Man City 2020/21 - General discussion

Nou_Camp99

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Not winning anything other than maybe the league Cup again. That team needs major surgery.
 

padr81

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Sane was key in those two title winning seasons under Pep. He gave them something different in attack.
He played a lot in the 2nd one but wasn't key. He was important in the first one.
 

GameOn

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He barely played in the 2nd one. He was important in the first one.
That's wrong. Sane was a key player in both seasons.

17/18: 32 games (2424 minutes), 10 goals, 15 assists

18/19: 31 games (1867 minutes), 10 goals, 11 assists
 

Hound Dog

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C’mon, he’s spent an absolute fortune every season. How much has he spent on defenders already? There is no excuses for a lack of quality at the back, he’s just bought badly in some areas of the pitch.
I was being sarcastic.

I consider him an absolute fraud and am amazed that I am so alone in that view.
 

padr81

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That's wrong. Sane was a key player in both seasons.

17/18: 32 games (2424 minutes), 10 goals, 15 assists

18/19: 31 games (1867 minutes), 10 goals, 11 assists
His stats are better, also barely played was a mistake, I meant played a lot but wasn't as important. Stats proving me wrong though for sure. I thought he had about 8 goals and 5 or 6 assists. Seemed like he was a sub or subbed a lot.
Started 21 of those games 2nd season (so just over 1/2 games in the league) vs 27 in his first.
 

predator

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We need to get our house in order Liverpool aren't invincible nobody is things can change quickly in football we should not be waiting for Klopp or Guardiola to walk in the sunset for us to win the league we should be striving to take the challenge to them .
I like the positivity but realistically we are not winning the league any time soon. Depressing but true in my opinion. Football is cyclical yes and saying we should be 'striving to take the challenge to them' is just words mate. City will say the same. So will Chelsea. So will Liverpool. I bet arsenal and Tottenham say it aswell.

In an ideal world we will win the premier league and the champions league this season but due to fatigue ole will sacrifice the fa cup.

In reality though we got walloped by palace at home and just about beat Brighton.
 

JDoe

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It's not the players, it's the setup they play. Once the other teams adjust to their style of play and their midfield is bypassed, they rely on their center backs somehow winning the 1v1s running backwards, or their fullbacks to be extremely rapid to cover. Vardy is probably the best in the league for that, and that's also why Pep has changed his setup and been sitting back against Pool in the last games. I actually think Walker has been one of their best signings despite all the criticism he gets. They also require wingers that are absolutely exceptional dribblers with great acceleration, which they do have currently but are usually the most expensive players on the market.
 

gajender

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I like the positivity but realistically we are not winning the league any time soon. Depressing but true in my opinion. Football is cyclical yes and saying we should be 'striving to take the challenge to them' is just words mate. City will say the same. So will Chelsea. So will Liverpool. I bet arsenal and Tottenham say it aswell.

In an ideal world we will win the premier league and the champions league this season but due to fatigue ole will sacrifice the fa cup.

In reality though we got walloped by palace at home and just about beat Brighton.
Conte won the league against Guardiola and Klopp . Guardiola had two unprecedented season's in the League but they were no where near Klopp's Liverpool last season.

Agreed this season might be to too soon but the thinking that we need them to leave for us to rise again isn't something I agree with it's been too long we have been accepting mediocrity that attitude needs to change.
 

padr81

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Conte won the league against Guardiola and Klopp . Guardiola had two unprecedented season's in the League but they were no where near Klopp's Liverpool last season.

Agreed this season might be to too soon but the thinking that we need them to leave for us to rise again isn't something I agree with it's been too long we have been accepting mediocrity that attitude needs to change.
More points, more goals, better goal difference, bigger winning margin. What exactly was better about Klopp last season?
 

Castia

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Laporte, Dias, Bernardo Silva, Aguero and Jesus to add to that side yet though, I wouldn’t write them off so soon.
 

predator

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Conte won the league against Guardiola and Klopp . Guardiola had two unprecedented season's in the League but they were no where near Klopp's Liverpool last season.

Agreed this season might be to too soon but the thinking that we need them to leave for us to rise again isn't something I agree with it's been too long we have been accepting mediocrity that attitude needs to change.
Fair enough. I hope you are right but to be brutally honest I fully expected us to decline after SAF left for two reasons.

A) he was our manager for 26 years. Had been through highs and lows. Was arguably the best manager ever. Was definitely the best man manager ever (no debate!). You get the gist.

B) football is cyclical. Remember when liverpool were good before the PL existed? Remember when we were shite in the 70s? Remember when AC Milan were the dogs bollocks? Remember when liverpool beat Madrid 5-1 I think and even they were shit yet a few years later madrid bought ronaldo, kaka benzema, alonso and the rest is history.

Things will change. That is definitely the only thing I will be certain of.

The thing with alot of united fans though is that they expect (im not saying you are one) to be at the top like its a gods given right even when its painfully obvious we are not that good.

Its a dangerous mentality in my opinion.
 

gajender

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More points, more goals, better goal difference, bigger winning margin. What exactly was better about Klopp last season?
You misunderstood me my friend I am not saying Liverpool's last season was better than City's winning seasons my point was City didn't challenge Liverpool last season.
 

gajender

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Fair enough. I hope you are right but to be brutally honest I fully expected us to decline after SAF left for two reasons.

A) he was our manager for 26 years. Had been through highs and lows. Was arguably the best manager ever. Was definitely the best man manager ever (no debate!). You get the gist.

B) football is cyclical. Remember when liverpool were good before the PL existed? Remember when we were shite in the 70s? Remember when AC Milan were the dogs bollocks? Remember when liverpool beat Madrid 5-1 I think and even they were shit yet a few years later madrid bought ronaldo, kaka benzema, alonso and the rest is history.

Things will change. That is definitely the only thing I will be certain of.

The thing with alot of united fans though is that they expect (im not saying you are one) to be at the top like its a gods given right even when its painfully obvious we are not that good.

Its a dangerous mentality in my opinion.
Agree with you my friend on most points After the great man retired we were bound to have some dip and we don't have the God given right to be at the top but we have the resources better than the most it's just that our execution has been so shambolic in last few years that we seem to falling behind but due to these very same resources we are better equipped then most to be successful once we get things right.
 

Maluco

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More points, more goals, better goal difference, bigger winning margin. What exactly was better about Klopp last season?
The fact that Klopp’s starting squad and net spend over the period is dwarfed by Pep’s vast resources.

He ran him close and then defeated him. He has also won a CL in the same time period, while competing with a City that had Jesus, Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Foden, Rodri etc... on the bench.

You have to include the normal size and expectations of a club, not just points on the board. City were regular PL winners with a good squad when Pep arrived, Liverpool were nowhere.
 

Infordin

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Garcia, Mendy and Rodri are every bit as useless as Pique, Alba and Busquets. The only difference is that at least the latter trio has won everything and can blame age.
 

Chief123

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Absolutely delighted City are turning to Ruben Diaz to fix their defensive issues. The troubles will continue. Ridiculous as Maguire’s price.
 

Chief123

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I remember people hyping up the likes of Rodri and Mendy. Although then again that happens with every player they sign. People lost their shit over Cancelo ffs.
To be fair Mendy was a good player before his cruciate ligament.

Rodri is just pure dog shit.
 

predator

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Agree with you my friend on most points After the great man retired we were bound to have some dip and we don't have the God given right to be at the top but we have the resources better than the most it's just that our execution has been so shambolic in last few years that we seem to falling behind but due to these very same resources we are better equipped then most to be successful once we get things right.
Its frustrating for many reasons but do you know what really gets to me is how much money we have spent since he retired and how little we have to show for it.

Like I said, I expected a decline following his departure because i didn't believe the club would go on to sign players like Falcao, Di Maria, break the world transfer record for pogba, pay absurd wages and go against everything.
If i knew that back in 2012 then I wouldve been optimistic.

It shouldve been a smooth transition. I dont even know who to blame at this point. The glazers are not the best owners but they have spent alot of money, the manager recruitment has been disatrous but who is actually responsible?

I love ole but deep down I do not think he is tactically on the same wavelength as some managers but he understands the club more than any other
 

alexthelion

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I love ole but deep down I do not think he is tactically on the same wavelength as some managers but he understands the club more than any other
Imo, his position at United should probably be as DoF/Sporting Director for the reasons you've highighted there.
 

padr81

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You misunderstood me my friend I am not saying Liverpool's last season was better than City's winning seasons my point was City didn't challenge Liverpool last season.
Don't mind me I'm silly like that and still pissed after the hammering we got
 

Suedesi

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They trailed Liverpool by a gazillion points last season, and yet they're still favorites for the league AND the Champions League - cuz expected goals innit.

I don't fecking get it, this team has major flaws defensively as proved time and time and time again - but they're going to do the quadruple according to English media who just can never take a critical look at Guardiola because he invented football or somthing.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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Their team isn't really that amazing like some on here think.

There should be no reason we shouldn't push them close in the league campaign.

Did you see their bench today? It was pretty poor.
 
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They trailed Liverpool by a gazillion points last season, and yet they're still favorites for the league AND the Champions League - cuz expected goals innit.

I don't fecking get it, this team has major flaws defensively as proved time and time and time again - but they're going to do the quadruple according to English media who just can never take a critical look at Guardiola because he invented football or somthing.
Who is saying this? No one. 2 years ago yes, not now. Everyone has Liverpool as the favourites to win the league.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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Their midfield is dog shit and unless Fernandinho moves in there and stays fit they'll keep having days like these. They kept sagging and sagging off of Maddison for the goal, it was astounding the amount of time and space he was afforded to stroll in with the ball, take a sip of latte, pick his spot and line up a drive.
 

padr81

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Their team isn't really that amazing like some on here think.

There should be no reason we shouldn't push them close in the league campaign.

Did you see their bench today? It was pretty poor.
We're missing 6 players... Aguero, Jesus, Cancelo, Gundogan, Bernardo, Zinchenko would make it a little stronger.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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We're missing 6 players... Aguero, Jesus, Cancelo, Gundogan, Bernardo, Zinchenko would make it a little stronger.

Zinchenko was on the bench.

Those are some good players missing though, I'll give you that.
 

padr81

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Zinchenko was on the bench.

Those are some good players missing though, I'll give you that.
That said you're point not being great is true. Not lying but I'd take Matic, Van Der Beek and Fernandes over Pep's preferred Rodri, Gundo and KDB. While KDB is clearly the best player of the bunch he's a one man midfield and I don't like Pogba's workrate, sometimes its great sometimes its poor.
Both defences are a shambles and with our injuries you probably have a stronger front 3 at the minute too. I think there is less between both first XI's than most people think, squad depth (when we have a squad) is probably the only difference at the moment.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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That said you're point not being great is true. Not lying but I'd take Matic, Van Der Beek and Fernandes over Pep's preferred Rodri, Gundo and KDB. While KDB is clearly the best player of the bunch he's a one man midfield and I don't like Pogba's workrate, sometimes its great sometimes its poor.
Both defences are a shambles and with our injuries you probably have a stronger front 3 at the minute too. I think there is less between both first XI's than most people think, squad depth (when we have a squad) is probably the only difference at the moment.
I keep saying it.

I don't think there's that much between the 1st XI. I actually think our first XI at the moment might be slightly better.

Your depth is better. You have a better manager as well.