So, we win ugly...

[Ted Hughes]

Must have watched a different game to you guys......

The last time we got an aerial skinning like that, Kit Symons was playing.

Did we win or lose the game ?

Thought so. He is an average player.

Absolutely meaningless comments, either you're pissed or just on a wumming exercise.

[Fish111]

How many chances does Carroll need to score though, wins headers but hardly threatened the goal

Exactly, a poor mans Shearer. Would much prefer a better player like Dzeko alongside Tevez.

[Ted Hughes]

We won nearly all the 2nd balls today, which we shouldn't be allowed to & wouldn't, had it been rags or Chelsea we were playing.

Key reason for victory. Carroll is one of the best headers of the ball maybe ever. Just stopable. He'll always win the header but to reduce effectiveness make sure there is always someone there to challange him and that there are plenty around to clear the knockdowns.

As for his potential big money move to City, he's got a long way to go and alot of maturing to do before that becomes a reality.

On the subject of the full backs, both today were garbage. Boateng isnt good enough, too laid back, too easily beaten. Kolorov cant turn, he stands off players too much, gives them too much time, and cant stop crosses coming into the box. He's also not that great on the ball. Both really need to buck up their ideas. How Boateng gets in before Richards and especially Zabaletta, whose been great this season, is beyond me.

Don't think Carroll is on City's radar. I don't think we'd know how to use him. It would just end up with us lumping the ball at his head like Newcastle did rather than using him cleverly.

I agree about the fullbacks but I think they will get better long term. It was however, a pointless & stupid risk playing Boateng today, which could have cost us the game. Let's face it; if Bob hadn't signed him, he wouldn't be playing him. It will have done him good though I think; being on the end of a pummelling & even managing to win the odd header v Carroll.

[CitizenYank]

We won nearly all the 2nd balls today, which we shouldn't be allowed to & wouldn't, had it been rags or Chelsea we were playing.

Key reason for victory. Carroll is one of the best headers of the ball maybe ever. Just stopable. He'll always win the header but to reduce effectiveness make sure there is always someone there to challange him and that there are plenty around to clear the knockdowns.

As for his potential big money move to City, he's got a long way to go and alot of maturing to do before that becomes a reality.

On the subject of the full backs, both today were garbage. Boateng isnt good enough, too laid back, too easily beaten. Kolorov cant turn, he stands off players too much, gives them too much time, and cant stop crosses coming into the box. He's also not that great on the ball. Both really need to buck up their ideas. How Boateng gets in before Richards and especially Zabaletta, whose been great this season, is beyond me.

Don't think Carroll is on City's radar. I don't think we'd know how to use him. It would just end up with us lumping the ball at his head like Newcastle did rather than using him cleverly.

I agree about the fullbacks but I think they will get better long term. It was however, a pointless & stupid risk playing Boateng today, which could have cost us the game. Let's face it; if Bob hadn't signed him, he wouldn't be playing him. It will have done him good though I think; being on the end of a pummelling & even managing to win the odd header v Carroll.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... ester-city

You owe me a pint, mate.

[avoidconfusion]

I have a feeling Carrol is the new Amr Zaki.

[ronk]

I thought we passed the ball well, better than the Everton game. Newcastle were hurt by trying to play too much football. They conceded goals through losing possession trying to build from the back and they attacked us well at times, though our defence held firm. They'd have had a better chance if they'd put 10 men behind the ball and fired long balls to Carroll, hoping to live off scraps. But credit to them for showing some ambition.

I thought it was a good game.

[Ted Hughes]

We won nearly all the 2nd balls today, which we shouldn't be allowed to & wouldn't, had it been rags or Chelsea we were playing.

Key reason for victory. Carroll is one of the best headers of the ball maybe ever. Just stopable. He'll always win the header but to reduce effectiveness make sure there is always someone there to challange him and that there are plenty around to clear the knockdowns.

As for his potential big money move to City, he's got a long way to go and alot of maturing to do before that becomes a reality.

On the subject of the full backs, both today were garbage. Boateng isnt good enough, too laid back, too easily beaten. Kolorov cant turn, he stands off players too much, gives them too much time, and cant stop crosses coming into the box. He's also not that great on the ball. Both really need to buck up their ideas. How Boateng gets in before Richards and especially Zabaletta, whose been great this season, is beyond me.

Don't think Carroll is on City's radar. I don't think we'd know how to use him. It would just end up with us lumping the ball at his head like Newcastle did rather than using him cleverly.

I agree about the fullbacks but I think they will get better long term. It was however, a pointless & stupid risk playing Boateng today, which could have cost us the game. Let's face it; if Bob hadn't signed him, he wouldn't be playing him. It will have done him good though I think; being on the end of a pummelling & even managing to win the odd header v Carroll.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... ester-city

You owe me a pint, mate.

?

[Chinners]

Anyone on a purple patch will bre on the media's 'joining City' radar, I like Carroll but he ain't for us at the mo

[Swales4ever]

Whether I do agree with the proposed solutions or not, this is DEFINITELY THE THREAD of the after-match. So, well in, S1ty m.
I had posted several time my idea that we are still missing a bit of "seniority" to be - already this season - an actual title bidder. My books count 7 points missed because of this, plus the 3 points versus the Goluns last week home.
THOUGH, I'd be delighted and keen to revise my assessment, should the Lads show off a couple/three of the kind of yesterday's performances, in a row.
I mean in terms of the way City took the first two scoring opportunities - in a very unusual cynical way for us - plus the assured and composed way we managed the score. The fact we have been suffering the huge pressure and big desire of the Geordies - everything considered: home support/huge aerial threat by Carroll+Nolan+the very impressive youngster prospect - is nothing than enforcement of my opinion of City handled it very composedly and assuredly.

Roll on tomorrow, ffs!
Come on CITY!!!

[Biamp]

I have a feeling Carrol is the new Amr Zaki.

In what way?

Now we need to starting winning this way on a daily basis.

[john@staustell]

I have a feeling Carrol is the new Amr Zaki.

In what way?

Now we need to starting winning this way on a daily basis.

The new Sibierski perhaps? He was good in the air.

Cant believe some people want to re-arrange all our tactics to put in a big lumping front man.

[Fish111]

I have a feeling Carrol is the new Amr Zaki.

In what way?

Now we need to starting winning this way on a daily basis.

The new Sibierski perhaps? He was good in the air.

Cant believe some people want to re-arrange all our tactics to put in a big lumping front man.

Exactly, i would hate to play the style of football having a big front man inevitably produces. We may as well buy back Dunne so he can lump the ball from the back to Carroll.

[CityFanFromRome]

Exactly, i would hate to play the style of football having a big front man inevitably produces. We may as well buy back Dunne so he can lump the ball from the back to Carroll.

However without a big man up front we are not going to break down defences like Everton, Brum and Blackburn when they come and park the bus. I would hate to play that style of football too, but there are games where having a big man upfront will get us the points, or at least will give us a much better chance of seizing them. It's a fine balance we need to find, maybe we could buy one who doesn't moan if he's on the ebnch a lot, and then play him in the games that require this kind of presence.

[Fish111]

it's not so much the concept of a big man that upsets me but rather Andy Carrolls limitations. He, to me, is a one trick pony at the moment. Stop the crosses coming in and you stop Andy Carroll. That is what City didn't do yesterday. We let the Newcastle wide players cross the ball time and again and he won virtually every header.
We may as well buy Peter Crouch to to compliment Carroll. I'd much prefer Dezeko to play alongside Tevez and play around or even through defences. Having a big goon upfront is an easy option and reduces your tactics to just one. Lump it.

[dazby]

Both Adebayor and Rocky are great in the air. The thing is, we don't play that way. Buying Carroll would be like buying......Rocky or Adebayor.

We already have this type of player. Adebayor is better with the ball at his feet and Rocky is Carroll's equal in the air. So why bother with Carroll? Waste of time and money. He'd just become another boo boy.

[Ted Hughes]

it's not so much the concept of a big man that upsets me but rather Andy Carrolls limitations. He, to me, is a one trick pony at the moment. Stop the crosses coming in and you stop Andy Carroll. That is what City didn't do yesterday. We let the Newcastle wide players cross the ball time and again and he won virtually every header.
We may as well buy Peter Crouch to to compliment Carroll. I'd much prefer Dezeko to play alongside Tevez and play around or even through defences. Having a big goon upfront is an easy option and reduces your tactics to just one. Lump it.

You can't stop crosses if you have a player like Carroll. You can stop players who aren't very good at crossing the ball from crossing it to people like Tevez but you can't possibly stop teams from delivering a ball into the box if there's a player like Carroll, who's willing to fight for it & move onto the ball rather than expecting a perfect ball right on his head (like Ade or Balotelli). ANY ball into the box from any angle becomes a danger. David Silva or Tevez would find Andy Carroll from anywhere around the box at any time.

I agree that Dzeko has more finesse than Carroll at the moment. We can only hope that he also has the desire to make an average cross into a good one; which Carroll does in spades. None of our current strikers have that ability. RSC did before we signed him but doesn't seem to have the same jump anymore. One thing's for sure; as a team we need to score a lot more headed goals. With our aerial record, the rags would be mid table. No team will win the Prem without it. Even Wenger has learned that.

[blue wine]

dont think we won ugly...
i thought that it was a great away performance.

[Ted Hughes]

dont think we won ugly...
i thought that it was a great away performance.

The two things are not mutually exclusive.

[blue wine]

dont think we won ugly...
i thought that it was a great away performance.

The two things are not mutually exclusive.

why do u say that? i thought we were always on top of the game, played very well and was very professional. we scored 3 goals away from home, so it was a great away performance. winning ugly (IMO) is like everton did last week to us. 33 chances 5 penalty appeals and they still won.

[Im_Spartacus]

Both Adebayor and Rocky are great in the air. The thing is, we don't play that way. Buying Carroll would be like buying......Rocky or Adebayor.

We already have this type of player. Adebayor is better with the ball at his feet and Rocky is Carroll's equal in the air. So why bother with Carroll? Waste of time and money. He'd just become another boo boy.

Spot on that pal, like I have said many times, we have RSC as an option and have chosen not to use him on far too many occasions - on the very few occasions we have used him, we have played the ball into his feet wherupon he falls over. We are unable to play to the strengths of having a big bastard up front, first reason being that we seem to have very few players capable of picking one out with a cross.

Having said that, being the only club out of 92 not to have scored a header after half a season has passed is a fucking disgraceful statistic, and maybe it is working on this which would have enabled us to beat the likes of Everton, Blackburn etc.