Depressed

[Beefymcfc]

Well, if the current Champions can't beat someone like Fulham away, are we really expected to beat the Champions elect on their own ground?

I'm still smiling by the way ;-)

[john68]

I bet you're dead cute when you smile...gonna post a picture?...hahahahahaha

[john@staustell]

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I feel your pain brother.

Though a win against the scum would've lifted the spirits, perhaps the damage was done.

Like most people, I thought we played good attack minded football on Saturday. The result was shit, granted, but I became a bit more optomistic in tactics etc.

I just wonder why, for example, we didn't bother attacking in the home derby. It's these things that make no sense to me.

With you all the way with this post.

If we play like that until the end of the season we'll get fourth. There is no more room for that defensive shite we were subjected to against Arsenal and United. His job is most definitely on the line and although that will infuriate the georgian genius more than a derby defeat, that is a fact.

He has about 3 months to save his job. I hope he does.

That's pretty much it. Now I do still feel Mancini is the man to take us forward and into promised land of Champion's League and further. However, enough with the excuses. If we are looking to make it into top 4, we don't have much room for error and need to get points from games we usually lose (Everton away, Bolton away for example).

Depressed after that result?

It def made me feel better. What made me feel even more better was how bad they were in the end. Having said that, we need to take care of our biz and not count on others failing.

I REALLY REALLY do hope, and even force myself to believe, that Mancini will be the man but as said, it's time to let results speak for themselves.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I'm dead fucking happy now. Another fucking night with two hours of sleep being generally fucking pissed off.

TIME TO FUCKING DELIVER.

[Hazy2]

I'm dead fucking happy now. Another fucking night with two hours of sleep being generally fucking pissed off.

TIME TO FUCKING DELIVER.

What are you a postman FFS, cheer up, but I agree last night was 100% pants/shite. Roberto has to take the shackles off or this going tits up , Spurs are flying on based on last night with players missing will ruck at coms and beat us hands down.

[Ted Hughes]

I'm dead fucking happy now. Another fucking night with two hours of sleep being generally fucking pissed off.

TIME TO FUCKING DELIVER.

What are you a postman FFS, cheer up, but I agree last night was 100% pants/shite. Roberto has to take the shackles off or this going tits up , Spurs are flying on based on last night with players missing will ruck at coms and beat us hands down.

I don't think there were any shackles on. We only have one player (Silva) of any genuine attacking quality other than the strikers. We need to work on methods of feeding them other than 'everyone run down the middle apart from the fullbacks'. I don't think that's what Bob wants but that's what's happening.

The fact that Balotelli is ready to return should help our attacking ability but can we still defend competently if we play 3 attacking players?

[Hazy2]

I'm dead fucking happy now. Another fucking night with two hours of sleep being generally fucking pissed off.

TIME TO FUCKING DELIVER.

What are you a postman FFS, cheer up, but I agree last night was 100% pants/shite. Roberto has to take the shackles off or this going tits up , Spurs are flying on based on last night with players missing will ruck at coms and beat us hands down.

I don't think there were any shackles on. We only have one player (Silva) of any genuine attacking quality other than the strikers. We need to work on methods of feeding them other than 'everyone run down the middle apart from the fullbacks'. I don't think that's what Bob wants but that's what's happening.

The fact that Balotelli is ready to return should help our attacking ability but can we still defend competently if we play 3 attacking players?

Ted with all due repect, I mean that you talk and watch City through proper specs, we are boring to watch I looked at last night and Notts County as shackles off and express yourself, we were dour lacked any pace/threat/quality. In fact after last night it looked like we need others to fail as we look incapable of finishing the season as we need to. Spurs on the other hand looked solid and play with a freedom we never show. Sorry I hate Spurs with a passion and I will wash my mouth out ,that is what I want as a fan, pace threat and we will have a go form 1st to last minute what we are is far from that we are BORING.

[Fesan]

After watching the first half of Tottenham - AC Milan right after our own game I am for the first time since Mancini came in starting to wonder if he can do it.

I mean we did OK vs a weak side and controlled the game and everything... but comparing to Tottenham.. I mean they looked like a team! They played decent defence and looked like creating something offensively.

Comparing ourselves to them based on the two games I'd say we looked like a championship side... atleast in how the players interacted on the field. We did not look like a unit AT ALL. Defensively we were OK I guess but offensively we have not created a whole lot for some time. Most our goals as of late have been either solo performance or coming from a 1 or 2 pass play max (not counting 10 passes between the back four in our own half uncontested).

I really hope Mancini can fix our offence without it costing us too much defensively, but if it stays the same for the rest of the season I'd say we are damn lucky if we manage to get 4th and I would seriously have trouble telling myself I do not want Mourinho or whoever in during the summer.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Here's a decent post from somewhere else:

Critical questions are the following,

Does this approach (controlled sustained posession) by Mancini signify his intention to really try and 'win' the game?

Does it signify his intention to take any sting out of the game by the other team, which provides a better opportunity for us to 'win' the game?

Does it signify his intention to merely stop the other team from getting any tempo, steam in the game, thus providing the platform for a draw (minimum) - unless beaten by a sheer moment of brilliance

Or does it signify a very clever way to actually demonstrate more cautiousness than even some on here have labelled at him? On the surface, it 'appears' with all the possession, with the attacking players in the side, that we are going out to attack, but in the end, all the posession played in front of their defence, merely stops the other team from getting any flow in the game and reduces them to counter attack (and only the top sides in the league should cause us any problems with this)?

The fear with that is, Mancini just finds a way to disguise his own lack of trust in his players, by making posession appear an attacking tactic. When it might actually be a defensive one.

I accept it's not as simple as that, im just trying to thought provoke discussion and gather more opinion, it might actually be a result of one or two of the above. But, if he is intending to 'win' games, then Im sorry, the best chance of 'winning' games, is to play in a way that creates more significant 'clear cut chances', or is likely to produce more 'clear cut chances'. When it clicks, it really does click, i.e. Fulham away, (we score 4 or 5 goals from 5 or 6 chances created), but we all know, that the laws of average mean that is a rogue result.

I agree we do need to get in behind more. I'm not arguing for a radically different approach, but a bit more variation in our play. That either comes from drilling it on the training pitch, players in the right formation, or 'trusting' the players to break shape a little more. For example, last night, Boateng (because of their lack of attacking threat up front) could certainly (with his ability on the deck), have carried the ball forward a couple of times more, brought it into midfield, which then changes the dynamic of the attack (someone needs to close him down, creating further space for Silva, Barry, Yaya, with Kolarov pushing on out wide). Our back 4 being so compact and rigid, is great defensively, but against a defensive side, ends up being cautious and a lack of trusting the players. Overlaps are also key. But we dont have a left side to overlap. So Kolarov is being asked to provide the entire left hand side himself.

[Hazy2]

After watching the first half of Tottenham - AC Milan right after our own game I am for the first time since Mancini came in starting to wonder if he can do it.

I mean we did OK vs a weak side and controlled the game and everything... but comparing to Tottenham.. I mean they looked like a team! They played decent defence and looked like creating something offensively.

Comparing ourselves to them based on the two games I'd say we looked like a championship side... atleast in how the players interacted on the field. We did not look like a unit AT ALL. Defensively we were OK I guess but offensively we have not created a whole lot for some time. Most our goals as of late have been either solo performance or coming from a 1 or 2 pass play max (not counting 10 passes between the back four in our own half uncontested).

I really hope Mancini can fix our offence without it costing us too much defensively, but if it stays the same for the rest of the season I'd say we are damn lucky if we manage to get 4th and I would seriously have trouble telling myself I do not want Mourinho or whoever in during the summer.

Fulham away has killed us, every team starts with a fast tempo or sits deep looking for 1 goal like Villa, allowing us to have the ball.

I noticed some time ago what we lack is pace all over the pitch, we can keep it for fun as last night showed but hurting a team in a flash, Cannot see it. Nanni and Lennon give a team width and threat. I hate to say it but Spurs could be over the hit and miss period and smash the 2nd half of the season, Harry has more ambition than Roberto, that could decide our season and his fate. For me we are predictable and BORING

[Fesan]

The funny thing is that we do have decent pace compared to the other teams, we're just not utilizing it...

In ref to Doug's post, should we really care about other teams flow? With the talent we have, should we not be able to kill their flow simply by playing brilliantly ourselves?

I'd take fourth this season by playing defensively and as we are if it is precautionary and only because Mancini does not trust the team to be gelled enough yet. But I have no idea if that is the case or this is just his style for us.

[Hazy2]

Walcott/Nanni/Lennon/, not 100% footballers but when the game gets to biz end last 10 or 15 mins City need to be able to change it Roberto has shown by using JOAN, he doest not see it that way, he needs to shake his head accept you need to have this Zabba was fine and dandy until 1 moment on Saturday and that for 20 yrs has been the rags forte, pacey player bursts onto an opportunity and goal.

[london blue 2]

The funny thing is that we do have decent pace compared to the other teams, we're just not utilizing it...

Where is this pace you speak of?

[Ted Hughes]

The funny thing is that we do have decent pace compared to the other teams, we're just not utilizing it...

Where is this pace you speak of?

Cardiff.

[london blue 2]

The funny thing is that we do have decent pace compared to the other teams, we're just not utilizing it...

Where is this pace you speak of?

Cardiff.

Cardiff, injured, Madrid, about to be sold...

[john68]

Although I agree that we seem to lack pace, our passing seems contrived, over-cautious and at times (too often laborious). We also only aeem to play at one pace. It was noticeable against Aris that there was no change of pace. having built up pressure, we failed to explode in order to exploit that pressure.
The 1970 Braxil World Cup winning team spent most of the game just strolling around and knocking the ball about, looking for openings. What they did that then was to suddenly explode into a passing movement or attack. It was the change of pace, coupled with the skill that destroyed teams.

[Slim]

Although I agree that we seem to lack pace, our passing seems contrived, over-cautious and at times (too often laborious). We also only aeem to play at one pace. It was noticeable against Aris that there was no change of pace. having built up pressure, we failed to explode in order to exploit that pressure.
The 1970 Braxil World Cup winning team spent most of the game just strolling around and knocking the ball about, looking for openings. What they did that then was to suddenly explode into a passing movement or attack. It was the change of pace, coupled with the skill that destroyed teams.

Have you got my place bugged? I had this exact conversation with a mate yesterday, even used the word laboured and a change of pace.

[Ted Hughes]

When Hughes 1st tried to introduce a passing game from the back, people like Dunne went to pieces because of the extra pressure of having to play football & often ended up lumping it down the pitch anyway as they were so nervous on the ball. All the oppo had to do was pick up the pace & close us down & we would lump it back to them. From that, we've gradually progressed to the stage where, at OT, we were taking the ball off them in our box & PASSING it out. Not hoofing it in panic like most sides, but passing it out & strarting attacks (they then tactically fouled us to stop us breaking on them).

Yes we're passing far too slow sometimes but that's where we are up to in our development. Sometimes it clicks & happens quicker. All being well, it will generally speed up as the team gets used to each other & the players get better. I too wish we'd hurry up & also sort our crossing etc out but we're on the right path.

[john68]

Sorry Slim but you knew i was psychic mate...:-). I think it's pretty obvious that our passing game is laboured but after the Fulham game, i thought the penny maybe had clicked. I don't suppose bringing in Boateng, lolarov and Dzeko will have done a great deal to speed it up untilthey gell properly.
By staying at city regulation pace, the players don't yet seem to understand when to change the pace, either to kill a game, or to put opponents on the back foot.
With the inclusion of Tevez, we saw him dropping deeper and deeper. I am concerned that Dzeko operating up front is having the effect of closing down the space Tevez likes to work in. If Dzeko hits form, will it be at the expense of Tevez.
Operating too deep, Tevez is damaging teams in the wrong area.