So…that’s it then. Next game is the real deal - a Premier League game against Sunderland.
So what did we learn or, in some ways, NOT learn last night? Well one thing is that starting 11 and overall performance might have some blues chewing their nails with concern this morning.
Makeshift
With just one game to go, just what was
that defence all about? Caballero starting
in net and Fernando & Kolarov as centre backs?! On that…
1.
If Pep
does have any doubts over Joe’s ability to
pass the ball / play it out of defence sweeper-style, then why not give him the
opportunity to do so / practice by playing him for the ‘full 90’ in our last
pre-season game? What are we going to learn by giving Willy another 45
when, chances are, we’re going to be in the market for another keeper in the
next 3 weeks; making the Argentine our ‘number 3’ choice.
2.
What did we learn that we most
of us could have told Pep without it being tried; that Fernando is most
likely not going to make a very good central defender and that, similarly,
Kolarov DEFINITELY won’t. That’s a proper ‘head scratcher’
is that…
Thankfully Zaba
& Clichy were in their usual positions
and did okay. Pablo, it’s worth noting after an injury-plagued season, looks
slender and fit.
Oh…is that my first ‘Pep moan’?
Midfield
Fernandinho looked good and, when he bombed forward and helped out, Fernando
looked far more comfortable ‘in the middle’ and put in some good tackles.
Fabian Delph was WELL up for it and, it could be said, needed to have a leash and
muzzle attached at one stage! He may lack outright ‘skill’ but Guardiola will
love his energy, desire and attitude.
David Silva looked in his element last night in Gothenburg. Aside from a couple
of passing moves that didn’t quite work out his running on the ball and amazing
talent for retaining the ball as the Arsenal
players buzzed around him like angry wasps was a joy to see.
AWOL
Sadly, I thought our wings went ‘missing in
action’ last night. Perhaps Sterling,
playing in a less familiar role on the right, was the slightly more-involved of
the two but both he & new-signing Nolito
had their cloaking devices activated for
large parts of their time on the pitch. That’s a shame because I really wanted
to see our new Spanish, left-sided attacker [do something] last night.
However, I think he’ll have a good season for
us and will be a regular under our new manager – I hope so…I’ve picked him to be
in the starting team selection in fantasy football!
Up front?
Nothing we don’t already know – give the
ammo to both Aguero & Iheanacho and they have the talent to find the net.
It
does concern me that we don’t appear to be adding to that department though and
I say that in the knowledge that we have a wealth of attacking & creative
midfielders / wingers in the squad and the fact that we’ll have the option of
using Gabriel Jesus from January onwards…although
he will have just completed a full Brazilian season by then.
Speaking of “Jesus”…
Our Right-sided Spanish flyer, again, looks
to have added an edge to his game. I say “again” because I noted in my two-previous
reports, following both the Bayern and Dortmund encounters, that Navas
looked to have improved his passing and looked even faster! Last night he
provided a lovely, chipped cross for Kelechi’s goal near the end and had a fierce, LEFT-footed shot saved that was destined for the net.
Why did he not start?!
So we have a Keystone Cops scenario in the centre of our defence and Tosin Adarabioyo – a player who has been
impressing not only in the first team in pre-season against good opposition but
for a while now in the EDS – sat on the bench. What happens when he comes
on (excusing one wayward pass that eventually lead to an Arsenal goal)? He has
another assured performance and I, for one, felt safer with him ‘in there’.
Should he really be going on loan?
I have seen enough of Oleksandr Zinchenko to be convinced that he’s
going to be an excellent City player for years to come. And I’m now also
thinking…just keep him! I say that because, rumours are, the plan was always to
loan him out in his first season as a Blue...but I’m pleased to see that Pep
seems to want to have an extended look at the 19-year old Ukrainian in
pre-season and I, personally, think there’s a place at least on the bench
during the up & coming season for the fair-haired attacking midfielder / winger.
Other stuff
I was impressed with Yaya’s contributions as a sub – very good passing,
as is often the case, and a real threat sprinkled with some excellent skill whenever
he got closed to - or in - Arsenal’s box last night.
It was confirmed last night that our 2nd
strip looks AWFUL with yellow socks! Would have been a half-decent kit with black or
maroon socks (with the opposite-colour hoops).
Left at home…
Standing outside a shop last night after the game, I bumped
into a fellow Blue. Straight away we both asked each other just what that defence
was all about and wondered where Mangala & Otamendi were.
It turns out that Eliaquim was left at home
to train, as the plan was not to bring him on as a sub and, therefore Pep tells us, it was more
beneficial for him to train at home. Wilfried Bony too…but
I’ve not read anywhere yet as to ‘why no Nicholas’ last night.
So, the conversation continued outside the shop with some 'hopeful optimism' it has to be said, that we hoped the pair
were being given some ‘specialist defensive training’ behind closed doors in
order to turn them into a solid unit in time for the big KO next Saturday evening
(5:30pm BST).
This morning, however, the local press at
least is all full of ‘Bony & Mangala set to leave’ stories. Again…nothing on Otamendi.
Tick-tock…
That
leads me neatly onto the never-ending saga that is the attempt to sign John Stones from Everton.
Latest rumours are that Bony will be used as a cut-priced, £15M makeweight in
the deal that might see us eventually have to cough up £35M as well!
With Leonardo Bonucci apparently stating last week that he’s not going to leave Juventus and with no 'smoke signals' otherwise about
Pep having a ‘back-up list’ of central defensive targets; I must admit – especially after last night’s choices –
that it’s getting just a tad worrying in that department of our squad with just a
week to go before our ‘opener’ and just over 3 weeks of the transfer window
remaining.
No left-back news either, which is very
disappointing at least for me.
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