Post match analysis.

[Justified logic]

Fair enough Noolie, we'll have to agree to disagree mate,the game is gone too soft for my liking.

I have to wonder if he'd been wearing white would that have been deemed a foul.

I do agree with football being way too soft nowadays. But with it being what it is, I think Walker was being daft.

No, he just hadn't realised quite how different the laws of the game are for us. Hopefully he knows now.

[Nick]

Wish I got some sleep...

[City64]

Pep is a cunt and I got home quicker than Hutch,s Shoulder .

just sayin !

Home at 1am, car battery knackered, poor thing must have watched the game too.

Nightmare mate , glad you got home safe and sound is the main thing . Hope the banter cheered you up a little CTWD

[zuricity]

anyway the goal for everton was an own goal , clearly hit against the post and in by our goalie.

[Mase]

Drop Sanè and Sergio for Bournemouth and bring in Sterling and Bernard's watch.

[FA cup winners 2006]

The really frustrating thing about last night is that this is no different to last season.

Teams now know that if they sit deep and ride their luck, they will get a clear cut chance.

We need to take our early chances and force the oppo to open up. To do this i think we need a front three who will deliver 20 league goals a season. That could be a mix of strikers, wingers or attacking mids but one thing is clear - Silva, KDB, Sterling and Sane are not the men to deliver 20 league goals a season and more often than not they will let you down in front of goal. We need someone like Sanchez, if only to take the pressure of Jesus or to play in a three man attack.

Also, in relation to last night set up.

Why is Kompany playing on the outside of the back 3 (this happened in pre-season as well)
Why is Stones playing as the central CB. he doesn't manage the offside line as well as Kompany.
Why were our defenders always backing up when someone was running at them and only making a tackle on the 18 yard line?
Why are we so easy to get at right up the middle? could Fernandinho be doing more?
Why cant D. Silva finish simple chances (not just last night)
Can D. Silva drop and play deeper - i felt he slowed a lot of the play down in the 2nd half when in around the box but was excellent when further out the field.
Sergio is clearly working harder on his game, especially in trying to bring other players into the game but is this affecting is composure and train of thought in front of goal?

i have my own ideas on the above but would be interested to hear others thoughts or even if they are the real issues

[Hazy2]

Great play, poor finishing done on a counter attack. We are not ruthless enough.

[nottsblue]

In cricket, catches win matches

In football, goals win games. We simply aren't converting enough of our CLEAR CUT chances. Score first and score early is the key. Whether it's just cobwebs after pre season or something more long standing we shall find out soon enough. But it seems to me a bit of extra shooting practice for everyone is in order.

[KinkyKinkladze]

One thing that struck me last night was the difference in our reactions to missing chances compared to last season. Last year they didn't seem arsed as they felt another chance would come their way. Last night when aguero missed, he knew it, kev was raging. Sterling missed that chance and you could see the anger on him and his teammates.

I think they know their downfall last season and they're learning from it. The attitude last night to me felt a few levels up on last season.

[sheblue]

Not sure if the 3 at the back suits us, or if its we need more time to get used to it (it took Chelsea a few games last season). Were slow getting the ball forward, with vinny and otamendi carrying the ball forward we look really slow and ponderous, either one of them then play easy ball into the strikers feet with their backs to goal and that is so easy for the opposition to defend against. Also the lack of a creative controlling central midfielder, Yaya type, is very noticeable at the moment.

Would like to see Pep change something for next game, hopefully Mendy is fit to play left wing back, assuming he sticks with the three.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

The really frustrating thing about last night is that this is no different to last season.

Teams now know that if they sit deep and ride their luck, they will get a clear cut chance.

We need to take our early chances and force the oppo to open up. To do this i think we need a front three who will deliver 20 league goals a season. That could be a mix of strikers, wingers or attacking mids but one thing is clear - Silva, KDB, Sterling and Sane are not the men to deliver 20 league goals a season and more often than not they will let you down in front of goal. We need someone like Sanchez, if only to take the pressure of Jesus or to play in a three man attack.

Also, in relation to last night set up.

Why is Kompany playing on the outside of the back 3 (this happened in pre-season as well)
Why is Stones playing as the central CB. he doesn't manage the offside line as well as Kompany.
Why were our defenders always backing up when someone was running at them and only making a tackle on the 18 yard line?
Why are we so easy to get at right up the middle? could Fernandinho be doing more?
Why cant D. Silva finish simple chances (not just last night)
Can D. Silva drop and play deeper - i felt he slowed a lot of the play down in the 2nd half when in around the box but was excellent when further out the field.
Sergio is clearly working harder on his game, especially in trying to bring other players into the game but is this affecting is composure and train of thought in front of goal?

i have my own ideas on the above but would be interested to hear others thoughts or even if they are the real issues

Lots of good questions there! In terms of Kompany and Stones, Pep said Kompany is on the right because he is better at one to ones and it is more similar to where he plays in a four, and Stones is in the middle because his distribution is better ('he can do more coming forwards'). I'm not sure that's all true, but it is what he said.

[Wonderwall]

With regards to Kompany playing a wide CB role. It's not his position at all. How many times have we seen him get a yellow identical to the one he got last night because he doesn't handle pacey attackers out wide.

He will always make that challenge and get a yellow. Also, Mangala has pace that we need for that system why is he not playing the left side of the 3 CBs?

[mr_nool]

With regards to Kompany playing a wide CB role. It's not his position at all. How many times have we seen him get a yellow identical to the one he got last night because he doesn't handle pacey attackers out wide.

He will always make that challenge and get a yellow. Also, Mangala has pace that we need for that system why is he not playing the left side of the 3 CBs?

Cause he can't pass water?

[Wonderwall]

With regards to Kompany playing a wide CB role. It's not his position at all. How many times have we seen him get a yellow identical to the one he got last night because he doesn't handle pacey attackers out wide.

He will always make that challenge and get a yellow. Also, Mangala has pace that we need for that system why is he not playing the left side of the 3 CBs?

Cause he can't pass water?

I would give him a go personally. He has the attributes and Pep needs to coach him properly.

[Sideshow Bob]

I like what I see in Ederson. Nice of the away fans to song his name all of the game

[Tru_Blu]

Seriously anyone questioning Peps system after this game are complete idiots. Player gives the ball away for the goal has shit to do with a 352 system or where any of the CBs are placed. People talk out of the asses.

The players are the problem that needs resolve. Kun needs to do more, especially in regards to team play. Silva takes to many touches needs to release earlier. Sterling needs to learn how to pass. Sane since Pep told him he can be on the same level as Messi has gone backwards. Just to mention a few but again this is the players not the system, we dominated the entire game.

[Hazy2]

Seriously anyone questioning Peps system after this game are complete idiots. Player gives the ball away for the goal has shit to do with a 352 system or where any of the CBs are placed. People talk out of the asses.

The players are the problem that needs resolve. Kun needs to do more, especially in regards to team play. Silva takes to many touches needs to release earlier. Sterling needs to learn how to pass. Sane since Pep told him he can be on the same level as Messi has gone backwards. Just to mention a few but again this is the players not the system, we dominated the entire game.

Don't be so fucking supportive who the fuck do you think you are hey ! a blue. Well said btw.

[kinkylola]

We should have been at least 2-0 up and we did dominate the game.

Sane is certainly not a wingback, or hasnt adapted to play there. He looked better when we changed shape and he went further up.

Thought we were smart not to fight through the middle, they had it packed with 3 DM's ... But we were wasteful with a lot of our possession all over the field.

Loved when Bernardo came on, loved Sterling roaming around behind kun, and I think Danilo looked excellent.

3 at the back has a future for us against teams that pack in ... One thing that cost us last season was attacking into a parked bus and getting ripped apart on the counter. We still have up a goal after a string of personal errors ... that happens, but should have never been because Silva should bury the chance immediately preceding.

Don't need to address the sending off, Walker needs to get used to the city bias and change his mentality a bit.

Amazing fight back and we continued to take the game to them. This team just fought harder than I've seen in a long time after going a man down ... Very positive result for me, given the circumstances.

[FA cup winners 2006]

With regards to Kompany playing a wide CB role. It's not his position at all. How many times have we seen him get a yellow identical to the one he got last night because he doesn't handle pacey attackers out wide.

He will always make that challenge and get a yellow. Also, Mangala has pace that we need for that system why is he not playing the left side of the 3 CBs?

Even that tackle last night. He pulled back from it at first, then when Calvert Lewin had the ball he rushed in and took him down. Kompany was slightly off in his decision making last night. Not the same player who played the last 5 games of last season yet

[fangsanalsatan]

We should have been at least 2-0 up and we did dominate the game.

Sane is certainly not a wingback, or hasnt adapted to play there. He looked better when we changed shape and he went further up.

Thought we were smart not to fight through the middle, they had it packed with 3 DM's ... But we were wasteful with a lot of our possession all over the field.

Loved when Bernardo came on, loved Sterling roaming around behind kun, and I think Danilo looked excellent.

3 at the back has a future for us against teams that pack in ... One thing that cost us last season was attacking into a parked bus and getting ripped apart on the counter. We still have up a goal after a string of personal errors ... that happens, but should have never been because Silva should bury the chance immediately preceding.

Don't need to address the sending off, Walker needs to get used to the city bias and change his mentality a bit.

Amazing fight back and we continued to take the game to them. This team just fought harder than I've seen in a long time after going a man down ... Very positive result for me, given the circumstances.

Good write-up.

With regards to Kompany playing a wide CB role. It's not his position at all. How many times have we seen him get a yellow identical to the one he got last night because he doesn't handle pacey attackers out wide.

He will always make that challenge and get a yellow. Also, Mangala has pace that we need for that system why is he not playing the left side of the 3 CBs?

Even that tackle last night. He pulled back from it at first, then when Calvert Lewin had the ball he rushed in and took him down. Kompany was slightly off in his decision making last night. Not the same player who played the last 5 games of last season yet

I can't fault him for that tackle, because if he commits too early, he gets creamed completely. He did the right thing in the end picking up that booking to stop Carl Lewis being through on goal there.