Naby Keita

[Doc_Piptorious]

City are this, we are that. Some good comparison's between us and city, guys.
The big difference is how easily other teams can effectively nullify either attack...
City spread the goals around and dont rely just on the craft of their front men and probably score more than use from outside the box.
We mostly need to hit teams fast before they can get 10 men behind the ball. We do sometimes open up space with some movement of the strikers/wingers and can then slot in a sexy through ball.
Our midfielder's are mostly circulating the ball on the outside of other teams defensive area while looking for a chance to play the ball through. City seem better at getting a midfielder to carry the ball into the space, and with de bruyne and mahrez they have two players who are very capable of score from outside the box, in comparison we are very poor.
Yes we did great with so few defeats but it's the draws that have let us down.
We need the better variety to our play in the final third, more penetration from our midfield, shots from outside the box.

Both us and City scored over 90 goals in the league last season. I agree draws cost us, but I am sure City could point to a few of their draws or losses and say something similar. Both their draws with us in the league for example they could point to as games that they cost themselves points in.

We are moving into the realms of needing close to perfection to improve either team tbh.

But back to your point about the draws, I would argue that for many of our draws last season our attack and scoring goals was not the problem, but rather our inability at the other end during that small number of games to shut the other team out.

Look at our draws from last season and look at how many of them in which we took a 1 or 2 nil lead. The problem lay in the defending a lead and not in the goal scoring in those games which is kind of mad to say about a team that lead in 26 goals in the league last season.

[baitman]

City are this, we are that. Some good comparison's between us and city, guys.
The big difference is how easily other teams can effectively nullify either attack...
City spread the goals around and dont rely just on the craft of their front men and probably score more than use from outside the box.
We mostly need to hit teams fast before they can get 10 men behind the ball. We do sometimes open up space with some movement of the strikers/wingers and can then slot in a sexy through ball.
Our midfielder's are mostly circulating the ball on the outside of other teams defensive area while looking for a chance to play the ball through. City seem better at getting a midfielder to carry the ball into the space, and with de bruyne and mahrez they have two players who are very capable of score from outside the box, in comparison we are very poor.
Yes we did great with so few defeats but it's the draws that have let us down.
We need the better variety to our play in the final third, more penetration from our midfield, shots from outside the box.

[Doc_Piptorious]

****ing hell, Jaco...ya had me looking up the Giganotosaurus & it turns out that he's not that much bigger than T-Rex!...so all in the name, GigaNOTosaurus!

Anyway, I like the analogy!

Think you missed this in my post then

All similar looking and sized

Would have saved you the googling time.

[Angryred]

It's a coin toss between us and city. They are better in some areas, we are better in some areas but for the most part it almost balances it out evenly between them and us as teams.

If one slips up, the other walks the league, if neither slip up then it is back to being a coin toss.

This coming season is really interesting though. Both they and us seem to be gambling on a big fast prolific front man being what is needed to shake the other off and create more daylight betwen us.

Other teams seem to be moving towards what we and City have done before in having or main goal threats not come from a central attacker whereas us and City seem to be moving towards having a central foacl point up front.

Is like the further evolution of two apex predators who are similar but evolving on different continents so have different traits.

Think the Tyrannosaurus Rex in North America and the Carcharodontosaurus in Africa and the Giganotosaurus in South America. All similar looking and sized, but with differences (like teeth type etc) that show they hunted/fed in different manners.

Or in modern times is like comparing a Nile Crocodile with a Salt Water crocodile. The look similar, are close in size and do a lot of things in a similar manner but have lots of differences in how they hunt, stalk, kill etc.

****ing hell, Jaco...ya had me looking up the Giganotosaurus & it turns out that he's not that much bigger than T-Rex!...so all in the name, GigaNOTosaurus!

Anyway, I like the analogy!

[rudedog]

Look at our starting XI away at spurs for evidence.

A midfield of Milner, Morton, Keita - 2 points dropped that could have won us the League with a full strength starting eleven.

Yep, we looked leggy in both the defeat to Leicester and the draw with Chelsea. Still had players missing for these games but also the players coming back from Covid will surely not have been 100%.

[Buzzo]

You've forgotten about the impact Covid had on our squad - the 11 point gap Man City made over us during the festive period was largely due to our squad all having Covid at some point whereas Man City were pretty much unnafected

Look at our starting XI away at spurs for evidence.

A midfield of Milner, Morton, Keita - 2 points dropped that could have won us the League with a full strength starting eleven.

[rudedog]

I think we got a little bit lucky with injuries too, last season. It was only the ANC that saw us lose players for longer periods and we got through that ok as we had strengthen our forward line.

Just need a rightback to cover... and that midfielder and I think we can "do" City with a nominal amout of injuries factored in.

You've forgotten about the impact Covid had on our squad - the 11 point gap Man City made over us during the festive period was largely due to our squad all having Covid at some point whereas Man City were pretty much unnafected

[Charly]

I think we got a little bit lucky with injuries too, last season. It was only the ANC that saw us lose players for longer periods and we got through that ok as we had strengthen our forward line.

Just need a rightback to cover... and that midfielder and I think we can "do" City with a nominal amout of injuries factored in.

[Pablo]

There is nothing wrong with any aspect of our team. 2 defeats in a season is absolutely incredible, thats a squad effort. But, we are comparing with the most expensively salaried and built team in history.

We could have exactly the same season as the one just gone and win the League by 20 points. I see Nunez as part of a new plan of attack. Something different. I cant wait to see how he fits in.

Same for City with Haaland, which is why it is hard not to make comparisons.

It's going to be an interesting season!

[Buzzo]

It's a coin toss between us and city. They are better in some areas, we are better in some areas but for the most part it almost balances it out evenly between them and us as teams.

If one slips up, the other walks the league, if neither slip up then it is back to being a coin toss.

This coming season is really interesting though. Both they and us seem to be gambling on a big fast prolific front man being what is needed to shake the other off and create more daylight betwen us.

Other teams seem to be moving towards what we and City have done before in having or main goal threats not come from a central attacker whereas us and City seem to be moving towards having a central foacl point up front.

Is like the further evolution of two apex predators who are similar but evolving on different continents so have different traits.

Think the Tyrannosaurus Rex in North America and the Carcharodontosaurus in Africa and the Giganotosaurus in South America. All similar looking and sized, but with differences (like teeth type etc) that show they hunted/fed in different manners.

Or in modern times is like comparing a Nile Crocodile with a Salt Water crocodile. The look similar, are close in size and do a lot of things in a similar manner but have lots of differences in how they hunt, stalk, kill etc.

Thats a great post

[Doc_Piptorious]

There is nothing wrong with any aspect of our team. 2 defeats in a season is absolutely incredible, thats a squad effort. But, we are comparing with the most expensively salaried and built team in history.

We could have exactly the same season as the one just gone and win the League by 20 points. I see Nunez as part of a new plan of attack. Something different. I cant wait to see how he fits in.

It's a coin toss between us and city. They are better in some areas, we are better in some areas but for the most part it almost balances it out evenly between them and us as teams.

If one slips up, the other walks the league, if neither slip up then it is back to being a coin toss.

This coming season is really interesting though. Both they and us seem to be gambling on a big fast prolific front man being what is needed to shake the other off and create more daylight betwen us.

Other teams seem to be moving towards what we and City have done before in having or main goal threats not come from a central attacker whereas us and City seem to be moving towards having a central foacl point up front.

Is like the further evolution of two apex predators who are similar but evolving on different continents so have different traits.

Think the Tyrannosaurus Rex in North America and the Carcharodontosaurus in Africa and the Giganotosaurus in South America. All similar looking and sized, but with differences (like teeth type etc) that show they hunted/fed in different manners.

Or in modern times is like comparing a Nile Crocodile with a Salt Water crocodile. The look similar, are close in size and do a lot of things in a similar manner but have lots of differences in how they hunt, stalk, kill etc.

[Buzzo]

We could cherry picks areas in their team where they get a better reurn than us and just as easily pick areas in our team that give better returns.

De Bruyne gets more goals and assists than our midfielders.

Our two main full backs get more assists than their three main full backs combined.

We play with different systems but we score close to the same number of goals as them and we concede as few as them.

The gap between the two teams is razor thin and whilst it would be great to have a midfielder that gets as many goals and assists as De Bruyne, could we fit him into the team without taking goals from other parts of the team?

City seem to be set up to spread the goals throughout the team rather than rely on a core group of frontmen getting the bulk of the goals.

We are set up so our attacking players get the bulk of the goals.

City had eight players score seven or more goals in the league with their top scorer being KDB on 15 goals.

We had three players score 7 or more in the league. All three scoring 15 or more times.

Think Nunez coming in is our attempt at adding more goals but from the area we always focus on for our goals, the players in attack. Nunez for me is our attempt to turn three main goal getters into four main goal getters up front (maybe even five if Diaz takes off in front of goal.)


City on the other hand are trying to add a prolific frontman used to getting the bulk of the goals to a team used to spreading the goals around. Maybe it will work and they keep the goals they usually get and add Haaland's tally on top, but I suspect they will see some of their midfield goals be lost as they look to focus on getting more goals from up front, whereas we will be looking to add more goals in the area we are used to focusing on to be our goal threat.

That all been said I would still be trying to add more mobility and pace to us in the middle so that we can continue to control games and not see a drop off in intensity through age. I would look to bring in players that whilst they bring graft they also bring some craft. They may not be big goal getters but they can spot runs centrally up front and pick the passes to find the front men. Barella would be a shout for such a player thoygh I have a feeling we will see Thiago's assist numbers or his secondary assist numbers rise a little more this season now that he has a central threat to look for.

There is nothing wrong with any aspect of our team. 2 defeats in a season is absolutely incredible, thats a squad effort. But, we are comparing with the most expensively salaried and built team in history.

We could have exactly the same season as the one just gone and win the League by 20 points. I see Nunez as part of a new plan of attack. Something different. I cant wait to see how he fits in.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I'd like to see Jones given more creative freedom, I reckon he's got a few bangers in him per season.

I think he is being groomed to be a cog in a pressing midfield along with being trained to be good at being pressed. Might be a less eye catching role but an important one for us.

[Fosterbloke]

I'd like to see Jones given more creative freedom, I reckon he's got a few bangers in him per season.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Matip is world class too.

I think partbif the problem is we have Keita or Henderson... and City have De Bruyne.

I think that is where the only obvious "gap" in quality between us, and somewhere most if us agree we need to improve if we want to finish above City. I think Keita is a decent player, but I also think we need better for our first 11.

We could cherry picks areas in their team where they get a better reurn than us and just as easily pick areas in our team that give better returns.

De Bruyne gets more goals and assists than our midfielders.

Our two main full backs get more assists than their three main full backs combined.

We play with different systems but we score close to the same number of goals as them and we concede as few as them.

The gap between the two teams is razor thin and whilst it would be great to have a midfielder that gets as many goals and assists as De Bruyne, could we fit him into the team without taking goals from other parts of the team?

City seem to be set up to spread the goals throughout the team rather than rely on a core group of frontmen getting the bulk of the goals.

We are set up so our attacking players get the bulk of the goals.

City had eight players score seven or more goals in the league with their top scorer being KDB on 15 goals.

We had three players score 7 or more in the league. All three scoring 15 or more times.

Think Nunez coming in is our attempt at adding more goals but from the area we always focus on for our goals, the players in attack. Nunez for me is our attempt to turn three main goal getters into four main goal getters up front (maybe even five if Diaz takes off in front of goal.)


City on the other hand are trying to add a prolific frontman used to getting the bulk of the goals to a team used to spreading the goals around. Maybe it will work and they keep the goals they usually get and add Haaland's tally on top, but I suspect they will see some of their midfield goals be lost as they look to focus on getting more goals from up front, whereas we will be looking to add more goals in the area we are used to focusing on to be our goal threat.

That all been said I would still be trying to add more mobility and pace to us in the middle so that we can continue to control games and not see a drop off in intensity through age. I would look to bring in players that whilst they bring graft they also bring some craft. They may not be big goal getters but they can spot runs centrally up front and pick the passes to find the front men. Barella would be a shout for such a player thoygh I have a feeling we will see Thiago's assist numbers or his secondary assist numbers rise a little more this season now that he has a central threat to look for.