Soriano

[Beefymcfc]

Must have been worried about it for some time then, as Wigan ran fucking rings round us at the Etihad too.

I've heard this a few times Ted yet I didn't see the same game. Wigan played well against us but your inference that Wigan 'Ran rings around us' would infer that they had the majority of play, more shots on target and us losing the game. The fact that is was so even said a lot for how Wigan played but at the same time said that we were equally up to the job.

It's just a reactionary way after a not too convincing win, just like saying Wigan were the best team in the FA Cup final. They played well again and may have scored the goal but they were far from being the best team over the course of the game.

Wigan were better than us in the league game & we were very lucky. Mancini lost the ploit completely, went to 3 at the back & Wigan were running through us like Arsenal v Keegan's team, it was embarrassing.

I stopped posting after the Wigan game because I didn't want to put a downer on people's FA Cup build up.

They were better? That's obviously an opinion mate and not fact. I thought we did well after 2 very tricky games against United and Chelsea. Wigan had games against QPR and Milwall in about the same period and also did well to push us all the way but in essence, they didn't do anything better than us to win it.

For me, it was a very even game with both sides getting chances. There was no better team or no worse team and the 3 at the back only seemed to give Wigan are bit more ability going forward but not too much in front of goal. Same as in the final, I've no complaints about what Wigan did but for some to say that Wigan outplayed us is just wrong. Their first short that Hart had to deal with was in the 87th minute, after Zab's had been dismissed. Their keeper had a blinder and was MotM for me and without that performance the score could have been very different. If I remember, there were about 5 clear cut chances and saves made in the first half alone.

I'm talking purely about the league game.

Ok, you said they ran rings around us, I said they didn't. They had periods of the game where they played well, we had periods of the game where we played well. It was 50/50 possession wise, it was equal on shots and defensive play, it was also even on passes completed which doesn't happen often with us. Wigan get credit where it's due. They played well and walked away empty handed. What I didn't see was them running rings around us.

Anyway, I'll stop there. This is the Soriano thread so I'll let you have the last word.

[City64]

Fuck Knows Beefy ! dont really care ! lol

John Lennon has got more life about him than you.

?????

Fuck off you boring cunt.

[Ted Hughes]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

Well it's true that we had just turned in two very good performances but how many times do we drop our standards against lesser teams ?

When I saw the way we played v Wigan, I figured that a repeat in the final would lose us the game & my hope was that usually Bob has been very good in the big cup games. They have mostly been against 'big' teams though. Losing to Wigan in the Cup Final was not the surprise some are making it out to be.

[Mark Garrett]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

Well it's true that we had just turned in two very good performances but how many times do we drop our standards against lesser teams ?

When I saw the way we played v Wigan, I figured that a repeat in the final would lose us the game & my hope was that usually Bob has been very good in the big cup games. They have mostly been against 'big' teams though. Losing to Wigan in the Cup Final was not the surprise some are making it out to be.

It was a surprise because as you say Mancini was always very good at getting us win big matches across his reign and also his record against Wigan was impeccable, think that was the first goal we had even conceded against them under Mancini.

Overall though this is the Soriano thread and I have had my say on him, the other Spaniard and Khaldoon. To me their chasing of Pellegrini was naive and not very street-wise considering their reputations of professionalism, they messed up the build-up to the Cup Final, they treated the sacking of Mancini poorly, the Soriano interview last week contradicts himself throughout and worryingly we seem to be heading down a Chelsea route, which is completely wrong. Also we are appointing a manager whose record is inferior to the outgoing one.

Time will tell on Pellegrini and I hope he does well, we need to act swiftly in the transfer market and Soriano and Bergistain need to redeem themselves and deliver in their respective roles. Nothing further to add.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

I didn't discuss Mancini's future and nor did anybody I went with (approx 30 hard core Blues)
It's a red herring. It was a non surprisiig Mancini performance

[Socrates]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

I didn't discuss Mancini's future and nor did anybody I went with (approx 30 hard core Blues)
It's a red herring. It was a non surprisiig Mancini performance

Irrelevant what the fans were thinking, is what was in the minds of the players and coaching staff that counts. Their awareness of the rumours could have impacted their performance in several negative ways, surely even you must admit that...

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Irrelevant what the fans were thinking, is what was in the minds of the players and coaching staff that counts. Their awareness of the rumours could have impacted their performance in several negative ways, surely even you must admit that...

It could have done.
If that performance was atypical, it would lend some weight to that view. It wasn't though. Surely even you must admit that?

[Original Dub]

Irrelevant what the fans were thinking, is what was in the minds of the players and coaching staff that counts. Their awareness of the rumours could have impacted their performance in several negative ways, surely even you must admit that...

Everyone knew for a fact hughes was a goner before the sunderland game and we still won.

It just is not a good enough excuse. It's a terrible excuse in fact.

I'm just glad it's unlikely other fans are reading the board, because that would be embarrassing.

[Ted Hughes]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

Well it's true that we had just turned in two very good performances but how many times do we drop our standards against lesser teams ?

When I saw the way we played v Wigan, I figured that a repeat in the final would lose us the game & my hope was that usually Bob has been very good in the big cup games. They have mostly been against 'big' teams though. Losing to Wigan in the Cup Final was not the surprise some are making it out to be.

It was a surprise because as you say Mancini was always very good at getting us win big matches across his reign and also his record against Wigan was impeccable, think that was the first goal we had even conceded against them under Mancini.

Overall though this is the Soriano thread and I have had my say on him, the other Spaniard and Khaldoon. To me their chasing of Pellegrini was naive and not very street-wise considering their reputations of professionalism, they messed up the build-up to the Cup Final, they treated the sacking of Mancini poorly, the Soriano interview last week contradicts himself throughout and worryingly we seem to be heading down a Chelsea route, which is completely wrong. Also we are appointing a manager whose record is inferior to the outgoing one.

Time will tell on Pellegrini and I hope he does well, we need to act swiftly in the transfer market and Soriano and Bergistain need to redeem themselves and deliver in their respective roles. Nothing further to add.

I don't understand what these 'contradictions' are supposed to be. I can't see a single one.

People can choose to engineer one if they wish but I can clearly understand what he is saying & I don't believe others are struggling with that; it's one of the clearest explainations of where City are going that I've ever read & I mean EVER, including previous owners & chairmen etc.

If we're nit picking about how he uses a couple of words here & there to describe an idea; imagine if we'd been going through Bob's press conferences for the past 3 seasons doing that ?

The bloke is Spanish but it still translates better & is easier to understand than anything Cook ever said.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

I didn't discuss Mancini's future and nor did anybody I went with (approx 30 hard core Blues)
It's a red herring. It was a non surprisiig Mancini performance

Irrelevant what the fans were thinking, is what was in the minds of the players and coaching staff that counts. Their awareness of the rumours could have impacted their performance in several negative ways, surely even you must admit that...

What a crock of fuckign shit , believe what you will but accrding to good sources most of the players fucking hated him and have done for a while now.
The performance was not a one off,we have played just as shite against the SAME fuckign team not long ago.....and learnt nothing from it....again.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Ted, I was at Eastlands for the league game and Wigan were the better side and they deserved at least a point and quite possibly all 3. A brilliant Tevez goal got us out of jail.

That game though I read that we had just put in 2 very good performances against United and Chelsea and it was very much a case of after the Lord Mayors show.

My point about the FA Cup Final still stands though. The comparison to Chelsea with Benitez and their final does not stand up to scrutiny as the title he was given was Interim Manager, probably explains some erratic performances and results through his tenure. The Mancini situation at the time was different as it seemed quite likely he would be given another season to not only regain the title but progress to the knockout situation. The mass rumour mill that went into overdrive with all media outlets over in the 24 hours beforehand and on the morning of the game - it was quite surprising particularly in the lead-up to our biggest game of the season.

Do not want to us ever be in the situation again where our manager is standing on the touchline at Wembley with that cloud over him. The fact that City fans beforehand were quite flat and all discussion was on that situation rather than the excitement of a cup final day, a trophy, wembley to me just made the day even more of a let down. That was before the game even started.

Well it's true that we had just turned in two very good performances but how many times do we drop our standards against lesser teams ?

When I saw the way we played v Wigan, I figured that a repeat in the final would lose us the game & my hope was that usually Bob has been very good in the big cup games. They have mostly been against 'big' teams though. Losing to Wigan in the Cup Final was not the surprise some are making it out to be.

It was a surprise because as you say Mancini was always very good at getting us win big matches across his reign and also his record against Wigan was impeccable, think that was the first goal we had even conceded against them under Mancini.

Overall though this is the Soriano thread and I have had my say on him, the other Spaniard and Khaldoon. To me their chasing of Pellegrini was naive and not very street-wise considering their reputations of professionalism, they messed up the build-up to the Cup Final, they treated the sacking of Mancini poorly, the Soriano interview last week contradicts himself throughout and worryingly we seem to be heading down a Chelsea route, which is completely wrong. Also we are appointing a manager whose record is inferior to the outgoing one.

Time will tell on Pellegrini and I hope he does well, we need to act swiftly in the transfer market and Soriano and Bergistain need to redeem themselves and deliver in their respective roles. Nothing further to add.

Was it naive of Bob to be lining up a job at Monaco last season after he'd fucked it up at Arsenal? And how did the players react to that uncertainty?

[Original Dub]

Was it naive of Bob to be lining up a job at Monaco last season after he'd fucked it up at Arsenal? And how did the players react to that uncertainty?

Excellent point

[Foreverinbluedreams]

What was naive was the lack of discretion shown by Txiki in his PUBLIC meeting with Jesus Martinez not the fact that he met him.

Clubs as well as manager's will always have a fall back option, contingency plan if you will.

[kinkylola]

What was naive was the lack of discretion shown by Txiki in his PUBLIC meeting with Jesus Martinez not the fact that he met him.

Clubs as well as manager's will always have a fall back option, contingency plan if you will.

believe that is also the agent for Isco? Is that correct? I'm happy that we were making personal contact so quickly ...

[Foreverinbluedreams]

What was naive was the lack of discretion shown by Txiki in his PUBLIC meeting with Jesus Martinez not the fact that he met him.

Clubs as well as manager's will always have a fall back option, contingency plan if you will.

believe that is also the agent for Isco? Is that correct? I'm happy that we were making personal contact so quickly ...

According to Dan Taylor in the Guardian Mr. Martinez doesn't represent any player.

Apparently we( as in Txiki )first made contact back in January, that is based on rumour though. Again meeting our targets is not the problem, it's meeting them in public that's the problem.

[kinkylola]

What was naive was the lack of discretion shown by Txiki in his PUBLIC meeting with Jesus Martinez not the fact that he met him.

Clubs as well as manager's will always have a fall back option, contingency plan if you will.

believe that is also the agent for Isco? Is that correct? I'm happy that we were making personal contact so quickly ...

According to Dan Taylor in the Guardian Mr. Martinez doesn't represent any player.

Apparently we( as in Txiki )first made contact back in January, that is based on rumour though. Again meeting our targets is not the problem, it's meeting them in public that's the problem.

If it's not an agent for any player, than I retract my statement ... seems that what you're saying is based on rumor though and not substantiated, so I don't think we can comment on who was naive really.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

What was naive was the lack of discretion shown by Txiki in his PUBLIC meeting with Jesus Martinez not the fact that he met him.

Clubs as well as manager's will always have a fall back option, contingency plan if you will.

believe that is also the agent for Isco? Is that correct? I'm happy that we were making personal contact so quickly ...

According to Dan Taylor in the Guardian Mr. Martinez doesn't represent any player.

Apparently we( as in Txiki )first made contact back in January, that is based on rumour though. Again meeting our targets is not the problem, it's meeting them in public that's the problem.

If it's not an agent for any player, than I retract my statement ... seems that what you're saying is based on rumor though and not substantiated, so I don't think we can comment on who was naive really.

The public meeting with Txiki and Jesus Martinez just over a month ago was substantiated, so yes we can comment on who was naive.

The rumour I'm referring to is that initial contact between the two was first made in January.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Everyone knew for a fact hughes was a goner before the sunderland game and we still won.

It just is not a good enough excuse. It's a terrible excuse in fact.

I'm just glad it's unlikely other fans are reading the board, because that would be embarrassing.

That's actually a good point. What a gut-busting roller coaster that was for many of the players that match was. But they liked him though, which I think is at least one thing. So perhaps he could motivate them although he and they knew what was coming.

Mancini have never used that type of approach and he never will. When he's undermined, it leaves the squad in a different type of state than when someone like Hughes is at the helm.

I don't really know what my point is though. Whatever.

[JamieMCFC]

According to Dan Taylor in the Guardian Mr. Martinez doesn't represent any player.

Begiristain was seen with Jesús Martínez, the agent representing Manuel Pellegrini, in Madrid on Monday. However Martínez also represents the Málaga midfielder Isco, who may be a summer target."I hope that he had good dinner," Mancini said. "I don't know why they met. You should ask these questions to Txiki not me. It's not important for me."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013 ... ity-malaga

[Foreverinbluedreams]

According to Dan Taylor in the Guardian Mr. Martinez doesn't represent any player.

Begiristain was seen with Jesús Martínez, the agent representing Manuel Pellegrini, in Madrid on Monday. However Martínez also represents the Málaga midfielder Isco, who may be a summer target."I hope that he had good dinner," Mancini said. "I don't know why they met. You should ask these questions to Txiki not me. It's not important for me."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013 ... ity-malaga

http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/m ... es-everton

2nd and 3rd paragraph mate.