11 Dec 2017 11:30:02
I like many of you am hurting today, getting beat never sits easily. However, it is especially painful when it comes against City and in the circumstances, although not conclusive it probably means we are out of the title race. I know it is only December, but I can't see this City side dropping 12 points more than ourselves between now and May.
I do think we need a bit of perspective though. I have never been one to wallow in self pity, it simply doesn't help.
A lot has been made about missing Pogba, and I can't argue with that. He is our most talented outfield player and I feel the team has been built around him to a certain extent which makes it harder for the team when he is missing.
However, I am surprised no one has considered we were without our first choice centre back pairing. Bailly and Jones were the foundations of our team early on this season. The only time this season we have dropped points with those two as our starting centre backs was the 2-2 draw with Stoke. Other than that single result we have won every game those two have started.
When we consider that for all of City's attacking might, for all their possession they won due to two defensive mistakes from us. Maybe if Bailly and Jones had been on the pitch those mistakes wouldn't have happened and we might be looking at a different result.
I've seen posts lamenting City having a plan, of a potential City dominance ect ect. We had a plan, it was ripped up and thrown out because our fans didn't have any patience. We can't complain we don't have a plan when it was our own actions which caused the plan to be thrown out. I think this would be the part where my mum would say I made my bed now I have to lay in it. Yes our actions can change things, but that doesn't always mean for the better.
That said, I think we are in a much better situation now then we would have been if we had stuck to that plan. In fact I don't think there is all that much wrong at the club. I think the biggest threat to our club is ourselves to be honest.
Cold hard facts, played 24, won 19, drawn 2 lost 3. I'll let that sink in.
Of the three we lost, one was to Basel in strange circumstances where we dominated but just couldn't get the ball across the line then they nicked one. It happens and it didn't stop us topping our UCL group easily in the end.
We lost to Huddersfield which was the one that stands out, sometimes that can happen against newly promoted sides. They worked their socks off last season to get promoted and play in these big games, it's kind of obvious they are going to work that bit harder in these games. We were complacent. It happens, and it has happened to nearly every team that has lifted the title. If City go on to win the title this year they will lose a game somewhere where no one would expect them to lose. That is the main reason why the EPL is so loved around the world, and why our clubs earn so much money.
The other defeat came at the hands of City. Now this is hard to accept, but we might just be seeing something special happen across the city. Now I don't think they will have an unbeaten season, but Pep has them playing the best football in the league, man for man they have the strongest squad in the league, and they have the financial power to compete with any club in the world on both transfer fees and wages.
However, they won't be forever. As we have found out recently these things come in cycles. Liverpool were the top dogs for two decades, then we were for the next two. Maybe City will be there or thereabouts for the next two decades. Pep though will not, much has been made of Mourinho not lasting longer than 3 years at a club, but Pep is no better. His methods are intense and over a period of 3-4 years his players get burned out by it. His final season a both Barcelona and Bayern weren't as good as his previous ones. Maybe he will stay a little longer at City, but we will just have to rise to the challenge.
We finished 6th the year before Mourinho took over having won an FA cup for the first time in a decade. In Mourinho's first year he started to rebuild, we only finished 5th but we won the League cup and the Europa league. That's three trophies in two years. That is progress, and looking at our form this year 19 wins and 2 draws out of 24 games suggests we are going to finish higher than 5th this year. We may yet still win the trophy, we are still in three cup competitions after all.
None of us look at our current side and consider it the finished article, yet when we look at City's there isn't much more you could do to make it stronger. Nearly everyone on the site accepts we need new full backs, that we are missing a creative wide player and we don't' have enough strength in depth in midfield. So it shouldn't be all that surprising that we got beaten by a side who currently are much stronger than us.
Let's learn from this defeat, let's get behind the team.
11 Dec 2017 11:41:06
And the Chelsea game makes it 4.
11 Dec 2017 11:42:27
Great post shappy.
11 Dec 2017 11:47:01
City had a back 4 of walker a past it kompany a pretty average otamendi and not exactly a star in delph.
A front 3 of sterling how much stick has that lad got on this site, a 21 year old sane and a 20 year old Jesus.
Hats of tho they have them 3 playing to there potential .
2 young lads from a different culture playing out there skin.
And that is a big thing imo how many of the city players are playing to or above there potential .
United are doing well this season but there are a few underperforming.
Not sure city would look quite the same with an injury to Silva or kdb. Hopefully we find out soon ( not a bad one tho )
11 Dec 2017 11:57:55
Oh yeah we lost to the defending champions in their backyard.
The point I'm trying to make is that the world hasn't ended, City will not be awarded the next 20 league titles because they beat us in one game.
Currently they have a better team and are playing better football. We need to rise to the challenge.
11 Dec 2017 12:09:57
Jred, there starting back four yesterday wasn’t their strongest, both Stones and Mendy would be first choice if fit.
Kompany although like you say is past his best, was once regarded as the best centre back in the league. He might not have the pace or fitness he once had, but I doubt he has forgotten how to defend.
Otamendi is a solid if unspectacular defender. I feel there is a shortage of world class defenders atm, with all of the best ones yet to reach their potential. In a world where Ramos is considered one of the best CB’s in the world Otamendi isn’t a poor one.
I expect City to sign a centre back and a holding midfielder in the summer to replace Otamendi/ Kompany and Fernandinho as first choice. But that is the only areas they really could strengthen.
Were as we to compete with the best teams in the world need a couple of full backs, a consistent creative wide player and some top level competition/ cover in midfield.
There is a gap in quality between our squad and City’s. So we need to up our game if we are to compete with them. However we can hardly say our team is a wreck. We are comfortable second to a team that has had to put in a record breaking start to the season to be head of us. So it's far from doom and gloom.
11 Dec 2017 12:10:05
Great post Shappy 👌
I am sure nobody likes to lose but City played well and if we got it wrong then we got it wrong. That said, we are not doing too bad and we can only get better.
11 Dec 2017 12:19:15
Agree with all of that Shappy. City are a bit good at the moment and contrary to popular belief yesterday they did not put us to the sword - they scored a couple of scrappy goals. DDG was pretty untroubled, his two saves were relatively standard compared to last week's Herculean efforts.
11 Dec 2017 12:26:31
Shaps
Mendy has done nothing in the epl and was taken apart by the scouse so the jury is still out .
I'm a fan of stones but just like sterling he has taken a huge amount of stick on the site .
But they don't need to strengthen the likes of stones or sterling players who only a few month ago where considered overrated and not that good by many on the site because they are playing well .
Fernadinho has been outstanding under pep is he a more gifted player than matic or Herrera? Not sure but he is playing better .
Would we need a wide player if we could get the best out of rash and martial like city are out of sterling and sane .
In fact would we lack creativity if we got the best out of pogba Mata or Miki.
Can't help but think the biggest difference to the 2 squads is 1 is really playing to it's potential.
11 Dec 2017 17:49:20
Great place post shappy, as always.
Very good point about Baily n Jones, nearly all of us had forgotten about em!