***city v celtic official match thread***

[Feed The Goat]

Just got home from the Etihad . Yes very strange team selection , Tosin did well and was very cool and assured and never dived in once which was great to see. Strange sort of game but it was a dead rubber , fucking chaos outside the ground as predicted and loads of scuffles inside , a couple of free for alls going on in 122 and 121 and 120 fucking disrespectful Celtic cunts everywhere !!! Blonde haired senior steward lady deserves a medal sorting the pissed up Celtic clowns out and throwing them out , very hostlie indeedy but how did they all get tickets and get in with all the checks ???

City fans would've sold them tickets.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

Tosin a yes for me.
Zaba a no, did ok but we should have dominated the game in midfield and we didn't
I felt a bit sorry for Nacho.Looked mega promising early on .His movement was great and he had 3 chances but then the service all but disappeared. He will do fine with the regulars in midfield
Clichy is looking a bit average isn't he. Never a great passer of the ball anyway. Bit depressing to think it's either him of Kola! Had it been a wing back role Angelino would surely have played last night.

[Wonderwall]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

I) Tosin was assured, didn't do much wrong and used the ball wisely. He did make one mistake carrying the ball out and got caught in possession which led to a celtic attack in a dangerous position which resulted in a corner. I saw Sagna have a word with him, hope it was a positive word.

ii) Zaba did very well I thought and made several great runs but we didn't give him the ball. Definitely an option for me.

iii) Nacho starts great but drifts out of games and was coming way too deep to pick up the ball for my liking at times. Will be good to give him a run of games

iv) not a Clichy fan these days. His pace was his best asset but that's not enough in Peps system.

[Nigels Tackle]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

I) Tosin was assured, didn't do much wrong and used the ball wisely. He did make one mistake carrying the ball out and got caught in possession which led to a celtic attack in a dangerous position which resulted in a corner. I saw Sagna have a word with him, hope it was a positive word.

ii) Zaba did very well I thought and made several great runs but we didn't give him the ball. Definitely an option for me.

iii) Nacho starts great but drifts out of games and was coming way too deep to pick up the ball for my liking at times. Will be good to give him a run of games

iv) not a Clichy fan these days. His pace was his best asset but that's not enough in Peps system.

nacho's all round game dicks on kun's. with the right coaching he's going to be fuckinb amazing.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Barcelona had a dead rubber game against much better opposition and they battered MG.

Last nights performance was shite and after the Chelsea shit fest Pep had a duty to put on a dominating show.

Shite....IMO.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Just to add on Tosin, he naively tried to play offside at the end which let them in for the one on one with Caballero, his general performance was very assured though.

[john@staustell]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

I) Tosin was assured, didn't do much wrong and used the ball wisely. He did make one mistake carrying the ball out and got caught in possession which led to a celtic attack in a dangerous position which resulted in a corner. I saw Sagna have a word with him, hope it was a positive word.

ii) Zaba did very well I thought and made several great runs but we didn't give him the ball. Definitely an option for me.

iii) Nacho starts great but drifts out of games and was coming way too deep to pick up the ball for my liking at times. Will be good to give him a run of games

iv) not a Clichy fan these days. His pace was his best asset but that's not enough in Peps system.

I felt our defensive height was much more solid with long tall Tosin - not sure if that was just my perception or if Celtic weren't too good compared to the Premier forwards in the air.

Zaba was part-midfielder when he came. Robbie Savage had no knowledge of that of course, despite claiming to know that the kid on the bench had a 'great attitude'. WTF?

Nacho does look a bit uncomfortable as a straight CF. Pellegrini correct????

Clichy - gone I'm afraid, utter crap these days.. Him, Sagna and Kolarov will be out in the summer when their contracts are up.

[City64]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

Celtic are English Championship standard ........
(i) Yes never dived in unlike Otta , Kolarov and Stones do every week and was very cool under pressure . More game time
at a higher level will tell us much more , good solid performance though.
(ii) Zab played well , lucky for him Celtic are one of the slowest teams i have seen .
(iii) Did well overall but gets caught offside too easily , Pep played fuck with him at one stage in the second half.
(iv) Yes , hopeless .

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

Celtic are English Championship standard ........
(i) Yes never dived in unlike Otta , Kolarov and Stones do every week and was very cool under pressure . More game time
at a higher level will tell us much more , good solid performance though.
(ii) Zab played well , lucky for him Celtic are one of the slowest teams i have seen .
(iii) Did well overall but gets caught offside too easily , Pep played fuck with him at one stage in the second half.
(iv) Yes , hopeless .

Agree about Nacho getting caught offside, can maybe put that down to a lack of sharpness through lack of playing time though.

[City64]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

Celtic are English Championship standard ........
(i) Yes never dived in unlike Otta , Kolarov and Stones do every week and was very cool under pressure . More game time
at a higher level will tell us much more , good solid performance though.
(ii) Zab played well , lucky for him Celtic are one of the slowest teams i have seen .
(iii) Did well overall but gets caught offside too easily , Pep played fuck with him at one stage in the second half.
(iv) Yes , hopeless .

Agree about Nacho getting caught offside, can maybe put that down to a lack of sharpness through lack of playing time though.

Maybe pal , think its more a concentration thing going on . We should have used his pace more last night as he got into some great positions but Nolito and Gundogan just couldn't find the final ball mostly . Big month for him !

[iwasthere2012]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

1. He did ok. As others have said, he didn't dive in, but looked very raw (naturally).
Let players drift off him at times, but put a proper experienced CB beside him (who?) and I'd say worth another chance.

2. Still a no from me. Thought he had an excellent first half but looked tired early on in the second half. This was only Celtic we were playing. He has the heart and experience for it but I don't think he could last the pace for a full ninety in the PL.

3. I don't think there is anything wrong with Nacho's positioning or workrate. I do think he is rusty and needs a good run getting the same supply line that Kun gets.
I also have suspected for a while that his control and first touch and weight of pass is not all we would desire, but this could perhaps improve with a good run in the team.

4. Clichy? We're long overdue replacing our fullbacks. Gael can't defend. Fits in with the rest of the back four/three/none.

[Sideshow Bob]

pretty poor display overall, but there were signs of life in our buildup play. some nice triangles and one touch passing near the touchline. sane is very raw and looks a kid out there most of the time, but then he collects the ball in midfield, drives past 4-5 and convinces you he's going to be a star.

[sheblue]

Re: Clichy and Kola. Poor pep must feel like doing a Steve coppell when he sees them two lads trying to defend.

[City64]

Breaking News SSN .......

Celtic charged by UEFA for crowd disturbances and letting off fireworks at last nights game v Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium !

[Wonderwall]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

Celtic are English Championship standard ........
(i) Yes never dived in unlike Otta , Kolarov and Stones do every week and was very cool under pressure . More game time
at a higher level will tell us much more , good solid performance though.
(ii) Zab played well , lucky for him Celtic are one of the slowest teams i have seen .
(iii) Did well overall but gets caught offside too easily , Pep played fuck with him at one stage in the second half.
(iv) Yes , hopeless .

Agree about Nacho getting caught offside, can maybe put that down to a lack of sharpness through lack of playing time though.

Maybe pal , think its more a concentration thing going on . We should have used his pace more last night as he got into some great positions but Nolito and Gundogan just couldn't find the final ball mostly . Big month for him !

Forgot to mention about the offsides. It's a very basic part of football. I know forwards like to get their rest when the opposition atrack, but the way pep has set us up to press and win the ball back ASAP., he needs to be onside and ready for the next ball in to him or over the top.

I am not surprised Pep wasn't happy. The team bust a gut to regain possession, only for the forward to be offside and just hand them the ball straight back is poor. Let's hope he corrects this and doesn't develop a Darius Vassell disease.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Some interesting thoughts registered above so, many thanks for all of those.

For myself, more than anything else which came out of last night's game, I fervently hope Pep sees fit to 'persevere', if that's the right word to use, a little more to see how Tosin develops in the first team and accepting that, as a youngster, his performances might be variable and containing mistakes but which, at the end of the day, might just leave us with a worthwhile, homegrown defender on our hands.

At the end of the day, for myself, it just feels that Tosin succeeding is even more important for the well being of the squad, than even Nacho succeeding, if one had to choose between the two; invidious option though that might be.

[mr_nool]

Some interesting thoughts registered above so, many thanks for all of those.

For myself, more than anything else which came out of last night's game, I fervently hope Pep sees fit to 'persevere', if that's the right word to use, a little more to see how Tosin develops in the first team and accepting that, as a youngster, his performances might be variable and containing mistakes but which, at the end of the day, might just leave us with a worthwhile, homegrown defender on our hands.

At the end of the day, for myself, it just feels that Tosin succeeding is even more important for the well being of the squad, than even Nacho succeeding, if one had to choose between the two; invidious option though that might be.

Well, that's a given in my opinion. Tosin is a local lad from our academy. Nacho was (sort of) bought for the first squad. I.e. Tosin succeeding would send a much bigger message.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Not the greatest game but the beer was especially good in the JA afterwards. That's what I'll take from the evening.

[nottsblue]

Looking at things from Pep's perspective, which may be, or probably will be, different from a fan's viewpoint, I'd just like to ask the following if I may :-

(i) Did Tosin do enough last night to merit further consideration for any games in the near future ??

(ii) Did PabZab perform well enough to be selected in midfield again ??

(iii) Was Nacho's performance, positioning and workrate, overall, satisfactory enough for him to lead the line in the next few games we have without Aguero ??

(iv) Is it time, to call time on Clichy ??


As I say, I'm just trying look at things the way that Pep might assess them, not as we would necessarily see them. This might be a 'Mission Impossible' task but I'm curious to learn what others might feel.

Great post MC.

1 yes, without a doubt. Would he be any worse than some of Otter and Kolarovs performances?
2 no. He isn't good enough against better opposition. Second half he tired against what was to be a fair, a poor outfit. He could arguably play against weak opposition in the PL, but then I would prefer to see more of Garcia in those games.
3 yes. Primarily because there's little alternative. Sounds daft but I am not convinced by Iheanacho just yet. I know he gets lots of goals and for me that's what a striker primarily should be judged on but his link up play is weak and his head drops when he hasn't had the ball in the right areas. I don't think he is ready to lead the line on his own yet and as part of a front two I think we would see a better player. Don't think that will happen though.
4 at the end of the season, or January if a suitable replacement can be sourced.