You can tell me I’m clutching at straws if you like but is

Keeping Man City to 4 shots on target a positive to take defensively

Having 3 big chances and scoring 1

Fofana looking like he has that big of quality in him

For about 3 separate 15 minute spells, I thought we looked OK. And against City away, that's OK with me

Great defending at times O Shea Vitinho Ekdal and El Dakiel all played well.Nice cameo from Fofana it will be good to pair him with Foster.JBG played well as did Zaroury.

Yes we got undone by City (nowt unusual in that) but there are some definite positives from tonight ... Fofana looks like one we have been missing

The positive tonight was that it was another huge learning curve, we know more about players

Play 5 at the back against most teams now, every game is going to be a dog fight, and we cant afford to concede
r
Forfana showed more attacking ability than Amdouini has in the last 3 games, and has to start

Glass half full it was only 3-1
Half empty they did what they had to which was the bare minimum
Expected result and I can understand both arguments on the match thread (embarrassingly easy v they're the best team in the world)

The frustration is gifting the soft first goal.

If we can start with a solid organised base we have players who can grab us a goal.

At the start of the season we were giving away cheap goals and having to score at least two to get anything out of games.

Since the change of approach from the Arsenal game onwards we are harder to play against.

Cut out the silly mistakes and we'll win games, whether that'll be anywhere good enough to stay up is a push but I'm confident we will pick up a few wins at home between now and the end of the season.

We MUST now win on Saturday.

Realistically the main positive was that Man City barely made an effort after scoring the third straight from the second half kick off. Obviously the score line is an improvement on recent visits, and the injury time consolation makes it a credible one. But we were very passive and had hardly any quality where it counts.

They haven't lost a midweek league home game for 14 years so realistically we'd take a respectable scoreline, no injuries, nor suspensions, and a glimmer or two from one of our new players, or new to the team players.

Soft defending is again the negative but we couldn't cope with their runners, simple as that. We're not alone.

El Dakil played quite well considering his recent performances
Fofana and Foster could be a good partnership
Even if we got the run around the back four stood up quite well
Foster doing ok
Clutching at straws for the rest of them ,not enough commitment

Positives from tonight:

I was at the game, singing my heart out and clapping them off like the majority - not listening to the whiners on here.

They are the best club side in the world and you can't afford to make mistakes or switch off ike we did. Positives for me were Fofana, who I thought looked sharp and skilful, Berge also a plus. We played well in patches and probably deserved a goal. And we didn't get hammered for a change.

Brentford lost so gap there still only 10 points

I say "only".... but you asked for straw clutching!

BigJay wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:44 pm

They are the best club side in the world and you can't afford to make mistakes or switch off ike we did. Positives for me were Fofana, who I thought looked sharp and skilful, Berge also a plus. We played well in patches and probably deserved a goal. And we didn't get hammered for a change.

They probably are the best club side in the world when their best players all play at their best.

But last night wasn't anywhere near them levels. They only had to play at half levels to beat us easily.

I’m struggling to get too downhearted about losing 3-1 at City. We’ve watched enough of those fixtures to know they don’t ever seem to have an off day against us, whether it’s Dyche or Kompany in charge of us. Not under Pep.

Tick it off, be happy that our GD didn’t take the pounding it could have, and move on.

Forfana looked handy, albeit against a City team in 2nd gear, and we looked better set up with more in midfield. I think there’s a real talent in Amdouni but right now he’s an absolute luxury against teams above a certain level, which feels like anyone top half at least.

There were players on their bench who would have normally started in a tight game and they were playing at half pace for a lot of the time
We, on the other hand, had little choice to make, playing a right back who is not a right back, same for left back, and too deep a central midfield
The positive was that the manager finally realised the error of his normal tactics
We eventually went to a 5 4 1 offering more support to the struggling full backs which also allowed our midfield to venture a bit further forward
From that moment on we actually scored once and kept them to no further goals
Will the manager finally learn from this basic tactical change

Positives are that we kept the score down. As far as this season goes, there aren’t many positives for me I’m afraid. 12 points going into February, how can there be? I’m usually a so called ‘happy clapper’ too!

Positives, for this season, no…………unless we somehow now go on a 8 game winning streak which I would suggest is highly unlikely. Sorry, not being negative, and whilst we play some nice football at times, it’s results that matter in the end, and not pleasant comments from opposing managers stating how good we supposedly are.
Don’t get me wrong, I get it, we are punching above our weight in this league but I am disappointed that we are now miles behind Luton Town!!!

I don't really buy into the best team in the world as some sort of an excuse that it's understandable getting beat, it should go without saying that city are a bloody good side but they aren't invincible wolves & palace took points off them & we shouldn't really be that far away from them if you set the stall out in the right manner with the tactics. It's another 1 to add to the litany of ready made excuses as justification for getting beat instead of the usual VAR I guess some are already getting prepared for Fulham.

I'll take that result probably the best club side in the world a 3-1 defeat,not our usual pasting,anyone who thought we was going to the Etihad and giving this world class side a game is positively deluded,bring on Fulham a team we have actually a chance of competing with and beating

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:44 pm

Positives from tonight:

I was at the game, singing my heart out and clapping them off like the majority - not listening to the whiners on here.

Exactly

BobSykes wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:44 pm

Brentford lost so gap there still only 10 points

I say "only".... but you asked for straw clutching!

Luckily we only have to be in 17th to survive.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:25 am

I don't really buy into the best team in the world as some sort of an excuse that it's understandable getting beat, it should go without saying that city are a bloody good side but they aren't invincible wolves & palace took points off them & we shouldn't really be that far away from them if you set the stall out in the right manner with the tactics. It's another 1 to add to the litany of ready made excuses as justification for getting beat instead of the usual VAR I guess some are already getting prepared for Fulham.

Episode 245124511224 in being contrary

Ampth7 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:22 am

Positives, for this season, no…………unless we somehow now go on a 8 game winning streak which I would suggest is highly unlikely. Sorry, not being negative

Yes you are

clutching at straws as we give teams to much room and they punish you, still games to play but i want to see some passion what i haven't seen all season...

1. Second half score was 1-1
2. Fofana looks like a player
3. Al-Dakhil played well at left back
4. We scored
5. I expected a cricket score when we went 2-0 down after 22 minutes but they only scored one more in the next 75 minutes.
6. We kept Haaland relatively quiet.
7. The substitutes made a difference for once.
8. We showed a hell of a lot more character in the second half.
9. We don't have to play Man City again this season.
10. We've got a winnable game next.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:44 pm

Positives from tonight:

I was at the game, singing my heart out and clapping them off like the majority - not listening to the whiners on here.

Well said. Sure beats spending an evening on here with the residents Eeyores.

Clovius Boofus wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 8:41 am

Well said. Sure beats spending an evening on here with the residents Eeyores.

I’d love to go to every game but living in Norwich with 2 young kids mean's my priorities are elsewhere. The games I get to with my Dad are special. Never leave early and always clap them off.

However, there’s no way to spin how poor this season has been. I get we’re little old Burnley but it’s hard to stay positive when you get beat every week! It’s a combination of get shafted by VAR, making stupid mistakes and lacking steel that’s dragging me down. I honestly am struggling to see where we will get any joy.

It also feels uncertain which players will remain next season.

UTC.

Regarding positivity with the best will in the world if something doesn't exist it can't be found. It'd cause less arguments just pretending everything's fine I guess just nod your head. It seems to work fine for some people on here seemingly.

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 8:11 am

Yes you are

Okay great!

The game's over. Our next opponents won't be City.

That's all the positives I see.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:39 pm

Realistically the main positive was that Man City barely made an effort after scoring the third straight from the second half kick off. Obviously the score line is an improvement on recent visits, and the injury time consolation makes it a credible one. But we were very passive and had hardly any quality where it counts.

This.

Had a slightly larger xG than City at the Etihad (1.27 v 1.54). People will scoff, I know, but it’s quite rare that’s happens.

As a comparison, in the FA cup last season, when we lost 6-0, the xG was 3.55 v 0.48.

Clearly a factual, statistical based improvement which ends the debate we have gone backwards.

I dont think we can take anything from the game positive or negative, same as most teams. Even if a team wins there its such a unique game that it can hardly be transferred to any other fixture. Such a waste of time that its more like a glorified practice match for a lot of teams in the league now.

I find there style of play absolutely mind numbing and if everyone played that way then football would lose popularity fast, De Zerbi and Brighton are in a similar boat. Thank god for Jurgen Klopp.

Think we can start to see why Kompany said it would be a four year project, and that we got promotion a year early. A slight adaption perhaps to going up (and I thought we would have enough to beyond stay up this season) but the plan has remained much the same. I suspect that is why VK still has a solid backing from above. Next season was to be our breakthrough season, unless we stay up that suggests it now becomes the season after next.

While the hope will be we can pick up the points to survive this season it increasingly looks like the four year project may have turned into a five year project, in large part due to our exceeding expectations too soon last season. I think Fulham will tell us whether the remainder of the season will be a fight for survival or a continuation of the steady improvement mantra seen this season; with the longer term project still front and centre in the clubs collective mind.

Of course it assumes the club can repeat our storming of the Championship… which as we know is no given, in itself.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:10 am

Had a slightly larger xG than City at the Etihad (1.27 v 1.54). People will scoff, I know, but it’s quite rare that’s happens.

As a comparison, in the FA cup last season, when we lost 6-0, the xG was 3.55 v 0.48.

Clearly a factual, statistical based improvement which ends the debate we have gone backwards.

I'm not suggesting we have gone backwards, but that statistic, in isolation does not prove that we haven't gone backwards and it's quite ridiculous to suggest that it does. I'm guessing Al-Dakhil's goal was very close to 1.0 xG, which in itself, considering the stage of the game and the inconsequential nature of the goal renders the whole statistic fairly meaningless, and proves why statistics should always be used in their correct context.

A game closer to being in an actual competitive football league next season is the main positive from last night.

quoonbeatz wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 12:55 pm

A game closer to being in an actual competitive football league next season is the main positive from last night.

Never really liked the Premier league...maybe under Coyle and the early Dyche seasons the novelty has well and truly worn off now the Championship plsses all over the Premier league.

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 12:59 pm

Never really liked the Premier league...maybe under Coyle and the early Dyche seasons the novelty has well and truly worn off now the Championship plsses all over the Premier league.

Must admit I sympathise. I prefer watching football matches to theatre on the pitch myself to be honest; but club and town profile demands we grease up and perform when we can.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:10 am

Had a slightly larger xG than City at the Etihad (1.27 v 1.54). People will scoff, I know, but it’s quite rare that’s happens.

As a comparison, in the FA cup last season, when we lost 6-0, the xG was 3.55 v 0.48.

Clearly a factual, statistical based improvement which ends the debate we have gone backwards.

Riley is spot on in his response above, but just to further illustrate why:

Clearly those stats show a "factual statistical" based decline from Man City and ends the debate that they are miles better than us.

You see how this single stat doesn't show either of those things now I'm sure?

That wasn't a competitive game of football last night.

One of the most soulless, drama-free, low-key, games - it really felt like City were just having a casual training session. Not for one second did it feel like the outcome would be anything other than a comfortable Man City win.

I'd say all positive if I had 100% faith that they were trying to build a squad that would be kept together long enough to become a really good side. At some point there is going to have to be a decent amount of cohesion in team selection and player retention be it this season or next. We can't be having to sign 8-14 players every summer.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 12:55 pm

I'm not suggesting we have gone backwards, but that statistic, in isolation does not prove that we haven't gone backwards and it's quite ridiculous to suggest that it does. I'm guessing Al-Dakhil's goal was very close to 1.0 xG, which in itself, considering the stage of the game and the inconsequential nature of the goal renders the whole statistic fairly meaningless, and proves why statistics should always be used in their correct context.

Was a bit tongue in cheek from me after a few comments I’d seen on here lately about going backwards and ‘facts’ that we haven’t improved. I’m aware it doesn’t alone conclude that. But nonetheless quite interesting to compare the two games from that perspective. Basically we did a lot better in last nights game than last seasons cup game. Been a lot of talk about lack of leaders etc, yet in that game last season Cork and Barnes game on at half time and we collapsed, could have been 8/9. And yes Al-Dakhil’s goal will have been very high and rightfully so, actually think those type of goals are something we’ve lacked all season… so a positive we created one.

quoonbeatz wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 12:55 pm

A game closer to being in an actual competitive football league next season is the main positive from last night.

The Championship didn't seem very competitive last season, but I suppose it's more fun when we're the team making it so.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:10 am

Had a slightly larger xG than City at the Etihad (1.27 v 1.54). People will scoff, I know, but it’s quite rare that’s happens.

As a comparison, in the FA cup last season, when we lost 6-0, the xG was 3.55 v 0.48.

Clearly a factual, statistical based improvement which ends the debate we have gone backwards.

This is a prime example of how not to use data and is the dictionary definition of cherry-picking.
C'mon, do better.

Straws

Positives are great but it’s points we need.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 1:47 pm

Was a bit tongue in cheek from me after a few comments I’d seen on here lately about going backwards and ‘facts’ that we haven’t improved. I’m aware it doesn’t alone conclude that. But nonetheless quite interesting to compare the two games from that perspective. Basically we did a lot better in last nights game than last seasons cup game. Been a lot of talk about lack of leaders etc, yet in that game last season Cork and Barnes game on at half time and we collapsed, could have been 8/9. And yes Al-Dakhil’s goal will have been very high and rightfully so, actually think those type of goals are something we’ve lacked all season… so a positive we created one.

So you were trolling then?

boyyanno wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 01, 2024 3:24 pm

So you were trolling then?

Lighten up

If City wanted to win 6-0 last night they could have done.

They have a very busy schedule coming up, 2 of the best players in the world coming back from injury and needing to manage their minutes and in Liverpool a team who are a real competitive threat to City retaining the title.

They rested possibly the best right back in the world and their captain and also Bernardo Silva who rarely misses a game.

When the game was won beyond all doubt (a minute after half time) it became about seeing the game out and protecting players.

You just cannot compare the game yesterday and last years cup game. But at least last season we were in the game for the first 30 minutes (and playing really well) whereas last night there was no point whatsoever we were in the game.