15 Jan 2018 09:49:25
Over the last couple months teams have been terrified to have ago at city but now seeing how it's done do you reckon they may take a leaf out if our book and go at them? They looked extremely vulnerable at times when defending against us. Otamendi is pants and danilo wasn't much better. if teams have a real go then maybe city will drop more points. and we will win the league. maybe.

1.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:00:51
It’s definitely the way to beat them or pick up points, even the first game at the Ethiad we were all over them in the first 15-20 or whatever with Otamendi looking vulnerable against Salah and co but the rest is history. Teams need to bite the bullet and press from the front and they’ll get rewarded, difficult as it is because you need front players with top fitness levels and determination like you sore from us and Bristol recently.

{Ed001's Note - the thing is Wolves also had them on the rack in their match and only lost on pens, they pressed them but no one took any notice in the Prem.}

2.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:06:48
I think it may have the opposite effect to be honest.

In the Champions league, I'm sure teams will look at this and say "that's how we beat city".

However in the Premier League, any team below 6th will look at this and think "holy hell, Liverpool are the best football team in the country, and even they only just edged past Man City at Anfield".

If we'd held it at 4-1, i think it may have dented their season a bit more. As it happens, we let them back in. If the best pressing team in Europe got knackered out by City's passing, a team like Watford or Stoke would just be dismantled embarrassingly.

However, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs should be looking at yesterdays game and taking our lead. They have no excuse to sit back. Sadly, City have already played at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford. Wembley is the only other place i can see them losing this season. Even that is a maybe, because Spurs are prone to capitulating in the second half of the season when the pressure is on.

{Ed001's Note - don't you think that the pressure has gone for Spurs now that they are off the pace? Plus Dembele is coming into form and fitness now which is huge for them. If Alderweireld is back they should be able to match them.}

3.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:07:03
Yes Wolves were very unlucky also, Prem managers need to brace up and trust their players to deliver.

4.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:08:53
Otamendi and Fernandinho particularly struggled with our press. Stones is also very slow to react at times and opposition should take note of this. Premier league teams have been giving City too much of respect this season, a bit like Barcelona and REal in la liga which allows them to play their natural game. Show some braveness and these so called goliaths will crumble from time to time.

5.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:13:33
We were excellent and pressed as a team and city found it difficult to play through us, but it does take a lot of energy and a lot of discipline to do it consistently for 90 minutes. It is part of our normal game plan so it’s ingrained into our players. Tottenham tried to play that way against city and came unstuck spectacularly, as did we at Etihad, but that was as much to Manes red card than anything else as it effected our ability to press.
I’m sure if they applied themselves the top 4 teams can attempt a similar game plan.

6.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:14:50
We beat them, Bristol and Wolves gave them a good go, going on that alone, anybody can give them a good go. I hope more teams can step up the notch a little and go for them because they really aren't all that! Sure they are very good, we all know that but playing them at their own game they seem to fail, they expect everybody to sit back so when they're attacked they don't know how to handle it. Their defence is poor, if teams actually try against them then I see Man City losing a lot of points this half of the season and going on our win, I think many teams won't be as afraid of them.

7.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 10:41:22
The pressure to win the league is gone Ed, but I'd say the pressure to qualify for the Champions league is worse. Finishing 2nd or 3rd is gutting, but you can keep your best players.

If they finish 5th then Kane, Alli, Lloris, Alderweireld and Eriksen will all be looking at their careers and thinking, "why am I playing for half of what i could earn elsewhere to win nothing and play in the Europa league". Particularly Lloris and Alderweireld who are both getting on and at a very real risk of finishing their careers without even winning a major trophy.

This is a massive moment for Spurs as a club. If they don't get CL football, everything they've built for will start to unravel in my opinion. Kane might stick around for one more season out of loyalty, but Real Madrid will come sniffing and that's a hard team to turn to down. The pressure on them is huge. I think City, Liverpool and Chelsea are all better teams, and only look like getting stronger this January. Spurs on the other hand could realistically lose Rose and with Levy in charge, they won't spend much either! I hope they can climb above Man United though. United have fallen to pieces over the last 10 weeks. It's mad when you think they were about 12 points clear of the rest of the league and just behind City, and now they're joint 4th, 15 off City and only 3points clear of Spurs. They need to arrest their slide ASAP.

I just can't see City being truly tested again this season. They might slip up and drop a few more points, but nobody else in the league except Spurs at Wembley have the tools to beat City at their best, like we just did.

{Ed001's Note - I don't think it matters where they finish, I expect Alderweireld to look for more money, either there or elsewhere, in the summer.}

8.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 11:40:58
Easier said than done against City - first they play through the press like few sides can, then if they do they tend to expose score. We played a fantastic game to force the errors on their side but we also were pretty clinical - all 4 goals were really well taken, and even then they nearly came back with some great goals.

I think Tottenham might give them problems if they have a full squad and Kane on fire, but frankly don’t rate Utd or even Chelsea that much this year in terms of being able to press their defence and score 2-3 which is what you probably need to do to win.

9.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 11:42:29
Wishful thinking there MK. Alderweireld is the only major outgoing from Spurs next season. Kane will stick around for a few more years, Eriksen and Son on the verge of new deals and the top clubs will be looking for younger Gks than Loris.
If there is an exodus of talent, it will most likely be at Chelsea. Hazard is flirting with Real and Courtois is also unsettled. This could open up a flurry of outgoings for ambitious players like Kante with Roman showing no signs of investing in world class talent anymore. They are trying to sign Andy Carroll of all people!

10.) 15 Jan 2018
15 Jan 2018 11:37:54
Have we shown any recent interest in Alderweireld ed? Would be a hell of a partner for VVD.

Also, I think Kane's going to be a one club man. He's got Shearer in his sights. He's got 162 goals to go but I think he'll want to do it at Tottenham.

{Ed001's Note - I wish, but no.}