FODEN CENTRAL, PEP! | 5 THINGS WE LEARNED | MAN CITY 1-1 CHELSEA

[@haneen9467]

I do agree 100%. We need to stop being so entitled, we are not owed a PL trophy every season. If a PL repeat x4 was so easy, it would’ve been done before. Pep is managing the players we have, their attributes/injuries/minutes played/keeping top players satisfied with our schedule through 3 tough competitions! Let’s enjoy the games, support the team and be there! Maybe we’ll even win a trophy or two by the end of the season.

[@EH-ef9uv]

City has best team best coach ,It is normal to expect to win ,Nothing to do with entitlements

[@dwaynechin9132]

Stephen you failed to address the ÈLEPHANT in the room here which is Kyle Walker's shambolic defending this season. What Sterling did to him and scored yesterday was about the third or fourth time this season a player had cut inside fired and scored. He is not closing down and neutralizing the attackers and is overlapping end product is something else.

[@brianngure151]

I've been wondering where the sudden expectation of Walker to be this guy he couldn't even be last year. And I why I think our best defense is with akanji at rb. I know injuries is a main reason for our defensive rotations, but we forget Walker was being phased out last year in all honesty

[@murrayyyy3799]

The main problem i saw with that game was our defence- we created loads of chances and Haaland had a bad game which is allowed. However all season we have looked weak at the back, especially the full backs,, how many chances did Chelsea create (and bottle) with just one bloody ball in behind? If our defence doesn’t improve we won’t win the league, simple as

[@Theaestheticone]

It's pretty crazy to think we couldn't beat Chelsea this season.

[@djKianoosh]

Everyone complaining about Alvarez, but he served up a perfect ball for Erling in the first half and if that header goes in, it changes everything doesn't it?! Pep must have his reasons for playing him. It's not confusing. The pluses outweigh the minuses. Plus, we saw Julian track all the way back multiple times, once all the way back to left back to snuff out a Chelsea attack. Pep absolutely values a player that gives him extra possessions and stops opponents from even shooting. Your points 2-3 can be solved simply by both Phil and Julian rotating on the field and switching positions (which they already do) a bit more.

[@space1734]

Nah, Alvarez positioning as a midfielder is ass and his 1st touch is not good. Having a proper box to box midfielder there would help out our defense. Gundogun wasn't pressing like crazy, but it still made our midfield and defense solid due to good position and not losing the ball carelessly. A good midfielder has good positioning to stop counters. Alvarez defending style is good for a winger or a striker. If he wants to play Alvarez so bad he should play him as a winger, he played there at his previous club.

[@fpldirectory6753]

It's not his performance per se, it's him being forced into the system currently

[@omariblake21]

It’s not the work ethic but the fact that he doesn’t know how to play as a cm and that’s on pep. Julian shouldn’t play that deep. Either drop Julian or drop Håland . We cannot have two of them on the pep with Foden and KDB there too. Foden has to be in the middle with KDB and Akanji inverting in midfield instead of stones killed us

[@CITD444]

At this point because I know if we are noticing the faults I know for sure Pep does to. I’m sure 100% he sees what isn’t working. It’s either he knows it’s not working and he’s forcing until it works with experience on the pitch and believes we have enough quality to just about win a league (potentially) or he’s got something up his sleeve soon or he’ll go back to his treble winning formation when in the next few weeks and stick with it till the end.

[@2239jules]

Yeah, I agree. No need to panic, social media is hysterical. We just drew. I'd love Pep to start Alvarez on the right, as he played well there last season & Foden in the middle. I can't work out why Pep doesn't do it 😅

[@sdcareyuk]

Re Open Defence. We are at our most vulnerable when Akanji and Alvarez are in midfield - neither is technically good enough and so they lose the ball more than, say, Kovacic or Silva or Stones. It also means that we are more static when playing out from the back. First half yesterday saw Dias dither, Walker put his foot on the ball constantly and City constantly go backwards with little progression. Gallagher was all over Rodri and Akanji cannot receive the ball the way Stones can - hence we kept turning back and passing to Ederson. 2nd half Foden and KdB had so much more of the ball and we were a different team. If Alvarez plays midfield then Akanji cannot play there and vice versa.

[@bpbrowning78]

Thanks for all you do, Steven. Honestly fortunate to have pulled a point out of it. We will need it

[@faghriedaniels]

Alavarez is a great player but the experiment of playing him in midfield is not working. It is unfair to expect him to play and excel in a position that he is not familiar with. I dont understand why he is not being asked to play out wide and that Foden is not being given the opportunity to play centrally

[@pcamara883]

💯

[@Airyed]

Watching the game I really think it's just one issue Akanji in midfield is a diaster literally non starter stop doing it completely! And that's a criticism against Pep not Akanji he is a good player but shouldn't be in the midfield role at all he makes City so predictable! I also think Walker needs to do more whoever plays on the right struggles because he doesn't have an attacking threat plus he's losing his one on one battles

[@devinsimpson5980]

Doku only does that exact same dribble move every time the ball gets to his feet. I think he needs to learn when to go for it, and when to find some one else. Hes got presence on the ball. But if defenders know whats coming every time, it can get redundant and easy to stop. It is a powerful weapon, but he needs to add more to his game so people dont get used to it. Or just let him come on in the 60th minute so people dont get used to it as quick. Its like throwing rock out every single time in rock paper scissors.

[@kontomylitis]

Rodri can't be bobbing forward and leaving the back gaping like that. Something gotta give. He's so hungry and eager to bump forward that we are leaving space in the back

[@nadirabdelnour756]

That’s why having stones or Kovacic sitting behind him would help. Not Akanji ffs

[@brawlnuggy]

Everyone complaining about Alvarez when he had the most chances created in the game (3) despite only playing 60 minutes

[@simplicel]

Wish KDB and Alvarez agree on who can take which free kick based on the location of the free kick. I also wish Bob was given few mns in place of Doku towards the end of the game

[@kontomylitis]

We complicated this game. Chelsea were there for the taking.

[@ballardghost4805]

We might have dropped points but let’s be glad It’s only February and not May.

[@Pedro2706]

Great analysis-

[@jacobw5304]

Great videocompletely agree.

[@FiftyDayZ]

Ten Hag was right unfortunately. Eras come to an end. We reached the top of world football and decided to regress. Very unlike City but think about it... Gundo, Mahrez and Laporte were replaced by kova, Doku , Gvradiol and Nunes. We literally played a role in our own downfall for this season and allowed Arsenal and Liverpool to catch us up in terms of quality. Instead of going for a Slobby, De Jong or Kimmich like a team on top of world football would we bought kova +Nunes and we still want Paqueta like wtf!??

[@dionkungu2752]

We can't play Alvarez with Haaland. It's either Alvarez or Haaland. Pep did his usual experiment.

[@kontomylitis]

They've played together a few times and we have won.

[@HaydenTaylor-qs1si]

Alvarez can certainly play with Haaland, he worked great playing behind Haaland earlier this season, the issue is we can't have Alvarez playing at the same time as Haaland and De Bruyne

[@pmks5031]

9 times out of 10 we would have won the game and Haaland would have bagged a brace.

[@kwesiadjei589]

Rico is easily run over..Messi is small but has strength even when he was at Rico’s age. He needs to be strong to play in the middle

[@dolapoasani7839]

So I’m actually not angry about this result and this is not me having a go at doku but since day one I’ve said he is not the right player for big games. We lose control and a bit of end product. He has potential but we haven’t won a single big game with doku. We beat Tottenham with Oscar and also man Utd with Jack. I’m not saying he is the sole reason, I just don’t think he should n’t be our go to winger for big games.

[@alecjohnson5269]

HAALAND DID HAVE FAMILY LOSS MAYBE HE WAS AFFECTED HE WILL BOUNCE BACK INCLUDING CITY TRUST PEP

[@simplicel]

I got so nervous towards the end of the game with our fastest player( walker ) being at times the more advanced player on the field

[@jesseamaze3010]

Why didn’t he trust oscar Bobb on the right?

[@bpbrowning78]

Hope Nico enjoyed his early night out 😅

[@Crying4England]

Drop Haaland

[@pcamara883]

Alvarez shouldn’t be playing midfield. He’s not a midfielder

[@apyorick]

I'm not crazy about playing lots of Rico, to be honest.

[@kwesiadjei589]

He’s easily run over..Messi is small but has strength even when he was at Rico’s age. He needs to be strong to play in the middle

[@qwaysonifill7200]

Halland poor form....u missed that alverez was needed or doku

[@11Pyze]

Haaland needs to be a lot better. Mediocre by his standards this year.

[@MichaelWard-kh8yo]

Goal hanging last night and Chelsea just played him like a puppet crying because he didn't score a goal fcukin clown 🤣

[@SUB2-TypicalCity-MancunianWay]

Well said mate. "Grow up, every time we loose people act like its the ucl final" 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

[@HaydenTaylor-qs1si]

Very well said indeed

[@AndrewClayton999]

That Yukka is dead dude

[@cityslacker6221]

Alvarez is not a 10. fin.

[@nicohd5079]

I love how you told me to shut up during your live and then made a 5 things learned with all the things you told me to shut up for 😂😂😂

[@freshmija2049]

😊

[@devidwobinson8747]

I think we’re seeing some cracks in Pep this season. The whole season he’s not quite getting it right

[@karinavalesio8633]

Julián Álvarez tiene mejores números de goles. 2023/2024 JULIÁN ALVAREZ SPIDERMAN le dió la mejor temporada al Manchester City, son campeones del mundo gracias a nivel clubes gracias a la 🕷️ araña. KDB y Erling estaban en la banca. Erling sigue con su sequía de goles, KDB no está fino para los tiros libres, se los tiene que dejar hacer a Julián Álvarez ❤. KDB y Erling están sobrevalorados está temporada. Julián Álvarez y Foden la mejor dupla del mundo 🌎❤

[@cityslacker6221]

wrong

[@HaydenTaylor-qs1si]

People say opinions can't be wrong, oh boy, cause this one certainly is

[@gloopi_gloopi]

Ouyhj

[@SUB2-TypicalCity-MancunianWay]

LIKES CITIZENS 💙💙💙💙