***OMT: Mighty Spurs vs Palace***

[glasgowspur]

I'm quite certain Bayern would have loved keeping him around. As would Barca. And I think both clubs will take him back in a heartbeat if he ever wants to return. Obviously at City they want to keep him for as long as they can.

Not a perfect measure of success or ability. But look at other top managers at those and similar clubs. Not many that can match that.

Barca might, he's one of their own, bayern not so sure. Achieved nothing except what is expected domestically and nothing in Europe.
I'm not convinced about him, not saying he's poor, but he's done little here except look good and spend a lot of money.
Compare what he's done in comparison to Jose at Chelsea or ancelotti when he went Chelsea against much stronger opposition.
Man u, arsenal and Chelsea have all gone backwards in the last 3-5 years imho.

 

[milo]

We need a plan B. But that as I say is probably out of our current financial situation.
We are not going buy from the Mbappe end of the market.

We already have lots of different ways of playing. It is just difficult to break down teams who put ten men behind the ball. Most of the teams that have to deal with it, overcome it with individual brilliance. With Kane, Eriksen, Alli and Son we can do that too. If Son's goal comes in the 6th minute rather than the 60th, yesterday would've been a very different game.

 

[StephenH]

We already have lots of different ways of playing. It is just difficult to break down teams who put ten men behind the ball. Most of the teams that have to deal with it, overcome it with individual brilliance. With Kane, Eriksen, Alli and Son we can do that too. If Son's goal comes in the 6th minute rather than the 60th, yesterday would've been a very different game.

I would love us to get a Demarai Grey or the like. Young English and fast.
I hoped Edwards was going to come through now or very soon.

 

[milo]

I would love us to get a Demarai Grey or the like. Young English and fast.
I hoped Edwards was going to come through now or very soon.

I like Demarai Grey but I am not convinced he is the answer you are looking for.

 

[King of Norway]

Certainly can read it that way.

But he also smacked him reet in the heed whilst the ball was still in play.

If it had been given I couldn't have genuinely complained.

Gazzaniga didn't smack him in the head. Sakho jumped into his knee. A fairly big difference there. You need to look at it again and see who was moving the most in a forward direction.

If you are standing with your arms in the air trying to change a light bulb and someone jumps into your elbow, is that your fault?

 

[Daisuk]

we have it within us, we were smashing the same sides 4 and 5-0 last year.

Yeah. We've been a bit too slow on the ball against these teams this season, in my opinion. We move a lot less around, far more players are a lot more static, and the ball isn't moving nearly quick enough compared to last year. If you look at the matches against Stoke, Watford or Bournemouth at WHL last season, we just moved the ball so much quicker around. Also, Vertonghen is doing his bit to join in attack with his offensive runs, which always creates unbalance in the opposition. Dembele did that a lot last season as well, but hasn't really been able to much this season. I reckon we need him firing and a lot more supporting runs and a quicker ball tempo to really start smashing these teams again.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

I would love us to get a Demarai Grey or the like. Young English and fast.
I hoped Edwards was going to come through now or very soon.

From what I've seen of Edwards this season he's light years away from the first team.

 

[scaramanga]

Yeah. We've been a bit too slow on the ball against these teams this season, in my opinion. We move a lot less around, far more players are a lot more static, and the ball isn't moving nearly quick enough compared to last year. If you look at the matches against Stoke, Watford or Bournemouth at WHL last season, we just moved the ball so much quicker around. Also, Vertonghen is doing his bit to join in attack with his offensive runs, which always creates unbalance in the opposition. Dembele did that a lot last season as well, but hasn't really been able to much this season. I reckon we need him firing and a lot more supporting runs and a quicker ball tempo to really start smashing these teams again.

 

[StephenH]

From what I've seen of Edwards this season he's light years away from the first team.

Sadly I would agree!

 

[parklane1]

Braineclipse is right. Poch doesn't coach egos and theres a good reason for that. It is very difficult to coach a team of egos and at the same time be expected to win the league, its not Championship Manager - its why Pep and Mourinho get paid the big bucks. Poch hasn't won anything as a coach and its far too simplistic to suggest he would achieve what Pep does with a practically blank cheque book....

My thoughts as well, there is a lot of negativity towards Pep and Jose from some of our fans and i honestly believe a lot of it is gonads ( or jealousy). They are winners and its too simple to say its all down to money that enables them to be that.

 

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

Gazzaniga didn't smack him in the head. Sakho jumped into his knee. A fairly big difference there. You need to look at it again and see who was moving the most in a forward direction.

If you are standing with your arms in the air trying to change a light bulb and someone jumps into your elbow, is that your fault?

I don't remember the knee thing, but sure - happy to see it again.

He definitely hit him in the head though. I don't really see how that's in question.

 

[StephenH]

Money is not the only reason that Jose’s and Pep’s are successful but It certainly makes it far easier.
For me Pep has the edge , I don’t think Jose has been as good since he tried to get in the knickers of Dr Carneiro!
He won’t be the last man to let his **** get in his way. For me it was the beginning of his decline!
Mind PSG will be desperate for a another messiah at some point.

 

[elltrev]

I think its with the absolute priority being on not conceding, and therefore getting a draw. With a jammy win being an absolute jackpot.

Mourinho has made his career on it, remember his approach to Barca away with Milan? He will literally turn up with 11 players instructed to not leave their own half. I think its disgraceful.

Theres a difference between sitting back, being compact and hitting on the break, and just sitting back. A very fine line sometimes, but a distinct one IMO.

Palace played with no intent to hurt us, not really. More hopeful that Zaha/Townsend would pull one out of the bag and that was it. Hope rather than intent. They sat deep and compact and in such a shape they were never really going to get at us om a way to really hurt us. Given the run they are on I can understand it, but I just find its a negativity that infuses with the team and becomes something of a self fulfilling cycle.

They created as many chances as us - indeed many thought our GK was MOTM! On that basis I don’t think you can accuse them of not having any attacking intent.

In any case, my main point is that playing defensively is likely weaker teams’ best chance of a win, not just a draw. If Palace tried to go toe to toe with us and focus on scoring goals, they would most likely lose, because we have better players. So IMO focusing on scoring does not necessarily equal trying to win any more than focusing on defending does.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

They created as many chances as us - indeed many thought our GK was MOTM! On that basis I don’t think you can accuse them of not having any attacking intent.

In any case, my main point is that playing defensively is likely weaker teams’ best chance of a win, not just a draw. If Palace tried to go toe to toe with us and focus on scoring goals, they would most likely lose, because we have better players. So IMO focusing on scoring does not necessarily equal trying to win any more than focusing on defending does.

I know what you are saying, and tried to recognise it.

Like I said, sometimes its a fine line - but there is a line - IMO.

Sitting and defending, hitting on the break, is completely legitimate. You can tell when there is intent because there will be a structure to the attack.

Just as you can tell when there isnt, because you have two stranded players making the best of it.

 

[Baleforce]

Jose had success before opening Chelsea’s chequebook

it’s a different game at that level, a unique skill set

 

[Bullet]

Gazzaniga didn't smack him in the head. Sakho jumped into his knee. A fairly big difference there. You need to look at it again

Gazzaniga punched Sakho on top of the head.

 

[Bullet]

We move a lot less around, far more players are a lot more static, and the ball isn't moving nearly quick enough compared to last year. If you look at ... last season, we just moved the ball so much quicker around.

Bingo. People focus on the passing and talk about the pass, but it is more about the movement. A lot of City's blistering attacking moves are just simple 10 yard passes along the deck, extremely easy passes but the running and movement are what makes it look so effortless and clever. A pass wide, back inside, reverse pass, square across the box, tap in.

All one-touch, but all facilitated from the movement. Not incredible skills, just incredible movement.

 

[Raziel]

Money is not the only reason that Jose’s and Pep’s are successful but It certainly makes it far easier.
For me Pep has the edge , I don’t think Jose has been as good since he tried to get in the knickers of Dr Carneiro!
He won’t be the last man to let his **** get in his way. For me it was the beginning of his decline!
Mind PSG will be desperate for a another messiah at some point.

I disagree, Pep proved last season to this, he's incapable of truly challenging with a very good squad, he literally has to have the best squad by some distance to win. What makes him better than Jose or Klopp is he actually identified weak spots and addressed them

He's squad is just overly attacking at the moment, so they overwhelm opponents and their lesser defense isn't significantly exposed, people forget they started last season pretty much on a roll as well, it's when they get the couple of games where they don't score a hatful and the inevitable form slump that will tell if they have changed/improved.

Jose has lost his invulnerability status, he's still a decent manager, but not the absolute top tier he once was.

 

[milo]

Bingo. People focus on the passing and talk about the pass, but it is more about the movement. A lot of City's blistering attacking moves are just simple 10 yard passes along the deck, extremely easy passes but the running and movement are what makes it look so effortless and clever. A pass wide, back inside, reverse pass, square across the box, tap in.

All one-touch, but all facilitated from the movement. Not incredible skills, just incredible movement.

In mitigation, we had a slow start last season too and we have had a lot of injuries to contend with.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

My thoughts as well, there is a lot of negativity towards Pep and Jose from some of our fans and i honestly believe a lot of it is gonads ( or jealousy). They are winners and its too simple to say its all down to money that enables them to be that.

What have they done at clubs to improve things through their work (not through buying in the best talent)?

For me a great manager is someone who takes a lesser side and makes them better. Mou did that at Porto by winning consecutive European trophies. Yes they were the biggest in their country but they were far far from the top tier in Europe. He won and still makes sure he doesnt lose important games

I will say that Gaurdiola has addressed some of city’s weakness but they still have a weak defensive spine IMO and we will try to exploit that... but when you literally can buy anyone it’s an easy task... a big measure will be what happens to Foden under his watch as city have a great youth team and none have graduated to play regularly from it