The Official Manchester City Thread

[Kadilo]

16 minutes ago, jellydog said:

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.

If ever there were 2 games that failed to live up to the hype. 

[Bredbury Blue]

The good news: 

Spurs bottled it (TV Forum police are still out searching for Alfie and Carmine 555).

Liverpool looked average and dropped points.

City won Carabao cup.

 

The bad news:

Laporte injured (?).

Fernandinho injured (groin)

Silva has lost form.

KdB isn't improving (will he get back to last season's form?).

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Thought most players were average last night and we looked tired 2nd half (due to playing with 10 men?).

They gave MOM to Bernardo who was our only front 6 player who really performed, but i thought also Zinchenko (for the 2nd game this week) was outstanding.

[Bredbury Blue]

"Pep Guardiola bemoaned the loss of Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte to muscle injuries which could keep them on the sidelines “for weeks”."

 

Our version of VVD and the most important player in our team both reportedly out for weeks. Advantage Liverpool again?

[Bredbury Blue]

Feared the worst yesterday when Danilo came on for Fernandinho in his first showing for us in that position, but i thought he did well playing there while also covering for Walker in another of his 'headless chicken' moments; in fact Danilo was better there than Stones or Gundogan. Expect to see him there vs WHU?

 

[Bredbury Blue]

Second-guessing Pep’s team selection is always a lottery, more so with this game coming 6 days after playing in Germany for half a game with 10 men and 3 days after 120 minutes against a difficult Chelsea side, plus our preferred centre-back pairing of Stones and Laporte, and Fernandinho and Jesus all out injured, and with an away game in 3 days at Bournemouth.

 

In the two recent games he started with Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, D.Silva, Bernardo, Aguero, Sterling.

 

I can see Danilo in for Walker and old-man Kompany in for Laporte, Pep’s favourite Gundogan in for Fernandinho, and Mahrez and Sane in for Bernardo and Sterling who deserve a rest for carrying us lately.

 

Going to be tough for us in the next two games, tiredness will be a factor plus playing in 'less critical' games, will not be surprised if we experience a blip - fingers crossed.

 

David Silva and/or KdB owe us a performance having been poor of late.

 

Maybe:

Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Gundogan, D.Silva, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Sane, Aguero

Subs: Muric, Walker Delph, Bernardo, Sterling, Foden + 1 other (Sandler or Mendy or E.Garcia)

 

[mrbojangles]

Here's an interesting article from the M.E.N on Foden. Everyone goes on about the Class of 92 but compare Foden to Scholes and Beckham. Here's a snippet but the full article below.

 

Quote

 

But this is a player who, at a tender age, has won the Premier League and two League Cups, not to mention leading England to their Under-17 World Cup triumph. He has made 30 first team appearances, 13 of them in the league, and 11 of them starts. Compare that to the fabled Class of ‘92 down the road at Manchester United. History does not record Alex Ferguson being berated for failing to give David Beckham or Paul Scholes more games, two of the brightest young lights of their generation. And yet neither of them had made their first team debut for the Reds when they were Foden’s age.

 

Beckham was 20 years and seven months old by the time he had played that many first team games for United, nearly two years older than Foden. To be fair, Beckham did spend a season on loan at Preston, a move which Guardiola has been adamant that Foden does not need – another compliment, as he insists he is Premier League-ready right now. Scholes did not go on loan, so a comparison with him – especially as he also played in the heat of the midfield battle – is perhaps more pertinent.

 

Salford-born Scholes was 19 years and ten months old when he made his debut, more than two years later than Foden.

 

 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/phil-foden-david-beckham-scholes-15888146

 

[RickG16]

38 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Here's an interesting article from the M.E.N on Foden. Everyone goes on about the Class of 92 but compare Foden to Scholes and Beckham. Here's a snippet but the full article below.

 

 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/phil-foden-david-beckham-scholes-15888146

 

GTFOH ... you can't claim that he has 'won a league'. I'd be surprised if he made enough appearances for a medal (isn't it 15?) and if he did then I'd expect a lot of those were as sub, or in games after you'd won the title.

 

I'm not sure what you're looking for here with your reference to Class of 92 comparisons. Do you think in  two to three years' time you have a group of homegrown 20 - 21 year olds playing in a title winning team?

 

At the moment you have one very good 17 year old who looks to have a good chance of making it. So pat on the back for that. 

[mrbojangles]

 

21 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

GTFOH ... you can't claim that he has 'won a league'. I'd be surprised if he made enough appearances for a medal (isn't it 15?) and if he did then I'd expect a lot of those were as sub, or in games after you'd won the title.

 

I'm not sure what you're looking for here with your reference to Class of 92 comparisons. Do you think in  two to three years' time you have a group of homegrown 20 - 21 year olds playing in a title winning team?

 

At the moment you have one very good 17 year old who looks to have a good chance of making it. So pat on the back for that. 

Don't know why your shooting the messenger Rick, I wasn't the author. You are obviously touchy about the memory of the class of 92 but I thought the article (did you actually read it?) was quite appropriate as Pep has been getting stick on here about how he is using Foden.

 

And yes, he has a title winning medal as he was part of a squad that were title winners and played more than the minimum requirement of 5 games to qualify for getting said medal. 

[RickG16]

Just now, mrbojangles said:

 

Don't know why your shooting the messenger Rick, I wasn't the author. You are obviously touchy about the memory of the class of 92 but I thought the article (did you actually read it?) was quite appropriate as Pep has been getting stick on here about how he is using Foden.

 

And yes, he has a title winning medal as he was part of a squad that were title winners and played more than the minimum requirement of 5 games to qualify for getting said medal. 

It's a fruitless comparison, because as I'm sure you agree, you won't have a group of homegrown 20-21 year-olds who are the spine of a title winning City team in 2-3 years.

 

Let's make a sensible comparison - between Foden and other outstanding prospects who were actually starting important, meaningful games at 17 / 18. Giggs, Rooney, Owen, Barry, Milner.... etc.

 

 

[mrbojangles]

11 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

It's a fruitless comparison, because as I'm sure you agree, you won't have a group of homegrown 20-21 year-olds who are the spine of a title winning City team in 2-3 years.

 

Let's make a sensible comparison - between Foden and other outstanding prospects who were actually starting important, meaningful games at 17 / 18. Giggs, Rooney, Owen, Barry, Milner.... etc.

The point of the M.E.N article seems to have gone over your head.

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, mrbojangles said:

The point of the M.E.N article seems to have gone over your head.

 

I understand the point of the article, and just feel uneasy with Class of 92 being even mentioned in the same context as Foden. I wasn't one of the people (I don't know any of these people) that made a comparison between Foden and the Class of 92. It doesn't even warrant an article IMO.

 

As an aside, the MEN is an absolute shadow of its former self these days. My Dad read proper papers (Telegraph, Times etc) when I was growing up, but the one I always looked forward to nicking was the MEN. They used to break a lot of exclusives, and had proper writers such as David Meek and Stuart Matheson. 

 

Now, they publish sensationalist nonsense in order to get 'hits' online, the website is full of videos and ads which slow the pages down, and there are grammatical and spelling errors all over the place. The 'journalists' who write for them these days are just happy to tell Mummy and Daddy that they get paid to write about football. 

[Bredbury Blue]

2 hours ago, RickG16 said:

 

I understand the point of the article, and just feel uneasy with Class of 92 being even mentioned in the same context as Foden. I wasn't one of the people (I don't know any of these people) that made a comparison between Foden and the Class of 92. It doesn't even warrant an article IMO.

 

As an aside, the MEN is an absolute shadow of its former self these days. My Dad read proper papers (Telegraph, Times etc) when I was growing up, but the one I always looked forward to nicking was the MEN. They used to break a lot of exclusives, and had proper writers such as David Meek and Stuart Matheson. 

 

Now, they publish sensationalist nonsense in order to get 'hits' online, the website is full of videos and ads which slow the pages down, and there are grammatical and spelling errors all over the place. The 'journalists' who write for them these days are just happy to tell Mummy and Daddy that they get paid to write about football. 

Sounds like you don't.

[Bredbury Blue]

Starting  without five first-choice players we've played lovely football for a change, had loads of chances but been wasteful, and we all know how that script usually  goes. Not looking good for us at the moment. Either kdb or mahrez needs to be subbed as they've  been terrible together. Get Bernardo  and Sterling off the bench asap if we're  not to go further points behind.

[mrbojangles]

Played some good stuff but with no end product so needed a change, in particular Mahrez. Raheem and Bernado have made a big difference since coming on. 

 

Soft penalty but clumsy from West Ham. Gave the ref a decision to make

[mrbojangles]

Nice touch with Aguero and Pellegrini when Aguero went off

[Bredbury Blue]

57 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Starting  without five first-choice players we've played lovely football for a change, had loads of chances but been wasteful, and we all know how that script usually  goes. Not looking good for us at the moment. Either kdb or mahrez needs to be subbed as they've  been terrible together. Get Bernardo  and Sterling off the bench asap if we're  not to go further points behind.

CORRECTION

Seven first-choice players (Walker Stones Laporte Mendy Fernandinho Bernardo Sterling)

[Bredbury Blue]

We played well tonight but were wasteful. Needed a soft penalty  - it was a penalty for me, WHU player way too close to the back of Bernardo's legs. The subs made a big instant difference. 

 

WHU defended brilliantly. Such an important Ederson save from WHU's big chance.

 

Glad when it was over, strange game.

 

Ps. Remind me, who is the ex-player sitting next to Andy Gray in the studio?

 

[Bredbury Blue]

MOM? Difficult choice. Thought Danilo was excellent, same Zinchenko for 75 minutes. Gundogan not bad. Bernardo maybe, who was excellent and made it happen. 

 

I always used to feel comfortable  when Yaya played. I now have that feeling with Bernardo.

[mrbojangles]

Nice bit of business. I like the Nike style but let's see what Puma come up with

 

 

Quote

The reigning Premier League champions, who are currently working in partnership with Nike, will be welcoming in a new dawn from the summer of 2019

 

Manchester City have signed the biggest kit deal in their history and the second-highest in the Premier League, with a 10-year agreement with Puma worth a reported £650 million ($863m). The deal sits only behind Manchester United’s with Adidas when it comes to the most lucrative in the English top-flight.

 

City, who currently work in partnership with Nike, will see a new sponsorship contract kick in from the summer of 2019.

 

 

[RickG16]

25 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Nice bit of business. I like the Nike style but let's see what Puma come up with

 

 

 

 

Well done for getting a proper sponsorship deal... unlike the Etihad sham, which is a bit like my Mum sponsoring me for the school walk. 

[mrbojangles]

3 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

which is a bit like my Mum sponsoring me for the school walk. 

Is that a bad thing? My mum used to do the same

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, mrbojangles said:

Is that a bad thing? My mum used to do the same

No, but your Mum wasn't doing it as a ploy to circumnavigate FFP. 

[Bredbury Blue]

Great to see Skip taking out the trophy the other night. Tony Book is 84 years young now and has been at City since 1966 (joined us in his early 30s) - think about that kids. Now an ambassador and Life President  for the club. Not bad for a brickie!

 

Pic also of him in his prime.

 

 

 

[mrbojangles]

6 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

No, but your Mum wasn't doing it as a ploy to circumnavigate FFP. 

FFP wasn't around in those days and I doubt the word "alleged" was common place. Admit it Rick, your analogy wasn't the best choice 

[RickG16]

1 hour ago, mrbojangles said:

FFP wasn't around in those days and I doubt the word "alleged" was common place. Admit it Rick, your analogy wasn't the best choice 

It was a good analogy, because nobody but your Mum would give you a fiver for the sponsored walk. Same way nobody but the Sheikh's family / friends at Etihad would pump in those kind of gazillions. 

[Bredbury Blue]

10 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

It was a good analogy, because nobody but your Mum would give you a fiver for the sponsored walk. Same way nobody but the Sheikh's family / friends at Etihad would pump in those kind of gazillions. 

Nobody? Err Puma seems happy enough to pump in its gazillions; just one of our loads of commercial sponsors. 

[mrbojangles]

1 minute ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Nobody? Err Puma seems happy enough to pump in its gazillions; just one of our loads of commercial sponsors. 

Stop it BB. Don't let facts get in the way of Rick's crusade

[RickG16]

8 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Nobody? Err Puma seems happy enough to pump in its gazillions; just one of our loads of commercial sponsors. 

It's all relative, of course you will attract massive offers now you are champions etc. But in 2009, nobody would have paid you what Etihad did to be your main shirt sponsor.

 

Probably netted you a few hundred million through the back door,... or front door actually, because nobody can do anything about it.

[mrbojangles]

I'm sure we've been around this buoy and gone off at this very same tangent several hundred times already. The post was about our new Puma deal