There will be better days than this...

[mark1975]

[quote author=dmishra link=topic=41551.msg1160555#msg1160555 date=1282626053]
[quote author=Tal link=topic=41551.msg1160376#msg1160376 date=1282598950]
There is no arguing that City were powerful, motivated, with very talented players all over the pitch and really up for this first home game of their season; probably benefitting from the power of the debutant as well as the presence of the Sheikh. They made us look predictable in the final third too, suggesting Mancini prepared them very well against our known methods of attack.

However, their first goal seemed to me like ball watching (by Kuyt?) when he should have been tracking Barry - Andy Gray highlighted that at half time I think.

The second goal I didn't quite see, did it come off a red head or did a city player get to it? Regardless, I do wonder if our old zonal marking might have made it more difficult to get such a header in. Perhaps we are suffering from a change in defensive systems and it'll just take some time. We did have our best set of defenders on the pitch after all.

And the third goal looked like a dive by Adam Johnson to win the penalty. I haven't seen any close-up replays though. Was it?
So, whilst it was shit, for me it felt like a case of individual mistakes that can be put right on the training ground rather than a complete failure as a team.

Offensively they had us under control almost entirely. That was more of a worry.
[/quote]

No it wasn't. It was a clear cut penalty.
[/quote]

It was but Skrtel had it all to do. Agger and whoever else it was had the piss ripped out of them by Johnson (again) and the ball was loose with Skrtel and Johnson both challenging for it, Johnson was just quicker that's all. Skrtel had an otherwise solid game and was commanding in the air again. People keep saying Agger is 'strong' in the air, probably the strongest out of the back four. What a load of bollocks, cf the second goal.

 

[zlatan18]

Its only one game yet everyone is going on about it asif we just got relegated. Relax, it was against man city at their home ground. Yeah its a shit result but shit happens. We will regroup and batter the shit out of west brom and beat birmingham.

FUCK YOU MASCHERANO.. i see this as being his fault

 

[kingjulian]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=41551.msg1160248#msg1160248 date=1282596331]
There will indeed, but will there be enough of them to get back into the top four this season?

At the end of the season I believe most reckoned the team needed at the very least £50M invested into the squad and despite one or two decent freebie signings, we still have some big problems to solve.
[/quote]

A team that is not in the top 4 just thrashed us convincingly.

We will have to face up to reality that pos 8 to 4 is best we can hope for at the end of the season.

 

[StevieM]

[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41551.msg1160571#msg1160571 date=1282628408]
[quote author=keniget link=topic=41551.msg1160248#msg1160248 date=1282596331]
There will indeed, but will there be enough of them to get back into the top four this season?

At the end of the season I believe most reckoned the team needed at the very least £50M invested into the squad and despite one or two decent freebie signings, we still have some big problems to solve.
[/quote]

A team that is not in the top 4 just thrashed us convincingly.

We will have to face up to reality that pos 8 to 4 is best we can hope for at the end of the season.

[/quote]

tTo be fair... while they didn't finish in the top 4 last season... they are the most expensively assembled team ever are they not?

 

[the_khl]

For what it's worth Chelsea lost at City's last Season didn't they and yet still managed to win. Two games in against tough opposition and we're blatantly unlucky not to have at least recored three points.

All these rumours and players refusing to play shite were obviously infecting the players last night. Most of them looked uninspired and were constantly trailing after the Citeh players.

Everything is not lost but there are some blatantly obvious things to be done.

Poulsen needs to be hurried in as he's a better DMer than Lucas ever will be.

A new LB is an absolute must. Agger is not a LB nor do we play him to his strengths outthere. I now some on here - you Mark for instance - are having a field day because of his awful display last night but remember when e.g. Skrtel was played as RB in one game? It was a fucking shambles and as such it's only telling that Agger's actually done alright outthere untill last night. He needs to get back in central however. On behalf of Skrtel.

Richards rose ahead of him last night and it was probably the worst game for Agger in a red shirt but he was still the one marking their strongest header. Not Skrtel because he's not that great in the air either. None of them are really hence we'll struggle in that department for some time still.

For me Carra and Agger are the most balanced pairing still and we really could've used Agger's forwards run in central instead out on the left where he's often finding himself using his right foot to shift play.

This is our strongest XI at this moment:

....................................PEPE......................................

MAGIC..................CARRA.....AGGER...............AURELIO

.....................POULSEN.......GERRARD..........................

KUYT..........................COLE.........................MAXI/JOVA

...............................TORRES.........................................

PS Good to see Pacheco beeing used last night I think he could enjoy a real breakthrough this season.

 

[Sunny]

Agger had a fucking mare last night KHL. It's not often he does but he was woeful last night.

 

[Hansern]

Agger, Skrtel, Jovanovic, N'Gog, Johnson, Lucas and Reina were poor.

The rest at least tried.

 

[StevieM]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41551.msg1160642#msg1160642 date=1282636942]
Agger had a fucking mare last night KHL. It's not often he does but he was woeful last night.
[/quote]

He was and never will be a left back, despite a great many people trying to convince themselves otherwise; seemingly on the basis that he was a left footed defender who's name wasn't Insua.

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=StevieM link=topic=41551.msg1160646#msg1160646 date=1282637368]
[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41551.msg1160642#msg1160642 date=1282636942]
Agger had a fucking mare last night KHL. It's not often he does but he was woeful last night.
[/quote]

He was and never will be a left back, despite a great many people trying to convince themselves otherwise; seemingly on the basis that he was a left footed defender who's name wasn't Insua.
[/quote]

Completely agree. I think it's ridiculous he has to play there at all.

 

[refugee]

[quote author=Hansern link=topic=41551.msg1160644#msg1160644 date=1282637238]
Reina.

The rest at least tried.
[/quote]

What did Reina do wrong?

 

[Portly]

[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41551.msg1160557#msg1160557 date=1282626337]People keep saying Agger is 'strong' in the air, probably the strongest out of the back four.
[/quote]

Anyone claiming that Agger is good in the air, would have to have a fertile imagination.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41551.msg1160652#msg1160652 date=1282637834]
[quote author=StevieM link=topic=41551.msg1160646#msg1160646 date=1282637368]
[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41551.msg1160642#msg1160642 date=1282636942]
Agger had a fucking mare last night KHL. It's not often he does but he was woeful last night.
[/quote]

He was and never will be a left back, despite a great many people trying to convince themselves otherwise; seemingly on the basis that he was a left footed defender who's name wasn't Insua.
[/quote]

Completely agree. I think it's ridiculous he has to play there at all.
[/quote]
Maybe I wasn't too eloquent but that's exactly my point too.

He can be a stop-gap solution in games against the Wigans and Blackpools but he's of much better use in central. Last night he had a mare. Probably down to more factors than him beeing placed out of position but still that's got a massive influence too.

He's not a LB.

Hopefully Masher will be sold at the right prize so we can buy someone very good for that position. And I'm not think of Figueroa or Konchesky or Young.

 

[Y1]

[quote author=Mr_V link=topic=41551.msg1160217#msg1160217 date=1282595827]
Mark my words...

At least we look like we want to have a go this season.
[/quote]

Definitely sure we will have better days, but they will be far in between....

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=Portly link=topic=41551.msg1160658#msg1160658 date=1282638486]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41551.msg1160557#msg1160557 date=1282626337]People keep saying Agger is 'strong' in the air, probably the strongest out of the back four.
[/quote]

Anyone claiming that Agger is good in the air, would have to have a fertile imagination.
[/quote]
He is probably the strongest in the air however compared to Carra and Skrtel. At least there's not much between Skrtel and him. Hence he was the one beeing told to manmark Citehs strongest player.

A few posters on here including me were arguing that we were a Sami-like defender short last Season. We've simply got to live with it now it seems and then play Kyrgiakos when it's getting to heavy for everyone else.

We should play to our strengths however and in Agger we have got a defender who likes to be involved starting from the back. We need to play him in his natural position then I'm sure the rest of his game will follow.

 

[singlerider]

Dreamy - did you watch the game last night?

Because if you did, then why in the name of fuck are you putting Agger at LB as a long term solution?

Most of us thought he could fill a gap last year and that he would be better than Insua.

This he probably was, but only just. Scarcely a more savage raping has been seen since Rachel Nickell met Robert Napper.

It was mortifying

 

[singlerider]

[quote author=Portly link=topic=41551.msg1160658#msg1160658 date=1282638486]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41551.msg1160557#msg1160557 date=1282626337]People keep saying Agger is 'strong' in the air, probably the strongest out of the back four.
[/quote]

Anyone claiming that Agger is good in the air, would have to have a fertile imagination.
[/quote]

And have missed the 2nd goal

 

[jexykrodic]

Our better days will be confined to lowlier opposition. We simply don't have the players to compete.

Last night's defeat, while pumping up City; will have been picked up on by all Premier manager who will fancy their chances.

We will need to dig in and be together as never before.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=singlerider link=topic=41551.msg1160668#msg1160668 date=1282638961]
[quote author=Portly link=topic=41551.msg1160658#msg1160658 date=1282638486]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41551.msg1160557#msg1160557 date=1282626337]People keep saying Agger is 'strong' in the air, probably the strongest out of the back four.
[/quote]

Anyone claiming that Agger is good in the air, would have to have a fertile imagination.
[/quote]

And have missed the 2nd goal
[/quote]
Johnson, Carra and Skrtel were equally poor last night but please don't let that ruin this reversed Agger-love-in.

Did anyone else think Reina looked a bit shaky on the second goal too?

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=jexykrodic link=topic=41551.msg1160673#msg1160673 date=1282639298]
Our better days will be confined to lowlier opposition. We simply don't have the players to compete.

Last night's defeat, while pumping up City; will have been picked up on by all Premier manager who will fancy their chances.

We will need to dig in and be together as never before.
[/quote]
Based on what we've seen so far that's an error-prone assessment.

We bossed Arsenal playing with ten men and were downright unlucky not to win.

 

[Portly]

I was particularly disappointed in last night's defeat because, despite the media hype, City were no better than the average Premier League team. I had the feeling that if we had shown a bit of fighting spirit, we could have got something out of the game. Only Gerrard was busting a gut, the rest of them were very lacklustre. Dirk is always awful in a 4-4-2. Lucas can't tackle and slows our game down. N'gog has the ability to finish if he gets a chance, but isn't strong enough to contribute anything to the build-up play. I could go on but I won't. :🙂

 

[Sunny]

[quote author=KHL link=topic=41551.msg1160675#msg1160675 date=1282639465]

We bossed Arsenal playing with ten men and were downright unlucky not to win.
[/quote]

We were unlucky with the result but we hardly bossed them..

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41551.msg1160678#msg1160678 date=1282639598]
[quote author=KHL link=topic=41551.msg1160675#msg1160675 date=1282639465]

We bossed Arsenal playing with ten men and were downright unlucky not to win.
[/quote]

We were unlucky with the result but we hardly bossed them..
[/quote]
Maybe so but we looked the better team after the break and they didn't really create anything after we went ahead either. Even though we were a man down.

 

[singlerider]

[quote author=KHL link=topic=41551.msg1160674#msg1160674 date=1282639372]
[quote author=singlerider link=topic=41551.msg1160668#msg1160668 date=1282638961]
[quote author=Portly link=topic=41551.msg1160658#msg1160658 date=1282638486]
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41551.msg1160557#msg1160557 date=1282626337]People keep saying Agger is 'strong' in the air, probably the strongest out of the back four.
[/quote]

Anyone claiming that Agger is good in the air, would have to have a fertile imagination.
[/quote]

And have missed the 2nd goal
[/quote]
Johnson, Carra and Skrtel were equally poor last night but please don't let that ruin this reversed Agger-love-in.

Did anyone else think Reina looked a bit shaky on the second goal too?
[/quote]

Hey, nobody is saying anyone was good last night - Stevie G was our best player and he was probably only worth a 5 or a 6.

However, that's not the issue here, the issue is whether Agger is good in the air. Which he's not.

Something amply demonstrated by the fact that he allows Richards(?) a pretty much free header, despite the fact that he's right next to him. Admittedly, it looks a bit of a foul, and you can bet your arse that had that been Peter Crouch a foul would have been given for using hands on shoulders, but nevertheless Danny did fuck all except fall over.

He's not good in the air

 

[jexykrodic]

[quote author=KHL link=topic=41551.msg1160675#msg1160675 date=1282639465]
[quote author=jexykrodic link=topic=41551.msg1160673#msg1160673 date=1282639298]
Our better days will be confined to lowlier opposition. We simply don't have the players to compete.

Last night's defeat, while pumping up City; will have been picked up on by all Premier manager who will fancy their chances.

We will need to dig in and be together as never before.
[/quote]
Based on what we've seen so far that's an error-prone assessment.

We bossed Arsenal playing with ten men and were downright unlucky not to win.
[/quote]

It's the team that are error prone, it was an error that cost us against Arsenal and it was an error last night that ended the game early in the second half.

You don't win games by simply 'bossing' possession (by the way Arsenal did that as I recall) you have to be able to create and convert chances and avoid mistakes. We are not doing either.

We got no more than we deserved against Arsenal and we were definitely not unlucky last night. We have to avoid finishing a game with 10 men and cut out defensive lapses, both can be achieved under Hodgson; what I don't see getting better is our attacking threat we look very lightweight.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=jexykrodic link=topic=41551.msg1160683#msg1160683 date=1282640028]
[quote author=KHL link=topic=41551.msg1160675#msg1160675 date=1282639465]
[quote author=jexykrodic link=topic=41551.msg1160673#msg1160673 date=1282639298]
Our better days will be confined to lowlier opposition. We simply don't have the players to compete.

Last night's defeat, while pumping up City; will have been picked up on by all Premier manager who will fancy their chances.

We will need to dig in and be together as never before.
[/quote]
Based on what we've seen so far that's an error-prone assessment.

We bossed Arsenal playing with ten men and were downright unlucky not to win.
[/quote]

It's the team that are error prone, it was an error that cost us against Arsenal and it was an error last night that ended the game early in the second half.

You don't win games by simply 'bossing' possession (by the way Arsenal did that as I recall) you have to be able to create and convert chances and avoid mistakes. We are not doing either.

We got no more than we deserved against Arsenal and we were definitely not unlucky last night. We have to avoid finishing a game with 10 men and cut out defensive lapses, both can be achieved under Hodgson; what I don't see getting better is our attacking threat we look very lightweight.
[/quote]
It's only been two games against two of the best teams in the league.

Unlucky not to win at home despiste playing with ten men for 45 minutes. Lost deservedly lasat night but this after a late reshuffle of the team because of keyplayers refusing to play. We need things to settle down and win a few games and then thing could look much rosier.

 

[manwithnoname]

Johnson, Carra and Skrtel were equally poor last night but please don't let that ruin this reversed Agger-love-in.

Did anyone else think Reina looked a bit shaky on the second goal too?

Agger was the worst defender on the pitch alst night. BY A FUCKING MILE.

 

[singlerider]

Hmmmm . . . Johnson wasn't *that* far off

 

[KopPoNok]

Agger received zero protection from midfield and Milla Jovovich, it's no surprised that he got raped over and over again.

It's almost the same scenario like last season, when we played Bennayoun or Babel ahead of Insua.

Although Riera is a limited footballer, he did offer balance and protection down the left flank.

 

[singlerider]

I don't think that's true.

Jovanovic did his fair share of tracking back and trying to help out - it's just obvious that defending isn't his strong point, as can be seen by the way he was nutmegged for the first goal.

But to suggest that Agger got no help from him at all is plainly untrue

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=singlerider link=topic=41551.msg1160694#msg1160694 date=1282640740]
I don't think that's true.

Jovanovic did his fair share of tracking back and trying to help out - it's just obvious that defending isn't his strong point, as can be seen by the way he was nutmegged for the first goal.

But to suggest that Agger got no help from him at all is plainly untrue
[/quote]

Jova was certainly there trying to help. He just didn't.