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All purpose football thread 2022/23 Season

A relatively poor performance from City against Spurs, with Grealish and Ake being the only real positives. Rodri, who I have long been a supporter of, was isolated in the centre, and vulnerable because of that: he had a poor game. We moved the ball slowly, as we tend to when we are not quite on it, allowing Spurs to set up the banks of defenders, and they broke at speed. Spurs did not dominate the match; Kane's was not a superstar performance - the commentators' yearning to celebrate every single Spurs move forward was nauseating and biased. Congratulations to Spurs who are a consistent thorn in our side - 5 matches, 5 losses, 0 goals scored, for us, away to them.

It was also a poor refereeing display, with Grealish targeted time and time again with little action taken, at least not soon enough for it to affect the game. Again, we saw Lewis targeted too, yet carded for his own, innocuous response.

This is clearly a season of transition, for us and others, and we are in the mix, but we are not the favourites we have become accustomed to being. I think some City players have now reached the end of their physical and mental limits, as the effect of the relentless competition at the top of the game takes its toll, as it has at Liverpool. It is rumoured, and Pep seemed to confirm it at the press conference, that the end of this season will involve 'conversations' with a number of players. I suspect there will be big changes and a number of arrivals, and departures, with several deals already done. Football is cyclical and no team, whatever their history, has a divine right to success. Expecting unbroken and unchallenged success is unrealistic and all fans of large clubs need to remember that they are in a privileged position, with more than 60 professional clubs in the English league system, and only one PL winner from that crop.
 
oldius said:
A relatively poor performance from City against Spurs, with Grealish and Ake being the only real positives. Rodri, who I have long been a supporter of, was isolated in the centre, and vulnerable because of that: he had a poor game. We moved the ball slowly, as we tend to when we are not quite on it, allowing Spurs to set up the banks of defenders, and they broke at speed. Spurs did not dominate the match; Kane's was not a superstar performance - the commentators' yearning to celebrate every single Spurs move forward was nauseating and biased. Congratulations to Spurs who are a consistent thorn in our side - 5 matches, 5 losses, 0 goals scored, for us, away to them.

It was also a poor refereeing display, with Grealish targeted time and time again with little action taken, at least not soon enough for it to affect the game. Again, we saw Lewis targeted too, yet carded for his own, innocuous response.

This is clearly a season of transition, for us and others, and we are in the mix, but we are not the favourites we have become accustomed to being. I think some City players have now reached the end of their physical and mental limits, as the effect of the relentless competition at the top of the game takes its toll, as it has at Liverpool. It is rumoured, and Pep seemed to confirm it at the press conference, that the end of this season will involve 'conversations' with a number of players. I suspect there will be big changes and a number of arrivals, and departures, with several deals already done. Football is cyclical and no team, whatever their history, has a divine right to success. Expecting unbroken and unchallenged success is unrealistic and all fans of large clubs need to remember that they are in a privileged position, with more than 60 professional clubs in the English league system, and only one PL winner from that crop.
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I thought Grealish did a lot of diving, kept going over under very little contact, no real end product. He’s far less effective than Sterling in the city system.

I thought Spurs played really well, teams come up new tactics to combat the leading contenders. Long may it continue.
 
Woodface said:
I thought Grealish did a lot of diving, kept going over under very little contact, no real end product. He’s far less effective than Sterling in the city system.

I thought Spurs played really well, teams come up new tactics to combat the leading contenders. Long may it continue.
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I don't agree about Sterling and Grealish, but the Raz ship has long since sailed for us.
I thought Spurs were decent, and tactically disciplined, following a plan that exposes us time and time again, when delivered as well as it was.
 
As always, I look forward to our defence against the charges made, as an opportunity to finally bury the constant allegations.
 
oldius said:
I don't agree about Sterling and Grealish, but the Raz ship has long since sailed for us.
I thought Spurs were decent, and tactically disciplined, following a plan that exposes us time and time again, when delivered as well as it was.
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The stats are on my side;)
 
webster said:
Something not quite right at City - they don't dominate matches in the way they used to.
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De Bruyne isn't playing like he was at the start of the season, when he was a key play maker. I wonder if Belgium's disastrous world cup performance has affected him mentally ? Fernandes at Man U and Odegaard have won games for their teams in the same way that De Bruyne used to for City.
 
sean99 said:
De Bruyne isn't playing like he was at the start of the season, when he was a key play maker. I wonder if Belgium's disastrous world cup performance has affected him mentally ? Fernandes at Man U and Odegaard have won games for their teams in the same way that De Bruyne used to for City.
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Well he's 32 in a few months time and has spent the last few years at City having lumps kicked out of him on a regular basis - great footballer but he's only human.
 
sean99 said:
De Bruyne isn't playing like he was at the start of the season, when he was a key play maker. I wonder if Belgium's disastrous world cup performance has affected him mentally ? Fernandes at Man U and Odegaard have won games for their teams in the same way that De Bruyne used to for City.
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There is really no City player playing to their absolute best at the moment. We have had a relentless ride and I think that some of them are burnt out.
 
^ CC should be next in at Leeds. He’s done a sound job at WBA given they had been well-cabbaged before that.

Obviously managing a big club in Yorkshire is a step up from his stint at Huddersfield and he’s familiar with Leeds.
 
No sport arbitration to go to this time for Man City, from what i've read and the FA seem to be determind this time. No doubt it will rumble on and end up in a fine of some sort.
 
Blue Belle said:
No sport arbitration to go to this time for Man City, from what i've read and the FA seem to be determind this time. No doubt it will rumble on and end up in a fine of some sort.
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It’ll have about as much impact as the fine on Boris Johnson over Partygate
 
Blue Belle said:
No sport arbitration to go to this time for Man City, from what i've read and the FA seem to be determind this time. No doubt it will rumble on and end up in a fine of some sort.
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While that is true, there is, naturally, the opportunity to defend ourselves, an appeals process, and progress to a higher court. As I understand, City are prepared to take this as far as is needed.
There is a lot of smoke and mirrors derived from social media, today, and it's difficult to be able to get a proper steer. I will wait until the dust settles.
 
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