Mase wrote:I actually don’t think we’ve been here before - people keep saying, “yeah but this time of year” usually we have the odd bad game or maybe a patch of 2-3 weeks where we’re poor. We’ve been bad for a while now - I can’t remember the last game I saw City play where I thought, “we’re class!”
On top of that it’s the body language of 90% of the players - just fuckin awful. It’s almost like they don’t want to be here or they’re just waiting for internationals to roll around so they can go away with their mates and fuck about.
We would have been out of sight if we'd taken our chances in the first half, they rode the storm and we couldn't live with theirs.
I think our last class performance was five games ago against Sparta Prague, in the second half of that game we were sensational and scored one of the best team goals that you will over see. I agree that PL performances have been well under par, when you have Nunes starting regularly you know something is wrong, he's been OK at best and it just ain't good enough. Being without players of the calibre of Rodri and Kev (who I actually think is finished now at the top level) coupled with a defensive unit that is different every week.....Stones & Dias in and out and Walker.....well, just being the brainless burke that he is. If he didn't have the pace that he has (it now seems had), he would be a nothing player.
At the very minimum we need a settled back four in Josko, Dias, Stones and Rico with Ake and Akanji as back up when needed, which admittedly seems like all the time at the moment. The young lad Simpson-Pusey has definite potential and definitely one for the near future.
In my humble opinion our main weakness is now midfield, there is no grit and no pace and almost every team we've played this season have just walked through us because the defence know they're not getting any protection form Gundog (love him to bits but he's finished), Bernardo is a luxury player not a midfield hardman and Kova is again OK but OK is not good enough and Foden cannot be Rodri even when he's on fire. Until we get a high quality box to box midfielder (and I can't think that we will anytime soon, who is out there ?) then we won't be winning any silverware this season. The winger situation is also very frustrating in that we have Doku and Silvinho who have the skill and pace to skin defenders but more often than not resort to the cutting inside and passing back which is a full back's dream, but ultimately even when they do skin the defender their final ball is not finding targets in the box, maybe that will come with time....but fuck me Christmas is coming !!!!
I think we'll be competitive again when Grealish and Bobb are back and fit.... the Viking needs them.
Our midfield needs pace and grit our defence knows it and this is where the problem lies. Sort it out Pep !
