*** toffees vs City official match thread***

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Sterling got himself involved and tried but not much came off for him. Wanting rid is way extreme to me, but everyone sees what they see.

I thought we did really well to grind Everton down and stay patient and composed. Dias and Laporte looked very assured together and that hasn’t been the case when Stones drops out before. Gundo right man, right place once again and Kev on to seal it. Happy enough.

[johnny crossan]

Sterling got himself involved and tried but not much came off for him. Wanting rid is way extreme to me, but everyone sees what they see.

I thought we did really well to grind Everton down and stay patient and composed. Dias and Laporte looked very assured together and that hasn’t been the case when Stones drops out before. Gundo right man, right place once again and Kev on to seal it. Happy enough.

KDB could easily have lost it for us, gave it away at 0-1 and we were lucky they didn't equalise - pens would have been very tricky.

[stupot]

Steffan made a right cock up in the 1st half coming out for the ball. Luckily Laporte bailed him out. I thought Laporte was our best defender today. Reading the thread Sterling rightly gets a lot of stick but nothing said about Bernardo who loads were saying was better without Kev- well not today. A lot of running produced nothing of note.It all changed when Kev came on. The main man again

[Whassat]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/bl ... tervention

This is the kind of shit that makes me smile. And also cry because he is on his last leg for us.

So many fond memories during the last decade. I miss D. Silva, Kompany, Zabaleta, Dzeko, Kolarov, Balotelli, Micah!, Dunne, Ireland etc ...

[Dubaimancityfan]

Re Raz - I’d like to see our fan base back raheem through this poor run. He’s much much better than this.

Poor form? Does the term “form” stays when are at least 2 years of him being shit?
I would say 4, but let’s go with just 2.

Raz is class. He’s just having a bad run. Why do we always need to hate on someone.

I remember when everyone (not everyone but you know what I mean) wanted shot of Gundo. Now look at him. Same with Zinchenko and mahrez. Can’t we just support our players without always having a villain.

Good post LB2. I still can’t forgive Raz for the miss against Lyon ( and the one against Wigan in FA ?) but I’m willing to give him time. I wouldn’t start him at the moment but give him enough time to regain form. Maybe his time with England in the next week will do him some good, a goal or two to regain confidence.

[Dimples]

I am a Sterling fan but he should rarely be in the first 11 for the really big tight matches. Definitely not for any this season because his current form is terrible and (the bigger issue) is his finishing.

We do not convert enough of our chances. We get away with this in the domestic games because we create so many. We will not get away with this in the CL knock out games because the number of chances will be fewer and we must be clinical with our finishing.
Sterling's conversion rate of big chances is dreadful.

The other worry is that the rest of our forwards are pretty wasteful also (Jesus, Mahrez.......) and Kun (our only really clinical finisher) is not match fit.

[Tokyo Blue]

Good post LB2. I still can’t forgive Raz for the miss against Lyon ( and the one against Wigan in FA ?) but I’m willing to give him time. I wouldn’t start him at the moment but give him enough time to regain form. Maybe his time with England in the next week will do him some good, a goal or two to regain confidence.

Mate, let it go. Life is too short.

[zuricity]

Raz is class. He’s just having a bad run. Why do we always need to hate on someone.
I remember when everyone (not everyone but you know what I mean) wanted shot of Gundo. Now look at him. Same with Zinchenko and mahrez. Can’t we just support our players without always having a villain.

Well said friend, you wonder what team some on here are watching. I stood next to a Paul Power hater on the Kippax for a decade - never a good word. He had a point though unlike Raz's critics, they forget too quickly. He is a player at the height of his powers and still climbing - he just has had a few extra bivouacs lately

Every home game a guy next to us , with a shockingly bad feather haircut , looked like the lead singer of an awful band called Chicory Tip ( probably was him ), would F and Blind at Hugh Book .

[johnny crossan]

Just watching the MOTD repeat - Leon Osman with 433 appearances for Everton but Ashley Williams only the last 73 of his PL career. Balanced punditry anticipating the upset everybody at the BBC is aching for. So sorry for them all.

[Hazy2]

Watching Raheem last night he is playing with players above his level, Without listing them, he looks like he cannot play at the same level and as we saw last night he is touch is frustrating the players around him, that’s why IMO he will be moved on. To receive a ball on a plater like KDB last night move it where you want and finish the game is never going to happen with him.

[john68]

Johnny,

I am not suggesting for one minute that we should totally discard Razza, nor Jesus for that matter. Both have obvious talent but their current form at this, the sharp end of the season is becoming a liability and could cost us dear. Winning games now is becoming more crucial,

A perfect example is Stones, he was not afforded the luxury of being selected for very long when, for whatever reason, his form dipped. Stones was taken out and allowed time to sort his faults or weaknesses out and has come back a much stronger player.

The same with Razza, his presence has been poor and his lack of form has not improved, maybe dipped even further, as this season has evolved. He needs to be removed for the team's sake and importantly for his own. With work, patience and time, we may then see a Razza that was effective and scoring goals for us.

I have previously listed some of his current faults. His decision making has become atrocious when in crucial positions and despite his pace he has offered almost no end product near or in and around opponents areas. That can and should be worked on, it is currently hurting the team.

Iagree his speed can get him and us up the pitch, but even when not doubled up he then stops, so does the attack, he stands, allowing defenders to approach him and that is when it all breaks down.
He tries to go round the outside but often just runs out of space, he allows defenders to get too close and tries to cross or pass the ball directly through a solid object, he stands, allows the defence to set and passes back for the attack to restart under more difficult conditions, occasionally he needs touch after touch until any chance has gone.
Jesus is similar and Mahrez is also a culprit at this.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Jesus isn't expensive so we could keep him and use him as and when needed...plan C ! but Sterling is an expensive asset to just have in the back ground and I don't think he will improve at all..you either have a football brain or you don't and he doesn't IMO....his speed got him where he is (Like Owen back in the day) and now he is ineffective and we can all see it...this isnt a recent thing with him ,hes been average to shit for months on end now.

We don't need him and with his 300 k plus wages a week..we can give that to Haaland !

[sheblue]

Leave Sterling alone he will come good again, for fuck sake just 10 days ago some goons were calling for KDB to be sold.

[johnny crossan]

Johnny,

I am not suggesting for one minute that we should totally discard Razza, nor Jesus for that matter. Both have obvious talent but their current form at this, the sharp end of the season is becoming a liability and could cost us dear. Winning games now is becoming more crucial,

A perfect example is Stones, he was not afforded the luxury of being selected for very long when, for whatever reason, his form dipped. Stones was taken out and allowed time to sort his faults or weaknesses out and has come back a much stronger player.

The same with Razza, his presence has been poor and his lack of form has not improved, maybe dipped even further, as this season has evolved. He needs to be removed for the team's sake and importantly for his own. With work, patience and time, we may then see a Razza that was effective and scoring goals for us.

I have previously listed some of his current faults. His decision making down during that phase has become atrocious when in crucial positions and despite his pace he has offered almost no end product near or in and around opponents areas. That can and should be worked on, it is currently hurting the team.

Iagree his speed can get him and us up the pitch, but even when not doubled up he then stops, so does the attack, he stands, allowing defenders to approach him and that is when it all breaks down.
He tries to go round the outside but often just runs out of space, he allows defenders to get too close and tries to cross or pass the ball directly through a solid object, he stands, allows the defence to set and passes back for the attack to restart under more difficult conditions, occasionally he needs touch after touch until any chance has gone.
Jesus is similar and Mahrez is also a culprit at this.

Sterling operates at the cutting edge of the attack, his responsibility is a critical injection of pace into the pass exchange and the chances of the move breaking down in that phase is correspondingly high, usually depending on the break of the ball as he seeks to create the overload. The same for all the other players trying to replicate this role, inevitably a much higher frustration level occurs when the goal threat fizzles out and comes to nothing. It is in the nature of the game he plays, the skillset he possesses and the tactics we use that he must be judged. The final results are simply astounding and we do not have a replacement for him on the books.

[branny]

Steffan made a right cock up in the 1st half coming out for the ball. Luckily Laporte bailed him out. I thought Laporte was our best defender today. Reading the thread Sterling rightly gets a lot of stick but nothing said about Bernardo who loads were saying was better without Kev- well not today. A lot of running produced nothing of note.It all changed when Kev came on. The main man again

Fair enough, tonight wasn't his best game and every player will suffer the odd blip. It's more than a blip with Sterling though. He was fantastic in the second half vs the dippers. I'd struggle to remember his last decent performance either side of that game though.

[Hazy2]

Jesus isn't expensive so we could keep him and use him as and when needed...plan C ! but Sterling is an expensive asset to just have in the back ground and I don't think he will improve at all..you either have a football brain or you don't and he doesn't IMO....his speed got him where he is (Like Owen back in the day) and now he is ineffective and we can all see it...this isnt a recent thing with him ,hes been average to shit for months on end now.

We don't need him and with his 300 k plus wages a week..we can give that to Haaland !

His work rate great, but as gundo puts the ball into him last night with Zinch overlapping it was back to Gundo and we had Everton opened up, nope head down and do the thing the defender prayed he did, he pushed it past Coleman who shepherded it out he will never see the pictures around him. Gundo is a top player it can happen, but not this often. I like him but he is what he is and being left behind by the levels Pep requires along with the continuing development.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

You can always rely on Mancityfans for a witch hunt.

I guess winning 25 from our last 26 there's not much else to moan about.

[Hazy2]

You can always rely on Mancityfans for a witch hunt.

I guess winning 25 from our last 26 there's not much else to moan about.

A little unfair I have backed him mate, but you have to say what you see, Is he improving or doing the same thing we did vLyon for example. Look at a pass 15 mins in across the pitch to Bernado, he jinked once twice and then studded it a snails pace past 3 teammates.. sadly he is for me as good as it gets. Top end of the game if there is better you get replaced.

[john68]

Johnny,
I agree as to the role of Sterling and I also agree that, that role has more chance of breaking down because of the areas he usually has to operate...but...
...Whilst some time ago he was doing this with an acceptable of success, recently he has not.

Because we are blessed with the likes of Gundogan, KDB etc, in most games up now, there has always been someone who has given us the magic and we have continued winning. But this has somewhat papered over the cracks and at least partially hidden athe issue.
Now as we reach a very crucial part of the season in the cup comps particularly, we will be meeting a far better standard of team. especially in the CL and we can not afford any weakness if we are to succeed.

We clearly saw the difference the other night when replaced by Foden. Foden was more directly forward and more successful. Foden created a far better threat to their defence than Sterling.

[carl_feedthegoat]

You can always rely on Mancityfans for a witch hunt.

I guess winning 25 from our last 26 there's not much else to moan about.

We can always rely on you to post nothing worth reading.