Manchester City 1-0 Newcastle United (19/08/23)

[Whitley mag]

Finding a creative player or freeing up Isak to play behind the lines is what we’re really lacking. There’s definitely a lack of creativity in the final third, we’ll get away with it sometimes, but against the top teams and in the Cup Final last year it was our downfall.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by Whitley mag

[Ronson333]

2 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Finding a creative player or freeing up Isak to play behind the lines is what we’re really lacking. There’s definitely a lack of creativity in the final third, we’ll get away with it sometimes, but against the top teams and in the Cup Final last year it was our downfall.

 

 

 

We should try Anderson in the role

[Manxst]

11 minutes ago, Mikky said:

The 4 positions are for me the most important 

 

Dias - Rodri - KDB - Bernardo/Foden 

 

you put them in our team - we challenge for the league 

 

The great thing about the 4 of them is that none were elite when they signed - all had potential to go to the next level - it shows that they are out there (the players)

 

Not sure what point you’re making here, but all those players bar Foden were multi capped internationals when they signed for City, for fees of Dias £65m, KDB £54m, Rodri £63m, and Bernardo £44m? They’ve probably been improved a little under Pep, but Man City were already buying great players with them. 
 

for non elite or expensive signings if you’d have said Alvarez for example, I’d have agreed wholeheartedly.

[TomYam]

4 hours ago, Wandy said:

 

Have you missed the last 22 months?  That's exactly what is happening at NUFC, but the taps have been closed to restrict the flow, that's all.

 

Man Utd have always been amongst the biggest spenders too though. The idea that their stature was grown completely organically is a myth. Yeah, Ferguson's early success was more organic but after that he was buying success just as much as any other successful club. Liverpool were bankrolled by the Moores family for 20 years.

ManU set up a powerful marketing dept in the mid '80s. They became a dominant force off the pitch long before their successes on the pitch. 

[huss9]

first visit to the Etihad and not sure what all the fuss is with the stadium.

more modern and shiny but i still think ours looks better from the outside.

and once we got in the away end it was no better than what we have in the gallowgate.

 

maybe you have to be in a home section to appreciate it.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

It’s quite an underwhelming stadium,  nothing about it really. 

[Mikky]

20 minutes ago, Manxst said:

Not sure what point you’re making here, but all those players bar Foden were multi capped internationals when they signed for City, for fees of Dias £65m, KDB £54m, Rodri £63m, and Bernardo £44m? They’ve probably been improved a little under Pep, but Man City were already buying great players with them. 
 

for non elite or expensive signings if you’d have said Alvarez for example, I’d have agreed wholeheartedly.

I’m saying we don’t need to be buying the likes of Mbappe etc just scout the right players and move in quick - for me those are the 4 key we need to strengthen (next)

[Shearergol]

1 hour ago, Mikky said:

we won’t win trophies (against that big teams with a flat 3 in mid) you need a single or double pivot - the best teams will play through you - I’d play with a 6 and do what City do and move a CB up

Good post this. Absolutely right.

[Away Toon]

7 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

Good post this. Absolutely right.

We don't seem to have any interest in buying a 6, not sure why as everyone else at the top in Europe has a dedicated defensive midfielder. In fact as it was mentioned above we don't have either a particularly defensive midfielder or attacking one.

[Mikky]

25 minutes ago, Away Toon said:

We don't seem to have any interest in buying a 6, not sure why as everyone else at the top in Europe has a dedicated defensive midfielder. In fact as it was mentioned above we don't have either a particularly defensive midfielder or attacking one.

I am going to say in time we will - we’ve built the outer layers of the squad - now to buy your equalisers - it will be interesting to see how EH learns from these big match experiences - he’s shown a huge capacity to learn - yesterday was a good lesson for him

[Erikse]

 

Pep stealing Tindalls spotlight, and he's not having it

[nemtizz]

The only man that loves the spotlight more than JT.

[Manxst]

1 minute ago, nemtizz said:

The only man that loves the spotlight more than JT.

Klopp’s teeth come in joint 3rd-34th places. 

[huss9]

11 minutes ago, Erikse said:

 

Pep stealing Tindalls spotlight, and he's not having it

"Sir Bobby's club."

[The Prophet]

 

[TRon]

3 hours ago, Away Toon said:

We don't seem to have any interest in buying a 6, not sure why as everyone else at the top in Europe has a dedicated defensive midfielder. In fact as it was mentioned above we don't have either a particularly defensive midfielder or attacking one.

 

Maybe because Chelsea and Liverpool have bought them all. Not sure either team got the balance right, but they definitely chucked all the money at them.

[Viana]

The market for proper defensive midfielders this summer has been outrageous. I don't blame us for holding off until things settle down. I wouldn't have wanted 50m on Lavia or double that on Caicedo. 

[NE27]

3 hours ago, Erikse said:

 

Pep stealing Tindalls spotlight, and he's not having it

 

Tbf I thought it was canny brash of Pep like. Literally stormed through the middle of the lads and stole all of JT's limelight.

 

Absolute fucking disgrace.

[The Prophet]

 

[The Prophet]

That's treble winning Man City playing cautiously against Eddie Howe's Newcastle. We've come a long way.

[huss9]

8 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

That's treble winning Man City playing cautiously against Eddie Howe's Newcastle. We've come a long way.

ffs, who forgot to tell Foden?

[Yorkie]

11 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

That's treble winning Man City playing cautiously against Eddie Howe's Newcastle. We've come a long way.

 

There was quite an amusing moment towards the end of the first half when they very visibly had all eleven men in their half and behind the ball. Hallmarks of that infamous Rafa game which made us become an apparently all-out-defence team overnight. (Not really, but still, a fun comparison).

[Kanj]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

 

Bet he genuinely rates what Eddie has done here. Amazing praise. 

[Jaqen]

Pep takes a lot of stick for being overrated and only managing the best sides etc but what's he's doing at City is so impressive man. The side is constantly evolving and it makes it so hard for them ever to be 'found out' or need transitional periods like other sides do.

 

Other managers seem to wait until there's a problem and then try and fix it whereas he seems be able to change things up before there's even any sign of a problem. From playing with no strikers to now playing with two up there, from attacking fullbacks to inverted fullbacks, to playing CBs at fullback. He's even added so much physicality to this current side now too but still been able to maintain the possession, control and press resistance elements of their game it's just a nightmare to go up against. 

 

Cant see any team getting close to them this season. 

 

 

 

 

[KingArthur]

They are so good with the ball, that we should have been very precise with our passing. It is exhausting when you get the ball and give it away straight away , and they start their play again. We just could not press them enough. But it was pretty tight game anyway.