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Sunday the season is over with us in the Champions League (3 or 4th)

How would you describe this season?

Let's start with the begining. We have Pep for almost a year and a half (january 2016 since we announced it, june since he started his job).

Our league performance

+ The past season we played some of the best football I saw as a City fan. Our performance in the swamp was. at some parts, better than the 6-1 on the same ground. We absolutely suffocated them in the first half. His style was implemented here and we lead in the possesion stats.
+ Sane, Jesus, Silva and Tin Tin looked like they reached a new level. Merlin had maybe his best season for us, and this comes from a player who is the best playmaker in the league for 5 years now.

- We lacked consistency. We looked like a bipolar team. Today we are excelent, tomorrow we are a horror show. As someone excelent pointed out, we are like soft porn, sexy as fuck, but no penetration
- our defence. What can we say about that? Imho, Kompany has some role in this. With Vinny our defence was solid, very solid, almost as good as in the old days. Stones and Otamendi looked more secure with him around, but le's not forget that his injury started from an idiotic move he did when he was with the Belgium national team.
- Even if we seem to create many chances, our league scoring record is just a little more better than last season.

Pep

A bit of let down, to be honest, not because of his league performance, but because of his tactics and arrogance. He does not know the league and seems he is refusing to accept any advice. Brian Kidd, whom our board decided to keep, did not play a part for Guardiola. Imho, Kiddo could had help him a lot in key moments

+ His style of play is the best I ever saw at City
+ Made players choose us because of him (Nolito, Jesus, Sane)

- He seemed tactical clueless at some moments. That 3-5-2 made us lose a shitload of points in the league and Europe
- His obsession with Bravo
- His manager - player relation. Yaya, Nolito, Ian, etc. It seems that he does not know how to approach players, to make them fight for him.
- his youth policy is the worst by far (We expected him to promote a lot of teens from our squad, instead it looks like he is going to sell our prodigy, Ian)

Our board

- Our board seem that they are a total mess. I will start with our ref problems. We have zero protection when it comes to refs, at some point, there were about 12 points we lost because of poor (bent?) decisions. It all started since our title in 2014 and it seems is growing week in and week out

- The media campaign against us is fantastic. Difficult to go around this, but seems that there are less and less neutral, I would not say pro, just neutral article about us

- Transfer policy. What can I say about this? Everybody takes a piss when it comes to us. We either overpay for mediocre players, or we manage to sell far beyond tbe market value, that is when we sell, usually we just load with buy option with weird clauses.

- The fines with dopping and trying to buy any youth players


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The list can go on and on, however, we are one game away. For me, this season was one to forget. I think this summer will be decisive in our plan to win next season the league and reach a higher level in the Champions Cup. Guardiola failed to impress me this year, however, Istill think (not convinced anymore, but still hope) we have the right man for the job.

I also think the Spafia has too much liberty from Khaldoon and the sheik with our transfer budget and policy. They are not as good as they think and that is costing us. They look like they think this is Barceloina, and everything is in their favor, when actually, the whole system is against us.

Two years to go with Pep and maybe the Spafia. Are we going in the right direction?

Yes.

On the whole I am a happy camper. Yes, there are obvious things that could have gone better but I myself take a view that sport and football in particular is a funny old game at times. Our skills at adapting in this regard need to improve but that will come with time.

We have the core of a very potent attack, probably the best in the land. A couple of shrewd signings in the defence and we are going to be a very tough nut to crack.

Third, if we beat Watford, is no disgrace, especially given the rough ride we have been given by some of the officiating in the big games. We all know if we were given a few different decisions and who knows where the season would've led!

Pep, whether we win the PL next season or not, will be the best thing long term to happen to us. He had raised the European and global position of MCFC and the calibre of player who wants to sign for us has improved, think Sane, Jesus and arguably KDB. He will have introduced methods at the Academy which the next generation will follow long after he had departed.

We are well on the right path IMO

Keep Aguero and his 30 goals sort out the defence and a holding MF like Wanyama, it's the Yellow Brick Road.

League:
Unbeaten at home ( I'm not even gonna count that Anthony Taylor robbery). But more importantly totally dominant against every side that visited out ground. Next season it's fortress etihad.

FA Cup:
Amazing. Playing more top sides than anyone else. Robbed by the referee. Would at least be finalists.

League Cup:
We probably should have put out a stronger side. Hate seeing them cunts win anything we could have stopped them winning.

Champions League:
Very up and down. Dazzling at times and frustrating at others. Saying that, the first leg against Monaco was the best I've ever seen us play against the officials. They hit us with everything and we still won. It should have been 6-2 though. And no way we'd have fucked that up in the second leg.

Overall, while pep makes some strange decisions, I really do feel it's all part of a masterplan and next season, with a few tweaks, I think we'll be a beast of a team. In every competition.


Yes, we are absolutley on the right track.

Yes we are on the right track.

Pep should not be judged because our league position this year is false.
We were stitched up by Sky/FA implemented by the refs.
It cost us points and a run at the title. Not Pep's fault.

So to win pots I think we need to:

1. Sort out Sky/FA - that will be done by the owners in the background. I expect next season to be a level playing field.
2. Sort out our defence
3. Get a top class box to box midfielder or a holding midfielder

If those three things happen, we will be unstoppable next year.

Cant believe no one has mentioned we need a top class keeper and Bravo to be fucked off ASAP !

The facts are in the league we have more wins, scored more goals, conceded less with a better goal difference and more points than last season, all with one game to go.

We had a bad patch. We started great, we're finishing great.

We are on the right track. I love Pep as our manager. I love our style of football.

We'll have a better idea at the end of the summer transfer window, but I'd like to hope we're on the right track.

At the moment, it just feels like a bit of a mixed bag.

Dunnylad wrote:The facts are in the league we have more wins, scored more goals, conceded less with a better goal difference and more points than last season, all with one game to go.

pretty much sums it up.

All the while, fighting institutional iniquity ... with too many players who aren't up to it .... while implementing a new system top to bottom.

Ya, we're on the right track.

we'll find out when khaldoon delivers his post season message in a couple of weeks time

Nigels Tackle wrote:we'll find out when khaldoon delivers his post season message in a couple of weeks time

lol. so true, by which i mean so ridiculous.

Sideshow Bob wrote:

Nigels Tackle wrote:we'll find out when khaldoon delivers his post season message in a couple of weeks time

lol. so true, by which i mean so ridiculous.

I like Khaldoon and his calming state of the nation interviews. Khaldoon is a classy operator, we're lucky to have him.

Yes we're on the right track. Keep the faith folks. Look at our squad, we're a couple of signings off a dream team.

We will smash it next year.

Also who do you mean by Spafia (a term I don't like to describe anyone let alone our own people) pp?

Soriano has been doing a very very good job by all accounts. Txiki's track record, on the other hand, merits a bit more debate.

Original Dub wrote:League:
Unbeaten at home ( I'm not even gonna count that Anthony Taylor robbery). But more importantly totally dominant against every side that visited out ground. Next season it's fortress etihad.

FA Cup:
Amazing. Playing more top sides than anyone else. Robbed by the referee. Would at least be finalists.

League Cup:
We probably should have put out a stronger side. Hate seeing them cunts win anything we could have stopped them winning.

Champions League:
Very up and down. Dazzling at times and frustrating at others. Saying that, the first leg against Monaco was the best I've ever seen us play against the officials. They hit us with everything and we still won. It should have been 6-2 though. And no way we'd have fucked that up in the second leg.

Overall, while pep makes some strange decisions, I really do feel it's all part of a masterplan and next season, with a few tweaks, I think we'll be a beast of a team. In every competition.


Yes, we are absolutley on the right track.

With you on this. Really looking forward to next season

littlebig wrote:Also who do you mean by Spafia (a term I don't like to describe anyone let alone our own people) pp?

Soriano has been doing a very very good job by all accounts. Txiki's track record, on the other hand, merits a bit more debate.

They are a weird bunch for me.

Our club expanded on the international level, however, I have no idea how much those two had a role. I think Khaldoon is behind the contracts with the market in China and so on.

My problem with those two is that I am not 100 % certain they are involved full time in our club and follow our interest. They seem to make really poor transfer deals for us. Overpay for mediocre players, well sell under the market value and fail to loan youths in the league where they should prove themselves.

Add to that our problems with FIFA, dopping and most of all, with the FA. Call me nostalgic, but sometimes I miss Cook and his tissue transfer list.

PeterParker wrote:

littlebig wrote:Also who do you mean by Spafia (a term I don't like to describe anyone let alone our own people) pp?

Soriano has been doing a very very good job by all accounts. Txiki's track record, on the other hand, merits a bit more debate.

They are a weird bunch for me.

Our club expanded on the international level, however, I have no idea how much those two had a role. I think Khaldoon is behind the contracts with the market in China and so on.

My problem with those two is that I am not 100 % certain they are involved full time in our club and follow our interest. They seem to make really poor transfer deals for us. Overpay for mediocre players, well sell under the market value and fail to loan youths in the league where they should prove themselves.

Add to that our problems with FIFA, dopping and most of all, with the FA. Call me nostalgic, but sometimes I miss Cook and his tissue transfer list.

I think there's more than yourself who feels that way PP; myself included.

Going in the right direction. Chelsea were very lucky with injuries and no Europe this season. We had to not only contend with almost 10 more games but pretty blatantly biased decisions going against us.

Sane, Raheem, Gabriel, De Bruyne could all be class for years to come. I don't think Stones is a bad player either but is being picked as a scape-goat by the media and some fans for our average defense. Our full-backs regularly leak crosses and fouls every single game making it very hard for any center back.

We need 2 quality full-backs, a Yaya replacement and a keeper in the summer and I think we will sweep the league. We have needed a change at the full-back positions and center mid for at least 2 years now and there will be a complete overhaul in the coming months. Let's see how Chelsea cope when they can't put in the same 11 every week. Particularly if they lose Costa or Hazard.

Clowncrete wrote:Going in the right direction. Chelsea were very lucky with injuries and no Europe this season. We had to not only contend with almost 10 more games but pretty blatantly biased decisions going against us.

Sane, Raheem, Gabriel, De Bruyne could all be class for years to come. I don't think Stones is a bad player either but is being picked as a scape-goat by the media and some fans for our average defense. Our full-backs regularly leak crosses and fouls every single game making it very hard for any center back.

We need 2 quality full-backs, a Yaya replacement and a keeper in the summer and I think we will sweep the league. We have needed a change at the full-back positions and center mid for at least 2 years now and there will be a complete overhaul in the coming months. Let's see how Chelsea cope when they can't put in the same 11 every week. Particularly if they lose Costa or Hazard.

I wish we did have an "average" defence, as this would be a marked improvement upon what we've had to suffer this season.

I would take issue with any statistics which might suggest otherwise because, without Vinny there, it's looked absolutely ramshackle, even though it probably doesn't get the midfield cover that other sides deem necessary or normal for their back lines.

Irrespective of what other teams do this summer, the next transfer window is going to be crucial for ourselves and one we've got to get right as, to my mind, we need six or seven players bringing in.