We messed up

[Slim]

We are going into an international break now.

Tonight we could have:
Gone into the break on a win
Been in third
Beaten a "top four challenger" on their own patch
Put three points between us and Arsenal
Put six points between us and Liverpool
Eclipsed the amount of away wins we had last term
And sent out a statement that we go to EVERY GROUND with the intention of taking all three points.

Yes there is no shame in dropping points to Villa at Villa Park, but as long as we look at them as DROPPED POINTS, because that's a winning mentality...not whoo whoo we got a point.

I was hoping someone would pick up on it, technically it's 3 points and a game in hand. A winning mentality would already count a home game against Everton as 3 points. This is what needs to be changed.

Am with you mate but not sure how we`d have managed that.

[ant london]

Spuds Drew
Rags Drew
Everton Drew

Liverpool Lost

Arse and Chelski won

We had a chance to really stake a claim to be REAL contenders tonight. I know a point is not bad away against a good side, but I dont think we played that well and we could have easily won if we were up for it. Barry was very much affected and Leslie should have changed him.

Aston Villa are a top 6 side

A point away from home is a good result

You want to talk about 'typical city'

Try 'Glass half full' for once

Mate I haven't even scrolled down past this post as I want to register my honest feelings without the influence of others' views.

We were shitty tonight. Barry (as you rightly identified) shrank from the vitriol whereas that shit Dunne rose to confront his (perceived) slight from MCFC.

SWP was crap. Not indifferent in terms of form (as I was contradicted for venturing last week) but actually properly shit.

Ade looked good but Tevez was shaunesquely off colour. Zabba didn't do much to justify him retaining the jersey (esp in light of no travel/action for Micah).

Worst of all I was appalled that the manager didn't introduce Petrov into a game that screamed out for him. I've never actively criticised him in this way but he shied away from the change down the flanks we cried out for.

I love SWP but he is in SHIT form. Get him out of the fucking team.

[johnnyondioline]

We are going into an international break now.

Tonight we could have:
Gone into the break on a win
Been in third
Beaten a "top four challenger" on their own patch
Put three points between us and Arsenal
Put six points between us and Liverpool
Eclipsed the amount of away wins we had last term
And sent out a statement that we go to EVERY GROUND with the intention of taking all three points.

Yes there is no shame in dropping points to Villa at Villa Park, but as long as we look at them as DROPPED POINTS, because that's a winning mentality...not whoo whoo we got a point.

I was hoping someone would pick up on it, technically it's 3 points and a game in hand. A winning mentality would already count a home game against Everton as 3 points. This is what needs to be changed.

Am with you mate but not sure how we`d have managed that.

Technically schmnechnially.....:)

Given the way Villa played tonight, and they did play well I think we have reason to be cheerful. I`m enjoying where we are, especially as its down to solid performances.

Tonight is a good marker for perseverance, attitude and determination when things are not going for you. Despite Villa being one of our (the only) bunnies that we compete against, we proved ourselves worthy of a solid result.

I`m still happy and believing. (And still coming to terms with expecting it)

[zuricity]

I agree with CARL and to some extent Slime

Big bollock was dropped tonight. They were there for the taking. Can't believe that Hughes couldn't see that we needed someone to run in to the box and cause mayhem. A Wiess, for example.. Shit, that really is two points dropped tonight.

[DoomMerchant]

Spuds Drew
Rags Drew
Everton Drew

Liverpool Lost

Arse and Chelski won

We had a chance to really stake a claim to be REAL contenders tonight. I know a point is not bad away against a good side, but I dont think we played that well and we could have easily won if we were up for it. Barry was very much affected and Leslie should have changed him.

Aston Villa are a top 6 side

A point away from home is a good result

You want to talk about 'typical city'

Try 'Glass half full' for once

Mate I haven't even scrolled down past this post as I want to register my honest feelings without the influence of others' views.

We were shitty tonight. Barry (as you rightly identified) shrank from the vitriol whereas that shit Dunne rose to confront his (perceived) slight from MCFC.

SWP was crap. Not indifferent in terms of form (as I was contradicted for venturing last week) but actually properly shit.

Ade looked good but Tevez was shaunesquely off colour. Zabba didn't do much to justify him retaining the jersey (esp in light of no travel/action for Micah).

Worst of all I was appalled that the manager didn't introduce Petrov into a game that screamed out for him. I've never actively criticised him in this way but he shied away from the change down the flanks we cried out for.

I love SWP but he is in SHIT form. Get him out of the fucking team.

Lucky for Hughes that he was forced to sub Ireland in for NDJs injury (whatever it was) because absent that we'd prollee have dropped all 3 pts.

Petrov for SWP right after the goal for me would have made the difference in the match i think. i just dont know why he didnt make the move. Rigsby was out there with his dick in his hand ready to stick it in something and he pulled him back after the goal. An act of hubris i felt at the time.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

We are going into an international break now.

Tonight we could have:
Gone into the break on a win
Been in third
Beaten a "top four challenger" on their own patch
Put three points between us and Arsenal
Put six points between us and Liverpool
Eclipsed the amount of away wins we had last term
And sent out a statement that we go to EVERY GROUND with the intention of taking all three points.

Yes there is no shame in dropping points to Villa at Villa Park, but as long as we look at them as DROPPED POINTS, because that's a winning mentality...not whoo whoo we got a point.

I agree Slim. Draw was decent result last night but truth is, it could've been more. And I do hope that somewhere in future we will build true winning mentality where all points dropped are just that, points dropped. That's the kind of mentality you need to win the league some day. Not expecting that yet but I'd say it's natural progress next season. Better start training now!

[Fish111]

We are 4th in the league with a game in hand, we get a point at a place we lost last year 4-2. I'm more than happy with last night.

[Alex Sapphire]

We are going into an international break now.

Tonight we could have:
Gone into the break on a win
Been in third
Beaten a "top four challenger" on their own patch
Put three points between us and Arsenal
Put six points between us and Liverpool
Eclipsed the amount of away wins we had last term
And sent out a statement that we go to EVERY GROUND with the intention of taking all three points.

Yes there is no shame in dropping points to Villa at Villa Park, but as long as we look at them as DROPPED POINTS, because that's a winning mentality...not whoo whoo we got a point.

I agree Slim. Draw was decent result last night but truth is, it could've been more. And I do hope that somewhere in future we will build true winning mentality where all points dropped are just that, points dropped. That's the kind of mentality you need to win the league some day. Not expecting that yet but I'd say it's natural progress next season. Better start training now!

If you're looking for positives, then apart from a pretty impressive performance, I'd say the dropped points (coupled with the fact we have a game in hand) will serve to keep some pressure off the team, the manager and us the fans. If we'd won this and played and won a game in hand we'd be joint top and the pressure from all quarters would be mental.
I'd always prefer to be "on the shoulder" of the leading pack with potential to improve rather than front running and running out of steam.

[ant london]

there's some merit in that to be honest Alex

The point this morning seems a bit more positive than the two dropped last night I have to say.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

We are going into an international break now.

Tonight we could have:
Gone into the break on a win
Been in third
Beaten a "top four challenger" on their own patch
Put three points between us and Arsenal
Put six points between us and Liverpool
Eclipsed the amount of away wins we had last term
And sent out a statement that we go to EVERY GROUND with the intention of taking all three points.

Yes there is no shame in dropping points to Villa at Villa Park, but as long as we look at them as DROPPED POINTS, because that's a winning mentality...not whoo whoo we got a point.

I agree Slim. Draw was decent result last night but truth is, it could've been more. And I do hope that somewhere in future we will build true winning mentality where all points dropped are just that, points dropped. That's the kind of mentality you need to win the league some day. Not expecting that yet but I'd say it's natural progress next season. Better start training now!

If you're looking for positives, then apart from a pretty impressive performance, I'd say the dropped points (coupled with the fact we have a game in hand) will serve to keep some pressure off the team, the manager and us the fans. If we'd won this and played and won a game in hand we'd be joint top and the pressure from all quarters would be mental.
I'd always prefer to be "on the shoulder" of the leading pack with potential to improve rather than front running and running out of steam.

I don't quite understand your overall point. Hughes himself has said that he "thrives under pressure" (his words, not mine). And when you spend 200 odd million on players in a year, the pressure is always going to bethere anyway.

I disagree about last nights performance being impressive. Result was good, performance wasn't.

[david yearsley]

RSC got a poke in the eye from a sharp stick (Bellers finger actually!) and apparently this accounted for Rocky seemingly wandering round like a blind man in a dark room , looking for the black cat .... that isn´t there!

[BlueinBosnia]

Tactically, last night reminded me of last season. We must have passed the ball from the edge of their box back to deep inside our own half 7 or 8 times.

De Jong couldn't be utilised, as they were so reliant on wing plays, SWP wasn't given an inch, and is starting to look like he's reached/passed his prime, and Tevez (in my opinion) played poorly, except for one shot where he was unlucky not to score (Ade got a slight touch of the ball, and had he not, it looked like it would have got an even greater deflection off the defender behind). However, whereas last season we'd have lost this game 2-0 in a similar scenario, the natural ability of our team allowed us to get a draw.

[Slim]

It's not about performance or expectations or half full, half empty, looking at negatives or "how far we've come".

If we were playing at Stamford Bridge on a Monday and ScouseFilth, Filth, Yids and Whiny French Tossers had all lost and we had periods of dominance and failed to capitalise on them fully, we would have messed up. The original post is not a criticism(sort of) as much as it is statement of fact.

[Bingo Lewis]

Spuds Drew
Rags Drew
Everton Drew

Liverpool Lost

Arse and Chelski won

We had a chance to really stake a claim to be REAL contenders tonight. I know a point is not bad away against a good side, but I dont think we played that well and we could have easily won if we were up for it. Barry was very much affected and Leslie should have changed him.

Kind of agree, but it was a tough game which we came out of with a point. we are still in 4th and have a game in hand, its not as bad as it semms.

[Ted Hughes]

Imo last night's point for Villa was not unlike City's home victory over the scum in Sven's day. We enjoyed the victory & the bragging rights at the time but we were forced to play the whole game like the away side on our own ground. That was Villa last night, albeit not quite as one sided as the rags game, they were hanging on trying to stay with us. We still got our goal though & got a point, which the rags couldn't manage against us.

If we'd scored first & ended with a point it'd count as an iffy performance in title challenge terms but to come back from a goal down & get a point against a confident, full tilt, Villa side with all the crowd up for it, is a title challenge standard performance.

If we sort out our aerial problems we may genuinely challenge. If we can't we won't.

[Goaters 103]

I thought that on the balace of play City were the better side.

We certainly had more quality and created more chances.

Villa had more desire. They were up for the game and the atmos from the fans was electric.

Im happy with a point but with the team we have now, its not unfair to always want that little bit more.

What he said, spot on 100%

Our expectation should be that we should be winning games like that, and I think Hughes said as much afterwards.

[john@staustell]

Villa seemed very hard to play against and we couldn't really get going as MON did his homework very well. So we didn't look too good, BUT:

We dominated possession away against a top 6 side
We got a good away point, this team have already beaten the Dippers at Anfield
Seemed to be their cup final, getting a point against the mighty City
We win our game in hand, if it's ever played, and we go 2 points behind the leaders


So i think it's a bit harsh any criticism really. The only thing that flabbergasted me is that Dunne went up for about 1000 corners for City and hardly had any effect whatever. 1 game against us and he connects a beauty - I wont blame Barry too much as Dunnie has been marked at corners by many players worse than Barry and still failed to connect!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Lots of interesting views and quite easy to agree with the majority. Definitely 2 points dropped but when you don't play particularly well and still get a point away at a rival like Villa it aint all bad.

There were clearly a bunch playing below par last night ( SWP/Tevez/Barry/Ade and RSC when he came on) and yet we did dominate possession and look more likley to score from open play so there are plenty of positives to take from the game. How will we do when we have all 11 players really playing well? Never did we get overrun and under great pressure.

I just wonder as others have what would have happened in the last 15/20 minutes is Petrov had come on for SWP. I have a feeling it would not have ended in a 1.1 draw.

[Ted Hughes]

Villa seemed very hard to play against and we couldn't really get going as MON did his homework very well. So we didn't look too good, BUT:

We dominated possession away against a top 6 side
We got a good away point, this team have already beaten the Dippers at Anfield
Seemed to be their cup final, getting a point against the mighty City
We win our game in hand, if it's ever played, and we go 2 points behind the leaders


So i think it's a bit harsh any criticism really. The only thing that flabbergasted me is that Dunne went up for about 1000 corners for City and hardly had any effect whatever. 1 game against us and he connects a beauty - I wont blame Barry too much as Dunnie has been marked at corners by many players worse than Barry and still failed to connect!

If Barry had tried to actually challenge for the ball rather than purely trying to physically battle with a 20 stone monster, it would've been enough to make Dunne miss the header. Hopeless defending, same as with Fletcher.

[sky_blue_stew]

It was just dying out for a photo on the back page of Barry blinking while Dunn towers over him and scores. Putting those two together at setpieces was asking for trouble, and I think the biggest tactical error from last night. Even if Dunne's record isn't good, there's just a part of you that knew he was going to have some major impact last night, for better or worse. I would have put Ade on him when he was in our box, just out of superstition as much as anything.