The Official Manchester City Thread

[mrbojangles]

7 hours ago, ChipButty said:

MARK BATTENBURG: Referee may not have given Otamendi hand ball had video monitor been working... it was not a clear and obvious penalty 

Just read it was illegal under UEFA’s own rules for th VAR team to have given the decision. From the article I read “UEFA say that subjective decisions like the handball against Otamendi must be made via an on-field review, rather than by the official in the control centre.”

[BangrakBob]

9 hours ago, mrbojangles said:

Funny how we have different opinion's but I thought the handball was a rubbish decision. He didn't intentionally move his hand to the ball, he was trying to move it away. 

Oh for god's sake man was handball all pissin' day. Just unlucky.

 

Fortunately you guys weren't too unlucky last night, couple o' jammy goals again ????

[Bredbury Blue]

Ederson with an 83 yard punt to wide receiver Sterling...touch down!

[alfieconn]

Opps sorry, nearly forgot to ask, did the regular one get any minutes last night ?

[champers]

10 hours ago, mrbojangles said:

Funny how we have different opinion's but I thought the handball was a rubbish decision. He didn't intentionally move his hand to the ball, he was trying to move it away. The Fernandinho one I'd have to agree with. Now VAR is around it's stupid to tug on a shirt or handle someone in the box. But yeah, he was looking for it

It's wrong, but if the hand or arm make contact with the ball it is now almost always a pen. There should be intent but refs have universally decided they are not going to make a judgement on it. At least they are consistent.

[jellydog]

4 minutes ago, champers said:

It's wrong, but if the hand or arm make contact with the ball it is now almost always a pen. There should be intent but refs have universally decided they are not going to make a judgement on it. At least they are consistent.

I don't know about that Champs. I've seen a number of handball incidents that were waved away by refs this season. No penalty, no yellow card, nothing. Considered inadvertent contact and play on.

[mrbojangles]

1 hour ago, BangrakBob said:

Oh for god's sake man was handball all pissin' day. Just unlucky.

Give over

[Bredbury Blue]

1 hour ago, alfieconn said:

Opps sorry, nearly forgot to ask, did the regular one get any minutes last night ?

City squeezed Fernandinho Silva KdB Gundogan and Bernardo in to midfield. Foden isn't at their level yet and as it was an important european game so Phil Foden was on the bench with Danilo Kompany Sane Mahrez and Zinchenko. The game didn't exactly go our way due to 2 disputed penalties and a red card to Otamendi. We had to gamble on kompany coming  on with Silva being sacrificed at 10 men. Later after we'd levelled it 2v2 Pep took off still-struggling KdB to bring on Zinchenko at LB, to move Laporte alongside Kompany with Fernandinho moving in to midfield to shore it up. City's other substitution was Sane for Aguero. So Phil Foden wasn't called upon but thanks for your interest. 

Ps. Any need for you to raise Foden after every game? It's  really become petty and childish from someone who professes to know a bit about football but then i guess that's what we expect from you.

 

[Bredbury Blue]

On 2/20/2019 at 9:07 PM, champers said:

The article confirms much of what I say. City may face the Welsh lad who jumped ship last month at Schalke tonight. Diaz and Sancho have also done a runner (yes I know Diaz is Spanish).

2 homegrown keepers were sold in the summer, leaving 3 non homegrown keepers in the first team squad. It is ironic that having practically given Hart away they may end up paying over the odds for his Burnley team mate Pope. You couldn't make it up.

You stated earlier "They need young English talent to replace the academy ones who have scarpered. Very odd strategy". Well thats not correct is it. In fact the 4 players have no similarity to Diaz, Sancho and Matondo, the "academy ones who have scarpered" who are wide players where we are well stocked. Rice is being looked upon as a potential Fernandinho replacement. We have only 1 LB on our books, Mendy who is almost always injured and we've been looking for an additional LB since kolorov and Clichy left 2 summers back. The palace player is being looked at to replace probably Danilo whos been so so or Walker who has slipped this season. Pope is a talent and is being looked at to replace 35 year old Bravo. Stop making it up will you!

[champers]

3 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

You stated earlier "They need young English talent to replace the academy ones who have scarpered. Very odd strategy". Well thats not correct is it. In fact the 4 players have no similarity to Diaz, Sancho and Matondo, the "academy ones who have scarpered" who are wide players where we are well stocked. Rice is being looked upon as a potential Fernandinho replacement. We have only 1 LB on our books, Mendy who is almost always injured and we've been looking for an additional LB since kolorov and Clichy left 2 summers back. The palace player is being looked at to replace probably Danilo whos been so so or Walker who has slipped this season. Pope is a talent and is being looked at to replace 35 year old Bravo. Stop making it up will you!

The point you are missing is that because homegrown players have left City are now limited to bringing in other homegrown players. It is a numbers thing and not a positional thing. If you had enough homegrown players in the squad then the new keeper, the new full backs and the Fernandinho cover could come from anywhere in the world. But you don't so you can't. Four out, four in.

[Kadilo]

31 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

City squeezed Fernandinho Silva KdB Gundogan and Bernardo in to midfield. Foden isn't at their level yet and as it was an important european game so Phil Foden was on the bench with Danilo Kompany Sane Mahrez and Zinchenko. The game didn't exactly go our way due to 2 disputed penalties and a red card to Otamendi. We had to gamble on kompany coming  on with Silva being sacrificed at 10 men. Later after we'd levelled it 2v2 Pep took off still-struggling KdB to bring on Zinchenko at LB, to move Laporte alongside Kompany with Fernandinho moving in to midfield to shore it up. City's other substitution was Sane for Aguero. So Phil Foden wasn't called upon but thanks for your interest. 

Ps. Any need for you to raise Foden after every game? It's  really become petty and childish from someone who professes to know a bit about football but then i guess that's what we expect from you.

 

Don’t feed 

[Bredbury Blue]

7 hours ago, champers said:

The point you are missing is that because homegrown players have left City are now limited to bringing in other homegrown players. It is a numbers thing and not a positional thing. If you had enough homegrown players in the squad then the new keeper, the new full backs and the Fernandinho cover could come from anywhere in the world. But you don't so you can't. Four out, four in.

Ok i go back to my question of a while back on the constant knocking of Diaz, Sancho and Rotondo 'scarpering'.

 

City have a very strong squad full of experienced internationals. We have a very talented 17 year old. If he's deemed good enough City will slowly bring him through over a period (i.e. Foden). 17 year old has several players ahead of him but wants to play first team football NOW but he's  not as good (yet) as the players in the squad so he wants to leave. City want him to stay. What can City do to make him not leave?

[Bredbury Blue]

Eufa's statement clarifying the 2nd goal.

"The second decision was also correctly made on the basis of the Laws of the Game (Law 11 – Offside) which stipulates: “if a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence”."

[jellydog]

Apparently Willy Caballero will be in goal for Chelsea for the Carabooboo Cup final ? Say its so !

[Bredbury Blue]

54 minutes ago, jellydog said:

Apparently Willy Caballero will be in goal for Chelsea for the Carabooboo Cup final ? Say its so !

Let's hope it doesn't go to penalties ????

[Bredbury Blue]

Doubt anyone will disagree that last season KdB Fernandinho and Silva was the best midfield in the Premier.

 

Due to injuries we had to wait till last month vs Arsenal for them to appear together for the first time - and they were poor.

 

KdB still is struggling for his touch more than fitness.

 

Silva since early this year has lost his form (still creates but seems to fade in some games).

 

Fernandinho thankfully is Fernandinho but lets hope Pep ceases with his new CB cum central midfield role.

 

Luckily for us Bernardo has really stepped up and has nailed down his position: personally i like him in midfield where he can roam and use that amazing energy rather than out wide right.

 

Pep has now made Gundogan his favourite but he blows hot and cold - one thing, he should NEVER play the Fernandinho role again - he's not physically capable of it.

 

Sunday I'd start with a front 6 of:

Bernardo Fernandinho Silva

Sterling Aguero Sane

 

[BangrakBob]

Old dodgy City up to all sorts. This time apparently masking a 200K payment in the Sancho deal with Watford. 

 

Source: Der Spiegel ????

[Bredbury Blue]

4 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

Old dodgy City up to all sorts. This time apparently masking a 200K payment in the Sancho deal with Watford. 

 

Source: Der Spiegel ????

City have been accused of the illegal practice that liverpool were found guilty of.

 

In April 2017, old dodgy Liverpool were fined £100,000 by the Premier League and handed a two-year ban on signing academy players from other clubs for offering inducements to a 12-year-old academy player at Stoke City.

[BangrakBob]

22 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

City have been accused of the illegal practice that liverpool were found guilty of.

 

In April 2017, old dodgy Liverpool were fined £100,000 by the Premier League and handed a two-year ban on signing academy players from other clubs for offering inducements to a 12-year-old academy player at Stoke City.

What ARE you on about, completely different, we were not found guilty of illegally paying an agent anything.

 

The whole thing was above board, Stoke and Liverpool agreed a fee. The inducement was to pay the kids school fees, which Stoke had been doing and when Liverpool found out it was not allowed they pulled the pin on the school fees. This is when it went sideways as the <deleted> of dad made a massive deal of it and got this investigation started. Aside that they paid for his family to come to a match at Anfield. Hardly dodgy concealed back hander to the tune of 200K. 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

I like Michael Cox's writing and analysis. He's picked five "humble, workmanlike and dependable holding midfielder." including a Spursy player. Particularly liked his comments on Fernandinho.

 

Fernandinho and Casemiro lead the game's most underrated midfielders

 

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog/espn-fc-united/68/post/3781236/fernandinho-and-casemiro-lead-the-games-most-underrated-midfielders

 

 

Fernandinho, Manchester City
City's title challenge seemed to falter during the Christmas period when they suffered back-to-back defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester. Notably, it was also the first two matches they'd played all season without Fernandinho. All too often, players in his position are only truly appreciated when they're absent.

 

Naturally a box-to-box midfielder rather than a holding player, Fernandinho adjusted his game admirably when joining City and paired with Yaya Toure, forcing him to get through more defensive work than he might have expected. He then took on an even deeper role upon Pep Guardiola's arrival three years ago.

[All as i argued against Carmine and Alfie ????

 

Blessed with an excellent positional sense and awareness of where all outfield players are, he can put in crunching tackles when required and is capable of sudden surges to the edge of the opposition box to have attempts at goal. Fernandinho's one weakness is when City are playing out from the back: He sometimes struggles against a high press, and lacks the authority in possession of a natural deep-lying playmaker. But with David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne ahead of him in midfield, City have more than enough passing quality, and Fernandinho can focus on doing the dirty work.

He turns 34 before the end of the campaign and won't be easy to replace.

 

[Bredbury Blue]

20 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

What ARE you on about, completely different, we were not found guilty of illegally paying an agent anything.

 

The whole thing was above board, Stoke and Liverpool agreed a fee. The inducement was to pay the kids school fees, which Stoke had been doing and when Liverpool found out it was not allowed they pulled the pin on the school fees. This is when it went sideways as the <deleted> of dad made a massive deal of it and got this investigation started. Aside that they paid for his family to come to a match at Anfield. Hardly dodgy concealed back hander to the tune of 200K. 

 

You were smugly trying to tar us with your brush before we've EVEN been judged (common thing on the City thread isnt it).

 

Liverpool's wrongdoing may or may not be exactly the same as in the City case but the key thing here is that old dodgy LIVERPOOL were GUILTY of breaking the rules while we have only been accussed ????

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39508491

"...Liverpool have admitted the rule breaches..."

 

[mrbojangles]

Man City 4-3-3

 

31 Ederson

2 Kyle Walker

30 Nicolás Otamendi

14 Aymeric Laporte

35 Oleksandr Zinchenko

17 Kevin De Bruyne

25 Fernandinho

21 David Silva (c)

20 Bernardo Silva

10 Sergio Agüero

7 Raheem Sterling

 

Subs 3 Danilo 4 Vincent Kompany 8 IIkay Gündogan 19 Leroy Sané 26 Riyad Mahrez 47 Phil Foden 49 Arijanet Muric

[Bredbury Blue]

Bit harsh on muric and a surprise decision by Pep. KdB and Silva owe us a good game. Otamendi, umm.

[mrbojangles]

13 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Bit harsh on muric and a surprise decision by Pep. KdB and Silva owe us a good game. Otamendi, umm.

I was thinking exactly the same on all counts BB

[Bredbury Blue]

Yawn!

 

How dull nervy cagey boring was that. City with all the ball and did nothing. Can't get past Chelsea's 11 man defence. On the odd occasion Hazard had it near our goal it's PANIC. Sterling needs to get wide right and Bernardo inside if we're to create. KdB a passenger again.

[BangrakBob]

On 2/23/2019 at 11:42 AM, Bredbury Blue said:

You were smugly trying to tar us with your brush before we've EVEN been judged (common thing on the City thread isnt it).

 

Liverpool's wrongdoing may or may not be exactly the same as in the City case but the key thing here is that old dodgy LIVERPOOL were GUILTY of breaking the rules while we have only been accussed ????

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39508491

"...Liverpool have admitted the rule breaches..."

 

<deleted> eeejit

[mrbojangles]

8 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Yawn!

 

How dull nervy cagey boring was that. City with all the ball and did nothing. Can't get past Chelsea's 11 man defence. On the odd occasion Hazard had it near our goal it's PANIC. Sterling needs to get wide right and Bernardo inside if we're to create. KdB a passenger again.

After the other week you can't blame Chelsea for being cautious but yeah it's been a bit dull.

 

Vinny on!!

[mrbojangles]

That was nervy

[Bredbury Blue]

A slow burner of a final that got better towards the end. Thought Chelsea had their name on the cup after HT. Phew!

 

3.5hrs kip before work. I hate football ☺

[jellydog]

What a boring night of football between the United v Liverpool match and the City v Chelsea re-match. 

 

Pep was right, Chelsea were more motivated last night and at times City struggled.

 

1 trophy gobbled up.