Pep Guardiola’s Man City are accused of breaching FFP rules that’s why they are loosing on purpose 

Pep Guardiola’s Man City are accused of breaching FFP rules that’s why they are loosing on purpose

A Man City fan is starting to believe the theory that the players know the Citizens will lose their FFP case with their terrible form ‘no longer about Rodri’. Plus, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Frank Lampard…

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Thoughts on Man City‘s demise.
Watching the game against Villa, we were so, so bad. There was mention of the loss of the fear factor but that’s not enough to explain what was going on.

Teams have known for a long time how to exploit our weakness – beating the initial press and then breaking. Villa were good at this, but the reason teams haven’t been able to so easily use this tactic until now is that we limited the opportunities to do this to such a point that the opposition had to play it perfectly once they did get on the ball, and that psychological pressure usually crushed their momentum. However it is now us that are giving the ball to the opposition time and time again and we’re basically providing a counter-attacking practice drill for the opponents.

The second issue is our actual attack play has become exclusively ball to feet. No one got their head up. There were a number of good runs for a ball over the top, and yet the player on the ball NEVER took that option. This was also true of using overlapping runs, cutbacks and pass and run options. Why was Foden asking for the ball in between lines only to pass it straight back to the original player rather than taking a risk on the ball? It shouldn’t take one of the all-time best passers of the ball in De Bruyne to execute a standard line-breaking passing move, but it seems to for us at the moment. The irony in such risk-averse play is that it telepaths to the opposition that closing us down is without danger as we refuse to make them think about gaps in behind. Then we end up turning over possession in our own half instead.

This is no longer about Rodri, an aging squad, injuries etc. These things would reasonably halt a title defence of any team. No, these players have completely lost their heads. It almost makes me believe the theory about knowing they are going to lose the tribunal against the PL. Not downed tools, but zero-confidence. Something massive is on their minds one way or another.
Nick

There was a considerable period of time, when Sir Alex was managing United, where the club had a fear factor. Teams were already nervous before facing us, especially at Old Trafford. That even if it took until the 90th+ minute, the win was there to be taken. Then at a point I can’t remember, it started to drift away. Suddenly, teams fancied their chances, they saw some weaknesses and went at us.

While it came back, for a time, it’s definitely well gone now. But this isn’t about United, this is about City.

The same has happened to them. For many seasons, City has had the fear factor. Pep has had the fear factor. His team stepped out believing the win was already there’s and most of the time that would happen.

But then suddenly it slipped. Was it Rodri being injured? Was it Amorim and Sporting giving them a bloody nose? Others can speculate exactly where it came but suddenly teams aren’t scared of them.

They haven’t suddenly become a bad side. They’ve just lost that aura, that confidence in knowing they would win. The manager has clearly lost that too. He doesn’t believe, they don’t believe and so they can be beat. They can be rattled.

Villa, and every club that’s beaten them has deserved to. It’s time to give that credit rather than the narrative being that they’re suddenly a shell. Against United, Foden was centimetres from scoring but (thankfully) didn’t. I’m sure there will have been instances in other matches where that slight loss of confidence has cost the win. It’s what happens. Foden has never known a City and manager that wasn’t confident, assured.

What’s the solution? Probably still comes down to the manager. He’s lost his mojo, and seems to lack the energy or will to get it back.

All I can say is, if they do let him go – and maybe even if they don’t – it’s going to be a long way back for them. One I don’t see happening any time soon with those 130 little matters in the air.

The interesting thing for me is to see what happens with the likes of Foden… will he stay to try and help rebuild once half the team has gone? We’ve seen close to home how fruitless a cause that can be…
Badwolf

Am I the only one quite enjoying this current version of City? It’s giving me a nostalgic glow; a sentimental reminder of teams past.

Kevin de Bruyne plays Paul Lake, Nathan Ake the new Ian Brightwell, Haaland as an updated Niall Quinn?

Mind you, wouldn’t say no to a bit of Andy Hinchcliffe at LB right now.

I think it’s someone else’s turn to win the league this season – for the sake of the big, you know, picture and eternal happiness and joy for all! (As long as it’s not Liverpool.)
Hartley MCFC Somerset

Man City Conspiracies
There is a bit of a perfect storm at play. Some notable injuries, some players succumbing to their age, opposition teams smelling blood for the first time but I suspect there is something else at play.

A team with these players, with this coach and with all their training, analysis, and medical facilities should be doing better despite all the mitigations mentioned above. A few draws at least. Since the 30th of October it’s 9 losses, 2 draws, 1 win. I believe this form is disproportionately bad compared to their listed issues.

At the beginning of October we learnt that Sporting Director Tixi was leaving at the end of the season. And if you look at the form either side of that period it was a mix of draws and narrow wins. Why would Tixi be leaving the club? Especially with Pep signed up again? Is it perhaps because he knows something about the club’s likely punishments? Is it possible that the players are hearing whispers about what could lay ahead? After all, why bury yourself trying to turn losses to draws if you know it’s all for nothing in the end anyway?

This only occurs to me as I watch City passively let Villa play around, through, and over them. It doesn’t matter how bad you are or how many issues you have you can still fight for it at least. But alas, this looks like a team that knows the fight would be I’m vain.

Surely they can’t JUST be this bad?
TM

Useless refs…
So Jurrien Timber got booked for time wasting in the 36th minute, with Arsenal 2-1 up. He took around 30 seconds, moved up the line and, with the crowd riled, Simon Hooper took his yellow card out.

I’m not convinced he was time wasting given there was about an hour left, I just think Arsenal are generally quite shit at throw ins and the lack of movement quite often is a problem with our slow restarts from them.

In the second half, right at the beginning, Palace got a throw on the near side, which Jefferson Lerma was taking. It came after a good Sarr header which Raya saved well and Arsenal hacked clear. The ball went out, Sky showed at least one replay and then went back to the action. I say action, Lerma was lining up a long one. Ten further seconds passed by.

Now, by this time the ball had been out of play and in Lerma’s hands for almost as long as Timber had been booked for. Obviously the crowd hasn’t made a noise – why would they? – and so this slow restart was acceptable.

All in all, my point is how the hell can Timber’s punishment be the same as Pervis Estipunan’s potential leg breaker in the Brighton game at West Ham?

Hooper allowed the crowd to police every Arsenal restart of the game while it was 2/3-1 (they lost interest at 4), but VAR cannot overturn a yellow into a red for that tackle?

We’ve had three red cards this season, none of which are even remotely on the scale of that Estupinan tackle. To change Saliba’s at Bournemouth and not that one yesterday proves that we should not be re-reffing the game via VAR.

Until the PGMOL stop prioritising trivial matters and actually start punishing violent conduct properly (Lisandro Martinez at Palace anyone?) then players will be allowed to ‘get away’ with it and at some point someone is going to have their leg broken very badly.

I can only imagine the noise out of Jamie Carragher’s mouth last night if Saliba had made that Estupinan tackle with the game at 1-1 away from home…

Webb out. Useless chancer whose refs aren’t fit for purpose.
Joe, AFC, East Sussex

Spurs do Arsenal a favour? Do me a favour
Just finished watching Arsenal’s win over Palace. Mostly all good stuff aside from the obvious worry over Saka.

This puts us in the position of needing Spurs to help us out tomorrow against Liverpool.

Problem is…I have supported Arsenal since the early 80’s and in all that time, to the best of my knowledge, Spurs have NEVER, EVER, NOT ONCE done us such a service.

Is this just confirmation of long term Spursy crapness, or are the Spuds really that petty and small time? Football fan logic says it’s one or the other, right?

I don’t claim perfect memory on this, so happy to be proved wrong. Also happy to acknowledge that Arsenal (and the other ‘contenders’) only have themselves to blame for letting this very good, but honestly not great, Liverpool side get such a lead over us this season.

Nevertheless, in a blatant attempt at reverse psychology, come on Spurs. Repeat your City heroics and you can patronise us gooners a bit over doing our work for us.
Rob, Bristol Gooner (Realise I might have annoyed two fanbases here….)

In the spirit of the season
I am of course quite happy with Newcastle’s performance at Ipswich. Jacob Murphy was already the team leader in assists coming into this match and garnished his short-range thunderbastard goal with a lifted backheel directly onto Isak’s foot. He found a seam of form like this last season, as well, and it remains a joy to watch him succeed.

It’s my elder son’s birthday, and we watched together over breakfast with his best friend. He considers Isak’s long-awaited hat trick a personal birthday present. That’s Newcastle’s first one since Ayoze Perez (ikr?) in 2019. I’m glad it’s behind Isak, but I’m happier still with the clean sheet and Murphy’s form. Probably a wise move on the player’s part to find it just before the window opens.

My bairn was delighted with the Brentford defeat, and with Brighton’s West Ham draw though he’d hoped for a Brighton loss, they having beaten us in person, as it were. Holds a grudge, that one, just like his mam. For my part, I’m feeling benevolent enough to praise a referee. I thought Simon Hooper was rather good in the Palace-Arsenal match. In the 49th minute, when Martinelli went down in the box, Hooper was looking right at it and instantly ruled no foul. In real-time, I thought it looked like a decent shout for a penalty, but Tyrick Mitchell had gotten his right foot on the ground just in front of Martinelli’s leg. A great call that deserves some credit. Forest deserve a lot of credit, too. It’s easy to be happy for them.
Chris C, Toon Army DC

Forest
Nottingham Forest are surely pulling a Leicester here.
Zdravko

Funtime Frankie
Just to keep everyone up to date, 4 jobs into his career and Frank Lampard still has no idea how to set up a defence…..spoke very well I thought though.
Mark (how can you learn nothing from the likes of Terry, Carvalho and Makelele?) PFC

Just the nine e-mails from Mark…
I have warned you several times over recent months. Now, the gloves are off. I am going to shut your ridiculous website down immediately.

Enjoy your last meal.

HOPE YOU CAN EAT MEAT

I will continually bombshell you with messages until you stop your nonsense

1800 hours tonight. Be very afraid

Don’t underestimate me my friend

I know where you guys hang out. Let’s just say, there is a little surprise waiting for you over the weekend

End your total drivel, and we have a deal. Otherwise, your department is history

 

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