Pep needs to sort this out or go

[Stephen Paul]

Playing to defensive midfielders against West Brom
Playing Mendy
Playing Garcia
Laporte rooted on the bench
Constantly changing the team
Replacement for Vinny?
No leadership on the pitch

[Stephen Paul]

Play your best 11 and let the rest fight to get on the team

Fuck this giving everyone a game

[KunDB]

Pep definitely needs a rethink but the players (most) need to take a long hard look at themselves.

Players idling in and around the opposition box - no real or effective movement.

Work rate well down.

Too many slow passes.

Too many players out of form/low on confidence or just not good enough.

No cutting edge in and around the goal.

No passion and motivation.

Pep needs to evaluate has his methods been rumbled and why are so many players with top class playing so poorly or at best just average.

I agree with players having to work hard but do we really need strikers played so often out of position and our striker so knackered running around defending and supporting the wingers that they lose their striking cutting edge.

What worries me is we waited until the last ten minutes before showing all out passion and commitment and Pep basically changed little tactically to get the win until it was too late.

[lee]

Its been hard to watch of late..
The magic will come back.Pep leaving is out the question.

[KunDB]

Watching the enemies tonight Liverpool Spurs and already the clinical finishing of them has been on show Salah and Son.

Apart from Aguero we just dont have clinical finishers. 

[Stephen Paul]

Its been hard to watch of late..
The magic will come back.Pep leaving is out the question.

Understand Lee but sometimes a manager has a time frame to move on . Its not working at the moment , losing to West Brom at home was not good . Lets see how the Xmas period goes .
Hopefully and should be top 4 by January

[gavin]

No question in my mind that Pep is still the future of this club. However, nobody is perfect. He needs to have a good think about what to do to change games because he is doing next to fuck all at the moment. It was crying out for changes at the Sty and again last night. The changes he did make were too delayed and barely changed things at all. It is hard work against these defensive teams no doubt but you have to give them something new to contend with.

It is without doubt the biggest problem of his managerial career so far. His record is so good that he has to be given chance to solve it.

It is at the back of my mind that he is trying to change the approach to be more solid at the back in order to win the Chumps League but he has to get the balance right.

[lee]

Understand Lee but sometimes a manager has a time frame to move on . Its not working at the moment , losing to West Brom at home was not good . Lets see how the Xmas period goes .
Hopefully and should be top 4 by January

we drew stevey

[gavin]

Draw or defeat to West Bromwich is much the same to me. Not good enough if you want to be challenging.

[Paddy]

I think that Pep is feeling to comfortable at City, like the fit of an old pair of favourite slippers. The team is what the manager makes it, i agree that his way of thinking is to defensive but that is understandable considering our defensive woes which are only just improving We need an out and out striker. Chopping and changing doesn't always work and leaving your best players on the bench definitely doesn't. Pep is to consistently set in his routines and this has been picked up by  most of the competion, time for a rethink!!!...

[lee]

The team as mentioned above is one or  2 players from being great.
This season we have gone from moaning about the defence to the midfield/strikers.

Work in progress.We can still be title challengers.I refuse to write us off just yet.

[KunDB]

First and foremost I am 100% in support of Pep, but that does not eman I cannot have concerns when the team does not perform. In Pep I trust and I know he will sort it out.

Against Utd I was surprised to see us outplayed at various stages as Utd players pinged first touch passes to get out of our press. Something we simply were unable to do all the game, something we used to do as second nature. I've noticed this failure to ping passes in most of our other games as well. Most of our passes now involve one touch, one turn, then pass side wards or backwards, then when we attack we invariably waste the final pass.

I fear that players are so concerned about losing possession (Pep rants at them if they do) that they are scared to play freely and creatively and with a will to win and enthusiastic energy and motivation. When they do, like Phil Foden, the other night they are hauled off for 'lack of discipline'. That is also a reason why young players do not get the chance to shine and develop within the team, unless they wait until their early/mid twenties for their opportunity. A case of the manager overcontrolling players and suppressing individuality within the team, with players now, perhaps subconsciously, fed up and fatigued by it and failing to perform and unable to give 100%.

I also feel the transfer policy of not overpaying for players has been taken too far, starving us of the quality of players we need to succeed consistently at the top level. As someone said earlier we are a few key world class players short currently, making us too reliant on KDB and the burden on him to great.  I accept we have quality players but most of them are just a shade below being top class and consistent in their performances, few are natural goal scorers. But we are lacking upfront and as said too reliant on KDB. I think with most other teams Jesus would be prolific but with the demands placed on him at City by Pep his cutting edge in front of goal is significantly diluted, very much the same story to differing extents for many other players in the team I am guessing.

Why Pep did not go all out for the win the other night or against Utd for the win, not putting on attacking subs, is beyond my comprehension, at worse we would have lost 2 points gained for those two games (2 draws) when we could have added 2 points each games for a win.  If we lost one and won one we would have been a point better off. I am bewildered at Peps reluctance to go all out for a win.

Now I believe in Pep and his methods but I still feel he needs to change something if we are to challenge for the PL, CL, top 4 or domestic cups.

[Hesperus]

I think Pep is arguably doing the best with what he’s got. Some strange team selections and subs aside.

For me the problem lies in the recruitment. The quality of Kompany, Silva, Sane, Aguero and Fernandinho just isn’t there in the squad anymore.   We seem obsessed with signing two good squad players for big fees rather that 1 brilliant player such as the ones listed above.

Cancelo, Rodri, Marhrez, Mendy, Jesus. How much does that lot come to?

Signing good players will get you a good team, but won’t win us the CL , or PL regularly for that matter.

I don’t know who is responsible for recruitment at City, Tixi? Pep? Tixi and Pep? Who knows but who ever is overall responsible, is allowing a failing strategy to continue. We weren’t good enough last season and we are worse this season and the warning signs have been there for at least 3 seasons.....

[Stephen Paul]

we drew stevey

Felt like a defeat mate

[Paddy]

Great players at small fees aka Kompany are a thing of the past. Unfortunately Pep doesn't seem o be able to utilise the players he has and that the opposition would love to have. The old adage springs to mind "A bad workman always blames his tools".  It.s my opion that Pep has lost the plot, the opposition has sussed his game plan and he cannot cope, hasn't got a plan "B". time FOR A CHANGE

[gavin]

I don't think that I've ever heard Pep complain about the players that he has.

[Swiss]

Depends what you consider a small fee Paddy?

Ferrari Torres at £20m looks a steal in this market.

Zack Stephen cost £6mil. a carbon copy of Ederson, even to the tattoo behind his ear!

Zinchenko less than 2m...

For city, what do you consider the bargain buy limit?

<10
<20
<30
<40

< is less than

[gavin]

There is a balance with transfer fees. I feel we have been a little too cautious at times recently. With hindsight, we should have stretched to the price for Virgil Van Dijk. But you can't splash the cash every time or clubs start taking the piss. FFP has also been a factor at times. Right now, I'd spend a pretty oenny or two on a top striker. The time has come. I love Sergio but he's no longer reliably fit. I like Jesus but we need more and different options.

[KunDB]

There is a balance with transfer fees. I feel we have been a little too cautious at times recently. With hindsight, we should have stretched to the price for Virgil Van Dijk. But you can't splash the cash every time or clubs start taking the piss. FFP has also been a factor at times. Right now, I'd spend a pretty oenny or two on a top striker. The time has come. I love Sergio but he's no longer reliably fit. I like Jesus but we need more and different options.

Exactly my thoughts too.

[Swiss]

Would also like us to spend a pretty penny on a top dinho replacement too.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Would also like us to spend a pretty penny on a top dinho replacement too.

Yes, top striker and a midfield enforcer like Dinho. The latter is essential. We must not make the same mistake we made when we let De Jong go without having a replacement lined up.

[Hesperus]

Yes, top striker and a midfield enforcer like Dinho. The latter is essential. We must not make the same mistake we made when we let De Jong go without having a replacement lined up.

I fear Rodri is the planned Dinho replacement..... 🙁

[Swiss]

If he can up his cmhame, then fine. He's a decent squad option. But he's no dinho