more cautious (Chelsea FA Cup) or shit scared (Barca) so it's been a Mancini situation ie; not sure if there's any point putting in a cross, so choose another option.

Then he becomes a spare fullback, like Kolarov, rather than a winger.

[Herb]

I agree with Mr. Merchant. Jovetic and Nasri was my choice pre game. We wouldn't have been as solid defensively but they both can provide good out balls with their ball retention abilities, I accept Samir is not 100% but felt he could've given us an hour( I know I'll be accused of hindsight here but that was the team I predicted on another forum I visit)

It's not hindsight you have - just a huge blind-spot where you can't see the recovery and performance data that the Manager has at hand when making the decisions that you somehow feel you could make better.
It's ignorance that burdens you not intelligence and the sooner that you're humble enough to recognise that it's rough opinion that you offer and nothing better then the sooner you may start to earn some respect.

[Hazy2]

I think Navas could be very important in the away Leg, Alba and Alves like to show boat and jog back, diagonals could be used in behind with Kun. This tie could come back to life if we are brave.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I agree with Mr. Merchant. Jovetic and Nasri was my choice pre game. We wouldn't have been as solid defensively but they both can provide good out balls with their ball retention abilities, I accept Samir is not 100% but felt he could've given us an hour( I know I'll be accused of hindsight here but that was the team I predicted on another forum I visit)

It's not hindsight you have - just a huge blind-spot where you can't see the recovery and performance data that the Manager has at hand when making the decisions that you somehow feel you could make better.
It's ignorance that burdens you not intelligence and the sooner that you're humble enough to recognise that it's rough opinion that you offer and nothing better then the sooner you may start to earn some respect.

The sooner you stop acting like a complete and utter fucking cretin and accept that people have different opinions to you then you might start to earn some respect.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Nasri would have come on, when Barca were less fresh. That was one tactic the Count did get right imo. Had Jovetic started, imo, there's a decent chance we would be ahead in this tie, which brings me neatly to Navas.

In a normal game, Navas gets the ball & we pile into the box giving him loads of options. Therefore it is well worth putting in a cross.

In recent games we have been either tired (Chelsea/Norwich) a bit more cautious (Chelsea FA Cup) or shit scared (Barca) so it's been a Mancini situation ie; not sure if there's any point putting in a cross, so choose another option.

Then he becomes a spare fullback, like Kolarov, rather than a winger.

My thinking was hold Navas back and send him on against tired legs for the last half hour.

I think playing Kolarov on the left wing was a mistake, it basically set the tone to the players that we are more concerned with what they can do to us rather than what we can do to them although I'd imagine Milner would've started there had he been available.

[Ted Hughes]

Nasri would have come on, when Barca were less fresh. That was one tactic the Count did get right imo. Had Jovetic started, imo, there's a decent chance we would be ahead in this tie, which brings me neatly to Navas.

In a normal game, Navas gets the ball & we pile into the box giving him loads of options. Therefore it is well worth putting in a cross.

In recent games we have been either tired (Chelsea/Norwich) a bit more cautious (Chelsea FA Cup) or shit scared (Barca) so it's been a Mancini situation ie; not sure if there's any point putting in a cross, so choose another option.

Then he becomes a spare fullback, like Kolarov, rather than a winger.

My thinking was hold Navas back and send him on against tired legs for the last half hour.

I think playing Kolarov on the left wing was a mistake, it basically set the tone to the players that we are more concerned with what they can do to us rather than what we can do to them although I'd imagine Milner would've started there had he been available.

I think you are probably right about Milner & that would have been a decent selection. Not Kolarov.

The proof that Pellegrini got the attitude of this game badly wrong, is there even in the posts of people making a case for him imo.

Very few people have said that they think we don't have a chance in Barcelona; players, fans, even some media.

Any of them could tell me this; In Barcelona, we need to score 3 goals at least...

How the FUCK can we do that without attacking them , quite a lot ?

So we can go to the Nou Camp & attack Barca, & win 3-0, but we can't attack them on our own fucking pitch, because it's too risky.

Bollocks. We bottled it.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I think the problem with Navas at times is that he can be a little too one dimensional and a good fullback (not that there are many) can stop him.
His main trick for beating a man is feign to go left with a drop of the shoulder then switch and go right beating him for pace on the outside. That works especially against tired defenders or defenders who try and dive in to nip the ball off him, especially when we're on the counter attack.
When he comes up against a good fullback though, they simply give him space and drop off and he doesn't look anywhere near as convincing if he takes them on as they're in a good position to prevent the run on the outside.
This imo is where he needs to develop his game. Nasri for example can dance around players, switching the ball from foot to foot and 'jinking' past a couple of defenders, Johnson was quite decent at it also, SWP was brilliant at it and was also a good finisher.


However, unlike most wingers Navas is normally a very good and accurate crosser and as I said, brilliant if we're protecting a lead and running at stretched defences.

[Original Dub]

Nasri would have come on, when Barca were less fresh. That was one tactic the Count did get right imo. Had Jovetic started, imo, there's a decent chance we would be ahead in this tie, which brings me neatly to Navas.

In a normal game, Navas gets the ball & we pile into the box giving him loads of options. Therefore it is well worth putting in a cross.

In recent games we have been either tired (Chelsea/Norwich) a bit more cautious (Chelsea FA Cup) or shit scared (Barca) so it's been a Mancini situation ie; not sure if there's any point putting in a cross, so choose another option.

Then he becomes a spare fullback, like Kolarov, rather than a winger.

My thinking was hold Navas back and send him on against tired legs for the last half hour.

I think playing Kolarov on the left wing was a mistake, it basically set the tone to the players that we are more concerned with what they can do to us rather than what we can do to them although I'd imagine Milner would've started there had he been available.

I think you are probably right about Milner & that would have been a decent selection. Not Kolarov.

The proof that Pellegrini got the attitude of this game badly wrong, is there even in the posts of people making a case for him imo.

Very few people have said that they think we don't have a chance in Barcelona; players, fans, even some media.

Any of them could tell me this; In Barcelona, we need to score 3 goals at least...

How the FUCK can we do that without attacking them , quite a lot ?

So we can go to the Nou Camp & attack Barca, & win 3-0, but we can't attack them on our own fucking pitch, because it's too risky.

Bollocks. We bottled it.

I don't think we bottled it at all. I think we showed them respect at the beginning and let them knock the ball around in areas where they weren't hurting us at all, along with some neat counter attacking football. I believe as the game wore on, we stated to trade blows properly and the game plan was working.

If you want to compare two similar results with different approaches, look no further than Arsenal v Bayern.
Arsenal went at Bayern and were looking good. They went down to ten men and decided to go cagey. Both Arsenal and City fans have reason to say their teams went about elements of the match the wrong way, but I feel our approach was to feel them out and then pile the pressure and I have no problem with that.

Individual mistakes cost us. Not for the first time this season. Different player, same outcome. But I don't believe we bottled it. How can you bottle it against a team you have never played competitively against before?
Bottling it is when you know you have played a team before and you change the way you play to suit them the next time.
We wanted to see what they had and we found out it wasn't what we thought they had, so began to play ourselves.

If we do the same at the nou camp, then we have bottled it. I don't believe we will. In fact, I don't believe we would have even with a favourable result in Manchester. Because we know how to play them now.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Nasri would have come on, when Barca were less fresh. That was one tactic the Count did get right imo. Had Jovetic started, imo, there's a decent chance we would be ahead in this tie, which brings me neatly to Navas.

In a normal game, Navas gets the ball & we pile into the box giving him loads of options. Therefore it is well worth putting in a cross.

In recent games we have been either tired (Chelsea/Norwich) a bit more cautious (Chelsea FA Cup) or shit scared (Barca) so it's been a Mancini situation ie; not sure if there's any point putting in a cross, so choose another option.

Then he becomes a spare fullback, like Kolarov, rather than a winger.

My thinking was hold Navas back and send him on against tired legs for the last half hour.

I think playing Kolarov on the left wing was a mistake, it basically set the tone to the players that we are more concerned with what they can do to us rather than what we can do to them although I'd imagine Milner would've started there had he been available.

I think you are probably right about Milner & that would have been a decent selection. Not Kolarov.

The proof that Pellegrini got the attitude of this game badly wrong, is there even in the posts of people making a case for him imo.

Very few people have said that they think we don't have a chance in Barcelona; players, fans, even some media.

Any of them could tell me this; In Barcelona, we need to score 3 goals at least...

How the FUCK can we do that without attacking them , quite a lot ?

So we can go to the Nou Camp & attack Barca, & win 3-0, but we can't attack them on our own fucking pitch, because it's too risky.

Bollocks. We bottled it.

I don't think we bottled it at all. I think we showed them respect at the beginning and let them knock the ball around in areas where they weren't hurting us at all, along with some neat counter attacking football. I believe as the game wore on, we stated to trade blows properly and the game plan was working.

If you want to compare two similar results with different approaches, look no further than Arsenal v Bayern.
Arsenal went at Bayern and were looking good. They went down to ten men and decided to go cagey. Both Arsenal and City fans have reason to say their teams went about elements of the match the wrong way, but I feel our approach was to feel them out and then pile the pressure and I have no problem with that.

Individual mistakes cost us. Not for the first time this season. Different player, same outcome. But I don't believe we bottled it. How can you bottle it against a team you have never played competitively against before?
Bottling it is when you know you have played a team before and you change the way you play to suit them the next time.
We wanted to see what they had and we found out it wasn't what we thought they had, so began to play ourselves.

If we do the same at the nou camp, then we have bottled it. I don't believe we will. In fact, I don't believe we would have even with a favourable result in Manchester. Because we know how to play them now.

I'm sort of half way between the two opinions. I thought first half we defended magnificently and for all their possession they barely had a chance. However, I felt we didn't do enough when we had the ball. We seemed to get scared and ended up giving it straight back. How many times this season have we seen our players aimlessly hoof the ball up to no one like we did on Tuesday night?

The decision to play Kolarov was a mistake imo. He's a good left back but a poor left winger, I can't see why we played him there, he offered nothing and it wasn't his fault. As Ted said, he was effectively a second full back.
That also links to Negredo. Negredo was very isolated and often had to battle two or 3 defenders by himself. Had we played Jovetic or Nasri instead of Kolarov, we would have posed much more of a threat going forward and given Negredo a lot more support and also pushed Barca further back.

Also playing Kolarov at left mid imo sent out a message we were scared, we should have been focusing on causing them problems first and shouldn't have sacrificed our attacking game for it.

[bayblue]

I think overall he's done ok, but has been a bit up and down. On Tuesday, and on other games, he's sometimes ended up running horizontally across the pitch, showing admirable desire to do something but often achieving little.

If I could change one thing it would be his link play with his full back. This was brought home to me last night watching how intelligently Robben linked with Lahm or Rufhina. Too often Navas and Zabs just don't seem on the same page.

[Ted Hughes]

Nasri would have come on, when Barca were less fresh. That was one tactic the Count did get right imo. Had Jovetic started, imo, there's a decent chance we would be ahead in this tie, which brings me neatly to Navas.

In a normal game, Navas gets the ball & we pile into the box giving him loads of options. Therefore it is well worth putting in a cross.

In recent games we have been either tired (Chelsea/Norwich) a bit more cautious (Chelsea FA Cup) or shit scared (Barca) so it's been a Mancini situation ie; not sure if there's any point putting in a cross, so choose another option.

Then he becomes a spare fullback, like Kolarov, rather than a winger.

My thinking was hold Navas back and send him on against tired legs for the last half hour.

I think playing Kolarov on the left wing was a mistake, it basically set the tone to the players that we are more concerned with what they can do to us rather than what we can do to them although I'd imagine Milner would've started there had he been available.

I think you are probably right about Milner & that would have been a decent selection. Not Kolarov.

The proof that Pellegrini got the attitude of this game badly wrong, is there even in the posts of people making a case for him imo.

Very few people have said that they think we don't have a chance in Barcelona; players, fans, even some media.

Any of them could tell me this; In Barcelona, we need to score 3 goals at least...

How the FUCK can we do that without attacking them , quite a lot ?

So we can go to the Nou Camp & attack Barca, & win 3-0, but we can't attack them on our own fucking pitch, because it's too risky.

Bollocks. We bottled it.

I don't think we bottled it at all. I think we showed them respect at the beginning and let them knock the ball around in areas where they weren't hurting us at all, along with some neat counter attacking football. I believe as the game wore on, we stated to trade blows properly and the game plan was working.

If you want to compare two similar results with different approaches, look no further than Arsenal v Bayern.
Arsenal went at Bayern and were looking good. They went down to ten men and decided to go cagey. Both Arsenal and City fans have reason to say their teams went about elements of the match the wrong way, but I feel our approach was to feel them out and then pile the pressure and I have no problem with that.

Individual mistakes cost us. Not for the first time this season. Different player, same outcome. But I don't believe we bottled it. How can you bottle it against a team you have never played competitively against before?
Bottling it is when you know you have played a team before and you change the way you play to suit them the next time.
We wanted to see what they had and we found out it wasn't what we thought they had, so began to play ourselves.

If we do the same at the nou camp, then we have bottled it. I don't believe we will. In fact, I don't believe we would have even with a favourable result in Manchester. Because we know how to play them now.

Well if we didn't bottle it I'll tell you what, have a look at the 2nd half, before the goal, when Barca have possession for a bit & the ball breaks to Kompany & Demichelis. Have a look at when Barca's attacks break down. This is after we have had a full half to have a look at Barca & decide how to hit them on the counter. Have a look at what VK & MDM do with the ball when it comes to them, with time & space to play it.

Watch Demichelis point to Hart for him to pass the ball to Vinny on the right with time & space, like Bayern did, & how Hart lumps it upfield. See how Barca pick the ball up comfortably in the Jovetic shaped hole, when they should be having to fight for it.

Our midfield tried to play all the time, but the rest of the team shat themselves & the manager worried about them rather than us.

[Hazy2]

If we are being so precise Zabba should have played to the whistle in the build up he stopped right in front of us in the East stand, was caught in no mans land.