Ajax 3 – 1 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS
25 Oct
This was a thoroughly disappointing night in the Champions League. And that is a phrase which has been repeated too many times now for comfort.
It’s tough to know where to start when reviewing this game. Tactical incompetence, bizarre formation changes, a total lack of both passion and fight and yet, deep down, a realisation that we are going to struggle in the Champions League. It is a completely different proposition to the Premier League where we overwhelm sides with our quality, but what is perhaps most frustrating is that we are making the same errors as last season and in previous games this time around. Losing is not the hardest thing to take – we don’t have a divine right to win every match – but not learning from erstwhile mistakes and not looking as if we will any time soon is the most concerning element.
Roberto Mancini’s tactical decisions have been scrutinised in the wake of this desperately unhappy loss and rightly so. His record in European competitions isn’t the best by any stretch but although achieving sustained domestic success is the priority, it would be pleasing to see some semblance of improvement in this competition.
His starting eleven and subsequent 4-2-3-1 formation, with Sergio Aguero on the left on that attacking trio, had the feel of a situation where the manager had selected the team and only then considered which system he might like to use. Against the run of play, Samir Nasri opened the scoring with a clinically taken strike from City’s first threatening attack and that prompted the first tactical switch of the night. One which was impossible to fathom.
Aguero joined Edin Dzeko up-front which was understandable enough, but behind them was a mass of confusion. Nasri was deployed on the left on a midfield four but didn’t track back to help Gael Clichy and thus we were badly exposed down that side, whilst James Milner and Yaya Touré, both better and far more comfortable in a central position, took turns to operate on the right wing. It meant we lost shape and control of midfield and with Ajax’s movement and technical ability causing us problems, their equaliser on the stroke of half-time was nothing other than what they deserved.
Our brightest spell of the match was the first ten minutes after the break when we came out with a seemingly renewed purpose and vigour but a simple and hugely frustrating goal to concede from a corner set us back. Zonal marking has been blamed for the ease with which the hosts scored, but it was Joleon Lescott’s reluctance to attack the ball, rather than the defensive system, which was at fault. The absence of men on the posts was surprising, but falling behind then meant Mancini adopted the 3-5-2 formation to much ridicule.
First things first: I understand the benefits of the system. If worked well, as it did in pre-season and then again in the Community Shield against Chelsea, we look threatening. It adds width to our play, it means we control the central area and it enables more attackers to get into the box to hopefully meet crosses. However, on every occasion we have used the system during the season, it has been chaotic. No-one quite seems to know what role to play and changing partway through the second half just conveyed the impression of confusion. For Mancini’s, and the team’s, sake it might just be better for the moment to forget a new formation and to revert back to last season’s successful formula.
All that said, what is not excusable in amongst the chaos is a lack of desire, passion and character. Throughout the Premier League campaign so far, despite not playing at our exhilarating best, we have displayed reserves of self-belief and togetherness but for whatever reason, there was none of that last night. There was no sustained pressure as we ought to have fought to get back into the game, no-one prepared to get stuck in and drive us forward. Irrespective of formations or players selected, that willingness to run and battle should be a given. Sadly, it was not.
Ajax were a competent, technically fine side but we made them look a class above. Realistically, if not mathematically, our hopes of progressing beyond the group stage are over and it remains to be seen whether we will even finish third and thus qualify for the Europa League.
Swansea visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in a fixture where we must show some character and respond to this abject performance. We have not suddenly become a bad side, but what we do need to prove is that we are constantly learning and improving. Last night, there were no signs of that happening at all.
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Honestly don’t know what to say about our European form, either in this competition or Europa. It is now a major issue that has to be speedily rectified. These results simply are not Acceptable never mind the diplorable performances.
I am not proud of it and this is the first time i have admitted it but i questioned Mancini all last season and he has done nothing to change my opinion this season. The sight of Aguero and Dzeko changing positions on the left and just sort of occupying a space was bizarre.
I think the team is affected by having four first class strikers to keep happy. We would be much better playing a genuine 4-2-3-1 formation in which Tevez could occupy any of the central attacking midfield role or centre forward but Dzeco and Aguero and balotelli should not be starting games together. Balotelli is to lazy to occupy the left side attacking/defensive.
A few points:
1- Ajax much like BVB stifled our mid-field to the extend we could not hold on to the Ball. May be it is me but it make sense to bring Ballo in along side of Dezko and push Yaya in front and the boot the ball from back line to our target men much like Stoke. Dezko was used as anything but target man.
2- Barry has been a pillar in City’s success but he is not that sort of player to play 2 games in 3 days. He and Yaya Toure were abysmal. Barry was the main culprit for the 1st and 3rd goal and contributed to their 2nd goal.
3- I can be wrong but playing 3-5-2 against a decent team that plays 4-3-3 is a recipe for disaster though much of the game City played 4-2-3-1
4- City would get there in Champions league and at this moment the domestic league and domestic stability are of utmost importance and I do hope City ends up the last team of this group [considering the odds of making it] so that we do not qualify for Europa league and focus on domestic league
1. We are good enough to keep to our short crisp passing style of football in Europe, we just havent showed it yet
2. The point about Barry might be a fair one and something I may look out for in future
3. Difficult to say
4. I would have to agree in the main, but would be nice to lift any European trophy, though not at the expense of how we do in the league
Also i forgot to mention that Mancini( in his defence) was let down by the players performances and after match statements undermining him which is totally out of order for a “proffessional” footballers.
Micah was asked a straightforward question and gave a similar, if maybe unintentionally revealing response.
The painfully obvious confusion as to roles and responsibilities of our back line in ANY formation, whether three or four at the back is a damning indictment of the coaching of that unit this season.
Who exactly is Angelo Gregucci and why aren’t questions being asked of his performance as the new defensive coach?
As for the 3-5-2, it’s suicide to attempt to implement it on the fly, especially in road CL fixtures, without the benefit of having schooled and drilled the squad in it over a full preseason.
I think the problem actually starts with Toure. As a defensive midfielder he does not tackloe enough and as an attacking midfielder he does not get back quickly enough…yet he is the first name on the team sheet. the fact that Mancini has tried to play Milner and Barry there allows him to play Toure at cebntre mid…this only creates problems because he cannot play the 4-2-3-1 with an out and out attacker like Tevez behind Aguero.
I also think that Toure has not been the same player since his agent has been talking about seeking a move for him. We have to learn to play without him in January so giving him a rest now and playing the Tevez / Aguero combination that was so succesful last year is what is needed.
The point about Barry playing more than a game by the poster above is a very insightful one. Sorry for questioning the players attitudes. I read my comment back and it sounds negative( but they were lacklustre).
id rather you apologise for coming out of the woodwork about Mancini at a time when it was easy to do so. He is obviously a big reason we are champions and has helped in giving us one of the greatestdays in our history.
I agree that the other poster’s comment about Barry is spot on, but this observation was made repeatedly last season.
While Mancini is the crux of the problem right now, you were absolutely correct to question the attitudes of many of the players. They do seem to be a somewhat dispirited bunch these days, do they not? We have clearly regressed in our overall play this season, and I also believe that this has contributed to a pervasive lack of confidence in the squad.
Clearly dispirited on Saturday i noticed
Milner should be played day in day out…milner adds that impetus and much needed enthusiasm to the line up and milner is a much better centre midfielder than rodwell and garcia…yaya should be deployed higher up the pitch…david silva was thoroughly missed yesterday and we must have a good replacement for yaya he looked out of sorts yesterday. city dont seem to have an answer to the fast paced possession game. yesterdays game tactics were abysmal to say the least even the defence has been caught napping several times this season…seems the whole team needs a make over…perhaps a more experienced european manager…
While i think Mancini had a bad night just like any player can, to start slating him is nothing short of ridiculous. It reminds me of when some United fans berate Ferguson after a defeat, and suggest he needs to retire. I have heard this for nearing 10 years, while he has picked up every trophy going
We have two of the best creative CENTRAL midfielders in Nasri and Silva yet Mancini persists in wasting them in wide areas. We need width and we need pace wide and we need the genuine craft that they would supply centrally instead on the ponderous Yaya Toure. In our ‘squad’ system why is Yaya never droppped, never rested and never substituted when he never performs for more than 20 minutes a game?