OMT The Mighty THFC vs Abu Dhabi City

[DeleHarry]

One of the most expensively assembled teams in history beat us.

You know, just for a little perspective.

And while we were poor, my frustration is not that we lost to City but that we didnt give a true account of ourselves.

Which tells its own story I think. IMO we could have taken something out of it with some belief.

That is just too lazy....come on you can do better. They had Fabian Delph at left back, they didn't have a proper defensive midfielder, no Aguero, 3 kids on the bench along with a past it Toure.

The money difference between the clubs cannot be mentioned in a game like yesterday's. That's no perspective. There are plenty here who rave about Eriksen being the Messiah, as good as if not better than DeBruyne. Kane or Jesus, who would you have. Are you telling me Kompany and Laporte are better than Sanchez(or Alderweirelds who could have been picked) and Vertonghen?


They came to us on the back of 3 defeats in a row. They were there for the taking but we were simply poor on the night. The money thing is just a cheap excuse.

 

[glasgowspur]

The game was effectively lost in the first 30 minutes. Poch admitted as such in his post match interview when he said that we didn't compete during this period. The question is why was this? Why was our high press so lethargic and ineffective (Harry was basically just jogging in closing down). Ditto Dele and Eriksen and Lamela wasn't much better either. This led to four of our players bypassed and stranded high up the pitch. This had the knock on effect of our midfield being outnumbered and their top quality world class players left with time and space to pick their passes.

Yes our defence and goalkeeper had poor games too but the real reason for this lies with our front players not defending adequately imo. That was the root cause of our problems yesterday.

That's a problem with a pressing system, if one person is off it is difficult to make it work.
Harry looked leggy and Dembele had a lethargic look about him.

 

[StephenH]

That is just too lazy....come on you can do better. They had Fabian Delph at left back, they didn't have a proper defensive midfielder, no Aguero, 3 kids on the bench along with a past it Toure.

The money difference between the clubs cannot be mentioned in a game like yesterday's. That's no perspective. There are plenty here who rave about Eriksen being the Messiah, as good as if not better than DeBruyne. Kane or Jesus, who would you have. Are you telling me Kompany and Laporte are better than Sanchez(or Alderweirelds who could have been picked) and Vertonghen?


They came to us on the back of 3 defeats in a row. They were there for the taking but we were simply poor on the night. The money thing is just a cheap excuse.

Post of the day (so far)
Nailed it m8

 

[Bedfordspurs]

That is just too lazy....come on you can do better. They had Fabian Delph at left back, they didn't have a proper defensive midfielder, no Aguero, 3 kids on the bench along with a past it Toure.

The money difference between the clubs cannot be mentioned in a game like yesterday's. That's no perspective. There are plenty here who rave about Eriksen being the Messiah, as good as if not better than DeBruyne. Kane or Jesus, who would you have. Are you telling me Kompany and Laporte are better than Sanchez(or Alderweirelds who could have been picked) and Vertonghen?


They came to us on the back of 3 defeats in a row. They were there for the taking but we were simply poor on the night. The money thing is just a cheap excuse.

I would have been more confident if they hadn’t lost the 3 before

They haven’t lost 4 on the skin in a very long time (even when they were brick)

Same thing last year when we played them after they got spammed by Everton they played their best game of the season

But it’s football and you create your own records

 

[elltrev]

Like it or not I think we have to give credit to City for inducing that uncertainty. One very effective way to counter a high-intensity press is to have a group of three of four of your team able to keep up rapid a spell of one-touch passing then running into space creating multiple options for the return pass before the opposition can get near you.

That is what Guardiola is brilliant at coaching into his teams. Whenever we tried to press, the ball was gone and that created our uncertainty whether to press or stand off. We got caught between two stools, doing neither one nor the other effectively, thus allowing City exploit Guardiola's tactics to the full. Either you sit back and wait for them to come on to you in the hope you can then catch them on the break or you go all out to disrupt their one-touch passing and movement. There's no halfway house.

Of course it helps that they have players supremely comfortable on the ball and capable of executing such swift one-touch passing to perfection but in the past week or so at the Etihad both Liverpool and for a critical twenty minutes United showed how it's possible to upset their rhythm and put them on the back foot.

But you basically have to go all out for it but yesterday for once we strangely lacked the collective energy and commitment that's imperative for such a strategy.

Given we had enjoyed a free midweek our lack of energy begs the question, did Poch overtrain them for this game to the point they were ready to drop before a ball was kicked, or are we witnessing a collective end-of-season fatigue beginning to set in? Whatever it was, we can but hope Poch shakes them out of it by Wednesday.

I have a feeling some or all of the players were too scared to commit 100% to the press against City, given how effectively they passed around it at the Etihad. Thus leaving us in the halfway house, stretched and open.

Im a bit frustrated Poch made exactly the same mistake as he did at the Etihad, but fudge it his consistent approach has got us beating every other top 6 team this season.

 

[paxtonwolf]

I had written this game off beforehand, any points were a bonus.

If we lose on Tuesday night and play as poor, then I will start to worry and begin to think we could blow this

 

[StephenH]

One of the most expensively assembled teams in history beat us.

You know, just for a little perspective.

And while we were poor, my frustration is not that we lost to City but that we didn't give a true account of ourselves.

Which tells its own story I think. IMO we could have taken something out of it with some belief.

"we didn't give a true account of ourselves" yet again!
We looked half cooked, just when we played Liverpool in the first game away last season. Distracted, muddled and not prepared. The coaches messages are not getting through for these fast games. Juve away was a great example.......should have been 3-0 down....miracles dont happen every day.....we rely on them in these type of games.

The most worry aspect as I've said before, who here was 'truly' surprised?

 

[PochettinoPochettinoPochettino]

Oh come on GGG!!!
The liability this evening was Dembele. He was woeful for the first 25 minutes! He has to move the ball quicker against sides like that, and he was loose in possession. Davo was left exposed repeatedly by Trippier. The first goal was absolutely inexperience, give him another two years and you won’t ever see that. Again though, Hugo made a poor decision to sit off; he needed to come forwards at speed and involve himself!


Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

I agree all were bad yesterday bar Verts who looked like the only one who was reading the game. I just think Sanchez has an awful lot to learn but it’s basic stuff so if you’re struggling with that a lot of the time then you’re not going to be a superstar. Sorry, I just can’t see it in him to being our next Ledley King. He makes an awful lot of mistakes but they haven’t been highlighted because they didn’t cost goals, some have and they have been highlighted but he’s got lucky with the ones which didn’t lead to goals. Who cares if he’s young. I’m 35 and I make brick loads of mistakes. If they’re in you they’re in you. You can’t unteach someone for being clumsy. Him and Dier are the only two (and maybe Lloris now) that when the ball is passed to them I’m on edge. All of the other players I’m relaxed when they have the ball.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I agree all were bad yesterday bar Verts who looked like the only one who was reading the game. I just think Sanchez has an awful lot to learn but it’s basic stuff so if you’re struggling with that a lot of the time then you’re not going to be a superstar. Sorry, I just can’t see it in him to being our next Ledley King. He makes an awful lot of mistakes but they haven’t been highlighted because they didn’t cost goals, some have and they have been highlighted but he’s got lucky with the ones which didn’t lead to goals. Who cares if he’s young. I’m 35 and I make brick loads of mistakes. If they’re in you they’re in you. You can’t unteach someone for being clumsy. Him and Dier are the only two (and maybe Lloris now) that when the ball is passed to them I’m on edge. All of the other players I’m relaxed when they have the ball.

Maybe that shows more about your natural state than the players

Poch wouldn’t play them if he didn’t think they were capable as it’s not like we don’t have other players for their roles

Spurs fans always have certain ones their not keen on and find faults with

 

[mudshark]

That's the second time this season we have made them look better than they are, and they don't need that kind of help. And Moss is the worst ref in this league by a distance. Pіѕѕ poor is he.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Like it or not I think we have to give credit to City for inducing that uncertainty. One very effective way to counter a high-intensity press is to have a group of three of four of your team able to keep up rapid a spell of one-touch passing then running into space creating multiple options for the return pass before the opposition can get near you.

That is what Guardiola is brilliant at coaching into his teams. Whenever we tried to press, the ball was gone and that created our uncertainty whether to press or stand off. We got caught between two stools, doing neither one nor the other effectively, thus allowing City exploit Guardiola's tactics to the full. Either you sit back and wait for them to come on to you in the hope you can then catch them on the break or you go all out to disrupt their one-touch passing and movement. There's no halfway house.

Of course it helps that they have players supremely comfortable on the ball and capable of executing such swift one-touch passing to perfection but in the past week or so at the Etihad both Liverpool and for a critical twenty minutes United showed how it's possible to upset their rhythm and put them on the back foot.

But you basically have to go all out for it but yesterday for once we strangely lacked the collective energy and commitment that's imperative for such a strategy.

Given we had enjoyed a free midweek our lack of energy begs the question, did Poch overtrain them for this game to the point they were ready to drop before a ball was kicked, or are we witnessing a collective end-of-season fatigue beginning to set in? Whatever it was, we can but hope Poch shakes them out of it by Wednesday.

Pretty much this.

City are decent, let's get it right. And they gave us a dose of ''deer in the headlights' last night. As you commented, as soon as they look slick and get the one touch flow going you realise the ball is moving faster than we can run, and as a player you don't know whether to stick or twist. Maybe Poch should step in at this point?

What City do well is create overloads. They are quite happy for KDB Silva or Gundogan to come right over wide and high up the pitch to team up with walker and sterling or sane and Delph. Of course this is risky because it leaves the middle very empty (probably why the scousers have success when they succeed with their rabid press) BUT generally they have so much confidence in there passing they think it's worth that risk.

We still have our men (dembele/dier) sticking to the middle and not helping out wide so Tripps/Davies get exposed hoping that Dele or Pamela come back to help and also relying on Jan or Sanchez to come across from the centre.

Of course this process is reactionary and disjoints us and pulls us all over the place ironically creating space elsewhere for other City players (remember they're moving the ball quickly amongst quick players).

They've done it to many teams, and you can wish for all the fast starts you want, but City haven't come to be steam rollered.

We are very very competitive on the whole. We generally only struggle (but even then sometimes overcome) against other top sides now. Those top sides come prepared as well, they are battles and some we will lose. We will have another (probably ugly one) next week.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

I try to avoid the site after a defeat as there are just too many negative postings, sure certain players made mistakes, this happens in most games and others didn't play as well as we had hoped, but they didn't do it on purpose. Sometimes we have to be grown up about it and say the best team won, but I expect the usual doom and gloom until we win again!

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Pretty much this.

City are decent, let's get it right. And they gave us a dose of ''deer in the headlights' last night. As you commented, as soon as they look slick and get the one touch flow going you realise the ball is moving faster than we can run, and as a player you don't know whether to stick or twist. Maybe Poch should step in at this point?

What City do well is create overloads. They are quite happy for KDB Silva or Gundogan to come right over wide and high up the pitch to team up with walker and sterling or sane and Delph. Of course this is risky because it leaves the middle very empty (probably why the scousers have success when they succeed with their rabid press) BUT generally they have so much confidence in there passing they think it's worth that risk.

We still have our men (dembele/dier) sticking to the middle and not helping out wide so Tripps/Davies get exposed hoping that Dele or Pamela come back to help and also relying on Jan or Sanchez to come across from the centre.

Of course this process is reactionary and disjoints us and pulls us all over the place ironically creating space elsewhere for other City players (remember they're moving the ball quickly amongst quick players).

They've done it to many teams, and you can wish for all the fast starts you want, but City haven't come to be steam rollered.

We are very very competitive on the whole. We generally only struggle (but even then sometimes overcome) against other top sides now. Those top sides come prepared as well, they are battles and some we will lose. We will have another (probably ugly one) next week.

The overload thing is a big big point and well highlighted

They take more risks than most as they have confidence in their abilities

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

That is just too lazy....come on you can do better. They had Fabian Delph at left back, they didn't have a proper defensive midfielder, no Aguero, 3 kids on the bench along with a past it Toure.

The money difference between the clubs cannot be mentioned in a game like yesterday's. That's no perspective. There are plenty here who rave about Eriksen being the Messiah, as good as if not better than DeBruyne. Kane or Jesus, who would you have. Are you telling me Kompany and Laporte are better than Sanchez(or Alderweirelds who could have been picked) and Vertonghen?


They came to us on the back of 3 defeats in a row. They were there for the taking but we were simply poor on the night. The money thing is just a cheap excuse.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/manchester-city/kader/verein/281/saison_id/2017

• Ederson - €40m
• Walker - €51m
• Kompany - €8.5m
• Laporte - €50m
• Delph- €11.5m
• De Bruyne- €76m (Y Touré- €30m)
• Gündogan- €27m
• Silva- €28.75m
• Sterling- €62.5m
• Jesus- €32m (Bernardo Silva - €50m)
• Sané- €50m (Otamendi- €44.6m)

€513.25m starting 11. €124.6 off the bench.

Whether or not you choose to ignore it, the money - even with Delph at LB - is VERY significant. Im not doing the maths but Id wager their starting 11 cost twice what our entire squad did.

That buys incredible quality, and to compete with that is a significant challenge to say the least.

However, If you actually read the post, the money is not used as an excuse. As I went on to say, despite their wealth my disappointment is in our performance.

Had we given it our all and lost, thats one thing - but we were poor and really I felt could have taken something from the game.

To be disappointed we didnt compete with a half billion euro team - THAT is the perspective I was pointing too.


What went wrong? I think we showed too much respect. Caught in between sitting off because of how good they are and playing our normal pressing game. We were undone by our own lack of confidence. When we did get up to speed and play more naturally we caused them problems - but were already 2 behind and battling uphill. We have done similar a few times in the past, though this is the first time in a long time. Its next on the list of "how are we progressing" benchmarks for me. Going into a game like this and imposing our game (regardless of result).

 

[alekaras]

It’s about positioning, like I say please tell me when Toby has been done with a simple long ball over the top? Sanchez has great potential but can also be error prone...

The Yanited game at OT comes to mind...

 

[DeleHarry]

https://www.transfermarkt.com/manchester-city/kader/verein/281/saison_id/2017

• Ederson - €40m
• Walker - €51m
• Kompany - €8.5m
• Laporte - €50m
• Delph- €11.5m
• De Bruyne- €76m (Y Touré- €30m)
• Gündogan- €27m
• Silva- €28.75m
• Sterling- €62.5m
• Jesus- €32m (Bernardo Silva - €50m)
• Sané- €50m (Otamendi- €44.6m)

€513.25m starting 11. €124.6 off the bench.

Whether or not you choose to ignore it, the money - even with Delph at LB - is VERY significant. Im not doing the maths but Id wager their starting 11 cost twice what our entire squad did.

That buys incredible quality, and to compete with that is a significant challenge to say the least.

However, If you actually read the post, the money is not used as an excuse. As I went on to say, despite their wealth my disappointment is in our performance.

Had we given it our all and lost, thats one thing - but we were poor and really I felt could have taken something from the game.

To be disappointed we didnt compete with a half billion euro team - THAT is the perspective I was pointing too.


What went wrong? I think we showed too much respect. Caught in between sitting off because of how good they are and playing our normal pressing game. We were undone by our own lack of confidence. When we did get up to speed and play more naturally we caused them problems - but were already 2 behind and battling uphill. We have done similar a few times in the past, though this is the first time in a long time. Its next on the list of "how are we progressing" benchmarks for me. Going into a game like this and imposing our game (regardless of result).

I disagree that money is " VERY significant " regarding this game. We had a team and bench which even if it cost much less than City's it was easily capable of competing with them on the night.

Yes I read your disappointment in our performance. But even in this reply you went further in highlighting the spending gap by listing specifically what each city player cost and as I said before I think is irrelevant.

we were smart in buying talented players for low fees and then backing Poch to turn them into top level players, or in Harry's case giving a player from the youth ranks the chance to develop and flourish. The end result is that we had a team and squad on the night which in today's market was nearer in value to City's.

They paid half a billion euros for their team? Our team is worth half a billion euros, if not more

 

[mudshark]

Pointless harping on about Alderweireld and how he would have done this or that. Maybe he would and maybe he wouldn't, but he's a part of our history now by the looks of things.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I disagree that money is " VERY significant " regarding this game. We had a team and bench which even if it cost much less than City's it was easily capable of competing with them on the night.

Yes I read your disappointment in our performance. But even in this reply you went further in highlighting the spending gap by listing specifically what each city player cost and as I said before I think is irrelevant.

we were smart in buying talented players for low fees and then backing Poch to turn them into top level players, or in Harry's case giving a player from the youth ranks the chance to develop and flourish. The end result is that we had a team and squad on the night which in today's market was nearer in value to City's.

They paid half a billion euros for their team? Our team is worth half a billion euros, if not more

I went further in highlighting their cost because of your casual dismissal of it. Which, frankly, is ridiculous. When you can bring €125m off the bench you have an advantage. Simple as that. And thats not including the €500m starting 11.

It is entirely relevant.

That all being said, as Ill reiterate for a second time - my disappointment is that we didnt do better than we did in competing with that team.

I made no excuses for the loss, particularly not with the money side of it.

I was simply pointing out how well we are doing to be disappointed with a poor performance against a team like that.

 

[DeleHarry]

I went further in highlighting their cost because of your casual dismissal of it. Which, frankly, is ridiculous. When you can bring €125m off the bench you have an advantage. Simple as that. And thats not including the €500m starting 11.

It is entirely relevant.

That all being said, as Ill reiterate for a second time - my disappointment is that we didnt do better than we did in competing with that team.

I made no excuses for the loss, particularly not with the money side of it.

I was simply pointing out how well we are doing to be disappointed with a poor performance against a team like that.

So let's say we played to our true level/potential, do you think we could have won the game? Even with all their wealth on the pitch and on the bench?

 

[DeleHarry]

I went further in highlighting their cost because of your casual dismissal of it. Which, frankly, is ridiculous. When you can bring €125m off the bench you have an advantage. Simple as that. And thats not including the €500m starting 11.

It is entirely relevant.

That all being said, as Ill reiterate for a second time - my disappointment is that we didnt do better than we did in competing with that team.

I made no excuses for the loss, particularly not with the money side of it.

I was simply pointing out how well we are doing to be disappointed with a poor performance against a team like that.

We had 30 mill Sissoko on the bench who came on for Dele who cost 5 mill......where is the advantage