Manchester City

[wilai]

Anyway, thanks for the entertainment..... early night now.Out with Garcia/Kaymer or Donaldson/Westwood tomorrow am. Jamie is LFC so might give him the nod...See you on TV (Golf Channel is your best bet!) G'night

Edit...see we have the taffs in Euros...Jamie is now definitely the pick!

Edited December 12, 2015 by wilai

[Bredbury Blue]

Winning ugly is better than losing ugly and that was very ugly. But three points, and winning ain't easy for any club this season except for Leicester.

I do hope Clichy is not yet in form. He's an adventure.

Can see you're in a more charitable mood than I am. My youngest son, who saw me screaming at Pellegrini and assorted players throughout the 2nd half, jokingly asked if I needed use of his inhaler.

[BangrakBob]

Jammy <deleted>

[Bredbury Blue]

Jammy <deleted>

You're not wrong Bob.

[mrbojangles]

Jammy <deleted>

You're not wrong Bob.

Absolutely but I'll take it.

[mrbojangles]

^back to City.

We never got going and that was poor.

Doesn't help the fluency of the team playing Clichy and Sagna/Navas who always end up playing the backwards.

Very happy with Yaya today who was decent and looked like he eanted it more than others, Silva was decent and once he went off we couldn't do anything go forward, and Hart saved us atleast 6 times and it took something special to beat him.

Pellegrini as usual too slow with his subs...Bony scored but did little elese and should have been hooked earlier. .taking Sterling off and not Bony or Navas was wrong..Delph should have started.

Got out of jail there.

Need to get the core (Hart, Zaba, Kompany, Yaya, Silva & Aguero) of the team back and playing together if we're going to do anything in any competition this season.

Agree with all of that and I'm glad I didn't start bashing away with my knuckles on my laptop last night. I'm losing it with Pelle on some of the selections and subs he makes. I know we have played 5 games in 15 days and he is probably trying to rotate but my philosophy has always been that you play your best 11 from the start.

Silva and KdB will form a great understanding of each other and be a huge threat but he doesn't bladdy play them together.

[carmine]

Jammy <deleted>

You're not wrong Bob.

Absolutely but I'll take it.

With a little luck like that championships are one.

[mrbojangles]

Jammy <deleted>

You're not wrong Bob.

Absolutely but I'll take it.

With a little luck like that championships are one.

Indeed Carms. Don't think there is a winner of any comp where a bit of luck hasn't played a part.

[JacknDanny]

^back to City.

We never got going and that was poor.

Doesn't help the fluency of the team playing Clichy and Sagna/Navas who always end up playing the backwards.

Very happy with Yaya today who was decent and looked like he eanted it more than others, Silva was decent and once he went off we couldn't do anything go forward, and Hart saved us atleast 6 times and it took something special to beat him.

Pellegrini as usual too slow with his subs...Bony scored but did little elese and should have been hooked earlier. .taking Sterling off and not Bony or Navas was wrong..Delph should have started.

Got out of jail there.

Need to get the core (Hart, Zaba, Kompany, Yaya, Silva & Aguero) of the team back and playing together if we're going to do anything in any competition this season.

Agree with all of that and I'm glad I didn't start bashing away with my knuckles on my laptop last night. I'm losing it with Pelle on some of the selections and subs he makes. I know we have played 5 games in 15 days and he is probably trying to rotate but my philosophy has always been that you play your best 11 from the start.

Silva and KdB will form a great understanding of each other and be a huge threat but he doesn't bladdy play them together.

My views for what they are worth.

I will put my cards on the table when I say I am not a great fan of Pellegrini. Yes he has brought us stability, but in my opinion he just doesnt react quickly enough to situations.

Another example of what I dont agree with Pellegrini........ youngsters. I dont want to sound like a broken record, but go back to the beginning of the season. We had 2 fit full backs, both over 30. We bought 2 new centre halves for a lot of money, along with an injury prone CB and a 34 yr old coming to the end of his career. We let one of our best defensive prospects in years, go out to Galatasaray on loan. Yet on Friday Pellegrini reckons there are only 3 youngsters who are ready for first team..... 2 midfielders and 1 attacker. So a complete lack of forethought , defensively.

Ren yesterday.... I actually agreed with the lineup, except for Navas. He brings very litle to the table. KDB needed a rest and Silva is being eased back in.

I thought Yaya had a very good game yesterday, but defensively we are in a bad way. Static and running around like headless chickens. We are not keeping a straight back line. When Kompany plays, that Straight back line is almost perfect all the time. Clichy has lost a yard of pace, whilst Sagna has gone backwards the last 3 games. I dont like the pairing of Otamendi and Mangala. Both are extremely naive in their reading of the game and their positional play ( same same Micah)

We are as bad now defensively as when Mancini tried the zonal marking thing.

If we play like that against Arsenal we will get battered..

[Bredbury Blue]

^Spot on!

[jellydog]

Its up and down this season and surely frustrating, but assuming City will get Aguero and Kompany back things will get better. I'm more worried about Kompany as these calf issues don't seem to go away (though you could say the same about Aguero's hammy/muscle problems).

At any rate, nearly to Christmas and there are no clubs that look like running away with it. I think we can cross Man United off the list of contenders. Leicester have a bunch of tough fixtures coming up and midnight might strike for Cinderella. If City get healthy I like our chances against Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool.

As of today Top of the Pops and in the CL knock outs.

I'm betting it will still often be ugly though. Its a grind.

[Bredbury Blue]

I'd agree with the comments on Pellegrini, nice bloke but has too many nice guy characteristics; doesn't have the nasty in him needed sometimes. He has made City less in the media for the negative (Yaya stories excepted) but I don't think he has Bobby Manc's winner mentality. I fell out with Pellegrini big time in the 2nd half yesterday when we were flagging and he just watched on.

Our back 4 brings NO confidence without Kompany. We take Joe Hart for granted, and he has saved us time and time again. Agree Clichy looks slower; there was a time in the 2nd half when he'd chased the ball down and they played the ball down his flank and he looked 50 years old jogging back. Kolorov has won that battle and we look better with him in the team.

Can see Mangala being moved on in the summer.

Still in the mix even though we're unconvincing.

[Bredbury Blue]

Swansea outplay City, Bournemouth beat Chelsea then ManU, this wierd season gets wierder and wierder.

[JacknDanny]

Its up and down this season and surely frustrating, but assuming City will get Aguero and Kompany back things will get better. I'm more worried about Kompany as these calf issues don't seem to go away (though you could say the same about Aguero's hammy/muscle problems).

At any rate, nearly to Christmas and there are no clubs that look like running away with it. I think we can cross Man United off the list of contenders. Leicester have a bunch of tough fixtures coming up and midnight might strike for Cinderella. If City get healthy I like our chances against Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool.

As of today Top of the Pops and in the CL knock outs.

I'm betting it will still often be ugly though. Its a grind.

I fancy Liverpool, if they buy in January. They have the best manager by a country mile.

Arsenal, too often the bridesmaids. Spurs are potential but lack the mental strength. United are just too cr@p. Chelsea too far behind. If Liverpool get 3 or 4 wins behind them, with the manager, it could be a game changer. Of course we still have a great chance because we have been bobbins in most games and we are still there or thereabouts.

[mrbojangles]

KDB needed a rest and Silva is being eased back in.

We haven't got another game now for about 8/9 days. KdB could have easily started that game and then pulled him off if we had got a comfortable lead. EVERY game in the Prem is THE most important game of the season and we should be playing each one like a cup final (like our opposition do). When Pelle puts out a weakened or under strength team that he thinks will be ok to do the job, he doesn't react quickly enough to change things around if they aren't doing the job.

I thought Yaya had a very good game yesterday, but defensively we are in a bad way. Static and running around like headless chickens. We are not keeping a straight back line. When Kompany plays, that Straight back line is almost perfect all the time.

I was reading an article a few weeks ago, can't remember if it's Barca or RM but their defence train with ropes tied around their waists to help them keep their straight lines and then it becomes second nature. Think our lot need to be doing a bit of that.

[champers]

Demichaelis must train with a ball & chain clamped to his leg; I've seen milk turn quicker.

[BangrakBob]

Apparently Dynamo Kiev have a 3 game stadium ban on fans, no City away trip in the last 16.

Still you jammy sods got the best of the draw this time round.

[Bredbury Blue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34921849

Dynamo Kiev punished after fans' racist behaviour in Chelsea game

Dynamo Kiev will play their next two European home games in an empty stadium after racist attacks on fans during a Champions League game against Chelsea.A sanction of a third closed-door match has been suspended for three years.

[Bredbury Blue]

Apparently Dynamo Kiev have a 3 game stadium ban on fans, no City away trip in the last 16.

Still you jammy sods got the best of the draw this time round.

Jammy..give us a break Bob, had Barcelona previous 2 seasons.

Last time we had to play away in an empty stadium, CSKA Moscow, our fans were ejected if they'd got in while there were plenty of Moscow fans in there seen by the EUFA officials and nothing done about at the time or retrospectively. ..hence our booing of that (awful...it really is an awful piece of music) EUFA 'anthem'.

]

[BangrakBob]

Apparently Dynamo Kiev have a 3 game stadium ban on fans, no City away trip in the last 16.

Still you jammy sods got the best of the draw this time round.

Jammy..give us a break Bob, had Barcelona previous 2 seasons.

Last time we had to play away in an empty stadium, CSKA Moscow, our fans were ejected if they'd got in while there were plenty of Moscow fans in there seen by the EUFA officials and nothing done about at the time or retrospectively. ..hence our booing of that (awful...it really is an awful piece of music) EUFA 'anthem'.

]

Haha I was waiting for that one.

[mrbojangles]

But will it really be empty

[BangrakBob]

But will it really be empty

Maybe not but you'd have to be game to travel there for a football match anyway no?

[mrbojangles]

But will it really be empty

Maybe not but you'd have to be game to travel there for a football match anyway no?

Thats true

[Bredbury Blue]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7578388.stm

See ManU have drawn Midgetland in the Little League. I thought their name sounded familiar. Have a read, in particular look our team...bloody hell...it was a month before the Sheikh bought us...we've come a long way

[Bredbury Blue]

The Citizens will head to Ukraine on February 24th for the first leg with the second leg being held at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday the 15th March.

[JacknDanny]

Dont cry Karl Heinz!!!

We got your boy

[Bredbury Blue]

Dont cry Karl Heinz!!!

We got your boy

What have you read/heard that makes you so confident?

[JacknDanny]

Dont cry Karl Heinz!!!

We got your boy

What have you read/heard that makes you so confident?

Are you being serious BB??

Its been a foregone conclusion for some time. Pep was always going to see out his contract.

This weekend he will make an announcement that he is leaving Bayern in the summer.

Previous relationship with the 'Barca Boys', makes us undeniable favs to get him. I have actually been expecting him to come for some time.

Of course Chelsea and United will no doubt throw their hats in the ring. But I think coming to City has been 'unofficially' agreed for a while.

[alfieconn]

Dont cry Karl Heinz!!!

We got your boy

What have you read/heard that makes you so confident?

Are you being serious BB??

Its been a foregone conclusion for some time. Pep was always going to see out his contract.

This weekend he will make an announcement that he is leaving Bayern in the summer.

Previous relationship with the 'Barca Boys', makes us undeniable favs to get him. I have actually been expecting him to come for some time.

Of course Chelsea and United will no doubt throw their hats in the ring. But I think coming to City has been 'unofficially' agreed for a while.

BB, he's not called Mystic Jack for nothing

[oldgit]

Dont cry Karl Heinz!!!

We got your boy

What have you read/heard that makes you so confident?

Are you being serious BB??

Its been a foregone conclusion for some time. Pep was always going to see out his contract.

This weekend he will make an announcement that he is leaving Bayern in the summer.

Previous relationship with the 'Barca Boys', makes us undeniable favs to get him. I have actually been expecting him to come for some time.

Of course Chelsea and United will no doubt throw their hats in the ring. But I think coming to City has been 'unofficially' agreed for a while.

From Barcelona to Bayern then City. He's certainly roughed it in his managerial career. Will we ever know if he's THAT good?