Do we need to attack like man city??

[waveney wolf]

Well it's not working is it ? Here we are , nearly 2/3 through the season , and excluding penalties I think our 2 main strikers have scored a total of 3 goals?? Jimenez 3 , Silva 0..no matter whos to blame or why,,in anyone's eyes,that's an awfully bad return.
So....do we need a striker on the pitch? Man city don't play with one.
Maybe 4 at the back ,and a 6 man " midfield" would work better??....a fit, skilful 6 ,who can pass first time, and shoot.
I'd go neves mouthinio dendonker podence hwang Gibbs white....you?

 

[Jonzy54]

Well it's not working is it ? Here we are , nearly 2/3 through the season , and excluding penalties I think our 2 main strikers have scored a total of 3 goals?? Jimenez 3 , Silva 0..no matter whos to blame or why,,in anyone's eyes,that's an awfully bad return.
So....do we need a striker on the pitch? Man city don't play with one.
Maybe 4 at the back ,and a 6 man " midfield" would work better??....a fit, skilful 6 ,who can pass first time, and shoot.
I'd go neves mouthinio dendonker podence hwang Gibbs white....you?

They hardly score either and Gibbs White is out on loan

 

[WalsallWolf]

No, our five at the back is more out of trust (or lack of) than choice.

 

[waveney wolf]

They hardly score either and Gibbs White is out on loan

I bet they ve scored more than 3 between them????
The idea of a loan is you can recall them

 

[waveney wolf]

No, our five at the back is more out of trust (or lack of) than choice.

So you d rather we continue to score nil every game then?

 

[Kcb92]

I bet they ve scored more than 3 between them????
The idea of a loan is you can recall them

You can only recall during a transfer window. The rule changed like 5-6 years ago now.

 

[Jonzy54]

I bet they ve scored more than 3 between them????
The idea of a loan is you can recall them

Of course but we don’t know the terms of the loan .Secondly Hwang is a forward or wide player and not a midfield player

 

[waveney wolf]

Of course but we don’t know the terms of the loan .Secondly Hwang is a forward or wide player and not a midfield player

So is foden Mahrez sterling

 

[giantwolf]

I bet they ve scored more than 3 between them????
The idea of a loan is you can recall them

Unfortunately, you really can't - not outside of the windows

 

[Jonzy54]

So is foden Mahrez sterling

Hwang plays up top and to my knowledge has never played in midfield

 

[Golden_Wolf]

Ahh that's the solution to our problems then, just attack like Man City. Sorted. Top 4 finish here we come.

 

[waveney wolf]

Ahh that's the solution to our problems then, just attack like Man City. Sorted. Top 4 finish here we come.

So you d rather stick to how we played last 2 games??

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

I wish the club realized Man City were very good and that we should just play like them. Simple

 

[Jonzy54]

So you d rather stick to how we played last 2 games??

I get your point of looking at something different but I can’t see Bruno ripping up his tactics book .Mahrez Foden and Sterling score loads of goals in whatever system or formation they play in our options don’t to be fair.
We are stuck with what we have but come the Summer we simply have to attend to our paucity of goals .

 

[Contrarian]

First, we'd have to buy players like Man City. The £1billion required should be easy to find.

 

[WalsallWolf]

So you d rather we continue to score nil every game then?

Personnel over formation is the issue.

Our front three is utterly powder puff.

We went to Tottenham 2 years ago with the exact same formation and setup (infact, probably more negative, certainly a deeper, more narrow back three) and a front three of Jota, Traore and Raul and scored 3 very good goals. I do not feel confident in us doing the same on Sunday. We have lost all three of those and unfortunately in the most upsetting of circumstances, I include Raul in that.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

So you d rather stick to how we played last 2 games??

Course not, but it's really not as simple as let's play like one of the best teams ever created under one of the greatest ever managers.

We don't have the budget or players for it. Truthfully, it's one of the stupidest threads created.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Ahh that's the solution to our problems then, just attack like Man City. Sorted. Top 4 finish here we come.

If you don't agree with the OP that's fine. But you don't have to be so sarcastic.

If you'll excuse me, I'm actually in the middle of quitting my job, as I'm about to invent an online shopping platform like Jeffrey Bezos.

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Well it's not working is it ? Here we are , nearly 2/3 through the season , and excluding penalties I think our 2 main strikers have scored a total of 3 goals?? Jimenez 3 , Silva 0..no matter whos to blame or why,,in anyone's eyes,that's an awfully bad return.
So....do we need a striker on the pitch? Man city don't play with one.
Maybe 4 at the back ,and a 6 man " midfield" would work better??....a fit, skilful 6 ,who can pass first time, and shoot.
I'd go neves mouthinio dendonker podence hwang Gibbs white....you?

The short answer here is yes. A more pertinent question though, would be - can we attack like Man City? And the short answer to that sadly, is no.

 

[Scallywolf]

Man City swarm all over their opposition and give nobody any time with the ball at any time. They are probably the fittest squad in the Premier League, and obviously the most expensive. They can afford any player on the planet which gives them so much more of an advantage to play the way they do,

They support each other and get as many players forward as possible. That’s why their goals are spread throughout the squad imo. Maybe we should do that because for one thing there are big gaps between our midfielders when they have the ball and our strikers. Our crosses from the wings travel a fair distance as well which explains why they are miles too high or miles too long. Get someone in support of our wide players to get in shorter crosses which would be more controlled otherwise they will remain bread and butter for opposition defenders.

 

[waveney wolf]

The short answer here is yes. A more pertinent question though, would be - can we attack like Man City? And the short answer to that sadly, is no.

But should we try? ...yes.
we have some great skilful one touch pass n move players, and a couple who can shoot from 20 yards out

 

[waveney wolf]

I didn't say attack as well as man city, I said like man city

 

[The Wolf In The North]

Man City's fluid forward set-up is enabled by a midfield unit that plays higher up the pitch, wins possession and recycles beyond the halfway line, and is comfortable enough in that possession to pick precision passes. They also have enough players of comparable ability in both midfield and ahead that they can rotate and maximize the required fitness levels, so even their ultra-elite star players don't play every game. We simply don't have the personnel to even attempt anything like that.

The closest we ever had was with prime Raul and Neto, with Jota, Traore and Podence swapping in and out, to give the opposition a different combination of problems to cater for at any time. Of those five, two are gone, one is injured, one is struggling, and the last one is inconsistent. Of the three replacements, one is injured, one struggles to make an impact, and one is brand new to the league. We have four midfielders, one who has never played, one who was injured last night, one who is perpetually struggling, and one who has to do everything himself. MGW can't be recalled.

I would love to see us recruit for a fluid attacking set-up bolstered with a strong midfield. But I have a long list of things I'd love that will likely never, ever happen.

 

[Manic88]

I'd go neves mouthinio dendonker podence hwang Gibbs white....you?

No sense playing me, too fat & slow now

Granted, will have more touches than Donk & bookies give the same odds for me becoming a prem regular as they do MGW…

 

[Darvo]

First, we'd have to buy players like Man City. The £1billion required should be easy to find.

I’m quite happy to stump up after I’ve won the euro lottery multiple times. My other half might disagree though.

Unfortunately, with not having picked up as much as a sixpence in the last decade, and at the age of 56, the odds are looking a bit stiff.

 

[Evthewolf]

When I actually analyse City, I think they have plenty of faults and are extremely wasteful in front of goal. Every game, I see them waste chance after chance, Sterling being the main culprit. Having said that, they are so tireless and relentless in their mission and good at what they do, that it doesn’t matter because they create so many, that the law of averages means they will convert one sooner or later. That doesn’t apply to us.

The difference is, they do the simple things 10x better than most other teams. By the simple things, I mean getting the ball under control immediately, pass with speed and accuracy, movement off the ball, positional awareness, winning the ball back quickly when out of possession and giving team mates options all of the time.

These are just basic attributes, you would expect a prem player to have. The difference with City is, they have a squad who can all do most of these things extremely well. Liverpool have also got good numbers, as have Chelsea, hence why these sides are well ahead of the rest.

Daft as this may sound, you don’t have to necessarily be a complete “footballer”, to play at the top level. Many, many players are just particularly good at their specific role but have no other attributes. City however, have a squad of players who are multi talented and unfortunately we don’t.

We, like most other teams have players that do their job well but have limitations when it comes to doing more. I think Neves, Raul (pre injury) and Semedo are the closest we have to being “complete players”.

So, in answer to the OP, I would love us to attack like City but unfortunately we do not have the personnel to play that way. Perhaps in the first 3 games we gave it a damn good go but our shortcomings were highlighted and ultimately we didn’t score a goal or earn a point.

Perhaps given time and if Bruno is backed in the summer window, we will adopt that style but for now I think we will play to our strengths and that is trying not to concede and hopefully nick a goal or two.

 

[TheConcourse]

It’s a little easier to attack like City when they’re attacking with Bernardo Silva, Grealish, De Bruyne, Foden, Mahrez, Cancelo, Walker etc.

We have Moutinho, Neves, Semedo, Podence, Hwang, Trincao, RAN.

How many goals and assists between our 7? Can’t imagine either stat has over 7/8?

It’s an abysmal attacking return.

 

[Frank Lincoln]

There are only a handful of clubs in the world that have the talent available that Manchester City has. So, my answer would be that no, Wolves can't attack as they do. We certainly need to adapt to start scoring a few more goals, but I think Bruno in time will find the right answers to our goal scoring problems.

 

[WickedWolfie]

I bet they ve scored more than 3 between them????
The idea of a loan is you can recall them

Ever heard of transfer windows? MGW is at Blades until the summer.

We might play more like Citeh if we'd spent the approx £0.5Bn that they have under Pep alone... FFP might be a slight issue though...

Man City have the biggest net spend in world football since Pep Guardiola took over

Man City have the biggest net spend in world football since Pep Guardiola took over

www.givemesport.com

 

[glorybox]

Man City's fluid forward set-up is enabled by a midfield unit that plays higher up the pitch, wins possession and recycles beyond the halfway line, and is comfortable enough in that possession to pick precision passes. They also have enough players of comparable ability in both midfield and ahead that they can rotate and maximize the required fitness levels, so even their ultra-elite star players don't play every game. We simply don't have the personnel to even attempt anything like that.

The closest we ever had was with prime Raul and Neto, with Jota, Traore and Podence swapping in and out, to give the opposition a different combination of problems to cater for at any time. Of those five, two are gone, one is injured, one is struggling, and the last one is inconsistent. Of the three replacements, one is injured, one struggles to make an impact, and one is brand new to the league. We have four midfielders, one who has never played, one who was injured last night, one who is perpetually struggling, and one who has to do everything himself. MGW can't be recalled.

I would love to see us recruit for a fluid attacking set-up bolstered with a strong midfield. But I have a long list of things I'd love that will likely never, ever happen.

This. The thread ender.

 

[JadeWolf]

If we’d spent the money Man City have, I’d say it’s a fair comparison. But we haven’t. Listen I love watching Man City they’re wonderful to watch and Guadiola is a magnificent coach, but whatever they do you have to factor in the finances behind them.

We’re nowhere near that level. I think we have to give huge credit to Bruno Lage who despite having minimal support in the transfer market, has got our team playing in a way that with a few months left of the season we’re in contention for top half minimum and if not pushing for Europe even. We’re not the most exciting team to watch, I don’t think anyone would deny that, but part of being a good coach is playing to the strengths of your team and our strength at the minute is our goalkeeper and defence.

 

[waveney wolf]

If we’d spent the money Man City have, I’d say it’s a fair comparison. But we haven’t. Listen I love watching Man City they’re wonderful to watch and Guadiola is a magnificent coach, but whatever they do you have to factor in the finances behind them.

We’re nowhere near that level. I think we have to give huge credit to Bruno Lage who despite having minimal support in the transfer market, has got our team playing in a way that with a few months left of the season we’re in contention for top half minimum and if not pushing for Europe even. We’re not the most exciting team to watch, I don’t think anyone would deny that, but part of being a good coach is playing to the strengths of your team and our strength at the minute is our goalkeeper and defence.

Jeez you lot are missing the point...man city was an EXAMPLE of playing without a striker...our 2 top strikers have scored THREE goals all season,,yet you are all happy to keep playing Jimenez and Silva ?? !!! F**k me,,if jade and me played up front,we d only be 3 goals worse off!
City, as an EXAMPLE, have shown goals can be scored without a " striker"....has nothing to do with money spent, we have several international players in our team, they should be good enough to play a different system

 

[Flump]

City, as an EXAMPLE, have shown goals can be scored without a " striker"....has nothing to do with money spent,

Are there any teams that didn't cost £1 billion that have played without a striker and scored a lot?

 

[oldsamdingle]

Course not, but it's really not as simple as let's play like one of the best teams ever created under one of the greatest ever managers.

We don't have the budget or players for it. Truthfully, it's one of the stupidest threads created.

Why stupid!!! we are playing without a centre forward as it is.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

City have a pressing midfield, we don’t read about how they operate Pep Guardiola – Manchester City – Tactical Analysis (2021-22 Edition)

“City are most commonly building up in a 2+2 structure, using one of the two central midfielders, Rodri and the two centre-backs to then find space wide and forward. That space further forward is then often available through the use of a false nine, who drifts in deep and allows others to run in behind. With 63% possession this season a near 89% pass accuracy, Manchester City truly are impossible to stop when in full flow.”

 

[AlexWolvesHD]

Wolves have always had the same issue with attacking for as long as I can remember even back in the Mick McCarthy era and before. Everything is always down the wing and cross it and hope our striker can out jump a group of opposition defenders. We have never been able to play through the middle or pass and go with quick passing, never go over the top for someone with pace to run onto. It's predictable and easy to defend when every team knows "they will pass to winger and run down the wing and cross it". Until the club puts an emphasis on getting players who can attack in other ways we will always have the same issue with scoring goals at this level.

 

[JonahWolf]

Jeez you lot are missing the point...man city was an EXAMPLE of playing without a striker...our 2 top strikers have scored THREE goals all season,,yet you are all happy to keep playing Jimenez and Silva ?? !!! F**k me,,if jade and me played up front,we d only be 3 goals worse off!
City, as an EXAMPLE, have shown goals can be scored without a " striker"....has nothing to do with money spent, we have several international players in our team, they should be good enough to play a different system

Now you’ve finally made yourself clear…still nonsense.
We’ve played a few games without a ‘striker’. A front 2 without Jimenez, sometimes even a front 3.
What happens is they get isolated, because we don’t dominate possession and territory like the teams that are famed for false 9s, and are unable to hold the ball up under pressure, to bring others into play, which is a feature of traditional CFs.

If you remember….there were plenty of games in the chumpo promotion season where we played a fluid front 3, technically without a ‘proper CF’, of Jota Cav and Costa. Scored some beautiful goals too, like the blades away one was it?
Why did it work then? Because we were better than opponents. In every department. Stronger, fitter, faster, Neves controlling possession against championship cloggers, CBs that could pass the ball better than most opposing midfielders. Dominating territory, possession, working up the field. You know, like Citeh and Liverpool do, as they are just better at this level.

 

[waveney wolf]

Now you’ve finally made yourself clear…still nonsense.
We’ve played a few games without a ‘striker’. A front 2 without Jimenez, sometimes even a front 3.
What happens is they get isolated, because we don’t dominate possession and territory like the teams that are famed for false 9s, and are unable to hold the ball up under pressure, to bring others into play, which is a feature of traditional CFs.

If you remember….there were plenty of games in the chumpo promotion season where we played a fluid front 3, technically without a ‘proper CF’, of Jota Cav and Costa. Scored some beautiful goals too, like the blades away one was it?
Why did it work then? Because we were better than opponents. In every department. Stronger, fitter, faster, Neves controlling possession against championship cloggers, CBs that could pass the ball better than most opposing midfielders. Dominating territory, possession, working up the field. You know, like Citeh and Liverpool do, as they are just better at this level.

I'm glad you arnt giving the pre match team talk tomorrow

 

[Golden_Wolf]

Why stupid!!! we are playing without a centre forward as it is.

I mean that's just as stupid as the thread.

 

[oldsamdingle]

I mean that's just as stupid as the thread.

When was the last time we played with a centre forward playing off centre halfs shoulder and being the focal point of our attacks