Man City (H) - Post Match Thread

[OntarioFox]

Absolutely no complaints about the performance today - first time I can say that about a loss this season. Thought we were defensively excellent, very tough on us not to at least walk away with a bore draw.

 

Teams around us have had pretty poor results too. All we need now is for Arsenal to tonk Leeds and it's been a decent weekend all told. Well done lads. 👍

Edited 29 October 2022 by OntarioFox

[Tielemans63]

3 hours ago, Phube said:

De Bryune or De ‘Burbs?

 

 

Isn't that Jack Colback?

 

 

[moore_94]

19 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

Anything been said why KDH came off? Or have I missed that bit.

Tactical to retain possession better

[Blueman1967]

Did well today, should have had a point, could had put Daka, and Iheanacho earlier.

[Beachyboy]

2 hours ago, Astleyfox said:

What we got. It was a cowardly set up, and ended in the inevitable. 

I haven't seen the game but if you've been beaten 1-0 by a free kick by one of the best teams in the world, after 3 weeks ago losing to Bournemouth, it has to be progress. If we attacked them more and got picked apart would that have gave us confidence going into the next 2 games? Even the 5-2 win we had against them was based on a more pragmatic counter attacking style. Let's just get one win from the next two, get to January make a couple signings, an we may then have a chance of my pre season prediction of 13th.

[Lookatthebluesky]

For all their pretty football, they are a very cynical bunch when they do lose possession. They invariably foul the player who counters against them, which allows them to reset (& what’s worse is that they often go unpunished). It happened time & time again today and does so in all their matches.

 

Despite all their technical brilliance, I find them rather dull to watch.

Edited 29 October 2022 by Lookatthebluesky

[DerbyshireFox]

Tactically spot on. I don’t feel they cut us open in the game. Ward did what he needed to comfortably and wasn’t worked much. Defensively much improved, Faes has been instrumental. Soft (being generous) free kick but not much you can do about the execution - kudos De Bruyne. How Ederson saved that shot from Youri I don’t know. Frustrated that the final whistle went when we were on the attack. Overall for a defeat, content and impressed with discipline. For me KDH needs a spell on the bench. He didn’t use the ball well today, and hasn’t hit the heights of last season yet. Nothing against him, but I think it’s worth giving someone else a go alongside Youri

[mozartfox]

I was flying Etihad from Vienna to Abu Dhabi today  and the match was live on their Sport TV Chanel!!! Great stream !!!   We looked Ok for the last 20 minutes, but hey-ho this is against the best Club Team in he World!!!!!!

 

Edited 29 October 2022 by mozartfox

[mozartfox]

Just now, mozartfox said:

I was flying Etihad from Vienna to Abu Dhabi today  and the match was live on their Sport TV Chanel!!! Grest stream!!!   We looked Ok for the last 20 minutes, but hey-ho this is against the best Club Team in he World!!!!!!

 

 

[FLAN]

3 hours ago, phoneticerror said:

That challenge really cost us, but mistakes happen.

Pretty sure Amartey totally misjudged a header to allow Grealish to bring the ball down with his feet and run. 

[dannythefox]

25 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Tactical to retain possession better

That worked really well Mendy losing the ball the making a shite tackle for the free kick.The only thing Rodger’s got wrong today was that substitution. 

[Clever Fox]

15 minutes ago, Lookatthebluesky said:

For all their pretty football, they are a very cynical bunch when they do lose possession. They invariably foul the player who counters against them, which allows them to reset (& what’s worse is that they often go unpunished). It happened time & time again today and does so in all their matches.

 

Despite all their technical brilliance, I find them rather dull to watch.

Absolutely correct, And they do it because they get away with it every game. If they were booked more often you can be sure they'ed change.

[Guppys Love Child]

3 hours ago, Larry_LCFC said:

Frustrating really. Good effort from everyone and very organised defending. Silly free kick to give away in that position.

Overall I think we sat back and gave them too much respect. As soon as we went for it in the last 15 minutes, they looked totally rattled.

 

Surely Brendan can see if we play like we did at the end against most of the league, we would be top half. Makes it even more annoying.

I agree 100% with your analysis.

 

(Bold bit) but the little toad would need to admit his "BendanBall" set up is wrong for us and his ego won't allow for it, even though it appears to work, and, going forward I still think this is the way we should play most if not all games.

 

However to contradict myself just a smidge and with the benefit of hindsight (oh god... I feel physically sick admitting this now ) adopting BrendenBall to a 'degree' was possibly the right call  (pre match I'll admit I was an advocate of going for it a bit more) but maybe a more hybrid approach to BrendanBall as  (this is the hindsight bit) they didn't look so "all conquering" when we had a go at them.

 

Having said the above there are a few positives to take from the game, we did look defensively better and Ward looked more comfortable between the sticks and finally it did take a cheat diving and a wonder free kick to separate us.  Oh and our goal difference didn't take a battering.

 

[Samilktray]

A hard fought game between 2 teams who aren’t interested in playing Rugby. Deserved a point imho 

[BKLFox]

12 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

That worked really well Mendy losing the ball the making a shite tackle for the free kick.The only thing Rodger’s got wrong today was that substitution. 

Rubbish, he was very forward thinking with his play, watch again he broke play and immediately set us forward.

You can’t ping them both just because of a weak foul and as for the goal itself not a single keeper in world football stopping that

[Simmo86]

15 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

That worked really well Mendy losing the ball the making a shite tackle for the free kick.The only thing Rodger’s got wrong today was that substitution. 

Amartey at fault for the goal, not Mendy.

[Supergray22]

16 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

That worked really well Mendy losing the ball the making a shite tackle for the free kick.The only thing Rodger’s got wrong today was that substitution. 

I found it a slightly odd substitution. I know he hasn’t been on top form but kDH’s athleticism and enthusiasm was still worth having. I was wondering if he had picked up a knock. Mendy wasn’t bad but that foul really cost us in a tight game. Tielemans strike from Maddison’s pinpoint corner was brilliant. 

Edited 29 October 2022 by Supergray22

[Royston.]

24 minutes ago, Lookatthebluesky said:

For all their pretty football, they are a very cynical bunch when they do lose possession. They invariably foul the player who counters against them, which allows them to reset (& what’s worse is that they often go unpunished). It happened time & time again today and does so in all their matches.

 

Despite all their technical brilliance, I find them rather dull to watch.

Why oh why don't referees clamp down on this?

It's like if an opponent has the nerve to stop their attack and launch a counter they can just pause the game and start over.

 

Most teams do it but the odds are already so unfairly stacked in their favour It's so frustrating.

[Beachyboy]

2 minutes ago, Supergray22 said:

I found it a slightly odd substitution. I know he hasn’t been on top form but kDH’s athleticism and enthusiasm was still worth having. I was wondering if he had picked up a knock. Mendy wasn’t bad but that foul really cost us in a tight game. Tielemans strike from Maddison’s pinpoint corner was brilliant. 

Reminds me a bit of 2019 the brief highlights I've seen, it looked today much like then we contained them and then Kompany steps up and hits a worldie, with the amount of players they have like that, if it hadn't of been for the free kick, someone else may of stepped up in a moment had they needed a goal in the 90th minute like they did that day.

[Angus Scott]

Another Brendan masterclass - not. The players must have been full of confidence after 2 good wins, but he virtually tells them they are no good & just sit back to keep the inevitable defeat to as reasonable a scoreline as possible. Hence 90 minutes of boredom.

 

We have 12 home games left, 5 of which are Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham & Newcastle. So do we write those off as inevitable defeats? I hope not because if we do we will surely be relegated.

 

The tactics & approach to this game today show exactly why BR must be sacked

[Beachyboy]

39 minutes ago, Lookatthebluesky said:

For all their pretty football, they are a very cynical bunch when they do lose possession. They invariably foul the player who counters against them, which allows them to reset (& what’s worse is that they often go unpunished). It happened time & time again today and does so in all their matches.

 

Despite all their technical brilliance, I find them rather dull to watch.

Whether Haaland will be the difference maker with the Champions League only time will tell, but while I admire there strengths, they aren't without weaknesses if you get at them the right way.

[sacreblueits442]

18 minutes ago, Clever Fox said:

Absolutely correct, And they do it because they get away with it every game. If they were booked more often you can be sure they'ed change.

..  the switched on big boys have been doing this for a long time!!!

They take it in turns to commit the foul, no problems with racking up the individuals foul count,  and the ref doesn't see it as a a team making excessive fouls, where the next foul becomes a booking, irrespective of who does it.

 

[Ashley]

7 minutes ago, Angus Scott said:

Another Brendan masterclass - not. The players must have been full of confidence after 2 good wins, but he virtually tells them they are no good & just sit back to keep the inevitable defeat to as reasonable a scoreline as possible. Hence 90 minutes of boredom.

 

We have 12 home games left, 5 of which are Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham & Newcastle. So do we write those off as inevitable defeats? I hope not because if we do we will surely be relegated.

 

The tactics & approach to this game today show exactly why BR must be sacked

Stop it. 

[Hinckleyfox]

2 minutes ago, Angus Scott said:

Another Brendan masterclass - not. The players must have been full of confidence after 2 good wins, but he virtually tells them they are no good & just sit back to keep the inevitable defeat to as reasonable a scoreline as possible. Hence 90 minutes of boredom.

 

We have 12 home games left, 5 of which are Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham & Newcastle. So do we write those off as inevitable defeats? I hope not because if we do we will surely be relegated.

 

The tactics & approach to this game today show exactly why BR must be sacked

Got to to strongly disagree with you here. We were always going to run a tight ship and try to frustrate them, and it was working a treat. Man City were getting stroppy, moaning at the ref, loosing their heads. We were undone by a sublime free kick, taken by the best in the business. After that we got after them and looked dangerous (granted, the subs should’ve been pretty much as soon as they scored, although I suspect BR chose to settle them down before going for it, at fear of it becoming insurmountable)

 

Of all the games I have seen this season, I thought this one was tactically one of the best. It just didn’t fall in our favour today sadly.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I still think BR should go, but I don’t believe in digging the bloke out unnecessarily when I think he actually got it right today. 

 

 

[taupe]

Must admit, Man City's cynical fouling to halt breakaways was passing me off too. They make no attempt to even pretend it's a genuine attempt to tackle; simply run into the player. It's obviously a tactic/instruction. Give away a free kick in the opponent's half where it's no danger, halt the break and reset the defence. It ought to be the very definition of cynical and attract a yellow straight away, no discussion.