City show there are NO excuses for our opening day flop | Utd return the favour GW2

Ranchero

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There has been much said about our loss to Palace being about poor [match] fitness and a lack of pre-season due to our missing out of first week PL action because of our European endeavours.

But Man City were in precisely the same situation tonight because of European competition, and managed to get past a better Wolves side 3-1 away from home.

Not only that Phil Foden who was in similar off-field problems to Greenwood... started. And scored.

Our diabolical performance on Saturday has much to do with the level of ambition our players are seeing, and the fans are seeing, in our transfer dealings. The bull from the top filters down.

Is Ole at fault? Yes. He is an inexperienced coach that is perhaps too nice for the role he is in. You cannot make fitness the excuse as a manager when over your shoulder your city rivals are putting egg on your face.

But getting rid of him is not the solution. The solution is to change the ownership and that is not going to happen anytime soon.
 
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Theyve had pressure free football since Christmas. Underperforming to the point they had lost more games than we did, routinely rotating the squad as well.
Its not even close to being the same scenario.
 
Their win is irrelevant, those 3 points don't matter yet.
 
Are you even actually comparing their squad depth to ours?

United should have played better but City have a far deeper squad, and as a result their key players weren't blowing out of their asses by the end of last season.
 
Wumminator said:
Wolves also went far in Europe and had one week more out of comps than us.
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Chelsea didny have much of a break after the Bayern game and cup final. They have been shocking over the last 2 games quite frankly
 
Eddy_JukeZ said:
Kind of disappointed by the lack of pictures.
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They shot their load in the first half and got away with it in the second as Wolves squandered some good chances. Saiss let Wolves down with a stupid pen too.

They have a bigger and better squad than us and could win with some fringe players that didn’t play that much last year making up the numbers.
 
Bubz27 said:
Best to write it off.
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I sense that opening day defeat is a barometer for where we are as a club. Right now without any new signings, I see us as a midtable club. Maybe if we bring Smalling in from the cold and recognise he is probably one of our best central defenders (with the lack of any incomings) we might make a swing of things. But I worry about Pogba. His heart is not with us, He wanted a move this summer but Corona put paid to that.
 
Ranchero said:
They won their opening game. We didn't.
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You can be tired and win? Not every match is an exact science.
Theres only similarities if you want there to be.
The pen save could have stood, VDB scores then we go for the winner. Doesnt make us less tired or have it as a better performance.
 
Ranchero said:
I sense that opening day defeat is a barometer for where we are as a club. Right now without any new signings, I see us as a midtable club. Maybe if we bring Smalling in from the cold and recognise he is probably one of our best central defenders (with the lack of any incomings) we might make a swing of things. But I worry about Pogba. His heart is not with us, He wanted a move this summer but Corona put paid to that.
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I'm not quite sure how we go from third midtable? Don't get me wrong, I'm a harsh critic. But battle for top 4 again is where I see our season going. Could end anywhere from 6th to 3rd if we're lucky.
 
Classical Mechanic said:
They shot their load in the first half and got away with it in the second as Wolves squandered some good chances. Saiss let Wolves down with a stupid pen too.

They have a bigger and better squad than us and could win with some fringe players that didn’t play that much last year making up the numbers.
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The fact is that they beat Wolves 3-1 away from home. We lost at home to an inferior Palace side 3-1. With all the excuses we were making, I was interested to see how City would do tonight. Whether they were at their best or not, matters not, they won. By two goals. While we lost... by two goals. And it could have been more.
 
It’s not hard to see that we physically well short on Saturday. Andros Townsend even said they knew they’d be able to catch is cold because of how much better prepared they were. Now you can question the team selection and what’s gone on in a difficult summer, but there is non doubt that not one of the outfield players reached even close to their normal level against Palace.
 
Bubz27 said:
I'm not quite sure how we go from third midtable? Don't get me wrong, I'm a harsh critic. But battle for top 4 again is where I see our season going. Could end anywhere from 6th to 3rd if we're lucky.
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I think Tottenham are stronger now with Bale. Chelsea are stronger, City and Liverpool are. Arsenal look stronger. Potentially even Everton. We would struggle against Wolves.
 
Ranchero said:
There has been much said about our loss to Palace being about poor fitness and a lack of pre-season due to our missing out of first week PL action because of our European endeavours.

But Man City were in precisely the same situation tonight because of European competition, and managed to get past a better Wolves side 3-1 away from home.

Not only that Phil Foden who was in similar off-field problems to Greenwood... started. And scored.

Our diabolical performance on Saturday has much to do with the level of ambition our players are seeing, and the fans are seeing, in our transfer dealings. The bull from the top filters down.

Is Ole at fault? Yes. He is an inexperienced coach that is perhaps too nice for the role he is in. You cannot make fitness the excuse as a manager when over your shoulder your city rivals are putting egg on your face.

But getting rid of him is not the solution. The solution is to change the ownership and that is not going to happen anytime soon.
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Any need for another thread to bash the manager? No. This should be closed.
 
Ranchero said:
The fact is that they beat Wolves 3-1 away from home. We lost at home to an inferior Palace side 3-1. With all the excuses we were making, I was interested to see how City would do tonight. Whether they were at their best or not, matters not, they won. By two goals. While we lost... by two goals. And it could have been more.
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:lol:

You‘re a black and white guy aren’t you. I wish life was that simple for me.
 
Playing against a team with 4 extra days advantage rather than 4 weeks.
 
So if we started less fit than every single team in the premier does that mean we'll be hitting our stride when they're all gassed?
 
The excuses our fans invent are ridiculous, it's been apparent for quite some years now.
 
Zoo said:
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So what are we arguing? That City have a better squad? Of course they have. That is the whole point. We go from transfer window to transfer window knowing that we lack in terms of our squad... but do little to do anything about it. Our transfer dealings have been a laughing stock for years.
 
Zoo said:
It’s not hard to see that we physically well short on Saturday. Andros Townsend even said they knew they’d be able to catch is cold because of how much better prepared they were. Now you can question the team selection and what’s gone on in a difficult summer, but there is non doubt that not one of the outfield players reached even close to their normal level against Palace.
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That is an indictment then of our fitness regime. There are no excuses. City were in exactly the same boat.
 
VorZakone said:
Their win is irrelevant, those 3 points don't matter yet.
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Who needs points in this day of age, who needs a good start of PL anymore, especially when all your rivals are getting points. It's all irrelevant.

Did I say irrelevant. Think I need to mention it again, irrelevant.
 
Ranchero said:
Won 3-1
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:lol:

But, but, but culture, nice feeling, believe in pink unicorns.

Yeah, results are all that matter and I remember people using that same logic when OGS scrapped top 4 last season.
 
We aren't good enough. That is where we are. We are a rudderless ship. No leadership at the top. Inexperienced direction at coaching level.
 
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