Manchester City

[Bredbury Blue]

City have bought several players from Arsenal in recent years and every time Wenger and their fans are up in arms about it. Like this Guardian article states, Arsenal seem to have done better out of the deal than City. I reckon Clichy has been our best deal to date. Nasri has his moments but is a poor version of Silva and Fabregas.

"City know that better than most, having spent more than £80m on Arsenal players in the past five years without ever seeming to have obtained full value for money.Samir Nasri, now injured, has been just about the best of the lot, though many would argue he has not yet lived up to the potential glimpsed in his early years at Arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré failed to work out, Gaël Clichy has been quietly consistent without setting the Etihad on fire, while Bacary Sagna, signed on a free, is now expecting to be cut from the European squad to make way for Bony.Financially, Arsenal had the better of all those deals. They made money from players they were able to replace and for the most part did not see their old boys go on to produce outstanding performances for their new clubs.On the other hand, Nasri has two titles to his name and is in the running for a third. He may not have proved a stellar performer in Manchester, though he fits neatly into Pellegrinis squad concept. With two dozen or so players of that quality you are bound to be in with a chance.Only one player, Sagna, has actually arrived from Arsenal on Pellegrinis watch..."

[Chicog]

We don't regret the money we've made from Citeh - they've paid off a large chunk of our stadium.

We do, on the other hand, rightly berate the notion that a-holes like Nasri moved "to win titles" when it's patently obvious that, like many of Citeh's acquisitions, he went for the money and is happy being a benchwarmer.

Anyway, here's hoping for a repeat of half of last year's result (the one in which we scored three goals).

[sotsira]

They all went for the money AND a much better chance of winning the title

than playing for Arsenal.

That's the reality of today's game, can't see anyone else challenging City or Chelsea

for some time to come, unless another sheik or oligarch buys another club.

[Chicog]

They all went for the money AND a much better chance of winning the title

than playing for Arsenal.

That's the reality of today's game, can't see anyone else challenging City or Chelsea

for some time to come, unless another sheik or oligarch buys another club.

Well I hear the King of Saudi isn't very well, but his replacement is 79 so I can't imagine he'd be getting too excited about football.

[BangrakBob]

They all went for the money AND a much better chance of winning the title

than playing for Arsenal.

That's the reality of today's game, can't see anyone else challenging City or Chelsea

for some time to come, unless another sheik or oligarch buys another club.

Well I hear the King of Saudi isn't very well, but his replacement is 79 so I can't imagine he'd be getting too excited about football.

Could be some serious mourning leave on the horizon

[Chicog]

They all went for the money AND a much better chance of winning the title

than playing for Arsenal.

That's the reality of today's game, can't see anyone else challenging City or Chelsea

for some time to come, unless another sheik or oligarch buys another club.

Well I hear the King of Saudi isn't very well, but his replacement is 79 so I can't imagine he'd be getting too excited about football.

Could be some serious mourning leave on the horizon

Oh yes, we take our mourning seriously.

[mrbojangles]

Earlier this season City fans on here stated, MrBJ having to do it more than once I can remember, that we'd rather win the Premier than Champions League. Seem from Pelle's comment that our management and fans concur:

I personally feel the Premier League is more important than the Champions League, and I think a lot of fans feel that way too, Pellegrini said. It is a more satisfying prize to win because you have to be good all year round.Luck plays more of a part in the Champions League, especially in the knockout stages. You can win it if you hit form at the right time, though of course you need to be a good team to get that far in the first place. But though I would never put the domestic league secondary to the Champions League it is clear this club must improve in Europe. It is what all the important teams must do every year, one step more that we must take, and I hope we can achieve success in the Champions League soon. I think we have a stronger squad this year than last. We can keep improving.

I think he's pretty much got it right there BB. As you say, we've been saying the same since before the season started.

[Bredbury Blue]

We don't regret the money we've made from Citeh - they've paid off a large chunk of our stadium.

We do, on the other hand, rightly berate the notion that a-holes like Nasri moved "to win titles" when it's patently obvious that, like many of Citeh's acquisitions, he went for the money and is happy being a benchwarmer.

Anyway, here's hoping for a repeat of half of last year's result (the one in which we scored three goals).

Got to correct you. All players move for the terms offered which are usually an improvement on the current, etc...that's no different than any of us. Nasri is hardly likely to be an Arsenal fan at heart; for him playing for arsenal or City is a job. Hate to burst your bubble but Nasri has never been a benchwarmer during his time with City, he's always been an automatic first choice ( though Mancini got on his case). He moved from a very good club and team in Arsenal to City in order to improve his lot and to win trophies. ..Nasri looks to be pretty happy with his lot at City, and 2 Premier Champions and a League Cup Winners would prove to most that his decision to move from Arsenal to City was right for him.

[Chicog]

Berate want you want; he's a money grubbing scumbag.

[mrbojangles]

CITY XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany ©, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Fernando, Navas, Silva, Milner, Aguero

SUBS: Caballero, Mangala, Sagna, Kolarov, Lampard, Jovetic, Dzeko


And for the benefit of Chicog. Nasri is injured, he's not having a lazy duvet day

[Bredbury Blue]

CITY XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany ©, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Fernando, Navas, Silva, Milner, Aguero

SUBS: Caballero, Mangala, Sagna, Kolarov, Lampard, Jovetic, Dzeko

And for the benefit of Chicog. Nasri is injured, he's not having a lazy duvet day

Nasri never seems to play well against Arsenal; their booing puts him off, the sensitive soul.

[mrbojangles]

CITY XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany ©, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Fernando, Navas, Silva, Milner, Aguero

SUBS: Caballero, Mangala, Sagna, Kolarov, Lampard, Jovetic, Dzeko

And for the benefit of Chicog. Nasri is injured, he's not having a lazy duvet day

Nasri never seems to play well against Arsenal; their booing puts him off, the sensitive soul.

But we're at home

[Bredbury Blue]

CITY XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany ©, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Fernando, Navas, Silva, Milner, Aguero

SUBS: Caballero, Mangala, Sagna, Kolarov, Lampard, Jovetic, Dzeko

And for the benefit of Chicog. Nasri is injured, he's not having a lazy duvet day

Nasri never seems to play well against Arsenal; their booing puts him off, the sensitive soul.

But we're at home

Sadly that makes no difference, he just doesn't like being called a "money grubbing scumbag".

[Bredbury Blue]

Hard one to call today, Arsenal are a talented team in a false position (I'd say they're the third best team in the Premier) and will go toe to toe with City. Game on!

[SantiSuk]

Not hard to call. Man C win 3-1 or 3-2.

Arsenal have been way short of Chelsea, City and Southampton. Aguero and Silva will make mincemeat of our defensive right flank.

e may still squeak 4th - after today we only have Man U (away) and Chelsea at home left of the other top 4 teams.

[jellydog]

City missing the oft maligned duo of Nasri and Toure. Much easier to close down Silva when he doesn't have one or the other to play off of.

Weak ass penalty call, but I worry about Kompany aging and his frequent injuries.

[Bredbury Blue]

Think Arsenal have come with an excellent plan and have executed it really well. City have to many workers and not enough artists today...rarely have played our effective triangles (silva missing nadri and yaya). Had all the ball but created nothing. Hard to see that 11 coming back...they've done NOTHING! mourinho would have changed it after 30 minutes, Pelle to trusting. Change it early or lose. Again excellent by Arsenal.

[BangrakBob]

That second goal was pretty bloody brilliant defending from Fernando

anyway makes for a tasty 20 minutes here

Edited January 18, 2015 by BangrakBob

[jellydog]

Congrats to Arsenal. Well played. Cazorla MOTM.

[Chicog]

Plundering three points from Middle Eastlands: Most satisfactory.

[Bredbury Blue]

We didn't turn up first half, improved with jovetic in the 2nd half. Clichy was our best player which says a lot. Thought that was the best away performance of the past 3 years. Close game but well done Arsenal.

[mrbojangles]

Some of our passing, particularly in the first half and when not under pressure was woeful at times, giving the ball away unnecessarily. However, we still managed to complete 638 passes compared to Arsenal's 360 and we had 64.7% possession to Arsenal's 35.3% but unfortunately we couldn't do anything with the ball where it counted most. Well done Arsenal

[Chicog]

It's ironic but Citeh did what Arsenal do a lot of the time:

Gobble up possession up to the edge of the box and then do nothing with it where it counts.

[smokie36]

Hang yer heads in shame.

I'm VERY disappointed mrboj.

[mrbojangles]

Hang yer heads in shame.

I'm VERY disappointed mrboj.

So am I Smokes. Funny but all of a sudden there are a lot of Arsenal fans at work this morning with Northern accents

[Chicog]

Nawven mankees!

[Chicog]

Hang yer heads in shame.

I'm VERY disappointed mrboj.

With the Derby coming up too....

[carmine]

City missing the oft maligned duo of Nasri and Toure. Much easier to close down Silva when he doesn't have one or the other to play off of.

Weak ass penalty call, but I worry about Kompany aging and his frequent injuries.

Good points about Kompany and i think he also gets caught out of position too easily. With the aging Demechelis i really think City should have bought in a center back, let alone loaning one out.

The Chelsea game coming up is a huge one now if it wasn't before.

[StevieH]

City missing the oft maligned duo of Nasri and Toure. Much easier to close down Silva when he doesn't have one or the other to play off of.

Weak ass penalty call, but I worry about Kompany aging and his frequent injuries.

Good points about Kompany and i think he also gets caught out of position too easily. With the aging Demechelis i really think City should have bought in a center back, let alone loaning one out.

The Chelsea game coming up is a huge one now if it wasn't before.

they spent £32m on mangala.

[carmine]

City missing the oft maligned duo of Nasri and Toure. Much easier to close down Silva when he doesn't have one or the other to play off of.

Weak ass penalty call, but I worry about Kompany aging and his frequent injuries.

Good points about Kompany and i think he also gets caught out of position too easily. With the aging Demechelis i really think City should have bought in a center back, let alone loaning one out.

The Chelsea game coming up is a huge one now if it wasn't before.

they spent £32m on mangala.

True, but i still think they look short in that department. Kompanys injury prone and the other guys 34yo