Man City 5-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Wilf Wolf]

I agree with this for the most part but also when Dawson is playing we're hardly water tight at the back, still let in too many poor goals.
As you say our forwards during the purple patch covered over some cracks. Also I don't think Lemina and Gomes (while still being 2 of our best players) have quite been the tackling monsters of the first half of the season probably just due to wear and tear.
We definitely need some better defenders but also GON needs to find a way of making us more solid at the back without neutering our forward play.

Dawson is far from perfect but he’s the glue that has enabled Toti and Lemina to look ok on occasions. Without him there is no leadership at the back.

 

[Tony Towner]

Conceded more goals with 2 games to go than any other season since coming back up. Scored the second most, yet I don't think they are connected. By and large we aren't getting picked off on the break because we are over committing, we are conceding through a combination of leaving large gaps between players / not defending as a unit, individual errors, trying to pass out from the back when we are lacking in players comfortable enough to do it, playing too high a line, a lack of organisation and leadership and a dearth of players who know how to defend one on one. A reasonable proportion of that is GON, but the largest element remains the lack of talent.

 

[Sniffer]

Ian Wright labelled the first penalty as the worst decision ever without disagreement on MOTD. I wouldn’t go that far but it needs more pundits calling out these decisions using their profiles in the hope that change can happen. Micah Richards at half time on Sky was a disgrace. It needs highlighting what Carragher said about the City appeals influencing the refs decision and the prat on VAR not having the bollocks to ask the ref to look at it.

 

[Tony Towner]

Ian Wright labelled the first penalty as the worst decision ever without disagreement on MOTD. I wouldn’t go that far but it needs more pundits calling out these decisions using their profiles in the hope that change can happen. Micah Richards at half time on Sky was a disgrace. It needs highlighting what Carragher said about the City appeals influencing the refs decision and the prat on VAR not having the bollocks to ask the ref to look at it.

It's not in the Top 5 against us this season, which says a lot really

 

[AndyWolves]

As a bit of perspective, man city have only lost 3 times in the league this season. That shows the size of the ask.

It doesn't mitigate the things that are within our control, but even if we do everything right we'll probably still lose.

 

[jd1981]

No one is advocating we go there and even get a point, just do the basics really well.
Sticking to a policy of playing out from the back regardless is just cutting of your nose to spite your own face. Biggest issues this season have been defensive frailties and continued ability to make replica mistakes.
If Dawson is out we genuinely have zero leadership in the 3 that start, Max isn’t one at all. Combination last night of the players heads dropping badly after the penalty and knowing there work is done in 2 weeks, poor setup and players not actually good enough.

 

[Mel Evo]

I agree with this for the most part but also when Dawson is playing we're hardly water tight at the back, still let in too many poor goals.
As you say our forwards during the purple patch covered over some cracks. Also I don't think Lemina and Gomes (while still being 2 of our best players) have quite been the tackling monsters of the first half of the season probably just due to wear and tear.
We definitely need some better defenders but also GON needs to find a way of making us more solid at the back without neutering our forward play.

I think it’s a good point that we’ve looked flakey when Dawson has played too. Suggests it’s coaching - though perhaps an allowance should be made for age / injury.

I’m worried that we have too much to do in the market to both upgrade / replace and make additions. Both needed, even one seems wishful thinking.

 

[jd1981]

If we look at logically who is going to be worse off on a par with us next season.
It’s been a shit league especially the bottom 5/6 this season Forest should be relegated but have been rescued by the 3 that came up.
If Leeds or Saints come up that’ll make 3 coming up more competitive next season.
Saving grace is I don’t see Everton, Forest, Brentford, Palace or Bournemouth being able to strengthen much and are all pretty much in sell to buy territory to.

 

[Sniffer]

It's not in the Top 5 against us this season, which says a lot really

There’s a thread for someone more forum savvy than me to put a poll with it!

 

[Tony Towner]

There’s a thread for someone more forum savvy than me to put a poll with it!

Wait until the end of the season, they'll be another couple of contenders by then. So far, I think the Cunha 'foul' wins for me.

 

[jd1981]

1.Cunha-foul
2. Onana- Assault
3. Sheff Utd-Pen
4. Non red card at Fulham
5. Newcastle penalty
6. West Ham disallowed goal
7. Luton penalty
8. Man City penalty
9. Fulham second penalty

 

[Lycan]

I think the Chirewa offside and the headbutt are the worst ones so far. I mean he literally headbutted him.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Harrington sending Gomes off at Brentford in the cup (fair enough although it wasn't malicious) then not sending Damsgaard off for a worse version of the same thing.

 

[Johnny75]

Conceded more goals with 2 games to go than any other season since coming back up. Scored the second most, yet I don't think they are connected. By and large we aren't getting picked off on the break because we are over committing, we are conceding through a combination of leaving large gaps between players / not defending as a unit, individual errors, trying to pass out from the back when we are lacking in players comfortable enough to do it, playing too high a line, a lack of organisation and leadership and a dearth of players who know how to defend one on one. A reasonable proportion of that is GON, but the largest element remains the lack of talent.

I think it's wholly on GoN setting the team up to do something that is easy to nullify.

It's another version of the Charles Hughes school of coaching dogma. I get why he wants to do it but better coaches know this system and how to stop it at source.

The real skill as a coach is knowing when and how to change this and GoN hasn't shown any ability to do this imo. An alternative run or movement off the ball when under the press should be happening but it isn't, it's all so rigid.

He lacks alternatives in players which is hampering this system but then he hasn't adjusted either.

We are currently bottom 3 in the form table for a reason.

 

[Dire Wolf]

8 of those 9 contributed to taking points off the board for us. The red card you can't really say that. I'd be surprised if any other team was so negatively impacted by terrible officiating. If a manager, player, or club official says anything about the officials then they are fined, punished and deemed to be questioning the integrity of the game. The officials and PGMOL are the ones bringing the integrity of the game into question. Incompetent or corrupt, or both.

 

[Mel Evo]

They’re just shit. The whole blokey refereeing culture is structured for failure. If we wanted to raise the standards we should bring in better officials from overseas, shake up the chumocracy, and bin VAR other than for the objective basics. What great news that would be as I look to next season - none of which will happen of course as for some reason we have to tolerate these fools and this demonstrably awful video system.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Would ex footballers installed into VAR fair any better ?

 

[Mel Evo]

I doubt it. Listen to Micah Richards. TBH I’ve changed my mind, I no longer think it’s the officials when it comes to VAR, it is the system. The officials manage to be appalling with or without technology.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I can deal with Micah in small doses but that was appalling punditry.

 

[Tony Towner]

Would ex footballers installed into VAR fair any better ?

Depends how they are told to use the technology. If it's with a rigid interpretation of the laws and the indefinable clear and obvious, then there would be some change, but not much - basically most of the 4% of decisions they concede they get wrong. If with common sense Kilman goal v West Ham being a good example then you'd see a difference. Bar the odd idiot, the issue isn't the refs themselves it's the way those in charge want them to officiate imo. Our goals against West Ham and Bournemouth were both correct decisions by their interpretation