Have we blown it?

[Green & Blue]

hmmm

[Blue Since 76]

From the Big Sam on Twitter and somehow it seems fitting:

As my great pal Simon Weston once said, as he walked sadly past an eyebrow tweezer in Boots - you don't know what you got til it's gone.


If we'd been offered second and fighting for the title until the last few games last July we'd have taken it. But after the season we've had and the lead we had, to lose it is hard and unacceptable.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Yes we have blown it and its Mancinis fault.

End of.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Yes we have blown it and its Mancinis fault.

End of.

I agree apart from the Mancini bit. I think a lot of our players need to take a look in the mirror and ask do they really want to win this title because if they do their not showing it on the pitch. The Mario incident with the free kick was a fucking joke. We're suppose to be fighting for the title not against each other.

[Manx Blue]

I haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if I'm going over old ground.

1. No we haven't blown it, there is still time and games left.

2. We need to shuffle the pack a bit. I would be inclined to start with Tevez against Arsenal. We desperately need Aguero back, and I think Dzeko, Tevez, Aguero up front could work. Balotelli must be dropped for me. He's a liability at present, and we need EVERYONE pitching in for the run in.

3. We also need to think about midfield. We're ponderous, and dreadfully slow at present. I don't know if starting with Johnson (and gamble with the fact he may not track back) could open things up? Silva, whilst our best player is carrying a knock and needs to be shut down, if even for a game...another gamble I know, just to try and get him for the last few and maybe some impetus.

4. Defensively we need Lescott in there for Toure.

Just my oppinions...I don't think its over just yet. But we need a little bit of luck and tread carefully in the forthcoming days.

[DoomMerchant]

Yes we have blown it and its Mancinis fault.

End of.

Eggsackly.

I'm fucking furious. He isn't the answer for the "English Barcelona" which Soccs wants us to be either.

Gone in the summer unless there is simply not a better person on offer.

Good riddance you negative fearful bastard.

I'd rather have Brendan Rodgers at this point. Give a young manager the job to have for the next decade if we can't find the 2-3 world class managers who would be an upgrade.

[Manx Blue]

Yes we have blown it and its Mancinis fault.

End of.

Eggsackly.

I'm fucking furious. He isn't the answer for the "English Barcelona" which Soccs wants us to be either.

Gone in the summer unless there is simply not a better person on offer.

Good riddance you negative fearful bastard.

I'd rather have Brendan Rodgers at this point. Give a young manager the job to have for the next decade if we can't find the 2-3 world class managers who would be an upgrade.

I don't think removing him is the answer. Yes we're aspiring to win trophies.

But lets look at things: Liverpool, changed managers, stuggling. Chelsea, changed managers frequently since Mourinho and are struggling since Ancellotti left. Rags and Arsenal have stuck with their managers, and do have rocky periods, but on the whole compete regularly

We are now camped in that all important top four, and remaining there is vital for our participation in Europe. Getting rid of Mancini could be the downward spiral we don't want.

Regardless of the outcome, we need cool heads and not knee-jerk reactions come the end of the season

[Manx Blue]

In addition to those managers mentioned, also have a look at Villa.

Two years ago their supporters wanted rid of MON, because of the style of play, and because we'd overtaken them trying to get into the CL.

Lets be careful of what we wish for.

[PeterParker]

In addition to those managers mentioned, also have a look at Villa.

Two years ago their supporters wanted rid of MON, because of the style of play, and because we'd overtaken them trying to get into the CL.

Lets be careful of what we wish for.

Villa's situation was completly different. They refused to buy players, although they have money and prefered to sell their best players. I don''t know any club in their right state of mind, to have those clueless decisions like Villa had.
City can grow with any manager, we did it even with Hughes.

People are used to say that the sheik will do that, or that, but since he came here, they heard him talk once and had only one decision. Remember that the board gave 1 year and a half to Hughes, a manager that was brought by the ex board and who wasen't one of their own. All the decisions that the big boss took were good, he gave time and didn't had so far any abramovichesque decision.

I know he will do what is best for the club, like he always did. If they think that Bob has failed to do his job, didn't knew how to manage some situations, then they will change him.

[ashton287]

I wouldnt want a new manager. The only manager i would rate above mancini (only with prem exp, no prem exp would be fucking suicide) is mourinho and taggart. So that leaves mourinho who will fuck off after 2 years max we might aswell install a revolving door if we go down that root. So basically stick with mancini and buy hazard, ronaldo and subotic please.

[MaineRoadMemories]

We've huffed and puffed all 2012. It really has been a season of two halves and you can see the players are struggling to cope in recent matches by over thinking situations and taking too long to make a decision whether that's with the ball or without it and making some intelilgent runs. Only when we are losing and looking like getting nothing does this change and the players don't think as much and start doing what they are good at.

In short, we are bottling it every match, hence going a goal or two down in most of the recent games. The last time we played with any fluidity for a full match in the league was Fulham at home at the start of February.

A huge issue is our lack of creative passing in midfield. David Silva has been the biggest bottler of all in 2012. He hasn't coped well at all. When you think though, this is his very first title challenge in his career and he's the main man at our club. Unfortunately he has crumbled.

I watched him so closely at Stoke and again today. He isn't provding any good balls to our strikers at all, often passing it to the opposition but most worrying of all he's hiding in games - especially these two I've watched him intently.

He's marking himself out of games and when receiving the ball is simply giving it straight back to the person who gave it him - slowing our entire game down even more than it was - if that's possible. I'm really worried about his mentality by hiding from the ball as you couldn't get it off him at the start of the season. Nasri has played excellent in the last 3 games and I was surprised to not see him in the team. I think he should take over and David should drop to the bench for a few games.

Back to the run in. We are two points behind but may be 8 points behind by the time we play a decent looking Arsenal team. We have to up our game and start fighting from the first whistle, not when we are behind. Last season we finished 9 points United and the players have to ensure that doesn't happen again.

Onto the manager, he's made it tough on himself with some odd tactical decisions and I'm getting frustrated at his misuse of Milner who also doesn't look happy. He has to some more grit and determination in his TV interviews too as he's not looking like a confident man in the last 2 weeks. It's still being an amazing season to date but our current indifferent form cannot continue in April for sure.

As for the future, he signed a 3 1/2 contract in 2009 so he's got 1 year left. We'll know what the owners are planning either way this summer for sure.

[Jon London]

No way have we blown it. Win our last 7 games and Rags will have to win 7 out of 8 to pip us. arsenal just won 7 on the bounce with shit like koscelny and Ramsey in the team.

We just needed a bit more luck in our last two games ie gardner should have been carded for the penalty crouch wonder goal should have gone over and the rags should have drawn with fulham. The tide will tide. #together

[Manx Blue]

In addition to those managers mentioned, also have a look at Villa.

Two years ago their supporters wanted rid of MON, because of the style of play, and because we'd overtaken them trying to get into the CL.

Lets be careful of what we wish for.

Villa's situation was completly different. They refused to buy players, although they have money and prefered to sell their best players. I don''t know any club in their right state of mind, to have those clueless decisions like Villa had.
City can grow with any manager, we did it even with Hughes.

People are used to say that the sheik will do that, or that, but since he came here, they heard him talk once and had only one decision. Remember that the board gave 1 year and a half to Hughes, a manager that was brought by the ex board and who wasen't one of their own. All the decisions that the big boss took were good, he gave time and didn't had so far any abramovichesque decision.

I know he will do what is best for the club, like he always did. If they think that Bob has failed to do his job, didn't knew how to manage some situations, then they will change him.

I agree with you that Villa didnt want to spend, PP. But that was a mix of MON's purchases being hit and miss, and lack of funds. But the support was also beginning to question the evolution of the team, were beginning to get tired of the style of play under him too.

[Lev Bronstein]

In addition to those managers mentioned, also have a look at Villa.

Two years ago their supporters wanted rid of MON, because of the style of play, and because we'd overtaken them trying to get into the CL.

Lets be careful of what we wish for.

Villa's situation was completly different. They refused to buy players, although they have money and prefered to sell their best players. I don''t know any club in their right state of mind, to have those clueless decisions like Villa had.
City can grow with any manager, we did it even with Hughes.

People are used to say that the sheik will do that, or that, but since he came here, they heard him talk once and had only one decision. Remember that the board gave 1 year and a half to Hughes, a manager that was brought by the ex board and who wasen't one of their own. All the decisions that the big boss took were good, he gave time and didn't had so far any abramovichesque decision.

I know he will do what is best for the club, like he always did. If they think that Bob has failed to do his job, didn't knew how to manage some situations, then they will change him.

I agree with you that Villa didnt want to spend, PP. But that was a mix of MON's purchases being hit and miss, and lack of funds. But the support was also beginning to question the evolution of the team, were beginning to get tired of the style of play under him too.

Villa spent on MON's targets, then they hardly played. Think about Villa under MON - great first half of the season, weary in the second half. Think about how much money has come into the club and they're still £45m in debt. If I was a Villa fan I would want to look more closely at O'Neill's work.

[Lev Bronstein]

Should the season finish on tuesday with the rags 5 points in front - but us 13 in front of third, Arsenal; then I wouldn't be happy. But, I wouldn't be saying the season had been a disaster either. That position would represent progress - not the progress we all hoped for when we were eight points in front, but progress nonetheless.

It's been a strange contrast to last season. Last year we improved as time went on. This year we seem to be getting weaker. There will be a number of reasons for this. For example. last year we hardly ever played, or at least started, with two up front. Now we seem to be doing this from the beginning - maybe that's weakened the midfield so we can't stifle the opposition and contol the game as we once did? Whatever the reason a bit of calm analysis is called for, and the management - from the Sheikh downwrds are going to need to cast a cold eye.

One of the often quoted advantages of having a bad run is that you find out the worth of the men around you. Everybody seems great when you're winning. When you have a bad patch you can see more clearly who are the sheep and who are the lions.

So: should we sell Dzecko, Mario and Tevez; bring back Guidetti and buy two new forwards? Do Gazbaz and Nige need to be replaced by two more dynamic players? Should we cash in on AJ and get a more consistant replacement? Is there an up and coming young centre back who can be fourth choice so we can ship out Savic? Can Siva play for a whole season - if not how do we best use him? And so on.

Are the backroom staff up to the job to maintaining the fitness and sharpness of the squad for the whole of the season? Has Mancini made the best use of his resources? Are Platt and Kidd good enough to be part of the leadership group?

But, the season doesn't end on monday after the rags play Blackburn. We could lose another 5 games and end up in third place. The rags arrogance could yet get the better of them, we could regroup come out fighting, regain our early season form and finish top.

All that is in the future, and the thing about the future is that it hasn't happened yet.

[DoomMerchant]

it's an interesting point raised above...

i'm not sure 2nd place is nailed on.

not a lie.

cheers

[Blue Since 76]

it's an interesting point raised above...

i'm not sure 2nd place is nailed on.

not a lie.

cheers

Cheers for that. Why don't you just come found and kick the stool from under me?

[david yearsley]

it's an interesting point raised above...

i'm not sure 2nd place is nailed on.

not a lie.

cheers

Me neither - if Arse win and beat us it´s down to 7 with 6 to play. Arse look like winning every game atm so we would need 11 more points. Not a given with the run we are on.
How would 3rd again sit with the owners? Progress? - or would they look at the points tally. Don´t forget we were all saying "joint" second last season with probably far less points than this campaign

Interesting one

[dazby]

Winning the league is now out of our hands. In that respect we have blown it.

However, it aint over til it's over. United have some choking to do yet.

[david yearsley]

Ha! Edit my last post - only just found out Arse lost at QPR - was that the late game yesterday coz I missed it watching La Liga? Talking of which time to switch on Atleti v Getafe. Still an outside chance after shitty Malaga coming a cropper

2nd is safe (I think) only 8 points needed