Thanks 83, your last line has put me back on the path. Yes, SAFC can and will win the title . Haway !!!
I think the style of football is so good to watch. I love it how they always play from the back making the pitch massive. I’ve started to actually try and watch their games instead of just watching whoever is on tv. Think they’ll do a lot better in Europe this year but I still think they’re a bit weak defensively if they come up against the big boys.
It's the whole system for me, mate. I enjoy watching Man City without the ball, just as much as watching them with the ball. The way they press high up the pitch and hunt in packs, it's incredible how he gets his teams to do that. I'm not sure Man City can be classed as tippy tappy until they're just a few yards out, they've got way more options and style than that. That's Arsenals bag.
I'm a massive fan of City. Love the fans. Love the city. Love the way their owners are bigger than football club owners. They're doing big things for the place. The Joe Hart thing is fascinating. Pep saw something and got utterly slated for it while it wasn't working. Stuck with it and it's now looking like a masterstroke. John Stones, Raheem Stirling looking world class. He's clearly not the joke over here I thought he was. Clearly wrong about that. Doing incredible things and would love to see them break some records this year. I can't help disliking Mourinho, I find Conte a bit weird and self destructive, I don't like Liverpool in the slightest, Wenger is a joke and Poch hasn't quite got Spurs there yet. Would love to see this City team making waves at home and abroad.
It's impressive to watch and effective but like with Barcelona I got sick of it after a bit. Intense pressing game, short passes, lots of weak but skilful players who dive all the time. Not a big fan really. I'm not knocking the effectiveness of it because it is impressive and I sure as hell wouldn't want to defend against it, teams spend the game defending so deep there's eleven players on the line. I think the way they play is the epitome of tippy tappy though, they've got a couple of players like Aguero and De Bruyne who will shoot from anywhere but they're very much playing one twos until they can smell the keeper's breath, at which point they play three more passes before someone taps it in.
I've actually just realised that both of the goalkeepers in the Merseyside derby were signed from Sunderland.
Unless something drastic happens the Premier League is sewn up....City look untouchable right now. Questions were asked about Pep last year, but his Barcelona side were simply the best footballing side that I have watched in my 59 years. It's taken him a little time to get to grips with the EPL, but he looks like he is on top of things now. Great to watch.
I read about a bit of a scuffle after the game - apparently Mourinho was walking past the City dressing room when he heard Pep bragging about how nice his handbag is. Now Jose is very firm about the quality of his own handbag so he went in there and told them to quieten down and show some respect to his handbag. Apparently Jose got sprayed with water, and Arteta suffered a cut on his head from a particularly sharp Chanel handbag logo.
What is "Premier" about the league is the parity - relative to the other leagues; but the EPL needs to win the Champion's League before too long or it will lose some credibility. It sounds like most watched the game yesterday. There was a play where the ball was lobbed or looped over Walker's head, deep into the penalty area. He was initially beat, but recovered. During his recovery run, he didn't seem bother with the defender at all, he just won the race to the ball and ultimately shielded the attacker from it. It looked to me like the proper way to deal with that. Any thoughts before I misinform young fullbacks.
I think you are miles out with that, mate. We have always been a force in Europe and this season our teams are making a comeback. I said from the start an English team would win it this season and all 5 of our clubs have progressed from the group stages. What do you mean by the second bit I've highlighted? Do you mean Kyle Walker didn't bother with their attacking player?
But their players last season were far better than he had them playing IMO. OK so they've improved this season (as @Safc83 said) but what precisely was wrong with the players he had last season? Yaya Toure, De Bruyne, Aguero, Kompany, Stones, Otamendi etc. these were all playing last season and surely they had a team far more capable than they showed - that's why I'm not sure he is as good as everyone says. His team at City were very good and needed a better manager - he apparently was that but still needed to spend >£100m to get them to where they are. Bought it for me
1) Is this not the modern fan though? He had his first season settling in and finding his feet in English football and now he's reaping the rewards. 2) Pretty much same as above. Nothing wrong with the players he had last season but his coaching has brought them on too where they're today. 3) Yeah he's spent money, but I think people overlook that as an art, which it is. When City brought in Mark Hughes he was spending huge sums of money at the time on players like Roque Santa Cruz. You can't just get good players and chuck them together to form a winning team. Look at Jose at Chelsea, he had them struggling around the relegation places. I think Pep has definitely brought his own style of football and tactics to English football and it's working a treat. This is the most talented and imo, most impressive team that the Premier league has ever seen. Pep = God
See I disagree, players like Zabaleta, Sagna and Clichy has lost pace and meant they couldn’t play out of defence as getting caught in possession left them open, he’s seen the issue and he’s added once and solved it, that’s given de Bryne freedom, allowed Sterling to play further upfield. He’s seen the issue and resolved it, he bought the perfect players to suit how he wanted to play and that’s dominated the league to date. He’s nailed it mate, absolutely nailed it, and he’s improved the players he’s kept.
Yeah, I twisted that. I was rushing out to get to work on time. Yes, I meant Walker didn't get tangled up with the attacking player, he seemed to focus on getting to the ball first, and it worked out.
First and foremost always go to the ball. As a defender you want to be angling in when you're running to get in between the attacking player and the ball, when chasing down like that. So your back should be facing towards the attacking player, and your chest facing the ball. You have to be careful not to barge the player, because that would be a foul. Ideally the attacking player will run into the back of the defender and who will take the hit and get his team a free kick. If you tried to go for the player first, you'll get tangled up with him and cause a foul to the other team. Always go to the ball, but think about the angle the other player is coming from and how you are going to shield the ball with your body.
