22 Games - 17 Goals

Yes, I know we all know that we need more goals.....but I am trying to find a positive......  

Of our 17 goals, we have managed a respectable total of 9 goals in 5 games against Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Take out the two blobs against Arsenal and that means that our other 8 goals have been scored in 15 games against lesser opposition. The inability / unwillingness to play with the same mindset against Norwich, Stoke and the others is what will most likely to come back and haunt us at the end of the season........

David Kerslake showed that it could be done against Sunderland, but taking the foot off the gas "à la Malky" cost us points. Hopefully such tactics are a thing of the past.

Completely agree, minus the 'A La Malky' part. Malky was prone to sitting back, but his version was much more effective and organised. Under Kerslake there was no order and we just went further and further back until we had eleven men on the goal line. If we had Kerslakes positive attitude with Malkys military discipline,, we would of won.

There is a definite sea-change in the way City have played last two games. My only concern is that we don't sacrifice defensive solidity (although, again that might be debatable!) for attacking intent. The key there, of course, is finding somebody to convert the chances we have.

I liked Pelligrini's comments post-match today "The best way to play is the way we are playing now. I know it is easier to go back with 10 players in our box and try and have a couple of counter attacks, but that is not my way, it is not the style I think this club wants."

In fairness, I don't think any club wants that and with the attacking options at his disposal he's got no bloody excuse. Regardless, I liked the sentiment.

TDA wrote:
The inability / unwillingness to play with the same mindset against Norwich, Stoke and the others is what will most likely to come back and haunt us at the end of the season........
David Kerslake showed that it could be done against Sunderland

thnx tda. i got pilloried for venturing that opinion a few months ago

Totally agree with the op. 8 goals in 15 games against the teams in which we should consider to be our realistic rivals in this league is quite frankly relegation waiting to happen. I am sorry but no one can honestly defend Malky anymore for all that money he wasted on the players for the future and players that were never given a chance.

However we are still only 5 points from 10th un-believability. Can Ole turn this around. I saw enough from yesterdays game to believe that YES HE CAN. We just need to ensure we keep it going for the whole 90 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!

  

I still find it depressing to think the focus is constantly on the money Malky wasted, and he's getting absolutely no credit for the things he did well. Noone was one of the best players on the pitch - Makly signed him. We immediately look better with Mutch back in action - Malky signed him. Campbell has now scored an aggregate hat trick against man City - Malky signed him.

So far, OGS has signed two players - one on the bench twice and one we haven't seen yet? He's also played two premiership matches and lost both of them. Yet Malky is indefensible and OGS is the saviour?

We go round in circles with this! Nobody disputes Malky brought some cracking players to the club, particularly for the Championship campaigns.

It is a fact, however, that he wasn't equipped for the Premier League, wasn't able to attract the quality of players needed and subsequently made some awful buys.

His PL tactics were too negative, as is evidenced by the form of Craig Noone, who he refused to play. Introducing Noone (and Bellamy) earlier would have provided more variety and, against those lesser teams, we might have performed much better.

I'm not arguing he developed critical flaws this season TDA, nor am I saying OGS is a flop. But I have to admit it's getting on my nerves that all Malky did for us is being forgotten by some because we now have a footballing legend as a manager.

Noone's recent form has highlighted Malky's negativity immensely. Unfortunately I think Malky was undone by his fear of taking risks, as it has been proven you can't simply hope to keep it tight and not go for three points away from home.

Slumdog's Son wrote:Noone's recent form has highlighted Malky's negativity immensely. Unfortunately I think Malky was undone by his fear of taking risks, as it has been proven you can't simply hope to keep it tight and not go for three points away from home.

  

Fair play to OGS, I didn't see the match but it sounds like we didn't sit back and let them batter us, there was a bit of a desire to try and attack. I still think we will survive, because many a team has gone to the Etihad and fared far worse than we did. But it will be very tough and extremely close if we don't get a goalscorer up front and maybe a dangerous winger to play on the other flank to Noone.