Man City - have the wheels come off?

[sidders]

It looks like Pep's magic has worn thin and exposed him at the back where City's defence has looked fragile and limited. A tough away game to Spurs this weekend may well result in a fourth defeat within the space of three weeks. It's a good job for City that they have put plenty of space between themselves and the rest because if there was a title run-in you wouldn't be backing them.
Much talk on here about Nolan's regime buckling over the Christmas period, but clearly no matter how effective a manager you are, things can always go pear-shaped.

[irishpete]

I think fatigue could be a big problem for them.Also changing formation,doesn't work.Play to the system the players know.Looks like Pep has gone down the same route as Wenger & KN with that.
Citeh do play too much from the back & cause their own problems.

[Wedgie_pie]

Not a problem, they will just throw money at it...

[Bohinen]

Certainly three consecutive defeats is not what you expect of the new Invincibles, a team crowned the best in Premier League history by fawning journalists before they've actually won anything.

The main issue is the defence, obviously. it's all very well paying £50 million for John Stones and pretending you've converted him into the new Franz Beckenbauer, but it doesn't alter the fact he's an accident waiting to happen. Mind you, at least Pep has the sense not to play him these days, but the rest of the expense misfits aren't much better. Strange it took the other teams until April to find out you just have to attack them and they crumble.

See also Barcelona.

[legs77]

Liverpool are the only team to really go at them all season even in the 5-0 defeat they were on top until the red card to Mane.

Lets be right here he has lost to Liverpool and Man Utd so its hardly like he has lost to rubbish teams 2nd & 3rd in the league, last night was a tough job at 3-0 down he had to go for it from the start and second half they got exposed.

Overall Man City have clearly been miles ahead of anyone else and in 2 weeks time that will be proven when they win the title.

They will have won 2 trophies this season hardly failure is it ?!

[i961pie]

A major mistake by the ref last night possibly changed the result. If City had gone in 2-0 up at half time things could have been different. Maybe Var is needed after all when mistakes like that cost teams dearly.

[Notts78]

Certainly three consecutive defeats is not what you expect of the new Invincibles, a team crowned the best in Premier League history by fawning journalists before they've actually won anything.

The main issue is the defence, obviously. it's all very well paying £50 million for John Stones and pretending you've converted him into the new Franz Beckenbauer, but it doesn't alter the fact he's an accident waiting to happen. Mind you, at least Pep has the sense not to play him these days, but the rest of the expense misfits aren't much better. Strange it took the other teams until April to find out you just have to attack them and they crumble.

See also Barcelona.

So the defenders at Man City are ‘expensive misfits’?
Teams had purple patches against Man City over the last 3 games. City had they took their chances would have been out of sight against Man Utd, the referee making a mess of the offside rule last night effectively ended City’s chances.
The modern day defenders at the elite level especially, resemble Franz Beckenbauer in the sense that they have to be comfortable on the ball, playing from the back, often with one or two touch football. Stones is actually a good defender who is developing and like any young footballer will make mistakes, a bit like the French lad Laporte.

As for your comment about Barcelona (which I find laughable given the consistency of their success over an extended period). Barca are a fabulous side to watch, like Man City ( I will throw in Liverpool, Spurs, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern) they are very entertaining and do have frailties that can be exposed. Like any side. They just have much less and they are allowed to lose.

What are your thoughts on Notts style of play?

[Steward]

Why should we care

[kill_the_drum]

In a word, No!
Liverpool went sh1t or bust at Anfield and won it in the first 45 minutes with a ridiculously high tempo and clinical finishing. The rest of that 2 legs was City trying to break a very good team down which they were doing until the ref shafted them..
They are far and away the best team in the PL.

[i961pie]

In a word, No!
Liverpool went sh1t or bust at Anfield and won it in the first 45 minutes with a ridiculously high tempo and clinical finishing. The rest of that 2 legs was City trying to break a very good team down which they were doing until the ref shafted them..
They are far and away the best team in the PL.

The league table shows you that, every team no matter how good hit a bad patch sometime or other.