Match thread v Manchester City

[Crimson Dynasty]

This is in some ways worse than all our other defeats this season.


It's just the manner of it.

I think Slot's just not up for this gig.
A large part of the manager's job should be getting players up for a big game like this, and you just can't show up to play a City and look like we did in that first half and think you're going to get anything out of it.

And too many times this season we've come out of the gate needing a major response from the team from a previous week, and instead just looked crap. Every player in red just looked scared of the ball or getting on it; nobody wants to take the game by the scruff, and all around it's just some toxic combination of complacency, sloppiness, or uncreativeness.

That's all on the manager.

I said earlier I still don't believe FSG will show him his marching papers this season, and in all likelihood they to have written this season off.
The title's gone, and CL places for next season is seriously in doubt.

Maybe he pulls a Rafa and we make a run in the CL to win Number 7 - despite an awful league form, but does anyone here really believe we have that in us this year?

That team had Stevie G - the exact type of player this team is clearly lacking - and the likes of Alonso and clever little players lieke Luis Garcia.

I'm honestly stumped, lads.
I just don't know where we go from here.

[retired]

400 million + spent, now we need a major rebuild at Christmas, never mind the strategy if he can't figure it out by the start of 2026 he has to go. City just played with us.

[Gurthers]

I think he needs to make the big call and drop Mo for a couple of games.

When cutting-edge is absent, we can't be carrying Pianists who aren't playing in tune.

That's not to say that this is all on Salah as that is absolutely not the case, but we need to start seeing work ethic from all of our forwards to set the tone.

Who replaces Salah though? Frimpong seemed to be his understudy and is injured.

81st minute and we're 3 nil down, what does Slot do? Brings on Gomez. Slot is not a good manager. We weakened ourselves in the summer but replacing some of Klopp's players without Klopp yo save us.

[Nineteenx]

Well the bent as fuck officials ruined that game for us, if they hadn’t incorrectly ruled out our goal it would have been a different game

Slots poor decision to sub Robbo led to their third with Kerkez being clueless in their half

Need to stick with the 433 and get our press and counter pressing movement and interplay back where it needs to be

The press nearly went awry under Slot last season at 2 or3 points too many men needlessly ahead of the ball looking to be in space effectively crowding each other out

You pick up and stay with your fucking man while being positioned to join the attack if it opens up for you to or go and win re second ball ahead of him it’s how it fucking works too many ahead of the ball for needless overpassing is fucking shite

Slot needs to get that right first and foremost

The rest will fall into place again the movement the moving it up the winning second balls the smothering opposition teams in their own half

Work on it as ever all the focus on the next game and getting the win.

[miller0863]

Excellent LWF display by Doku today, he was the main difference between the sides (apart from all 11 of our players running through treacle for 90 minutes)

If only we had a LWF who was a great out ball to get the team up the pitch when under the cosh … anyone think of one??

[eggy81]

Yep. To the tune of 250m.
Imagine any manager going to the owners and daring to say he needs to improve the squad. He'll get fucking laughed out of the office no matter who it is.
Big problems with that squad. Allover the place in terms of its function, it's bone idle lazy and has about as much pace as a fucking tortoise.
Happy days.

We made a few poor decisions not just with the massive outlay on the 2 big signings. Tsimi is a better left back than kerkez and also a good passer and crosser. Elliot had nailed down a role as a bit of a super sub and a goal getter and sssist maker from the bench. Diaz should have been kept or replaced like for like. Quansah wasn’t replaced so we now need to play a midfield player at cb to rest or drop konate. Ekitike was a good signing. We should have got someone to take some salah minutes and if he had a problem with it he can feck off. One thing I reluctantly admired about Ferguson was the ability to make iconic players see that they weren’t bigger than the club. We ain’t doing that. All in all a fucking mess of a window.

But still there is the chance to supplement the quality player we got with someone steel in next windows and by next season be back looking strong. We don’t need to spend mental money in next couple of window. Just add the right ingredients. Some legs pit wide and some power in midfield and a good cb.

[Crimson Dynasty]

Excellent LWF display by Doku today, he was the main difference between the sides (apart from all 11 of our players running through treacle for 90 minutes)

If only we had a LWF who was a great out ball to get the team up the pitch when under the cosh … anyone think of one??

You mean the one who wanted to leave us for a better team (.....and did)?

That one?

[RedMagic]

Excellent LWF display by Doku today, he was the main difference between the sides (apart from all 11 of our players running through treacle for 90 minutes)

If only we had a LWF who was a great out ball to get the team up the pitch when under the cosh … anyone think of one??

John Barnes? Even at his age he couldn't do much worse than our current lot.

[Steveo]

Excellent LWF display by Doku today, he was the main difference between the sides (apart from all 11 of our players running through treacle for 90 minutes)

If only we had a LWF who was a great out ball to get the team up the pitch when under the cosh … anyone think of one??

Can’t mention him miller.. We have to move on and drop it apparently…

[jr81]

You mean the one who wanted to leave us for a better team (.....and did)?

That one?

I think he means the other one. The one that wanted a payrise and wasnt getting it so asked to leave instead.

[Steveo]

You mean the one who wanted to leave us for a better team (.....and did)?

That one?

No because framing it as though he wanted to leave is entirely bogus and pure F$G spin timed to perfection. Knowing neither Diaz or his agent could refute it now he is at Bayern

He wanted to stay. Tried repeatedly to get a better contract as did Mo and Virgil - but the club were not budging - At this point he chose to move to Bayern.

Don’t believe the crap you fed by any club.

[Nineteenx]

That was a major Slot fuck up too, should have kept Diaz at all costs and let his Dutch mate Gakpo go or Chiesa or not buy 2 number nine’s for a system that just won’t work

He got the gig as the continuation and evolution, he achieved that first season then ripped up title winning working model

If it ain’t broken don’t fix it he needs a book of quotes from Shsnkly & Paisley handed to him

[Steveo]

If it was Slot - I can’t believe it was

[miller0863]

He wanted better wages and went and got them. I don’t blame Diaz I blame the decision makers who thought we would be better off letting him go and risk £100m on a lad who’s never played in England and give him the level of wages Diaz was looking for.

[Steveo]

He wanted better wages and went and got them. I don’t blame Diaz I blame the decision makers who thought we would be better off letting him go and risk £100m on a lad who’s never played in England and give him the level of wages Diaz was looking for.

Is the way to put it simply and best.