City v Everton

I'll do this one, in order to burn up some of my bad luck against a game we'll lose anyway.

The thought of watching this is similar to if I were a music journo who has been asked to review the latest Coldplay album. I know it's going to be awful and painful, and that I'll be reminded of the rampant corporatism at the heart of the whole enterprise at every turn, but I am nevertheless obliged to do it.

Team news: Pele and Maradona are back for City, Puskas faces a late test, Kaka might have to fill in at left back in the absence of Maldini.

We're unchanged, Onana on the bench.

Prediction: we'll lose 5-0 but Godfrey will get under Haaland's skin again and that will be something at least.

I'd like to be confident... but I'm not

0-0 HT. Job done so far, frustrating them with good organisation. Doku v Godfrey is where they'll break through eventually.

We’ve been very well organised and solid, but going forward we are utterly woeful. DCL working his arse off as usual but still looks like he won a competition to be a PL striker for a day.

Dyche will be delighted so far. Can we hold on for another 45? Seems incredibly unlikely, but you never know

Excellent analogy.

Inevitable but still a shame.

Great defending, kept our shape brilliantly, but had no reply once they scored. We need to keep solid and hope someone can score a goal for us occasionally.

No surprises there.

I think City are one of the dullest teams to ever win the league. There you go, I've said it. No doubting their skill level, and just how hard it is to play like that, but where's the excitment? I felt the same with Guardiola's Barcelona too.

Such a shame the only team close to challenging them are the RS.

Goodison_Gringo wrote:No surprises there.

I think City are one of the dullest teams to ever win the league. There you go, I've said it. No doubting their skill level, and just how hard it is to play like that, but where's the excitment? I felt the same with Guardiola's Barcelona too.

Such a shame the only team close to challenging them are the RS.

I've said it myself, they're boring as fuck. Over-prescriptive football played by machines.

We're kind of their direct opposites. They try to wear the opposition down through possession. We try to wear teams down when we don't have possession, by being organised and obdurate.

So that game was moderately enjoyable for 70 minutes (although I never once doubted they'd score eventually) because we frustrated the fuck out of them, by being like them, boring and difficult, but just in a different way.

we need Shuff U to beat Luton now ...

...currently 0-1 to Sheff U after 30 mins

..and Barcodes to beat Forest !
...and Wolves to beat Brentford !!
... and even the shite to beat Bumley !!!! .. that hurts to ask that though

... not asking too much am I ?

I was holding on to the faint hope that we'd manage to get a point, but it wasn't to be.

Goodison_Gringo wrote:No surprises there.

I think City are one of the dullest teams to ever win the league. There you go, I've said it. No doubting their skill level, and just how hard it is to play like that, but where's the excitment? I felt the same with Guardiola's Barcelona too.

Such a shame the only team close to challenging them are the RS.

Sometimes I'm in awe of them, their football can be mesmerising, silky and incredibly efficient. Every single player in the squad has amazing ball control, they all work as supremely balanced cogs in the team, and some of them - De Bruyne, Haarland and Foden in particular - are among best in the world at what they do as individuals.

Having said that, it's all a bit bloodless. Even their own fans seem to find it a bit dull going to watch them - hence the empty seats ten minutes from the end. Unlike other teams - us currently being a prime example - they seem to be playing for themselves (as individuals and as a team) rather than for the club and the fans. I know all footballers are mercenaries, but City players seems to be at another level.

hairy cataract wrote:

Goodison_Gringo wrote:No surprises there.

I think City are one of the dullest teams to ever win the league. There you go, I've said it. No doubting their skill level, and just how hard it is to play like that, but where's the excitment? I felt the same with Guardiola's Barcelona too.

Such a shame the only team close to challenging them are the RS.

Sometimes I'm in awe of them, their football can be mesmerising, silky and incredibly efficient.  Every single player in the squad has amazing ball control, they all work as supremely balanced cogs in the team, and some of them - De Bruyne, Haarland and Foden in particular - are among best in the world at what they do as individuals.

Having said that, it's all a bit bloodless.  Even their own fans seem to find it a bit dull going to watch them - hence the empty seats ten minutes from the end.  Unlike other teams - us currently being a prime example - they seem to be playing for themselves (as individuals and as a team) rather than for the club and the fans.  I know all footballers are mercenaries, but City players seems to be at another level.

Agree with most of what have been said earlier about City, but they are remarkably good at moving out of the opponents player's shadow, as in being available to receive the ball. Too many times watching Everton, when we have the ball, he has hardly anyone to play the ball to, while City players seem to have several options to play the ball to a teammate.

Having said that, Pickford didn't have much to do apart from picking the ball out of his net twice.