City need a massive overhaul? Why? 12 months ago they were the best team to ever play in the Prem, since then they’ve only really lost Kompany. They shot themselves in the foot by not getting a replacement for him. The injury to Sane hindered them too, less so given the competition in that position, but he got them a few points coming off the bench last season. Defense is where they‘ve suffered though. Laporte getting injured, LB injury prone. They won it last year whilst playing Delph or another midfielder (Zinchenko) that could do a job there, a lot of the season, that problem was there last season, they got Angelino who he doesn’t seem to rate. Also the extra pressure of winning the League 3 times on the bounce takes its toll, not many teams have done it. There’s not much wrong with that City team that a CD and a LB won’t solve. Silva will be retiring, Foden will step up. A massive overhaul? We’re not talking Utd of 6-7 years ago here.
The biggest change from last season to this isn’t actually that they are so much weaker, but that the slight weakening has transformed how teams feel up against them.
Pretty much from the loss to Norwich onwards, a lot more teams decided They could have a go against them.
last year the losses to palace and the couple of others were somewhat freakish.Every chance taken, wonder goals, but not really (wolves aside maybe?) from giving it a proper go.
most teams turned up knowing they’d lost.
yes not replacing Kompany has weakened them; and yes Laporte being out for so long has been a huge dent to them, but seriously they are still way better than every team except the RS, but the fear factor isn’t the same.
They’re perceived as being able to “be got at” and so teams have a go.
at the same time, the RS have got what united had in the 90s going for them. Not that everyone is turning up expecting to lose, but actually that the longer the game goes on, the more they expect Liverpool to get something. The RS believe it, and so do their opposition.
thats a double whammy.
if city get Laporte back and at his top level (he’ll be rusty as hell when he comes back this year) and bring in an improvement next to him (Koulibaly?) that mental advantage will be back.
teams will arrive on their bus with a white flag in hand again.
there’s no way I see a decade of dominance from across the park. A decade of competing at a high level? Sure. But city will definitely be back.
also wouldn’t be surprised if they win the CL this year now they can put all their focus into it.