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Dameerto wrote:I see yesterday's match as us losing the first half 4-0 and winning the second half 2-0. The question is why did we let four in? Was it the defence to blame or the midfield? (Or both). I think it was a product of how we set up to play (plus a couple of bad individual performances) - we got our act together at half time and their chances largely dried up with the threat seeming to shift more to the wide areas rather than through the middle (thanks to us controlling the midfield at last). Denayer and Zuculini were as responsible for the change as the tweak to how we were set up, in my opinion (although I don't think the second half lineup would have made it through the first half without letting in a goal or two).

Dameerto wrote:Nope.

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:The two Ferns are a problem. They can't be relied on to do the job of breaking up the play either individually or as a pair. Neither offer anything going forward to open up teams.
Yaya makes us a better team, we miss him horribly when he isn't there.
On the plus side, Sergio looks more likely to stay fit, Yaya will be rested and won't disappear half way through the season, Bony looks a better bet than Dzeko's efforts last season and Sterling will give us a new dimension up front.

I worry about set pieces coming into the box. There are free headers nearly every time. We can play sublime football in attack and still be undone by a couple of lumped balls into our area.

PrezIke wrote:I am very very excited about Sterling, but I worry it may be the signing that helps us one place while elsewhere we fall further behind. It also seems we may struggle still with FFP, the available options for real quality, and the new realities of the insane transfer market.

Last year we should have went for Pogba rather than Mangala it seems. Now we won't get him and is Sterling really our "crack" signing? We cannot beat the other big clubs unless we pay far over market value because we aren't sunny Spain, or a large "cosmopolitan" city, nor do we have enough tradition just yet as a top club. It is what it is, but it seems our reliance on youth development may end up being our real long term hope, but that is not going to help us enough this season.

Sterling sure looks like he could be the big signing but he's not Pogba just yet, who is the type of player we need desperately.

I know it's been pre-season, but our defence and central midfield is looking quite worrying. Our captain better get his ish together or we may be in major trouble.

phips wrote:nope.

nottsblue wrote:Who is the player though Beefy? A defender or a midfielder? I think we are possibly a tad short in both areas myself.

Beefymcfc wrote:Or did Stuttgart take their foot off the gas after being so far in front.

nottsblue wrote:Who is the player though Beefy? A defender or a midfielder? I think we are possibly a tad short in both areas myself.

Dameerto wrote:

Beefymcfc wrote:Or did Stuttgart take their foot off the gas after being so far in front.

I've said a few times that central midfield is the key position in Pellegrini's system - we played the first half with a youngster and Nasri as our central midfielders (and let four goals in as a result of a constant stream of centrally developed chances) - we tweaked our system and took nasri off and replaced him with Zuculini in the second half, the chances from Stuttgart dried up and we scored two goals - even a three year old could see we played differently in the second half compared to the first - and if we don't play Zuculini in our first prem game we are very likely to struggle.

Beefymcfc wrote:

Dameerto wrote:

Beefymcfc wrote:Or did Stuttgart take their foot off the gas after being so far in front.

I've said a few times that central midfield is the key position in Pellegrini's system - we played the first half with a youngster and Nasri as our central midfielders (and let four goals in as a result of a constant stream of centrally developed chances) - we tweaked our system and took nasri off and replaced him with Zuculini in the second half, the chances from Stuttgart dried up and we scored two goals - even a three year old could see we played differently in the second half compared to the first - and if we don't play Zuculini in our first prem game we are very likely to struggle.

It was question mate as I didn't see the game. I agree with you that we need one, probably 2, players that can at least understand the defensive side of the game but I'm not sure if Peller's has the same concerns.

Frustrating for me as the best we've seen of Vinnie is when we looked after our defence, with Lescott of course.

Dameerto wrote:

Beefymcfc wrote:

Dameerto wrote:

Beefymcfc wrote:Or did Stuttgart take their foot off the gas after being so far in front.

I've said a few times that central midfield is the key position in Pellegrini's system - we played the first half with a youngster and Nasri as our central midfielders (and let four goals in as a result of a constant stream of centrally developed chances) - we tweaked our system and took nasri off and replaced him with Zuculini in the second half, the chances from Stuttgart dried up and we scored two goals - even a three year old could see we played differently in the second half compared to the first - and if we don't play Zuculini in our first prem game we are very likely to struggle.

It was question mate as I didn't see the game. I agree with you that we need one, probably 2, players that can at least understand the defensive side of the game but I'm not sure if Peller's has the same concerns.

Frustrating for me as the best we've seen of Vinnie is when we looked after our defence, with Lescott of course.

Aaah I see, I thought you were being mister Devil's advocate.