Pellegrini's Selections

[Original Dub]

That won't happen mate - he's a troll.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Think CL has an effect on the current level of play.
It is a distraction and does affect PL performances.
In past seasons always noticed a trend that the teams playing in the CL had very mixed form in PL both before and after CL games.
I can't give you examples - I 'noticed' - so its a perception (but I think it is an accurate one).

There will be no CL to distract over XMAS and NY - so looking forward to see what happens then.

Worryingly though it looks like we just cannot perform consistently without a fit Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Kun.

This theory may not be too far wide of the mark.

Our results before CL games this season:

1-0 win away to Palace, good result but needed a last minute winner after a largely insipid performance

4-1 defeat to Spurs

5-1 victory against Bournemouth, our only decent performance pre CL game.

2-1 win home to Norwich, toiled our way through this one

4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool

2-0 defeat away to Stoke

I could be well wide of the mark but the general malaise in these performances suggest to me that the focus isn't right going into these games and if that is the case then questions need to be asked in regards prioritising one competition over the rest.

[DoomMerchant]

Think CL has an effect on the current level of play.
It is a distraction and does affect PL performances.
In past seasons always noticed a trend that the teams playing in the CL had very mixed form in PL both before and after CL games.
I can't give you examples - I 'noticed' - so its a perception (but I think it is an accurate one).

There will be no CL to distract over XMAS and NY - so looking forward to see what happens then.

Worryingly though it looks like we just cannot perform consistently without a fit Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Kun.

This theory may not be too far wide of the mark.

Our results before CL games this season:

1-0 win away to Palace, good result but needed a last minute winner after a largely insipid performance

4-1 defeat to Spurs

5-1 victory against Bournemouth, our only decent performance pre CL game.

2-1 win home to Norwich, toiled our way through this one

4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool

2-0 defeat away to Stoke

I could be well wide of the mark but the general malaise in these performances suggest to me that the focus isn't right going into these games and if that is the case then questions need to be asked in regards prioritising one competition over the rest.

You're suggesting that perhaps the team knows the focus is on CL and holds something back for those matches in many cases?

I might actually buy that line of bullshit tbh.

Cheers

[Moonchesteri]

Think CL has an effect on the current level of play.
It is a distraction and does affect PL performances.
In past seasons always noticed a trend that the teams playing in the CL had very mixed form in PL both before and after CL games.
I can't give you examples - I 'noticed' - so its a perception (but I think it is an accurate one).

There will be no CL to distract over XMAS and NY - so looking forward to see what happens then.

Worryingly though it looks like we just cannot perform consistently without a fit Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Kun.

This theory may not be too far wide of the mark.

Our results before CL games this season:

1-0 win away to Palace, good result but needed a last minute winner after a largely insipid performance

4-1 defeat to Spurs

5-1 victory against Bournemouth, our only decent performance pre CL game.

2-1 win home to Norwich, toiled our way through this one

4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool

2-0 defeat away to Stoke

I could be well wide of the mark but the general malaise in these performances suggest to me that the focus isn't right going into these games and if that is the case then questions need to be asked in regards prioritising one competition over the rest.

You're suggesting that perhaps the team knows the focus is on CL and holds something back for those matches in many cases?

I might actually buy that line of bullshit tbh.

Cheers

I think it's clear as a day that our players already have their minds on the CL games and that's pissing me off.

[TGR]

So now are you going to believe me?

[Saul Goodman]

Despite the results of the last few matches i dont think you can fault Pellegrini's selections.
Sure, maybe the players didnt try gard enough but the selections, given the available players, were fine.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Despite the results of the last few matches i dont think you can fault Pellegrini's selections.
Sure, maybe the players didnt try gard enough but the selections, given the available players, were fine.

It's a well-known fact that a sense of humour is imporant.

[gillie]

I understood why he rested players against Southampton what I couldn't understand was the pathetic performance from those rested players against Madrid. So or me the players are the one's at fault not Pellers.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I understood why he rested players against Southampton what I couldn't understand was the pathetic performance from those rested players against Madrid. So or me the players are the one's at fault not Pellers.

Yesterday said a lot to me. I too can understand resting players for certain matches but the one thing we as fans should be able to guarantee is effort. Against Southampton it wasn't there and strangely against Real it wasn't there but against Arsenal it was! WHY?

Yesterday against Arsenal Kun Aguero was excellent and from the start was AT IT. He really put a shift in but in recent games he has wandered through them as if he was nursing an injury. Is it Pellers fault that for a few matches he doesnt seem to give his all and then yesterday gave a full 100%. Maybe not right to pick on Kun when the likes of Kolarov and Yaya take the piss but it was the contrast of Kun's performances that baffled me.

[Tokyo Blue]

I understood why he rested players against Southampton what I couldn't understand was the pathetic performance from those rested players against Madrid. So or me the players are the one's at fault not Pellers.

Yesterday said a lot to me. I too can understand resting players for certain matches but the one thing we as fans should be able to guarantee is effort. Against Southampton it wasn't there and strangely against Real it wasn't there but against Arsenal it was! WHY?

Yesterday against Arsenal Kun Aguero was excellent and from the start was AT IT. He really put a shift in but in recent games he has wandered through them as if he was nursing an injury. Is it Pellers fault that for a few matches he doesnt seem to give his all and then yesterday gave a full 100%. Maybe not right to pick on Kun when the likes of Kolarov and Yaya take the piss but it was the contrast of Kun's performances that baffled me.

The problem I can see is that it seems hard to tell when he is going to stroll about and when he is going to put a shift in. I suppose you could haul him off after 20 minutes if he is just pissing about, but then he is always capable of a goal like yesterday's even when he is in first gear - if the opportunity presents itself. Some of it is perhaps due to what he may see as the lack of creativity behind him when Silva and KdB are not playing. He was excellent yesterday. We need more of the same next week.

And also pissing off your top scorer is not generally a good move.

What to do.