StevieH

2 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

We only bought a "bench warmer". You strengthened more than us didn't you?

give over boj. you bought the best attacking player outside of the top four or five clubs for a club record fee.

liverpool finished 25 points behind city. 

10 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

I agree with that assessment. However I don't on your text about bookies. They might put up an initial price, but it's the punters that determine the odds after that.

hence use of the word "create". city got 100 points last season, swept all before them, strengthened their squad this summer and their players are a season better and more experienced. so bookies favourites at the start of the season.

it's absolutely realist to say that city should and almost certainly will win the league. they got 100 points last season and are better and stronger this season. they're the best team and squad by a distance. it's why bookies create odds and favourites. it's silly to argue otherwise. i don't think liverpool have "no" chance but it's a slim one of stopping this city side from winning it again.

8 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

Decided I had to read this, sent to me by my best mate, a City fan...Chapter 2 should be interesting. 

 

http://www.spiegel.de/international/manchester-city-exposed-bending-the-rules-to-the-tune-of-millions-a-1236346.html

interesting to hear Der Spiegel throwing the word "cheat" about a number of times. presumably they have the evidence to back that up.

good listen on it here on the irish times second captains podcast. from about 34 minutes in: 

2 hours ago, jellydog said:

What's a Herbert ?

it's what old men call young lads when the old man doesn't fully understand what the young lad is on about.

10 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

Decent performance but could and should have put them to bed in the first half. 

 

Great to see the main man Salah back in the groove.

thought it was a bloody awful performance myself. we were pretty poor at breaking them down despite being the better team by a country mile and while we were never in danger of dropping points we didn't look convincing. but we won 4-1 while playing pretty poorly so i guess you take it and move along.

that was a bit more like it. front three all on the scoresheet, lots of chances made, shaqiri looked great and fabinho was boss. could be we're finally clicking into gear this season.

easycom on the first floor of computer plaza, north side of the moat, is great. jukkrit there has fixed a number of different things i couldn't sort out myself in the past. he's friendly, efficient and frankly inexpensive as well. 

is it coming home again? 

6 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

He is one of those after dinner speakers whose stories I always take with a massive pinch of salt. 

 

Ince was a great player who went abroad and made it. For that I respect him. I don't really care if he's a great human being. I don't plan to date him. 

i should hope not, you can't even spell his self-awarded nickname right. he'd probably take that personally and get annoyed if he wasn't such a massive fanny.

1 hour ago, RickG16 said:

Paul Ince is the Governor. 

 

Went to Serie A when it was the best league in the world and bossed Inter's midfield. (I actually saw him on holiday :))

 

Let himself down a bit with the switch to Anfield but he was a top, top player. 

 

 

haha. alex ferguson called him a "bottler" and "big time charlie". he turned up at liverpool and when assistant manager and european cup winning captain phil thompson got out his medals to show the players "this is what playing for liverpool is about" ince, the terminal gobsh*te, got out his chequebook and said "no, THIS is what playing for liverpool is about".

he was and remains a massive fanny.

1 hour ago, carmine said:

I see nothing disrespectful at all.  Why shouldn't a keeper be a good penalty taker?  Thats why i raised the question.

 

Baring in mind Aguero has a relatively poor record i'd have thought would have already checked out all options.  Especially as cup ties can lead to penalty shoot outs.  A bit inexplicable really.

 

NB   Does anyone remember the self proclaimed "Guvnor" Paul Ince who couldn't take a penalty and completely bottled it at the european championships.  The Guvnor was a total bottle job!!

i've never liked keepers taking penalties and do think it's kind of disrespectful really. i also don't like the potential consequences if he misses and is suddenly a hundred yards from his unguarded net.

paul ince was a massive fanny. all mouth and no trousers. really hated that he was liverpool captain, never liked him.

1 hour ago, mrbojangles said:

What was even stranger was that nobody had informed Pep of Mahrez poor penalty record

sort of thing he must have known though really? it would have been in the scouting reports before city signed him at least.

i was pretty pleased when mahrez stepped up to take the penalty, his record from them is poor. think either of the silvas would have scored it. strange bit of management by guardiola really.

3 minutes ago, carmine said:

How do you fix a situation when the club captain has "liked" an Instagram post calling for you to be sacked?  Surely thats untenable without some action being taken?

stop all the players using social media and if they refuse shove their smartphones up their <deleted>.

bad result that and worse performance. bit concerned about the front three at the moment, they're not clicking at all and they look like something is a bit wrong with each of them. it's a worry with city at the weekend, 'cos their key players are all in really good form. at the moment i don't fancy us to get anything off city the way we're playing.

32 minutes ago, carmine said:

 

David Conn,  who incidentally writes for the Guardian,  is one of the finest sports journalists there is.

 

If thats not too much of a grown up perspective for you!!!

david conn, barney ronay, amy lawrence, sean ingle, jonathan wilson, sid lowe, all very good football writers at the guardian still.

but then yeah, i'd imagine the last thing friend rickg16 read had lift-up flaps so, you know.

4 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Well done. You read a big newspaper. Now read one with some decent journalists in it.

it was literally called the manchester guardian. but then a proud manc like yourself would know that of course.

mental paragraph from barney ronay in the guardian. sanchez looks a lot like mourinho, that he doesn't really want to be at united.

"And even now, looking on at his damp lettuce of a United career, it takes a few moments to fully grasp the numbers behind the highest paid footballer in British history. Sánchez got a £75,000 lump sum just for starting this game. He has to date been paid £14.5m by Manchester United. If he gets to January he will receive a £1.1m annual bonus, just, well, because."

6 minutes ago, carmine said:

 

Well when we are talking about depth, the need for it, the effect of injuries act lets not forget the African Nations Cup.  Then take a look at yourselves, Liverpool and Chelsea.  Thats another tough obstacle.

nah, the ACN has been moved to june as of 2019 carmine. we thought ahead about that. 

6 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

That Moreno is a <deleted> plank, no idea 

our weakest link by a country mile. outfield anyway, not counting that clown mignolet.

annoying defeat, hopefully we'll bounce back saturday. looked disjointed really, like the players aren't used to playing with one another and missed our now senior leader players. back five looked awful in general really, the first-choice defence is now streets ahead.

hell of a goal from hazard, credit where it's due. he always seems to play up against us that lad, never seen him boss matches against city or united the same way.

rotating mane isn't the worst idea as it goes. he's being a bit greedy at the minute and not passing to better-placed team-mates when he ought to.

loved milner's early doors welcome to anfield tackle on neymar. hard but fair then just accidentally sit on the lad a bit afterwards. you're getting nothing tonight you prancing little berk.

what changes to we expect against saints if any? wouldn't object to seeing sturridge start again to be honest. leave salah in, he needs a goal. baby keith back in?