Manchester City Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[worcestersauce]

Lamela did zilch today. Fact is lots of fans were screaming for him over Townsend and Defoe over Soldado. Those were our worst games. I don't think we will make top six at this rate.

Please look again.
I don't think it does any real good having a pop at certain players, I thought we certainly had more about us after the the last two substitutions.

 

[tototoner]

Man City fans giving the Bale heart sign

 

[No Donkey]

All it takes is changing tactics. Nothing delusional there. We can't keep changing managers when we lose a few.

I agree with your last sentence there, but he won't change tactics. He believes in what he's doing (even though I'm not sure he knows what that is anymore) and he won't bruise his own massive ego by admitting he's wrong, which he quite plainly is. He's stubborn, not willing and, yes, incapable of change. He just simply has to go before these past few weeks of results becomes an avalanche of shit.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

All it takes is changing tactics. Nothing delusional there. We can't keep changing managers when we lose a few.

But it's not just the losses it's the way that we are losing, conceding at our opponents will and not scoring any goals.

I defy anyone to state a positive from this season's PL performances where an improvement is evident? Just how many points have we taken off "top" teams such as Everton, Man Citeh, Chel$ea, Arsenal? These are the teams that we are supposed to be competing against, yet we cannot match (or barley) Newcastle or West Ham?

What we are actually seeing is AVB's finished product and not some work in progress model that all of a sudden is going to look Barcelonesque. Given enough time he will drive the club lower, and i just hope that Levy see's this before most of out talent wants out.

 

[Spurger King]

I've read a few posts saying he's lost the dressing room. How did you guys come to that conclusion?

I think he's lost the dressing room, but that's just a hunch. I'm basing it on the fact that our players look miserable, unsure of what to do, clearly lacking much enthusiasm or belief, and that I can't remember the last positive comment about AVB from any of our players.

 

[chookz]

There were mistakes in his choice of personnel. Playing Dawson, the CB with the slowest turn in the PL against forwards like Aguero and Negredo, both clever and nippy, being the most obvious one. There was no surprise he was turned inside out twice, both costing us goals. Why not play Chiriches? it's not like they're much of a threat in the air.

One might not have been able to predict the poor performances of Lloris and Kaboul however, the latter of whom looked like he lacked sharpness due to deficient game time.

However, the tactics, not the players were our biggest downfall. We've repeatedly been beaten by teams with pace that get in behind our high line. Newcastle did it, Arsenal did it, West Ham did it.

City have the fastest frontline in the PL. Navas, Aguero, Toure are all rapid. Why continue to push up the field against that sort of pace? It's naive, risky and unintelligent. The worst thing is that AVB doesn't seem to be learning from this same mistake over and over again...

Ain't hindsight a b*tch?

 

[Mullers]

Because he didn't learn from the Newcastle game that was the way to go.

He retreated back to his safe zone rather than going for it.

He gave Ade and Sandro about 5 mins together, then reverted back to the same old shit. The chains should have come off to even just get one goal, he didn't.

That was Newcastle, this is City former champions. Getting a single goal back isn't going to please people. Ultimately if you're going to tell our manager to fuck off after one game, then I don't think he or any other manager can please you.

 

[sim0n]

Do you want van basten by any chance?

That could be an interesting option...

mostly just my response to those posting there are no managers available out there,.... clearly there are quality managers out there..

 

[tobi]

Vertonghen can only play for one country, but many clubs; that is why he doesn't complain.

That doesn't make sense, his best position is CB but he is capable at LB and is being asked to sacrifice for the team whilst Rose is injured.

For Belgium he plays LB by default despite being better than their other CB options bar Kompany, he doesn't complain. Its another case of sacrificing for the team.

 

[ebzrascal]

I am afraid the buying policy has to be questioned. £30 million on Lamela who is potential only at this stage was a mistake. Also spending £26 million on Soldado to then play him as a lone striker seems like poor decision when he obviously is more effective feeding off a partner.

Could have spent £56 million better in my view...

 

[SpursManChris]

we have played a large amount of dogshit for our fixtures so far.

But it's the Premier League after all, no fixture is really easy and certainly not for a new team like ours, so you DO definately have to give the defence credit. We've already played Arse and Chelski and only conceded one each match, but now that the season is well under way and teams are clicking, the defence will be way further tested when we meet Man U, Liverpool, Everton and Southampton and our second meetings against the others, but I don't think we should expect hidings like we got tonight.

 

[Sarsipius]

phone fingers, will rectify dude, apologies

Sorry bro, i wouldn't normally have said anything but my blood was running a little high at that particular moment in time.

I'm sorry guys, like all of you I want AVB to succeed so much. He seems like he could be a great coach and figurehead for our team. But we're just so bereft of ideas and imagination that the team has actually lost confidence and we're nearly all playing badly. If we lose the confidence of the players we really are in trouble.

Can he turn it around? Can he inspire the lads to at least produce better performances?

I genuinely hope so, but so far there's been little to suggest he can. Being solid is nothing special, every team if they're organised should be solid, especially with the strength of our squad and players but this is dire. Is it really still a case of getting the team to gel?

It's such a fine line now. If we can't start producing good football them I'm afraid the decisions will be taken away from him fairly soon. Levy won't tolerate much more of this.

 

[Smokinhotspur]

Yes the manager is taking a load of stick and rightly so but I am also starting to question some of our recent recruits at this point. Soldado plays with a lack of spirit or desire that is painful to watch and Holtby, well he runs around a lot and makes the right noises in his interviews but a quality mature No 10 he definitely isn't. Lamela - well let's give him more time.....

 

[Cooperfield]

Well after that disaster all my tranquility has now evaporated into other dimensions.

 

[Mullers]

If we play something anywhere near a first XI, we will probably get destroyed by United as well

Ok then we shouldn't expect CL football then.

 

[Damian99]

AVB can fix this... I think

More chance of Bob The Builder doing it.

 

[Sarsipius]

Man City fans giving the Bale heart sign

To be fair, that's pretty funny...

 

[chookz]

But it's not just the losses it's the way that we are losing, conceding at our opponents will and not scoring any goals.

I defy anyone to state a positive from this season's PL performances where an improvement is evident? Just how many points have we taken off "top" teams such as Everton, Man Citeh, Chel$ea, Arsenal? These are the teams that we are supposed to be competing against, yet we cannot match (or barley) Newcastle or West Ham?

What we are actually seeing is AVB's finished product and not some work in progress model that all of a sudden is going to look Barcelonesque. Given enough time he will drive the club lower, and i just hope that Levy see's this before most of out talent wants out.

Your view is very pessimistic. People wanted 4 3 3, now it seems they want 4 4 2. I don't fully blame the system I blame the players... no one is making the runs, they just make the obvious passes to people in space even if it means going backward just for the sake of possession. I don't think we can be any worse with AVB so improvement will come.

 

[lukadownthelane]

Also more and more players are moaning in the press which is a definite sign

This has been the worst season in over 10 years - we were more entertaining under George Graham

I'd take Laudrup tomorrow

I think he's lost the dressing room, but that's just a hunch. I'm basing it on the fact that our players look miserable, unsure of what to do, clearly lacking much enthusiasm or belief, and that I can't remember the last positive comment about AVB from any of our players.

mm

 

[Dr Know]

I think he's lost the dressing room, but that's just a hunch. I'm basing it on the fact that our players look miserable, unsure of what to do, clearly lacking much enthusiasm or belief, and that I can't remember the last positive comment about AVB from any of our players.

Thanks mate, it was a genuine question