***stoke v city official match thread***

[carl_feedthegoat]

Been any recent rumours about us switching to another manager after the season?

Nah, I haven't heard that at all. No stories whatsoever, so no chance that could have an effect on the players.

Didn't happen last year either, right?

And didn't start the downward spiral to crap either.

I don't notice any kind of theme...

If I was a player and i heard a rumour that Pep was joining us I would go out there and show him just how fuckign good I am.

Your leaning towards a justification of a shit performance based on a new managers rumour is as pathetic as was our performance today.

[Mark Garrett]

Hoping Bony can get a few goals today and our 2 cbs hold it together

Come on City!!!

I hope you're taking those anti delusional pills.

Key word in there was HOPE since those were my two biggest concern going into the game.

We were dead and buried from the off.....I had zero hope with that team he put out.

What team would you have picked?

[stevefromdonny]

Hoping Bony can get a few goals today and our 2 cbs hold it together

Come on City!!!

I hope you're taking those anti delusional pills.

Key word in there was HOPE since those were my two biggest concern going into the game.

We were dead and buried from the off.....I had zero hope with that team he put out.

whatever the team he puts out, they should all play the game, they should show some fight and none of them did, once they are on the field its the players that show the fans that they want to be there

[Original Dub]

Hoping Bony can get a few goals today and our 2 cbs hold it together

Come on City!!!

I hope you're taking those anti delusional pills.

Key word in there was HOPE since those were my two biggest concern going into the game.

We were dead and buried from the off.....I had zero hope with that team he put out.

What team would you have picked?

I was happy with the line up when I saw it.

[Saul Goodman]

Been any recent rumours about us switching to another manager after the season?

Nah, I haven't heard that at all. No stories whatsoever, so no chance that could have an effect on the players.

Didn't happen last year either, right?

And didn't start the downward spiral to crap either.

I don't notice any kind of theme...

Blaming today on the media? Come on now...

[Tim777]

I agree with PrezIke that the new manager rumours are having a detrimental effect on the game.
Personally, it irks me to no end; it can and will unsettle a team.

[PrezIke]

Been any recent rumours about us switching to another manager after the season?

Nah, I haven't heard that at all. No stories whatsoever, so no chance that could have an effect on the players.

Didn't happen last year either, right?

And didn't start the downward spiral to crap either.

I don't notice any kind of theme...

If I was a player and i heard a rumour that Pep was joining us I would go out there and show him just how fuckign good I am.

Your leaning towards a justification of a shit performance based on a new managers rumour is as pathetic as was our performance today.

Definitely not justifying the performance in any way. I'm just pointing out that our players may react poorly to this type of thing. It certainly is not an excuse for that horrific display, but it might raise questions about leadership and the mentality of some when there isn't someone like Kompany on the pitch.

It actually is also about criticising Pellegrini and his ability to motivate players in this situation. That's something I am quite concerned about.

[South Stand Balti]

Hoping Bony can get a few goals today and our 2 cbs hold it together

Come on City!!!

I hope you're taking those anti delusional pills.

Key word in there was HOPE since those were my two biggest concern going into the game.

We were dead and buried from the off.....I had zero hope with that team he put out.

whatever the team he puts out, they should all play the game, they should show some fight and none of them did, once they are on the field its the players that show the fans that they want to be there

I agree with that Steve but the set up with just 2 in centre mid leaves us exposed. I can't for the life of me understand why MP can't see it. He did this shit at the beginning of 2015 year. He eventually put fat frank in the middle to make up 3 in the middle. He did that for the last 6 games of the season and we won them all. Only an amateur would set up like we did today.

[PrezIke]

Also, our inability to deal with a high pressing team twice in a few weeks is just awful, and someone is to blame, that's for sure.

Was the entire team out late last night drinking and most hungover?

[Spurge]

There is absolutely not a chance in hell we will win the league this year under this clown.

I don't even think top 4 is guaranteed.

What do we do , let this incompetent twat ruin our entire season ?. If Guardiola says he is staying at Bayern on the 12th December. We pull the trigger. I would take the "Tea Lady" as intrim manager With Kiddo right now. We should have been mullered again today 0-2 flatters us. These performances are totally unacceptable.

I have started looking forward to International Breaks.

Some great quotes about our manager in your post you are 100% correct of course and I'm sure you thought the same in his first season as well.

[South Stand Balti]

Hoping Bony can get a few goals today and our 2 cbs hold it together

Come on City!!!

I hope you're taking those anti delusional pills.

Key word in there was HOPE since those were my two biggest concern going into the game.

We were dead and buried from the off.....I had zero hope with that team he put out.

Agreed

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Summary: the conditions were cack and we were cacker.

At the moment, over the season so far, we look marginally above average in an average league. If any PL team makes the CL QFs it will be a miracle. Sadly, this state of affairs mean the average rags have a chance of the title.

Onwards and upwards.

[bigblue]

Hoping Bony can get a few goals today and our 2 cbs hold it together

Come on City!!!

I hope you're taking those anti delusional pills.

Key word in there was HOPE since those were my two biggest concern going into the game.

We were dead and buried from the off.....I had zero hope with that team he put out.

Agreed

The lineup he put out should have been more than enough to to beat Stoke. We had sterling, silva, Kevin up top. Dinho and a new 30mil la liga defensive player of the year. Fucking dream to be able to lineup those players with kompany, aguero, yaya out. Should be plenty to beat fucking stoke.

The players just failed to give anything above poor today.

[getdressedmctavish]

I think the main problem is this. A lot of teams have learned that pressing high and hard and playing on the counter is achievable with the right training and with skill in key positions it can be deadly. Hence spuds, Liverpool and now Stoke. We are vulnerable to it because
1 Pellegrini lacks the tactical nouse to know how to use that approach himself, but more important lacks the inclination as he has said many times
2Pellegrini is still a disciple of the possession game which is at best only part of most teams armoury
3 This is highlighted by not starting Delph, our only player who does it
4 spending a lot of money on two lads who are skillful but cant win the ball

If we ever get Kompany back and if and when Silva, Ya ya and Aguero are fit we will still get results. but imo there is no chance of Komps ever lasting more than a few games and the other 3 still leave us vulnerable to the pressing game. Unfortunately it looks as if Fernando will never be good enough and Fernandino will never be other than a now and again nearly man. klopp has transformed players, look at Can, with his vision and personality. Both he and pochetino have simplified the system of play, got rid of feint hearts, taught their teams how to defend space and left it to 3 or 4 skillful players to get the goals. as I've been saying for a long time, Pellers has taken us nowhere. but to me our playing staff is unbalanced and its a big job for any manager to enforce a workable system and motivate some of these players. Klop has shown it can be done but he is exceptional. As a 67 year old I am reluctant to say the team are crying out for a younger man with energy and ideas. But they are.

[Dub City]

Fucking fuming. No heart, intelligence or desire from any number of players (Joe Hart and Sagna excepted).
Just spineless and weak and as others have said thanks for fucking the weekend up, City!!

Thought Sagna positioning was very poor on both goals, his man finished the moves off. Not solely blaming him as others should not have let ball get that far but his contribution on each was not good enough.

[South Stand Balti]

Big blue - it doesn't matter who you have on the field or how much they cost if there is a big gaping hole in the middle. We constantly struggle with just 2 in the middle. As for the players-Sterling was outclassed by Shaqiri, MDM is past his best, Fernando would not get in many Prem sides, Bony? It's not a lineup I was dreaming of 3 years ago

[Dub City]

I think the main problem is this. A lot of teams have learned that pressing high and hard and playing on the counter is achievable with the right training and with skill in key positions it can be deadly. Hence spuds, Liverpool and now Stoke. We are vulnerable to it because
1 Pellegrini lacks the tactical nouse to know how to use that approach himself, but more important lacks the inclination as he has said many times
2Pellegrini is still a disciple of the possession game which is at best only part of most teams armoury
3 This is highlighted by not starting Delph, our only player who does it
4 spending a lot of money on two lads who are skillful but cant win the ball

If we ever get Kompany back and if and when Silva, Ya ya and Aguero are fit we will still get results. but imo there is no chance of Komps ever lasting more than a few games and the other 3 still leave us vulnerable to the pressing game. Unfortunately it looks as if Fernando will never be good enough and Fernandino will never be other than a now and again nearly man. klopp has transformed players, look at Can, with his vision and personality. Both he and pochetino have simplified the system of play, got rid of feint hearts, taught their teams how to defend space and left it to 3 or 4 skillful players to get the goals. as I've been saying for a long time, Pellers has taken us nowhere. but to me our playing staff is unbalanced and its a big job for any manager to enforce a workable system and motivate some of these players. Klop has shown it can be done but he is exceptional. As a 67 year old I am reluctant to say the team are crying out for a younger man with energy and ideas. But they are.

Very good post. 14 points from our last 10 games is mid table form at best and tough run ahead over christmas coupled with injuries at present doesnt fill me with much confidence

[bigblue]

Big blue - it doesn't matter who you have on the field or how much they cost if there is a big gaping hole in the middle. We constantly struggle with just 2 in the middle. As for the players-Sterling was outclassed by Shaqiri, MDM is past his best, Fernando would not get in many Prem sides, Bony? It's not a lineup I was dreaming of 3 years ago

How is it that we need 3 center miss when 2 was enough for decades? How do teams lineup against us with 2 CMs and win? This "we need 3 players on the middle" is nonsense. We just need our players to show up.

MDM is past his best, but Bony and Fernando would get in to most pl sides and fans across the league would be happy to have them. Sterling just didn't show up (like the rest of the team).

You start to sound more than a little spoiled by saying "not the lineup I was dreaming of 3 years ago". Well it not too bad when you see who we have injured is it!?!

We had the players out there, they just failed to perform.

[shawzy]

A performance nearly as bad as King Kev's left wing anti British drivel he spouts on Facebook.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Big blue - it doesn't matter who you have on the field or how much they cost if there is a big gaping hole in the middle. We constantly struggle with just 2 in the middle. As for the players-Sterling was outclassed by Shaqiri, MDM is past his best, Fernando would not get in many Prem sides, Bony? It's not a lineup I was dreaming of 3 years ago

How is it that we need 3 center miss when 2 was enough for decades? How do teams lineup against us with 2 CMs and win? This "we need 3 players on the middle" is nonsense. We just need our players to show up.

MDM is past his best, but Bony and Fernando would get in to most pl sides and fans across the league would be happy to have them. Sterling just didn't show up (like the rest of the team).

You start to sound more than a little spoiled by saying "not the lineup I was dreaming of 3 years ago". Well it not too bad when you see who we have injured is it!?!

We had the players out there, they just failed to perform.

It's true they failed to perform and its not the first time is it? No manager should have to adjust his tactics to allow for the players not being up for it.

I'm not sure how to address this though, because next week, or soon after, they'll all show and we will wallop somebody.