I don't even think this is knee jerk now. Other than the CL, and the one PL match against Liverpool, we have been terrible. What's gone wrong this season. Don't give me the Wembley talk rubbish, I've heard it all before. We have a great group of players, many say the best first team in the PL..I think City have better on reflection. Even if their defence is suspect. Yet, we struggle to put in a shift. We don't look like winning. We just give up and lose. What has happened?!
Hopefully with a bit of daylight between the game and now things might not seem quite so bad to you?
Disappointing yes, and frustrating yes, but we are nowhere near the stage where we need to seriously worry (imo).
We really haven't been 'terrible' in every PL game other than Liverpool. But we have either made some silly mistakes/lost concentration at the end of a game, meaning we've dropped points or, as has been said, we are lacking some of the intensity we might normally expect to see early on in games. Those things can be addressed, I'm sure. (As you rightly say, we have a great group of players who are capable of dealing with these issues, with Poch's guidance).
As to "we don't look like winning", I'd argue the total opposite and say that in many (not all) of the games where we have dropped points, we actually
have looked good enough to win. I don't believe this team ever just "gives up and loses". Of course, looking good enough to win is not the same as winning. But it's a smaller step to get there than if we are always playing badly or not creating any chances.
What has happened? Well,
- we have had a number of injuries to very key players to contend with, which added to a limited squad depth, has given Poch selection challenges, and has led to players like Eriksen - so important for us - starting to look jaded. We need to manage this but if we can get Toby and Wanyama back (in addition to Lamela as he gets up to full match fitness) we will be in a much better place.
- We have got the Wembley factor (although we have not played particularly badly at home).
- We have got teams who, perhaps more than previously, see playing very defensively against us as more likely to get them something from the game. We have to find a way to play through - or better, around/behind - those defences.
It's totally understandable to be fed up after a loss. But also important, in time, to be able to see the perspective.
(Hope that doesn't sound patronising, it's not meant to!).
