Tactical Disaster

[Ted Hughes]

Thinking about it, the cleverest thing Mourinho has done, is to get people to fall for the idea that he has no strikers & is somehow lacking in goalscoring options.

Oscar scores at 1 in 3, as does Hazard, Lampard is still a 1 in 4 ish scorer, as is Squirrel, then he has Torres, Ba & Eto. If they're short on goals, it's down to Mourinho.

We have had injuries to 3 of our strikers all season & got a striker's contribution from Yaya. Pellegrini has wiped the floor with Mourinho when it comes to attacking football, as has Rodgers, that's the difference. Hazard would have 20 league goals now if he played for City.

[Hazy2]

Thinking about it, the cleverest thing Mourinho has done, is to get people to fall for the idea that he has no strikers & is somehow lacking in goalscoring options.

Oscar scores at 1 in 3, as does Hazard, Lampard is still a 1 in 4 ish scorer, as is Squirrel, then he has Torres, Ba & Eto. If they're short on goals, it's down to Mourinho.

We have had injuries to 3 of our strikers all season & got a striker's contribution from Yaya. Pellegrini has wiped the floor with Mourinho when it comes to attacking football, as has Rodgers, that's the difference. Hazard would have 20 league goals now if he played for City.

Ted, if he does win the Champs fair play endof.

[Ted Hughes]

Thinking about it, the cleverest thing Mourinho has done, is to get people to fall for the idea that he has no strikers & is somehow lacking in goalscoring options.

Oscar scores at 1 in 3, as does Hazard, Lampard is still a 1 in 4 ish scorer, as is Squirrel, then he has Torres, Ba & Eto. If they're short on goals, it's down to Mourinho.

We have had injuries to 3 of our strikers all season & got a striker's contribution from Yaya. Pellegrini has wiped the floor with Mourinho when it comes to attacking football, as has Rodgers, that's the difference. Hazard would have 20 league goals now if he played for City.

Ted, if he does win the Champs fair play endof.

If he wins the Champions League, it will have no relation to anything I have been talking about.

[Yaya Toure is a LAD]

I've been thinking something similar for the last few games. IMO, Pellegrini is ruthless against his own players. He plays them regardless of their fitness and he makes them to tasks that they can't cope. Yesterday was a good example, I mean we're fucking 3-1 up, why not take of Silva as well to rest him? Instead he insists on playing him and he breaks down. Coincidence or not, Pellegrini seems to be oblivious to the strains he puts his players through. Likewise with Aguero. Had he smoothed him in instead of forcing him to play, it's quite possible we could at least have used Aguero as an impact sub for the second half in a lot of games. Another good example is Ferna. He's made to cover enormous distances along the pitch and he's been doing since the start of the season and by now he's knackered. I don't agree that he's border buggered, I'd say he's on the verge of some sort of physical breakdown. The amount of times he's made unforced errors resulting on a difficult situation for us, not seldom around the centre circle, is mind boggling. He's tired. The error yesterday from the freekick was a very obvious one but it's been happening for a while now. I didn't see this myself but I read an interview with Thomas Gravesen where he said that one of the reasons he never made it at Real was because he was made to work in a defensive midfielder position after the departure of Makelele, with basically the rest of the midfield neglecting their defensive duties, which wore him down. I've been thinking about that interview a lot lately when watching Ferna. Why does Pellegrini persist in playing with a four man midfield when we are clearly knackerd? Wait, forget four man. Say three. Perhaps because of his knock, perhaps because he's tired, perhaps because he's just not up to it, Silva rarely came back and helped out defensively yesterday. Well rarely is perhaps an exaggeration, but he let the game pass him by quite a few times. In the beginning of the season and during our LC run during autumn, I remember writing that Pellegrini's habit of always fielding what seemed to be the strongest possible eleven would endear him to some fans. Well it might've, but his inability to rotate the team has left us more vulnerable that is necessary at the end of this league campaign. His image is that he's much more of a cozy manager that makes players feel involved in the team and fine, his way of speaking to players might be softer than Mancini's for example, but IMO he's not a bit more inclusive when it comes to fielding fringe players or even junior players. When it comes to EDS-players, I think Mancini might've even been bolder, which is some feat as Mancini was very conservative. And to persist in playing this 442 or a very attacking 451 when the players in midfield as well as defence are clearly faltering seems ignorant to me. As you write Ted, why not insert that extra man into midfield and give everybody a break? I don't know if it's the five trophies in five years statement of Sorrano that has driven Pellegrini to rely on an increasingly knackered core of players and to tempt fate with playing players when there's a risk of injuries. It's just strange though. Having said that we might still win the bloody thing anyway and Pellegrini deserves a lot of credit for having transformed our way of playing while still having us challenge for the league title to the very end. His persistence with playing tired or semi-injured players when there are valid options has to go though, as well as his reluctance towards rotating. It's a flaw of his, IMO. As for the breakdown in tactics I also agree and I think it was very palpable in the last minutes versus Sunderland. People give Hart (deserved) schtick for just hoofing the ball up the field, right onto the feet of Sunderland players, but that's like forgetting all the other players who continuously lost their head in those last minutes. Milner may not have set the world alight during that evening but I'd say it was more a sign of a team losing it's head, running into dead ends for most of the game (like Zabba in the 91st minute, needlessly giving away the ball to Sunderland at a crucial moment) instead of having a sound tactic to fall back on. It's weird. No or little nerves. We're supposed to have a seasoned squad by now.

I completely agree with you, but what are you insist we do? Play a different formation? Spend in the summer?

[Hazy2]

Thinking about it, the cleverest thing Mourinho has done, is to get people to fall for the idea that he has no strikers & is somehow lacking in goalscoring options.

Oscar scores at 1 in 3, as does Hazard, Lampard is still a 1 in 4 ish scorer, as is Squirrel, then he has Torres, Ba & Eto. If they're short on goals, it's down to Mourinho.

We have had injuries to 3 of our strikers all season & got a striker's contribution from Yaya. Pellegrini has wiped the floor with Mourinho when it comes to attacking football, as has Rodgers, that's the difference. Hazard would have 20 league goals now if he played for City.

Ted, if he does win the Champs fair play endof.

You can see it now, back in Portugal he beats RM, The only thing that can take the dippers out of the news..

[mcfc1632]

I have a lot of agreement with the main themes of posts in this thread - but I am much more satisfied with Pellers than the thrust of this thread. I would absolutely hate to have watch the 'anti-football' that Maureen dishes up - I do not care if it is deemed 'effective' or 'successful' - I would choose what Pellers dishes up without question.

We need to just add to the squad in a way that makes his style successful - not 'dumb down' - I have confidence he will get there. We have already won a cup we would likely have won the league without the bad luck of Liverpool's 3rd goal - margins are that small. For me Maureen is a total bore - as a person and with regard the football he churns out - he is also a tiresome fraud at so many levels (IMO) - Pellers every time for me.

[Ted Hughes]

I have a lot of agreement with the main themes of posts in this thread - but I am much more satisfied with Pellers than the thrust of this thread. I would absolutely hate to have watch the 'anti-football' that Maureen dishes up - I do not care if it is deemed 'effective' or 'successful' - I would choose what Pellers dishes up without question.

We need to just add to the squad in a way that makes his style successful - not 'dumb down' - I have confidence he will get there. We have already won a cup we would likely have won the league without the bad luck of Liverpool's 3rd goal - margins are that small. For me Maureen is a total bore - as a person and with regard the football he churns out - he is also a tiresome fraud at so many levels (IMO) - Pellers every time for me.

It was absolutely not my intention to start a 'Pellegrini out' thread.

Personally, I think he has indentified 90% of the things that needed fixing & at one point had them almost fixed. Now most of those faults are back, but I think it's mainly down to mental & physical fatigue, as well as quite awful drop pf standards by people like Negredo, & injuries. I think he could have done much better tactically during this dodgy spell, when the players are clearly struggling, is my point.

As far as his position goes, I view it with the same conditions I attached to Mancini last season: on the last day, whatever the league position, whatever the result, we have to look like an outfit who will recharge & come out fighting next season. Last season we looked like a club who can't wait to get rid of the manager. If that's how we look in May, he has to go, otherwise I'm happy enough we will improve under Pellegrini next term. But then he WILL have to deliver.

[Hazy2]

I have a lot of agreement with the main themes of posts in this thread - but I am much more satisfied with Pellers than the thrust of this thread. I would absolutely hate to have watch the 'anti-football' that Maureen dishes up - I do not care if it is deemed 'effective' or 'successful' - I would choose what Pellers dishes up without question.

We need to just add to the squad in a way that makes his style successful - not 'dumb down' - I have confidence he will get there. We have already won a cup we would likely have won the league without the bad luck of Liverpool's 3rd goal - margins are that small. For me Maureen is a total bore - as a person and with regard the football he churns out - he is also a tiresome fraud at so many levels (IMO) - Pellers every time for me.

It was absolutely not my intention to start a 'Pellegrini out' thread.

Personally, I think he has indentified 90% of the things that needed fixing & at one point had them almost fixed. Now most of those faults are back, but I think it's mainly down to mental & physical fatigue, as well as quite awful drop pf standards by people like Negredo, & injuries. I think he could have done much better tactically during this dodgy spell, when the players are clearly struggling, is my point.

As far as his position goes, I view it with the same conditions I attached to Mancini last season: on the last day, whatever the league position, whatever the result, we have to look like an outfit who will recharge & come out fighting next season. Last season we looked like a club who can't wait to get rid of the manager. If that's how we look in May, he has to go, otherwise I'm happy enough we will improve under Pellegrini next term. But then he WILL have to deliver.

If he has a team that has downed tools on Sunday and get beat, he is for me just short of what we should be achieving. His tag for great football but falls short could be his undoing. I also think he has a squad of bottlers, Mancini was onto that, which did for him has he been wrong? Players are the 1st to duck any blame, Hart not improved, Mancini was onto that, stupid mistakes costing us, he was forever bemoaning fuck ups, over the season it has been a joke the mess ups, Chelsea away to name one Hart made. Are we any further on, I don't see it, Q for the knock out, Mancini did that with Gala. Pellers has brought great football but as was said on Wed by one of the SKY panel mistakes will always cost you in the end, and we have made so many, without it seems the threat of being dropped or worse. Our list of fuck ups is when you look at it huge. Keep Pellers but I would not be surprised if we are here again next season, sure as Shit Chelsea are gonna cure the forward thing and the scum will be better.

[Ted Hughes]

I have a lot of agreement with the main themes of posts in this thread - but I am much more satisfied with Pellers than the thrust of this thread. I would absolutely hate to have watch the 'anti-football' that Maureen dishes up - I do not care if it is deemed 'effective' or 'successful' - I would choose what Pellers dishes up without question.

We need to just add to the squad in a way that makes his style successful - not 'dumb down' - I have confidence he will get there. We have already won a cup we would likely have won the league without the bad luck of Liverpool's 3rd goal - margins are that small. For me Maureen is a total bore - as a person and with regard the football he churns out - he is also a tiresome fraud at so many levels (IMO) - Pellers every time for me.

It was absolutely not my intention to start a 'Pellegrini out' thread.

Personally, I think he has indentified 90% of the things that needed fixing & at one point had them almost fixed. Now most of those faults are back, but I think it's mainly down to mental & physical fatigue, as well as quite awful drop pf standards by people like Negredo, & injuries. I think he could have done much better tactically during this dodgy spell, when the players are clearly struggling, is my point.

As far as his position goes, I view it with the same conditions I attached to Mancini last season: on the last day, whatever the league position, whatever the result, we have to look like an outfit who will recharge & come out fighting next season. Last season we looked like a club who can't wait to get rid of the manager. If that's how we look in May, he has to go, otherwise I'm happy enough we will improve under Pellegrini next term. But then he WILL have to deliver.

If he has a team that has downed tools on Sunday and get beat, he is for me just short of what we should be achieving. His tag for great football but falls short could be his undoing. I also think he has a squad of bottlers, Mancini was onto that, which did for him has he been wrong? Players are the 1st to duck any blame, Hart not improved, Mancini was onto that, stupid mistakes costing us, he was forever bemoaning fuck ups, over the season it has been a joke the mess ups, Chelsea away to name one Hart made. Are we any further on, I don't see it, Q for the knock out, Mancini did that with Gala. Pellers has brought great football but as was said on Wed by one of the SKY panel mistakes will always cost you in the end, and we have made so many, without it seems the threat of being dropped or worse. Our list of fuck ups is when you look at it huge. Keep Pellers but I would not be surprised if we are here again next season, sure as Shit Chelsea are gonna cure the forward thing and the scum will be better.

As you point out; the reason we are not well clear at the top of the league is 90% down to stupid individual mistakes & not down to Pellegrini. It's not even down to him selecting one player over another, as Kompany , Zabba, Clichy have all joined in helping to lose ponts/games. In fact, as under Mancini, the person who makes the least costly fuckups, is the bloke we are kicking out.

My beef with Pellegrini is that he's not recognised we are struggling & grabbed the points.

[Hazy2]

If they down tools, we need a shake up the dippers need points on each week we need to keep it honest and make them win it.

[Crossie]

If they down tools, we need a shake up the dippers need points on each week we need to keep it honest and make them win it.

Spot on, but after the last 2 games I have a feeling we wont be there to capitalise. We look like our natural mindset is "we've given up" this is altered for the start of a game after the team talk until it wears off after about 20 mins.

We should be winning all remaining games bar Everton, which we have a mild hope for because of Barry and Miralles being out.

[dazby]

I think the fact that we play after the Dippers Chelsea game will be telling. If the Dippers win we'll get more of the same. But if we get a sniff, we will come out all guns blazing.

[Ted Hughes]

I think the fact that we play after the Dippers Chelsea game will be telling. If the Dippers win we'll get more of the same. But if we get a sniff, we will come out all guns blazing.

For me, teams who fizzle out at the end of a season usually fizzle into the next season unless either the manager or a large number of players is changed.

Once a team visibly gives up, it's hard to get the same group to find their mojo again without a substantial amount of new blood. If the dippers do seal the title early, it might be better for all concerned if we put some of the kids in for the last two games. To create a bit of interest & mask any potential halfarsedness by the main players; especially those bound for the World Cup.

[Beefymcfc]

Wasn't Pellers brought in for his motivational skills, getting the best from each player over the course of a season? Why the hell would they give up?

If this season fizzles out and we lose a couple of games then I think we should be looking beyond Pellers as he's not brought what we were expecting, especially from this squad of players.

[Ted Hughes]

Wasn't Pellers brought in for his motivational skills, getting the best from each player over the course of a season? Why the hell would they give up?

If this season fizzles out and we lose a couple of games then I think we should be looking beyond Pellers as he's not brought what we were expecting, especially from this squad of players.

I didn't think he was brought in for his motivational skills no.

[blues2win]

Every manager needs motivational skills but. I think he was brought in to play more attacking football in line with the Tricksey Soriano vision and to put a smile back on the players' faces. Job done. Unfortunately he fucked up on rotation and was unlucky with injuries. Also when it came to crunch time he's found it difficult to lift tired players and get them to dig deep for 1 and 2 0 wins. At the end of the late surge to the title Mancini did manage that. The 1-0 against the scum and the 2-0 against the bar codes but even he nearly fucked up at the death and he had a much luckier time with injuries.

[Beefymcfc]

Ah, sorry. I thought that we'd worked out that he was here to pick up the slapped arses from last season. I suppose we don't call it motivation, but more molly-coddling now.

Pellers job is to get the players up for the game, period. I'm sure he can do it but if he can't, it will be just as bad as Mancini last season. At the same time, the board need to look at those players and get them out. If they can't get themsleves up for the run-in then they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Get the feckers out.

[Hazy2]

Wasn't Pellers brought in for his motivational skills, getting the best from each player over the course of a season? Why the hell would they give up?

If this season fizzles out and we lose a couple of games then I think we should be looking beyond Pellers as he's not brought what we were expecting, especially from this squad of players.

I didn't think he was brought in for his motivational skills no.

He was broght in to give the Spoilt brats plus the two amigos a nice environment , that has gone two far and we now lack some fucker any fucker kicking off when we make school boy mistakes as we have seen all season, top man pellers not gonna be a manic when we not only lose but throw games away, WBA was the type of thing they get away with coz nobody is that bothered. Hey we are all chilled man, 200k a week chill baby.

[Ted Hughes]

Wasn't Pellers brought in for his motivational skills, getting the best from each player over the course of a season? Why the hell would they give up?

If this season fizzles out and we lose a couple of games then I think we should be looking beyond Pellers as he's not brought what we were expecting, especially from this squad of players.

I didn't think he was brought in for his motivational skills no.

He was broght in to give the Spoilt brats plus the two amigos a nice environment , that has gone two far and we now lack some fucker any fucker kicking off when we make school boy mistakes as we have seen all season, top man pellers not gonna be a manic when we not only lose but throw games away, WBA was the type of thing they get away with coz nobody is that bothered. Hey we are all chilled man, 200k a week chill baby.

People kicking off when we make schoolboy mistakes will make no difference whatsoever, in fact will make it worse in many cases.

You honestly think Kompany would be worried about what Pellegrini has to say when he hoofed that ball to Coutinho in front of 40,000 screaming scousers ? He won't even remember Pellegrini exists when that ball comes in; he just reacts in the moment.

I suppose Mourinho shouts at Torres every time he misses a chance & that's why he's so clinical nowardays ? It's dead that kind of nonsense.

Even Ferguson has said that players don't respond to that kind of bullshit anymore; times have changed. If they let you down all the time, you replace them. The jury is out on some.

Pellegrini's mistake, is not because he doesn't shout at people, it's pushing the same players too far. To play the kind of football he wants, they have to be able to close down quickly & move forward quickly & be mentally very sharp.

They are fucked. I was saying it on here months ago, like when he played Zabba at Leicester & got him injured & some of the same people who are now whinging about it, were arguing the toss back then. Even after the Wigan game, people were whinging about him resting a couple of players. Negredo's season ended in the 2nd leg of a League Cup game we were winning by a cricket score.

We should have been watching Devante Cole up front by then.

If the players are obviously knackered & struggling, like v Sunderland, he should change tactic, tighten it up & go for the points, not keep playing like Real Madrid in the middle of August. We could & should have beaten Sunderland with ease. Being caught on the break over & over when winning 1-0 is just stupid.

[Beefymcfc]

Are we getting the best out of the squad we have available?