The Official Manchester City Thread

[jellydog]

8 hours ago, singasong said:

Can you elaborate on that jelly, not sure what someones political stance is  has to do with football anyway !

Likely not Sing though I get the impression that with some it might. At any rate Bernardo's effectiveness on the pitch is exiting at an alarming rate.

[RickG16]

46 minutes ago, jellydog said:

Likely not Sing though I get the impression that with some it might. 

What does actually mean? Spineless backtracking. Wouldn't expect anything else from softdog. 

[Kadilo]

33 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

What does actually mean? Spineless backtracking. Wouldn't expect anything else from softdog. 

Have you suddenly turned into some kind of tough guy? What did I miss?

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Have you suddenly turned into some kind of tough guy? What did I miss?

You didn't miss too much... Softdog had a problem because a City player doesn't share his political views. 

 

He was roundly pulled up on it and has now faded into the background aka regressed to the mean. 

[RickG16]

5 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Have you suddenly turned into some kind of tough guy? What did I miss?

I mean really... How boring would the world be if we all shared the same opinions.

 

I have friends from many political sides but not once have I come close to falling out with them or calling them a 'jackass'. 

 

These people are dividing the planet with their childish 'side picking'. America is a case in point. 

[wilai]

19 hours ago, Jack Hna said:

Pretty clear the only way Pep can walk away is by getting himself sacked. His heart was never in it and now he just cannot get motivated and that is seeping into the dressing room. Turkeys for the taking this lot, big machine like that needs a plan. Sorry to state the obvious must hurt a few to read just being realistic.

 

Don't agree. Not playing well but neither are most others. Win the game in hand and they're only 2 points behind. Don't think City lads should be panicking at this early stage of the season.

[jellydog]

6 minutes ago, wilai said:

Don't agree. Not playing well but neither are most others. Win the game in hand and they're only 2 points behind. Don't think City lads should be panicking at this early stage of the season.

Good point Wilai! My main concern has been the many injuries, apparent lack of leaders, and at times the players don't appear to be having much fun on the pitch. An inability to have fun can be a telltale sign of problems. OTOH one or two wins can change the mindset of the squad in a hurry.

[Bredbury Blue]

17 minutes ago, wilai said:

Don't agree. Not playing well but neither are most others. Win the game in hand and they're only 2 points behind. Don't think City lads should be panicking at this early stage of the season.

Find myself agreeing with you again, <deleted>.

 

The panicking is that we seemed to have continued last season's form in to this, players had little rest and it shows, we bought well in Dias and Ake but continue to have a gaping hole at leftback, Pep is picking wantaway Garcia which nobody is happy with, we haven't replaced the Silva-Fernandinho-KdB midfield with anything near as good, we didn't buy a left footed Sane replacement so continue to have no cutting edge leftie, we haven't replaced the Silva-Sane partnership from which loads of goals came, we now play inverted wingers and wonder why we can't breakdown defences anymore, we didn't buy another forward for aging Aguero so are having to rely on a 17 yr old debutant, etc, etc, and we have a manager who won't commit to a contract extension - fully backed by senior management nor tell us his plans, which makes us all think he's offski. Worst start since 2014/15 and very reminiscent of Pellegrini's end days. Still we'll probably come in the top 2.

[Bredbury Blue]

55 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Have you suddenly turned into some kind of tough guy? What did I miss?

Battling with Bob last week. Hello, hello, United aggro!

[fishtank]

1 hour ago, jellydog said:

Good point Wilai! My main concern has been the many injuries, 

Surely not.

For what I can see there has only been one injury in PL for years.

Virgil Van Dyke.

According to UK media no one else has been injured ever.

all the fuss they have been making over it.

[RickG16]

6 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Surely not.

For what I can see there has only been one injury in PL for years.

Virgil Van Dyke.

According to UK media no one else has been injured ever.

all the fuss they have been making over it.

Arguably the champions' most important player. That's why.

[fishtank]

10 hours ago, RickG16 said:

Arguably the champions' most important player. That's why.

One man team?

[RickG16]

3 hours ago, fishtank said:

One man team?

I'll let the likes of @BangrakBob and @wilai respond to that.

 

I don't think there is much doubt that he made the difference for them in the title winning year. 

 

[wilai]

10 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

I'll let the likes of @BangrakBob and @wilai respond to that.

 

No doubt he was an important player but as we won the league by 18 points, I doubt any single player could personally be responsible for that big a margin. Our 'One Man' was the all round team spirit, determination, and refusal to accept defeat. 

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, wilai said:

 Our 'One Man' was the all round team spirit, determination, and refusal to accept defeat. 

Very cringe but I take your point... I think that's why Henderson got those awards - it was a very good all round effort so he got the votes by default as the ultimate 'team guy'. 

[wilai]

11 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

as the ultimate 'team guy'. 

Hendo was (and still is) the team leader. If he played for you guys. you'd be a lot higher than 15th. Talking of Hendo, he signed at the same time and for a similar price as Phil Jones. Think we got the better deal!????

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, wilai said:

Hendo was (and still is) the team leader. If he played for you guys. you'd be a lot higher than 15th. Talking of Hendo, he signed at the same time and for a similar price as Phil Jones. Think we got the better deal!????

I honestly don't think he's that much better than McTominay. If Matic played for you he'd look a million dollars. 

[wilai]

1 minute ago, RickG16 said:

If Matic played for you he'd look a million dollars. 

Ain't gonna happen...he's a donkey!

[RickG16]

Just now, wilai said:

Ain't gonna happen...he's a donkey!

Far from a donkey. Won more PL titles than any of your lot.

 

It was actually a compliment. I was saying in your system with your players and your coach he would be at his best. 

 

Now Thiago is a different story. On a different planet to Henderson.

[wilai]

1 minute ago, RickG16 said:

 

Now Thiago is a different story. On a different planet to Henderson.

Thiago is on a different planet to every mid in the league with the possible exception of De Bruyne.

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, wilai said:

Thiago is on a different planet to every mid in the league with the possible exception of De Bruyne.

Different type of midfielder but you have to say Fernandes (Bruno not Gelson) is up there. 

[wilai]

Just now, RickG16 said:

Different type of midfielder but you have to say Fernandes (Bruno not Gelson) is up there

Not at the bloody moment he's not.....My FPL team is evidence of that!????

[RickG16]

Just now, wilai said:

Not at the bloody moment he's not.....My FPL team is evidence of that!????

Nobody was more unlucky than me FPl wise this week....

[BangrakBob]

43 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

I'll let the likes of @BangrakBob and @wilai respond to that.

 

I don't think there is much doubt that he made the difference for them in the title winning year. 

 

The fall out from his injury will inevitably be more goals against, set piece defending, lack of command, potential for heads to fall off when under pressure and loss of quality in passing forward. All of which can be negated by our attack scoring more goals, and re-strategising defense based on personnel available. 

 

Missed for sure but not even close to being a one man team, at the end of the day he's a defender and we have strengthened our attack immensely, with Jota, Thiago and Minamino. The media around the injury is absurd and reflection of the media in general, dumbed down, click bait, fake, cheap entertainment. 

 

My main issue with the injury, is we let Lovren go and didn't replace him, knowing full well Matip is injury prone and Gomez doesn't mind a niggle. We as supporters need to really appreciate that we have a player like Fabinho to slot in and actually excel, though I'd much prefer to see him further up the park. 

 

 

[RickG16]

12 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

 The media around the injury is absurd and reflection of the media in general, dumbed down, click bait, fake, cheap entertainment. 

As a supporter of a club which has to put up with the most media BS, I'm interested to know why you think it's absurd.

[BangrakBob]

5 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

As a supporter of a club which has to put up with the most media BS, I'm interested to know why you think it's absurd.

So many 2 bit thicko "pundits" with an opinion that is generally given in order to attract attention to themselves or the shiithouse that pays them. A point raised by someone else, in a more eloquent manner. 

Creating hysteria around one man, and we go from likely title winners to no chance of winning anything without him. 

[smokie36]

Very sad to read about the 17 year old lad who committed suicide after being released by City....his dream in tatters and clearly felt he had nothing to live for.

Truth is it could happen at any club and happens to men at all stages of life.....the question of whether clubs could do more is one aspect but the truth is we all need to do more for each other.

RIP young man....hopefully this won't be repeated.

[RickG16]

25 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

So many 2 bit thicko "pundits" with an opinion that is generally given in order to attract attention to themselves or the shiithouse that pays them. A point raised by someone else, in a more eloquent manner. 

Creating hysteria around one man, and we go from likely title winners to no chance of winning anything without him. 

To be fair it comes with the territory when you are champions... I know it's still all a bit new to you.

 

Don't know what you expected... A small footnote in the back of the sports section next to the crown green bowls news? 

[smokie36]

2 hours ago, RickG16 said:

To be fair it comes with the territory when you are champions... I know it's still all a bit new to you.

 

Don't know what you expected... A small footnote in the back of the sports section next to the crown green bowls news? 

 

Bobby is old enough to remember when it was great Scots winning them the league!!

[RickG16]

9 minutes ago, RonniePickering22 said:

 

Bobby is old enough to remember when it was great Scots winning them the league!!

Things have changed a bit since then media wise.

 

To digress, how did that Scottish national team not go further at major competitions? Dalgliesh, Souness, Hansen etc....