Manchester City vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Axl Rose]

Rubbish and to be expected.

They're massive ****** and everyone wanks about them.

Saturday will probably be alot more bearable.

[Risso]

edit

[pauliewalnuts]

Yep, accusing Unai of chucking the game is just nonsense.

It’s absolute bolloc*s.

I agree. I thought it looked a bit that way at the start, but it's not that simple, having reflected on it.

He has to make a series of measured judgements across the full season about how to best use our squad to get the best result come the end of game 38 (plus whatever in Europe).

We can't just play our best XI week in, week out. Some games are more important than others, some games carry a much higher chance of winning than others, some are way more impactful in terms of where we are in the league.

You can't just look at this sort of thing and say "well, Bailey (random chosen player) hasn't played for a week, so he can't be tired". That's a 'micro' approach to things, Emery has to zoom out a bit and look at the wider picture and juggle all the parts.

If we'd gone all-out, playing players who are not totally fit, or who are ill, or who are just tired or out of form, tonight, in a 'let's throw everything at it' mindset, and went down heroically 3-4, then as a result looked jaded and knackered against Brentford, a real must and can win match at the weekend, then people would slaughter him. Then we've got the Conference League coming back.

He's got to balance things looking at the wider picture.

[Brend'Watkins]

I really wish that the commentators wouldn't gush over Man City as if they don't have 115 charges against them.

They ramble on about everything and anything except the one major subject and that is the 115 charges.
I wonder why that is?

They’re not allowed to. Ian Wright bucked the trend on Monday Night Football a few weeks back, bless him, and the other two looked like they were shitting their pants as he spoke.

Fair play to him then. It’s becoming the Elephant in the room as far as TV and Radio are concerned. The eulogising over the cheating fuckers is nauseating.

[Gareth]

Injuries is one thing, illness though, when did that manifest itself? And, what illness is it, have they all been open water swimming in our sewage infested rivers?

Not saying anything but apparently a few of them have been humming UB40 tunes for a couple of days….mmmm

[SamTheMouse]

I wish we never had to play this fixture ever again.

[Risso]

We had Cash, Mcginn, Kamara, Martinez, Ramsey and Watkins out  tonight (alongside long term absentees) but yeah, it  was like the line up Lambert finished with against Bradford years ago.

Fucking hell.

In terms of no discernible formation and random players in random positions. You really do make Flinstone look intelligent by comparison.

[PeterWithesShin]

Injuries is one thing, illness though, when did that manifest itself? And, what illness is it, have they all been open water swimming in our sewage infested rivers?

I remember us having a sick bug go through the squad v Arsenal at home under Lambert.

[tomd2103]

Could understand the team selection given that Saturday and Thursday night are the priority games really.  The frustrating thing is that even with the team we put out, we gifted them that win.  Zaniolo's 'effort' in the wall for the second, Diaby's 'effort' to stop Rodri for the third and Chambers getting caught on the ball for the fourth were all really poor and made the scoreline.worse than it could have been. 

One thing about playing quality opposition is that it exposes where the weaknesses are.  With Kamara out long-term, we've simply got to get another quality defensive midfielder in during the summer to give us a bit of bite in there.  We need to address the 'Ramsey' role on the left if he is going to be out as well, as whoever plays there in Ramsey's absence causes us problems defensively.

All in all though, I can see why he went with the team he did tonight and I think we've just got to write that one off (even though it pains me to.say that) and look forward to Saturday and Thursday.  Looking at the fixtures, I wonder if he might do similar at Arsenal and target the return leg in Lille and the Sunday game at home to Bournemouth.  We don't then play until the next weekend at home to Chelsea.

[curiousorange]

As soon as the third goes in, it becomes about keeping the goal difference respectable. I don't go too overboard about what the press would term a 'thrashing' because it wasn't, Foden's hat-trick is about as meaningful as if he was playing in a pre-season friendly, and we'll be awarded the match 5-4 once Petrostate FC get relegated to the Stockport Area Third Division North.

[Risso]

I agree. I thought it looked a bit that way at the start, but it's not that simple, having reflected on it.

He has to make a series of measured judgements across the full season about how to best use our squad to get the best result come the end of game 38 (plus whatever in Europe).

We can't just play our best XI week in, week out. Some games are more important than others, some games carry a much higher chance of winning than others, some are way more impactful in terms of where we are in the league.

You can't just look at this sort of thing and say "well, Bailey (random chosen player) hasn't played for a week, so he can't be tired". That's a 'micro' approach to things, Emery has to zoom out a bit and look at the wider picture and juggle all the parts.

If we'd gone all-out, playing players who are not totally fit, or who are ill, or who are just tired or out of form, tonight, in a 'let's throw everything at it' mindset, and went down heroically 3-4, then as a result looked jaded and knackered against Brentford, a real must and can win match at the weekend, then people would slaughter him. Then we've got the Conference League coming back.

He's got to balance things looking at the wider picture.

How did it work out for O'Neill after Moscow when he did the exactly the same thing? Not only did we get battered tonight, we've also fallen behind Spurs in terms of goal difference. How does that help us?

[Villafirst]

From the team that beat City in December, only Konsa, Digne, Carlos and Luiz started!

[RamboandBruno]

Injuries is one thing, illness though, when did that manifest itself? And, what illness is it, have they all been open water swimming in our sewage infested rivers?

Shit(s) happen Bren, literally

[AV82EC]

First trip to the Etihad for a few years and I won’t be hurrying back, I’ve never heard so many ****** around you as at that place.

Anyway the team selection was errr interesting and we gave a half decent account of ourselves in the first half. Usual issues apparent at the start of the second half and we’re 4-1 down. I’m not going to do scores on the doors as there’s no point, there were few highlights and we didn’t really impose ourselves in any meaningful way. What’s noticeable is the drop off in quality when we are forced into changes.

Onwards to Saturday.

[Monty]

I agree. I thought it looked a bit that way at the start, but it's not that simple, having reflected on it.

He has to make a series of measured judgements across the full season about how to best use our squad to get the best result come the end of game 38 (plus whatever in Europe).

We can't just play our best XI week in, week out. Some games are more important than others, some games carry a much higher chance of winning than others, some are way more impactful in terms of where we are in the league.

You can't just look at this sort of thing and say "well, Bailey (random chosen player) hasn't played for a week, so he can't be tired". That's a 'micro' approach to things, Emery has to zoom out a bit and look at the wider picture and juggle all the parts.

If we'd gone all-out, playing players who are not totally fit, or who are ill, or who are just tired or out of form, tonight, in a 'let's throw everything at it' mindset, and went down heroically 3-4, then as a result looked jaded and knackered against Brentford, a real must and can win match at the weekend, then people would slaughter him. Then we've got the Conference League coming back.

He's got to balance things looking at the wider picture.

How did it work out for O'Neill after Moscow when he did the exactly the same thing? Not only did we get battered tonight, we've also fallen behind Spurs in terms of goal difference. How does that help us?

MON *never* changed the team, *never* showed any faith in anyone outside of the first XI, and the one time he does rotate was that. This isn't really comparable. I also daresay Emery is drowning himself in all kinds of fitness data and the like.

I also notice that our opponents tonight didn't play their two best players, for similar reasons given. I guess two of the world's most successful coaches for over a decade could be wrong on the same day in exactly the same way. Who knows.