The Official Manchester City Thread

[mrbojangles]

And Bravo in goal

[RickG16]

So... You play the perfect way for a false 9 anyway.

 

Hoping to eat my words. Looks like we've picked up from the league game. High press. Could be an open game.

[mrbojangles]

Peach of a goal from Bernardo

[mrbojangles]

5 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Could be an open game.

Will be now. Needed an early goal

[mrbojangles]

In fairness we deserve this lead

[RickG16]

Williams running across from LB to cover for Jones. This is painful. He needs to get the hook at HT. It's all over now, but we can at least limit the embarrassment. 

[Kadilo]

3 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

It's all over now, but we can at least limit the embarrassment. 

Bit late for that. 
Phil Jones lol 

 

Lets hope City don’t bring their strikers on. 

[RickG16]

False 9 has worked perfectly. Ole got the tactics spot on in the league, but this is a great reply from Pep.

 

It's funny... We are getting stuffed but I can't see any bottles being thrown or any players being racially abused....   

[Bredbury Blue]

Brilliant 1st half, average 2nd. We really should have killed it there and then but wasteful as ever and we've really got to stop playing with a one-goal handicap (told you) between the posts. Some decent goals from both sides. We'll  take that result though.

 

Bernardo back to his best tonight, Mahrez KDB Rodri all decent and Fernandinho excellent. Sterling <deleted> useless again and should have  been  hooked around HT - been below par for weeks. Both subs didn't offer much.

 

Pep got his defensive lineup seriously wrong and had his pants pulled down at the Etihad but brilliant team setup tonight.

 

Zinchenko and Harewood-Bellis in the away end.

[Bredbury Blue]

12 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

No, we'll be playing handicapped with Bravo in goal.

 

Guardian telling it as it is:

"...Liverpool, Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb [and Port Vale and ManU] have scored with their first shots on target against Bravo, Everton and Southampton with their second. Those initial efforts have veered from the unstoppable to the rather stoppable. Whether luckless or useless, Bravo’s presence can seem to gift the opposition a goal head-start and make it feel that City are playing with 10 men."

 

He's simply not good enough for a top club.

[mrbojangles]

6 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Brilliant 1st half, average 2nd. We really should have killed it there and then

We totally took our foot off the gas. We should have kept on the same pressure as the first half when United where almost ready to Tap Out. Letting them back in with that goal could cost us dearly

[wilai]

35 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

We totally took our foot off the gas. We should have kept on the same pressure as the first half when United where almost ready to Tap Out. Letting them back in with that goal could cost us dearly

And there was Ole claiming it was his introduction of Matic that turned things around????

[Bredbury Blue]

37 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

We totally took our foot off the gas. We should have kept on the same pressure as the first half when United where almost ready to Tap Out. Letting them back in with that goal could cost us dearly

You are totally right. 0v5 at half time wouldn't have flattered us, but we've left the door open now - they score first at the Etihad and it will be game on. Yep, all still to play for, especially as Pep'll play Bravo.

 

Strange that we are so much better at OT and they are better at the Etihad.

[Bredbury Blue]

2 minutes ago, wilai said:

And there was Ole claiming it was his introduction of Matic that turned things around????

To be fair, ManU did pick up in the 2nd half and i think that was partially down to Matic coming on and stopping Rodri and Gundogan from totally dominating central midfield. But i think we did take our foot of the pedal 2nd half and we got punished for it.

[Bredbury Blue]

Can't be bothered searching for the Leicester thread, but for those interested the Leicester semi is live on PPTV ch36 tonight.

[Kadilo]

10 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

To be fair, ManU did pick up in the 2nd half and i think that was partially down to Matic coming on and stopping Rodri and Gundogan from totally dominating central midfield. But i think we did take our foot of the pedal 2nd half and we got punished for it.

I think it was a case of they couldn’t get much worse and you got a bit complacent. The gulf between the two sides is still massive despite you fielding a weakened team and even the likes of Sterling and De Bruyne not firing. 
Cant see them getting a sniff tbh but you never know. 

[RickG16]

2 hours ago, wilai said:

And there was Ole claiming it was his introduction of Matic that turned things around????

Can you really not see the difference he made? Did you watch the game? He offered composure and didn't give the ball away.

 

Pereira is never a deep lying midfielder. I really can't see how we don't buy at least one midfielder this window.

[mrbojangles]

Another interesting set up from Pep

[jellydog]

4 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Another interesting set up from Pep

The mad scientist exploring options before the CL starts up again?

[RickG16]

Proving again you are the best team in the country.

 

The only reason you won't retain the title is lack of activity in the transfer market for defensive cover (probably blew your load over the past few seasons and now risk falling foul of FFP / PL spend rules.)

[jellydog]

Villa totally outclassed to this point. Danny "I need a drink" Drinkwater under siege.

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, jellydog said:

 Danny "I need a drink" Drinkwater 

It's weird... he's never looked like a top class player before or after that title winning season. Unlike Mahrez / Vardy etc who have gone on to prove it season after season. 

[mrbojangles]

I don't think I've ever seen a pass in my life as good as that was from KdB for the 4th goal. Absolute class

[mrbojangles]

17 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

The only reason you won't retain the title is lack of activity in the transfer market for defensive cover (probably blew your load over the past few seasons and now risk falling foul of FFP / PL spend rules.)

Liverpool knobbling one of our star players (Sane) in the Charity Shield and putting him out for 5 + months didn't help.

 

Yeah we didn't replace Kompany but nobody would know that Laporte would get an injury that would keep him out for over 5 months. It's freakish. Would Liverpool be so good with Van the Man for that long?

[RickG16]

4 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

I don't think I've ever seen a pass in my life as good as that was from KdB for the 4th goal. Absolute class

LOL... if that's the case I really do believe you were watching Rochdale for a long stretch. The run was more impressive. 

[mrbojangles]

2 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

LOL... if that's the case I really do believe you were watching Rochdale for a long stretch. The run was more impressive. 

I think you either didn't see it or are unable to give credit where it's due

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

I think you either didn't see it or are unable to give credit where it's due

I'm watching the game. Great pass. But best you've ever seen in your life ?!!
 

Put the drink down. 

[RickG16]

It's a shame. We are out of the top 4 but teams still raise their game against us more than any other side I think. How many teams lie down against City and Liverpool. Not as motivated. 

[mrbojangles]

2 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

Great pass. But best you've ever seen in your life ?!!

Name me a better one and i'll do a comparison

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, mrbojangles said:

Name me a better one and i'll do a comparison

You being serious. I could show you a Paul Scholes Youtube compilation with about 20 of them... are you feeling OK? You could have caught BB disease.

 

As an aside, I miss having an Argie in the United team. Love Aguero's fire.

 

I'm watching with the sound off.... was there much fuss made about that push in the face that could have got you a pen in the first half?