Have City met your expectations so far?

[xavi6]

So as we head into the international break with 7 games down (5 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), City are sitting in 4th spot in the league with a game in hand.

Mark Hughes is happy so far -

http://mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/2009/O ... pectations

Hughes admits Blues have surpassed expectations

Mark Hughes revealed that his side has surpassed the target he set for it after seven games of the embryonic season.

A draw at Villa Park hoisted the Blues back into fourth spot in the Premier League table and left the manager purring at the new qualities his men keep pulling out of the bag.

City were a goal behind at half time for the first time this season thanks to a towering header by old boy Richard Dunne but Craig Bellamy earned a point with his fourth goal of the season to leave the manager a happy man going into the international break.

“I thought that once we got back on level terms we could have gone on and won the game but in the end it was a good point for us against a good side,” he declared.

“We are pleased with our return at this stage of the season. We were looking to get a certain amount of points at this stage and we have surpassed it. Now we have to cross fingers and cross toes and hope everyone comes back fit and well from international duty.

“Overall we have got to be pleased with the point because this is a difficult place to come. We stood up to the challenge of falling behind and stood up to it well. There were more good qualities shown though it was disappointing to concede from a set play. I suppose it was written that it would be Dunney who scored it!”

“We needed to be more dynamic in the second half and up the intensity in order to create space and we did that.”

Hughes revealed that the draw came at a price with Nigel de Jong, Roque Santa Cruz, Pablo Zabaleta, and Kolo Toure making a long list of walking wounded.

“We lost Nigel to an ankle injury just after half time. He was struggling at the break but he wanted to give it a go,” confirmed the manager. “Thankfully Stevie Ireland came on and showed his quality almost immediately.

“Manu was a bit rusty after his lay off and there were a few like that. Roque got a Craig Bellamy finger in his eye almost immediately and was struggling. Almost all the time he was out there he was working with one eye. Carlos Tevez is still coming up to speed. There were a few walking wounded out there. Kolo will have to have a scan on his heel, he has had a real bang on it and Pablo has, we think, tweaked his hamstring in the last minute of the game and the likelihood is that we could be missing him for couple of weeks.”

Are you?

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Very happy with where we are. I wouldn't say exceeded (at least heavily) but we have done very very well overall.

[Scatman]

There or there abouts. Looking at the fixtures at the start of the season I reckoned we would be about where we are. There have been no surprises with us results wise but some of the performances have been really good, especially offensively, where some of the play has been breath taking. And it can only get better IMO.

[Slim]

I expected that we would finish top 4, we are 4th....all good.

(p.s. Hughes Out.)

[Alex Sapphire]

Happy as Larry
we are in the top 4 with a game in hand.
We have only dropped points away and to the champions (spit) and a "contender"
We have beaten 3 teams that finished above us (although all at home)

Compare that with:
Scum: dropped points to Sunderland and Burnley, and half of their fixtures have been against either newly promoted or bottom half clubs.
Chelski: beaten by Wigan, only played one "top 4" club
Scouse1: dropped points to Villa and Spurs both of which finished below them, Only one top 4 game and they got beat.
Spuds: dropped points to Notlob, played 2 of the 3 newly promoted sides already
Villa: dropped points to Rovers and Wigan, although won against a top 4 side
Arse: the black horse. Only dropped points to manchester sides, have seen off Rovers Wigan Everton Fulham, all of who could nick points, oh and the Pompey shambles.

[Vhero]

We done about as well as thought we would to be honest.

[Scatman]

We done about as well as thought we would to be honest.

...which is disappointing

[BobbyJ1956]

I wanted to say this in a separate post but being new on this board (but not new to City, unless 1955 is new) I can't. So my thought is that while pleased with 4th I want to see City start putting 5 or 6 past teams. Arsenal, Spurs, and Liverpool have done that, made the gap in class tell with goals. City should have done that against Wolves and West Ham in the first half alone, so I hope they'll do it in against Wigan (yes even away) and Burnley. When City thrashed Portsmouth 6-0 last season we thought it heralded more of the same to come but that didn't happen, so here's hoping the four they put past Arsenal isn't City's best game of the season, good though that was. Oh, and Hughes out, by the way. His level was Blackburn, City's new owners want the best and he isn't it. Gary Cook out too, just don't like the fella.

[Crazy_Cabbie]

I am more than happy with the start we have made sitting nicely in 4th with a game in hand,
We gave a great account of our selves against the scum, and beat arsenal with a resounding victory,

last nights match against villa was like a so called top four match where both teams sort of cancelled each other out.

We have only just started to see what we are capable of, we are going to get stronger and we will become more compact the more we play together, and we know have good options on the bench, where we can now bring on players who can change a game,

So all in all I am Extremely happy with the story so far, and I am exited about our future,

I Can't wait for our next match

[avoidconfusion]

They exceeded my expecations so far, I was hoping we would be 6th right now. We are 4th and still have a game in hand.

16 out of a possible 21 is very good I think, top 4 stuff.

Still early days though.

I am concerned about the injuries we got now though: de Jong, Toure and Zabaleta ... not good.

[mr_nool]

I'm very happy indeed, and keep counting our game at hand as 3 sure points. By doing that we're in second on equal points with scum. Not a bad start at all.

I'm also very pleased with the way the premier league table is looking at the moment. Not only are we challenging for a top 4 - both Spurs and Villa are up there as well. It really looks like it's gonna be a top 7 this season, which I think is great. Everton's woken up now as well, and might also be able to meddle. Sunderland's had a great start, but I don't see them being able to challenge in the long run.

[DoomMerchant]

i think we're about where we should be. We've spent a fuckload of money on professionals who've shown they were the right buys regardless of the prices, etc. and that's what you'd expect.

i am pleasantly surprised by the form of Wayne Bridge. Am floored by NDJ's abilities at times. And am overwhelmed at how fantastic Adebayor is -- and not just going forward, but in defense as well. Bellamy has me wondering --"is he one of the most in form footballers in the world right now?" which seems like crazy talk, but who would argue? I think we've yet to see Ireland, SWP, Tevez and of course Robinho in full form. And when we do? Look out...

[salford city]

I'm well pleased with our performances and league position. I said it after both the Fulham & Hammers games that I no longer think the game is lost if the opposition score - something that is completely alien to me. Last night Villa scored from a set-piece and then sat back with all their outfield players behind the ball and attempted to see the game out for the remainder of it. That's a team that has aspirations of breaking into the "top four". We're in great shape with all our squad fit and I'm really looking forward to the pie eaters game though I doubt that I'll see much of it as we're on a 1000 hours start

[Exiled]

There is a hell of a lot of pressure from all corners. Add to the fact that the likes of Tevez, Lescott, Ade and Barry have only just joined and are essentially still in their settling in period, so far they've exceeded my expectations.

Despite the few dropped points, I can now watch without fear, depression, stress anymore.

[Ted Hughes]

I expected a mediocre start & us getting stronger in the 2nd half of the season. Most new defences usually have a disaster period where they take it in turns to give away match losing goals. We've only had a few such mistakes so far which is great credit to the defenders considering the heavily attack minded side we're putting out. Worry about Toure missing games though & what could happen without him. I'd've kept Dunne as back up as Ned's always injured.

[Fidel Castro]

I expected it to take a little longer for us to gel & drop a few more points away from home tbh. Well done to the lads & taffia.

[BlueinBosnia]

I expected it to take a little longer for us to gel & drop a few more points away from home tbh. Well done to the lads & taffia.

My thoughts exactly. I was expecting us to be on about 13 points & 7th after 7 games. Considering we're 4th, game in hand & 16pts, that's better than I expected.

[ruralblue]

I am chuffed to bits. Wouldnt say we have exceeded expectation but we are up there snapping on the heels of the top tier. Good start and hopefully next few games will see us rack up some points. We have gelled quicker than I thought we would but still plenty to go.

[BmoreBlue]

I expected it to take a little longer for us to gel & drop a few more points away from home tbh. Well done to the lads & taffia.

My thoughts exactly. I was expecting us to be on about 13 points & 7th after 7 games. Considering we're 4th, game in hand & 16pts, that's better than I expected.

This is spot on for me - thought we'd be getting stronger as the season went on - if that's the case we'll be challenging for Champions League for sure!

[TrueBlue82]

Exceeded but not by much

expected us to be buzzing around 6th righ now so to be 4th and with game in hand is excellent,

some of the performances have been top notch and even the games where we havent played extremely well (last nights game included) we have managed to come away with something to show from the game (except of course the derby but i dont want to bring that back up)

already won 2 away games and drew a 3rd so the anxities about our away form have vanished. also when we go behind or get pegged back i find myself not panicking like last season as i wondered where the goals would come from. not so this season.

all in all a satisfying start to the season and with the squad we have i hope injuries will only mean bench players like petrov getting there chance to show us why we have them.

as for bellamy and de jong, both absoloutly immense so far this season!!!

roll on the next game