strange because it happens a few times every game - he's constantly out of position - part of the Macca problem is he's not only having to cover his own position but also has to cover for Greaves if he's left back and gone walk about and then hasn't got the legs to get back - massively over rated player - on a positive note at least he's stopped tugging shirts constantly
If anything shows people you can’t keep playing the same way without the players to do it this is it No Bowen and growshitski
Well he’ll obviously sometimes be out of position at left back given he’s never been a left back. He’s never out of position at centre back though.
IMO Greaves has a bit more pace that Macca, if not, he wouldn't be able to also play LB. I remember a cup game a couple of years ago and Macca played LB and he was woeful.
Yep! I was completely wrong on Connolly. He's surprised me at how efficient he's been able to be. Although what underlines how remarkable his improvement has been, my comment about his goal record - he's now scored more goals with us than in the entirety of his career before joining us. Remarkable. Huge props to Rosenior.
.. and I suspect he is not at full fitness yet? He seems to have that knack of scoring crucial goals, or am I imagining that?
He's fluffed quite a few as well, such as his slipper shot when he had the goal at his mercy against Sunderland. That's not really a criticism by the way, rather an acknowledgement that he has a fantastic knack for getting himself into goal scoring opportunities.
He does in some ways, but then I think as a team we're still extremely wasteful in certain scenarios, the biggest one being low balls played across the box. We put loads of these balls in from good positions and almost never seem to find a City player on the end of it. Connolly is one who I'd want to get onto those more often and it's something that I hope Sharp's influence can improve him in.
Lets say, for example, Friday's games had been the last match of the season for all clubs, with the same point spread between 6th to 14th place pre kick-off. Had we lost, Sunderland's draw would have knocked us out of the playoffs. Had we drawn and Sunderland win, same situation- we're out. In fact had we lost, it just so happens the results in any of 7 other matches could have contrived to put us out of the playoff places, even possibly to have City finishing at joint 13th in the table at season's end. It's conceivable it could be just as tight on the last day of the season.
One thing we could learn from Blackburn’s second is the potential benefit of twatting the ball first time rather than having two or three touches & getting crowded out.
I’d have been cheaper with a more respectable history & far better at helping myself in the opposition’s box (lunch box obvs).
Earlier on we would be putting in what seemed like aimless crosses and balls into the box. We've both commented on in the past. Have you noticed that these past handful or so of games we've started pulling the ball back to around the penalty spot quite a bit more? Just like several other teams had been doing against us, and they had some success. We very occasionally but rarely did it previously I notice it because this had been one of my gripes with our 'attacking plays'. Rather than just hit it aimless towards the middle of the goal hoping that someone might be around to get on the end of it, which they rarely were, pull it back toward the penalty spot where oncoming strikers or midfielders should know to be. And it's often an unmarked area as the defenders, including with ours, are typically closer to the goal and it's hit & miss whether the CM's have made it back to defend that deep. To me it's been a noticeable change, even those it's another 101.
That's a classic. I like him a lot, although I don't think he's deserving of a place on his form this season but come on, he's probably the slowest player in the squad. I reckon even Seri could beat him in a foot race.
Connolly seems to have the knack of getting on the end of long passes and being able to control the ball in tight situations and then get a shot off. He has demonstrated this skill on more than one occassion. Although this season he has not managed to seemingly get the ball to stick to his laces which he did a couple of times last season. Think there is more to come from him.
