Man City U21 EFL Trophy scorethread sponsored by 6pm kickoff

[PEAR CIDER]

Agree with promoting youth, but smith shouldnt be anywhere near the first team. I'm not trying to slag him off, but hes clearly not good enough and hasnt been for sometime.

Sinclair on the otherhand....

[Amberheart]

I think given how different and bespoke this pre season has been im going to reserve judgement till after the first 6 or 7 league games.

Although i understand its not hard to feel a little uneasy looking at the results and comparing ourselves to some others.

Agreed

[spanishstag]

Well i watched it ,first half we were poor ,second half i thought we were doing well ,but we were chasing the game when city got the second .Not too dissapointed
lets see what happens in the league ,i think we will be fine

[Parkinsons Perm]

Well i watched it ,first half we were poor ,second half i thought we were doing well ,but we were chasing the game when city got the second .Not too dissapointed
lets see what happens in the league ,i think we will be fine

You thought we'd be fine last season

[Amber Andy]

A good dose of pre, season panic on here , The league is what it’s all about and they should be judged after a few games surely .

These were competitive games, with prize money for winning games and progression to the next round. So doesn't that matter?

[spanishstag]

Well i watched it ,first half we were poor ,second half i thought we were doing well ,but we were chasing the game when city got the second .Not too dissapointed
lets see what happens in the league ,i think we will be fine

You thought we'd be fine last season

Well we didn,t get relegated

[oldweststander]

Look forward to Saturday, last night didn't matter, Saturday does.

[stag324]

We should give this team a few weeks to gel and judge after 6 games or so.

However, our general overall play isn't great at the moment.

I would have thought we would have had nearly our starting 11 playing tonight to give them chance to gel in a 'real life' game but no.

We do need a midfielder, that is obvious and hopefully the club are doing there best to make it happen.

onwards and upwards, roll on Saturday a 2 - 0 victory will send this message board into silence !!!

[The One]

We should give this team a few weeks to gel and judge after 6 games or so.

However, our general overall play isn't great at the moment.

I would have thought we would have had nearly our starting 11 playing tonight to give them chance to gel in a 'real life' game but no.

We do need a midfielder, that is obvious and hopefully the club are doing there best to make it happen.

onwards and upwards, roll on Saturday a 2 - 0 victory will send this message board into silence !!!

See Spiro, we need time to gel

[nick_stags]

There's obviously a few signs, over the pre-season (I'm classing Preston and City as pre-seaosn) which are a cause for concern, especially as our defensive issues from last pre-season did manifest into the league campaign.

That being said I like how this squad has been assembled and a I'm big fan of lowering the average age and having a younger, hungrier squad with a few of the youth boys closer to the starting 11. With this philosophy will come a bedding in period and as fans we need to accept that.

We finished 21st last campaign, if we're competing for a playoff spot that will be a very impressive turn around.

I'm guessing the usual suspects on here won't be willing to be patient, but hey ho.

[ST4GS]

We should give this team a few weeks to gel and judge after 6 games or so.

However, our general overall play isn't great at the moment.

I would have thought we would have had nearly our starting 11 playing tonight to give them chance to gel in a 'real life' game but no.

We do need a midfielder, that is obvious and hopefully the club are doing there best to make it happen.

onwards and upwards, roll on Saturday a 2 - 0 victory will send this message board into silence !!!

Will be nice to score a goal and not concede one.
Cup games against non league two opposition should be taken with a pinch of salt. Due to the strange pre season scenarios and very late player movements some squads are still not fully settled, there will be a greater imbalance across the 24 teams regarding fitness, sharpness and team gelling than usual. Some players (Maynard for example) will be still on catch up. Hopefully we can stay in the pack above half way whilst things normalise and no team gains too much of a points advantage.

[Dan]

Another thread turned into drooling over Flitcroft.

You brought the subject up Bobby.

Face facts, it's been garbage since he was let go.

It was also garbage when he was here too!

Dan, that's simply not the case. Some of the football played under DF was some of the best I've seen since supporting the Stags way back in the 60s.

I agree that towards the end of his tenure the football was poor. Having said that, since he left we have had a full season and it's continued to be poor.

You sound like Boris Johnson

[Amber Andy]

Another thread turned into drooling over Flitcroft.

You brought the subject up Bobby.

Face facts, it's been garbage since he was let go.

It was also garbage when he was here too!

Dan, that's simply not the case. Some of the football played under DF was some of the best I've seen since supporting the Stags way back in the 60s.

I agree that towards the end of his tenure the football was poor. Having said that, since he left we have had a full season and it's continued to be poor.

You sound like Boris Johnson

Ouch. that hurt.

[Rob]

A good dose of pre, season panic on here , The league is what it’s all about and they should be judged after a few games surely .

These were competitive games, with prize money for winning games and progression to the next round. So doesn't that matter?

I agree Andy, these games do matter and it is far better to have had a good pre-season than a bad one. On the evidence to date it's a bit of a worry, but as daddycool says, probably better to reserve judgement after a dozen or so games.

[spanishstag]

I honestly think we have assembled a good solid squad ,who are still getting used to GC,s system ,another midfielder would not go amiss . We will be there or there abouts at the end of the season imo

[Dan]

I think a lot of people on here are underestimating the team we faced last night. I was in the privileged position of being pitchside and the passing/movement of their 'kids' was incredible. At times we were chasing shadows. Let's not forget that these kids have been trained by (one of) the best Coaches in the world and you can tell. It's clear they've all been drilled in playing the game the right way, even the keeper was playing like an outfield player with his passing. Despite the fact it was my team they 'destroyed' it was a pleasure to be there to watch them. A lot of them will go on to make good careers in the game.

[tillydog123]

Thanks Gazmoose82
A very good question for Belly
I agree maybe a disaster was not the best word but difficult and unclear of our plan and direction might have been better

[The One]

I think a lot of people on here are underestimating the team we faced last night. I was in the privileged position of being pitchside and the passing/movement of their 'kids' was incredible. At times we were chasing shadows. Let's not forget that these kids have been trained by (one of) the best Coaches in the world and you can tell. It's clear they've all been drilled in playing the game the right way, even the keeper was playing like an outfield player with his passing. Despite the fact it was my team they 'destroyed' it was a pleasure to be there to watch them. A lot of them will go on to make good careers in the game.

Pep does not coach them, City just brought in coach from Italy.

[Dan]

I think a lot of people on here are underestimating the team we faced last night. I was in the privileged position of being pitchside and the passing/movement of their 'kids' was incredible. At times we were chasing shadows. Let's not forget that these kids have been trained by (one of) the best Coaches in the world and you can tell. It's clear they've all been drilled in playing the game the right way, even the keeper was playing like an outfield player with his passing. Despite the fact it was my team they 'destroyed' it was a pleasure to be there to watch them. A lot of them will go on to make good careers in the game.

Pep does not coach them, City just brought in coach from Italy.

He has done in the past, he goes to all the training sessions and watches to make sure his stamp is on it.

[Dan]

Here we go: https://www.givemesport.com/1196223-wha ... m-training

What Guardiola asks youth team to do in training
For any player - young or old - working under Guardiola must be an incredible experience. The 46-year-old is the finest tactician of the past decade, winning multiple titles with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, including two Champions League trophies at the Camp Nou.

And in a new report by the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan, it becomes clear just how much attention Guardiola pays to his youth players.

Keegan claims Guardiola regularly involves players from Man City’s Elite Development Squad in first-team training in the days leading up to a match.

Guardiola reportedly briefs the youngsters on the weekend’s opposition before asking them to replicate their style of play in a practice match against the first team.

So, presumably, the EDS players will defend deep when City are playing the lower teams and will attempt to be more expansive when the first team is about to play Liverpool or Tottenham.

It shows that Guardiola really does think of everything.

[I am Spartacus]

I think a lot of people on here are underestimating the team we faced last night. I was in the privileged position of being pitchside and the passing/movement of their 'kids' was incredible. At times we were chasing shadows. Let's not forget that these kids have been trained by (one of) the best Coaches in the world and you can tell. It's clear they've all been drilled in playing the game the right way, even the keeper was playing like an outfield player with his passing. Despite the fact it was my team they 'destroyed' it was a pleasure to be there to watch them. A lot of them will go on to make good careers in the game.

In effect, City, with all the resources of a nation state behind them, used this game as a trial game / measure of development for their own ends? In which case play them behind closed doors as a friendly and give us our competition back.

Football is a beautiful game as exemplified by City last night though it is also a raspberry business as exemplified by City last night.

[gazza1988]

Another thread turned into drooling over Flitcroft.

You brought the subject up Bobby.

Face facts, it's been garbage since he was let go.

It was also garbage when he was here too!

That's a hell of a zoom you've got on that camera Dan! You've witnessed DF's style and performances over a whole season all the way from Mardy Lane. Impressive.

[lifestags]

I thought I heard that this many city team finished 9th in their league last year, can’t be that good.

[cassellswasmagic]

Master Technician Pep who can’t win the champions league without Messi or a billion quid. Not in the same league as Mourinho when it comes to tactical knowledge, even if it bores the pants off everyone.

[1975stag]

Salford currently getting tonked 6 nil at home against Man Utd.....wonder if their fans are having rectal prolapses like some of ours.....