11 Dec 2017 19:58:16
Why aren't we focussing on the positives and how far the team has come since Jose took over?

Lingard looks a good player, Martial has started to settle in and so has Lindelof, Rashford is playing well too. It looks like we might keep De Gea now and Lukaku's linkup play has improved a lot since his Everton days. We're 2nd in the league and I can see us making the UCL semis.

That's great progress by Jose from where he found the team. He's addressing each problem area one by one.

1.) 11 Dec 2017
11 Dec 2017 20:23:42
We also have a good defense now with Bailly and Lindelof both comfortable on the ball. We know Jose wants to bring in a new left back with Sandro and Danny Rose being linked. He also wants a midfielder or two. Milinkovic Savic and Carlos Soler, both highly rated young players are the ones we seem to be targeting. He has clearly identified that we need a winger too as the interest in Perisic shows. The ed has suggested that we might replace Zlatan with Lewandowski at the end of the season.

I'd be happy with those 4-5 signings. We need to look at the malaise Moyes and LVG left us in while we evaluate progress. People keep bleating on about defensive football, yet this team is much better than last year and way better than LVG's 70% possession 0 chances created borefest. I quite like the counter attacking style and most people before the City game would have said we've played well this season.

Its going to take a few more signings for Jose to have the squad he needs to perform at a high level consistently and not be overly dependent on Pogba in midfield.

2.) 11 Dec 2017
11 Dec 2017 21:22:20
You see the glass as half full, some see it as half empty. Take Sterling as an example. He is currently in the form of his life and we can only surmise that is down to his Manager. You name some of our players playing well although Lukaku is stretching it a bit. As for Martial, Shaw, Miki, is it not up to Jose to get the best out of them? Martial has been very inconsistent, Jesse has had bright moments but not a run of them. Herrera has regressed, Lukaku currently looks out of his depth. The feel of the club isn’t great and that’s because bolshy Jose seems to want to find an argument all the time.

Last year we were 6th and struggled against ‘lower’ teams. This year we are comfortably second so that is clear progress but it doesn’t always feel like it. I guess the stats speak for themselves, 2nd highest scorers and nobody has conceded fewer. The next window or two will be critical but I don’t see that Rose or Perisic take us to the next level.

There has clearly been some over reacting to Sunday’s defeat but take a step back, like it or not, City are setting the standard right now both on and off the pitch.

3.) 11 Dec 2017
11 Dec 2017 22:16:15
AJH,

Jose has made Martial a better player imo. His positioning and timing has improved and he also works harder defensively now.

Lingard whenever he plays CAM plays well imo.

Lukaku's linkup play is much better than at Everton. Everyone is talking of Sterling but it took pep a year and a half to get the beat out of him. Surely Jose deserves that much with Lukaku?

City's defense is not better than ours. We have the better keeper. And you can argue that we have the better strikers or its evens.

Where they beat us hands down is midfield quality. De Bruyne, Silva, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Sterling and Sane coming in centrally are all better than what we have. Only Pogba can make a case to get into their midfield.

But since midfield is where games are controlled from it seems as though they are way better than us, when in fact we have the better keeper, the better defense and probably a better attack too.

If we buy a couple of midfielders, maybe a winger and a stable left back I'm sure we can go toe to toe with them.

4.) 11 Dec 2017
11 Dec 2017 23:32:22
I’d rather have Aguero and Jesus than Lukaku and ibra.

Ibra was a waste of sub every game so far.

5.) 12 Dec 2017
12 Dec 2017 09:55:07
Martial, Jones, Pogba, Fellaini, Young, Valencia, Lingard, Rojo, Herrera (last season) all massively improved under Jose.

Shaw is a busted flush and needs to be sold. Lukaku will come good and Rashford is young and inconsistent. Others don’t seem to either have the right attitude or just aren’t good enough. Miki, Darmian etc.

6.) 12 Dec 2017
12 Dec 2017 10:55:32
Eric, I'll give you Lingard and Young, but the others?

Martial improved on his first season? I still think he'll turn out to be a class player, but I wouldn't say he's improved since his first season, though I do expect him to improve no matter what manager comes in. Jones and Rojo are good players, who haven't been able to show their true worth, due to injuries and/ or being played out of position. Fellaini has been played all over the place since he was bought, limiting his effectiveness at times, together with the ridiculous way he was treated by some so-called fans. Valencia has been a good, solid player for years, but improving in the last one and a half seasons? And by your own admission, Herrera has gone backwards this season.

Just think you're stretching José's powers of improvement a wee bit there, mate. I also still believe Shaw is going to be a top left back, either with us or another club.