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We seem to be dominating games in the first half but are unable to maintain it for the second. Why do you think that is?

Are we protecting our leads?

Are we not fit enough to maintain the pace for the full 90?

Are the opposition teams taking half a game to work out how to deal with us?

Something else or a combination of the above?

Belief and momentum. When you dominate but don't kill a team off it plays on your mind, if they manage to get back into then momentum swings their way and the doubts are compounded.

I thought we showed remarkable character today to withstand the physical approach they brought in the second half backed by their home crowd.

Probably still getting used to Pep's way. It's only been a few games.

Mase wrote:Probably still getting used to Pep's way. It's only been a few games.

pep's dr only arrived a few days ago
wait until his magic potions kick in

West Ham and Sunderland weren't first half and second half contrasts.
It was more like a goal out of the blue and ten minutes of panic.
The same could be said of yesterday. The surprise conceding of a goal just came earlier.

Think it's just that bullshit third goal knocking the stuffing out us. Need to stop conceding shite goals when we are cruising.

london blue 2 wrote:Think it's just that bullshit third goal knocking the stuffing out us. Need to stop conceding shite goals when we are cruising.

Third time now. Once we start to snuff out teams we will cruise

City in 1 half show the future that will become a record score, add Aguero to the game yesterday, and taking nothing away from Kelechi, the scum would have had nothing but face saving to play for. the future so bright we got a where shades !

nottsblue wrote:

london blue 2 wrote:Think it's just that bullshit third goal knocking the stuffing out us. Need to stop conceding shite goals when we are cruising.

Third time now. Once we start to snuff out teams we will cruise

Yep. We manage the game better at two nil and we add the third making it impossible for the oppo to get a head of steam.

It will come.

dazby wrote:We seem to be dominating games in the first half but are unable to maintain it for the second. Why do you think that is?

Are we protecting our leads?

Are we not fit enough to maintain the pace for the full 90?

Are the opposition teams taking half a game to work out how to deal with us?

Something else or a combination of the above?

We played the rags in there own rat infested back yard off the pitch for 40 minutes yesterday like no other Manchester City team has ever done . It was sublime , if Kun was on the pitch we may have been 4 or 5 up but heyho just 2 nil up . One horrible mistake let them back into the game and the moaning cunt changed tactics to prehistoric long ball bombardment plus brought on the quality and pace of Rashford , we coped , we survived a mini onslaught . Pep then strengthened our midfield , our players kept on running and running and giving everything . It was superb the result FUCKING HUGE !!!!
We are still work in progress but fuck me we are frighteningly good already , way ahead of where I thought we would be at such an early stage of the season . Odd soft goals given away by us the only blot on the landscape BUT this will be sorted once our keeper issues are ironed out . Can see us ripping someone in the PL by 6 or 7 soon ............ sit back and enjoy , this guy who manages us now is truly something else full on class , intensity and passion with a will to win like I have never seen before and a team that runs its bollocks off and actually gives a fuck . If anyone cant see this they need to fuck off take up knitting or tiddly winks or walk off the end of a cliff .

I think its that intensity which we are finding hard to adapt to for 90mins and Pep is finding it's a tactic that is hard to perfect in England due to the competitive nature of so many teams. We have dips and sometimes revert to old habits which is understandable as Pep's not been here that long & we had a shite pre-season, although as Nigel's Tackle said now the Dr is here we might start maintaining that intensity for much longer based on the player's assisted ability to 'recover' quicker.

it should also be noted that quite a few of the rags were dead on their feet in the last few minutes. bailly, in particular, looked totally fucked from 85 mins onwards.

Sometimes you have to accept that the opposition will change it up like has happened in the West Ham and Man U games. West Ham could not have been any worse in the 2nd half at our place or it would have been a cricket score.

Man U changed tact yesterday and went more direct and started to put a high press on. But we dealt with it. Although we were not as fluent in the 2nd half we showed that we will not wilt under pressure and showed good character. The real acid test for me though is Anfield. We never ever win there. Can we finally break the hoodo?

I think in the second half we deliberatly made a step back and we tried to counter.

We were a bit off, but when Fernando came in, it was sorted. I think we had the better chances in the second half also, if you ask me. We could have buried it long before the final whistle.

Mase wrote:Probably still getting used to Pep's way. It's only been a few games.

I agree, mate. The energy and understanding will improve over the season. Come Christmas I reckon we'll be up to (roughly) 90 mins non-stop per game.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:

Mase wrote:Probably still getting used to Pep's way. It's only been a few games.

I agree, mate. The energy and understanding will improve over the season. Come Christmas I reckon we'll be up to (roughly) 90 mins non-stop per game.

It's actually fucking nigh on impossible to press for 90 mins. Pep will try, but expecting us to go go go right away isn't realistic.

I'm sure we'll get fitter and in sure we'll kill a lot of games off before 45 mins. It's coming.

We just need to get the situation that when we get two up or ideally three up, that the opposition just give up and play for damage limitation. Like what the rags had a decade ago.

For that we need a solid defence and once we have sorted that out and i dont think it will take long, then we will see much more comfortable games where we dont have to press for 90 minutes because the game was won after an hour.

So, if pressing for 90 minutes isn't possible week in, week out, play on the front foot for the first half to get a lead, play on the counter-attack in the second half?

Sounds like a plan.

Some of it undoubtedly when the opposition change there approach and especially to the long ball to the big guys. WHU did and the scum copied it.

That sort of adds to the pleasure of the win for me. In the first half we played them off the park with superb football.Then a silly mistake at the end of the half and a little panic told them what they had to do ( it was blindingly obvious anyway) and they switched to 3rd division hoof the ball tactics. But it didn't work as they didnt score and we stood up to it pretty well.

Pep will be pleased at planty of things but I am sure disapppointed we didn't score more. At our best ( probably needing Kun) that would have been a battering approaching the 6.1

Pretty Boy Lee wrote:

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:

Mase wrote:Probably still getting used to Pep's way. It's only been a few games.

I agree, mate. The energy and understanding will improve over the season. Come Christmas I reckon we'll be up to (roughly) 90 mins non-stop per game.

It's actually fucking nigh on impossible to press for 90 mins. Pep will try, but expecting us to go go go right away isn't realistic.

I'm sure we'll get fitter and in sure we'll kill a lot of games off before 45 mins. It's coming.

That's why I said roughly 90 mins. You need little rest periods here and there, especially in our league. But we're improving.