Manchester City (H) 20/10: Build-Up & Match Thread

[Alan]

I think it’ll be André. Doing some stupid John Stones bullshit.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Why haven't you mentioned this before now?!!?

He's been suggested at CB since I last mentioned it, it clearly didn't hit...

 

[Alan]

I could suggest Doherty.

 

[darlowolf64]

I could suggest Doherty.

I could suggest a forum ban

 

[Lycan]

And he has literally failed to win a headed duel for us yet this season.

I know you're impressed with this new stat you've found but it's not really relevant. He hasn't won any aerial duels yet because he hasn't contested any. It's not something that's been asked of him in our double pivot.

It's relatively simple to cover for one player's lack of aerial ability in a back 3 anyway, we did it for years with Coady.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Not sure why you have to talk to me like that.

But do you not think the fact he hasn't contested any headers is relevant!?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

If it is his instructed role, then that sits with the management rather than the player. If it's his own decision then it's potentially the other way round.

My money is on the first option

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

If it is his instructed role, then that sits with the management rather than the player. If it's his own decision then it's potentially the other way round.

My money is on the first option

Either way it's not good, regardless of his position in a double pivot it's a freak stat.

I know it's considered "jumpers for goalposts" old fashioned, to be concerned about how dominant (or not) we are in the air. But it is a significant issue in my eyes, we get bullied and dominated.

 

[Johnny75]

Either way it's not good, regardless of his position in a double pivot it's a freak stat.

Why are you using an irrelevant stat?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Why are you using an irrelevant stat?

Sorry, what?

 

[Johnny75]

Sorry, what?

Duels are a pathetic stat in the first place, headed duels for a player like Andre are an irrelevance.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Duels are a pathetic stat in the first place, headed duels for a player like Andre are an irrelevance.

Ok. If you say so.

I think it is a symptom of our overall lack of ability/willingness to dominate.

 

[Johnny75]

Ok. If you say so.

I'm bemused as to why you think it's relevant.

But if I'm honest I don't care.

 

[Loki]

Surely, regardless of managements instructions, instinct kicks in occasionally and you take matters into your own hands?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I am not a lover of stats in football, as has been well documented here. I also must stress that I see very little of the team at the moment.

Does aerial duel ability have anything to do with how Andre plays, or is it like shots on target for a goalkeeper? I just don't know as I haven't got evidence either way in front of me.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'm bemused as to why you think it's relevant.

But if I'm honest I don't care.

For someone who doesn't care you don't half seem to care a lot.

 

[Johnny75]

I am not a lover of stats in football, as has been well documented here. I also must stress that I see very little of the team at the moment.

Does aerial duel ability have anything to do with how Andre plays, or is it like shots on target for a goalkeeper? I just don't know as I haven't got evidence either way in front of me.

Asking a 5'9" playmaker to win headers seems counter intuitive to me hence it being irrelevant.

Like asking Al Pacino to play a teenager in a Marvel film.

André wins second balls brilliantly and reads the game incredibly well so even if an opponent wins a header the second ball should be mopped up. But GoN has this mad 1v1 thing going on so everybody is too tight and running around like headless chickens so he's wasting André's natural abilities.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Andre is a playmaker? Hot take.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'm not suggesting Andre should be leading the charge to win headers as if he is Dawson.

But as I said I think him not having won or even competed for ONE header is quite telling of how we are as a team, I would expect every outfield player to have competed for a header at some point. No?

 

[Jinky]

Blueprint here is to set up how Fulham did. They could (and should) have scored 5 against City, but Adama’s gotta Adama. City were so open in the middle without Rodri & it gave Fulham plenty of chances to break quickly and outnumber them - so for me, our nearest option to Adama is Forbs, so he has to play.

Unfortunately Fulham also move the ball quickly, take risks (in sensible positions) and our old pal Raul is looking back towards his best up top.

Fulham played with a back 5, Iwobi at RWB (don’t ask how that worked but he had a decent game), and relied on the pace of Pereira & Adama to break.

We *could* set up similarly but O’Neil appears fairly clueless.

Johnstone
Semedo Dawson Lemina Toti RAN
Forbs Andre Gomes Cunha
JSL​

He won’t drop Lemina, so it’s more likely he sticks him in between Dawson & Toti and leaves Semedo at RWB/RB.