we have an answer to what would have happened had Conte approached the City away game differently last season
Haha was thinking that. As said below they are better than us. I'm pissed off but you have to be realistic.
That would have involved attacking City. We were as meek today as were up there last season.
That’s not down to the managers’ systems, that’s down to individuals not playing well
Both
Managers have to set up their team one way or another. Conte got stick for being far too pragmatic but today showed that going for it doesn’t necessarily work either.
It did the season before, with identical personnel available to him.
As Ant says, it’s both.
It’s now a different City to Guardiola’s first season as well though, plus the biggest difference was that we had one of the most in-form strikers in Europe at the time when we beat them, which matters in how well you counter attack (as seen yesterday with the opposite to an in-form striker up front for us). Three shots, three goals. Last season, three shots, none on target.
I was being tongue in cheek about yesterday as you can’t really compare the two games but there is an element of truth there - how often do teams go away to someone better than them, attack them, and come away with a positive result?
Being realistic doesn’t always necessarily mean being negative, in these games you just need the actual players to play well and once again, they mostly failed.
No I know you were, but that performance at City last season still winds me up!
Sorry
We're not good enough to go toe to toe with City.. Conte knew that.
Only Liverpool (in England) have what it takes to take City on at their own game.
All joking aside, I am not sure it is even worth discussing yesterdays game in any context, we would have to be very unlucky with injuries, form and transfers if that same group of players takes the pitch to start a League game. You'd have to think that at least four of Courtois, Christensen, Kante, RLC Willian, Hazard & Giroud will come into the side.
It's an overpriced pre season friendly and has not had any relevance since Drogba smashed up the Arsenal defence in 2005.