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Heard an interesting theory recently that I thought I'd chuck out to the board on here..
Maybe the recent results are our "run of bad form" for this season (draws as a "bad" result! :-) ) and is it that City are now considered a legitimate "scalp" and teams are upping their game against us where previously they might not have done so, and the City players are maybe a bit shell shocked by this and need time to adjust their game accordingly?
It would seem to fit for certain players but then we have bought from the "big 4" and so shouldn't those players be used to this type of pressure?

any thoughts?

We are certainly out there to be shot down after our spending spree. If we had started really badly the media hacks would have loved it with their witty repartee of headline writing skills. I am sure most managers will use it in some way to try and focus his team and motivate them too. They would be daft not too. We have spent massive amounts and we are expected to win because of it, the media is just waiting for our slip ups.

How much do teams want to beat City

I think the question is how much do we want to beat other teams ?

CITYTILLIDIE11 wrote:How much do teams want to beat City

I think the question is how much do we want to beat other teams ?

no its not, read the thread again

CITYTILLIDIE11 wrote:How much do teams want to beat City

I think the question is how much do we want to beat other teams ?

One of the most stupid things I have read on this board.

Back on topic, as was mentioned above, we are a scalp for a lot of teams now and it must be easy to use the values of money as a teamtalk boost.

bluej wrote:

CITYTILLIDIE11 wrote:How much do teams want to beat City

I think the question is how much do we want to beat other teams ?

One of the most stupid things I have read on this board.

Back on topic, as was mentioned above, we are a scalp for a lot of teams now and it must be easy to use the values of money as a teamtalk boost.

Indeed - but the likes of wigan burnley birmingham... do you think our players were thinking " fack me... these teams are really giving it to us - last time we played it was nothing like this"

Wonderwall wrote:

CITYTILLIDIE11 wrote:How much do teams want to beat City

I think the question is how much do we want to beat other teams ?

no its not, read the thread again

Are you for real or what?

I am saying that’s the question the poster should really be asking, because in my opinion whether teams want to beat us or not is irrelevant.

Why not just ban me now and have done with it, stop pissing about looking for an excuse like censoring anti-Hughes Posts ?

You obviously have a bee in your bonnet with me and a few other posters on this site.

CITYTILLIDIE11 wrote:

Wonderwall wrote:

CITYTILLIDIE11 wrote:How much do teams want to beat City

I think the question is how much do we want to beat other teams ?

no its not, read the thread again

Are you for real or what?

I am saying that’s the question the poster should really be asking, because in my opinion whether teams want to beat us or not is irrelevant.

Why not just ban me now and have done with it, stop pissing about looking for an excuse like censoring anti-Hughes Posts ?

You obviously have a bee in your bonnet with me and a few other posters on this site.

Stay on topic please, PM me if you have a problem

jimmygrimble2 wrote:It would seem to fit for certain players but then we have bought from the "big 4" and so shouldn't those players be used to this type of pressure?

Interesting point, that. But every 'scalp' team comes across 2 or 3 banana skins per season. The draws away to Villa and Wigan shouldn't be seen as bad results in a grand scale of things (and definitely wouldn't be seen as such if they were dispersed throughout the season, rather than in a set of 5-on-the-trot).

However, I think we're seen as a different type of scalp to the 'big 4'. We're New Boys, with teams willing to give their all against us because we're essentially untested. Results-wise, we haven't utterly destroyed a team yet, although on paper we seem to have the potential. I think a few clubs will up their ante against us until this trend ends, in the sense that they hope to break down play, and possibly nick a goal through an inexplicably weak defence. Hopefully, putting 4 or 5 in against [strike]Birmingham[/strike] [strike]Burnley[/strike] Hull should do this, and teams will realise that they can't play to our weaknesses, as it will expose their frailties, too.

I think the lower teams will through everything at us in the hope of beating money bags City. However this is why a lot more work needs to go into the defensive set up. Going forward we seem ok, ok the goals aren't flying in as maybe other defence are also more alert of the power we have and play a defensive game then take us on the break.

Once we have a settled team and can get a few games under our belts with a team he is happy with, we will start to form a basis of a team that works for each other and will grow together. This season, for me has been all over the place and really unsettled. Teams are playing us and seeing we are disjointed, its only because of the class we have in the team that has kept us from losing games. This time next season, most of the draws would have been wins. These things take time IMO. The teams will look upon us in a different light next season and we will be more defensively coherent.

I think other teams & fans see us as a major scalp now as they know that we have the potential to dominate English football for years to come and if they can knock us sideways a little by beating us then they are over the moon about it more than they were just a couple of years ago.

How much do teams want to beat City?


A lot

In my opinion it's a dangerous combination of teams dying to beat us without yet fearing us the way they do the sky 4. Until we tonk a few teams who try to open up and grind out a few nice wins against teams who shut up shop this will not change.

Its nonsense and an excuse to hide behind when it doesn't go our way.

Do you think Hull will be motivating themselves to beat us because we are 'money bags' city or we are a 'scalp' or because they are desperate for the points and Brown is one game away from the sack? You tell me what you think their overriding concern will be and let me know.

jimmygrimble2 wrote:Heard an interesting theory recently that I thought I'd chuck out to the board on here..
Maybe the recent results are our "run of bad form" for this season (draws as a "bad" result! :-) ) and is it that City are now considered a legitimate "scalp" and teams are upping their game against us where previously they might not have done so, and the City players are maybe a bit shell shocked by this and need time to adjust their game accordingly?
It would seem to fit for certain players but then we have bought from the "big 4" and so shouldn't those players be used to this type of pressure?

any thoughts?

We haven't really bought that many players from the Sky 4 though have we? And those we have aren't likely to be the toughest. Adebayor is great but flaky, Toure is a smashing player but we can't really say Arsenal's defence has been top 4 standard, only their frontline has kept them there and the 2 players from Chelsea weren't regular first XI. Rest of our purchases have been better than average players at average clubs.

You only have to look at the performances of Aston Villa, Birmingham and Wigan to see that teams have drastically upped their games when they have played us and other big 4 teams.

Its something we'll have to get used to. When you play teams like these who aim to outwork you and close you down quickly, you have to match them. The scumbags have done that for years.

The midfield 3 we have put out over the last few matches have proven to be not up to the task. De Jong is 1 dimensional, Barry and Ireland are off the boil and SWP is average in a more central role.

Pretty Boy Lee wrote:In my opinion it's a dangerous combination of teams dying to beat us without yet fearing us the way they do the sky 4. Until we tonk a few teams who try to open up and grind out a few nice wins against teams who shut up shop this will not change.

Yeah, that's pretty much spot on. The amount of teams that go to the swamp, anfield etc and play 'anti-football' in the hope of squeaking a point rather than actually having a go and playing their usual game.

jimmygrimble2 wrote:Heard an interesting theory recently that I thought I'd chuck out to the board on here..
Maybe the recent results are our "run of bad form" for this season (draws as a "bad" result! :-) ) and is it that City are now considered a legitimate "scalp" and teams are upping their game against us where previously they might not have done so, and the City players are maybe a bit shell shocked by this and need time to adjust their game accordingly?
It would seem to fit for certain players but then we have bought from the "big 4" and so shouldn't those players be used to this type of pressure?

any thoughts?

You are dead on there mate. Was stood outside the Burnley team dressing room just before kick-off and the stuff that was coming out of there was quite outragious; reminded me more of Sunday League than Prem League. They were easily fired up for this game with the thought that they could beat a Top 4 contender and outshine players that are paid 5 times their own wage. I think one of the lines went, 'You'll go down in the towns history if you beat these soft cnuts'!

So yes, the not so well off teams will up their game massively when they play us and the use of terms like 'Not gelled yet' only go to bolster their resolve.

Beefymcfc wrote:

jimmygrimble2 wrote:Heard an interesting theory recently that I thought I'd chuck out to the board on here..
Maybe the recent results are our "run of bad form" for this season (draws as a "bad" result! :-) ) and is it that City are now considered a legitimate "scalp" and teams are upping their game against us where previously they might not have done so, and the City players are maybe a bit shell shocked by this and need time to adjust their game accordingly?
It would seem to fit for certain players but then we have bought from the "big 4" and so shouldn't those players be used to this type of pressure?

any thoughts?

You are dead on there mate. Was stood outside the Burnley team dressing room just before kick-off and the stuff that was coming out of there was quite outragious; reminded me more of Sunday League than Prem League. They were easily fired up for this game with the thought that they could beat a Top 4 contender and outshine players that are paid 5 times their own wage. I think one of the lines went, 'You'll go down in the towns history if you beat these soft cnuts'!

So yes, the not so well off teams will up their game massively when they play us and the use of terms like 'Not gelled yet' only go to bolster their resolve.

Burney are a side that have a good cup record recently and they had a few ex-city boys who were always going to want to have a huge game. They played against us like it was a cup final and took us by surprise.

Sometimes when you're playing against a much bigger team and you think they're vulnerable -- whether by injuries, infighting or attention directed towards another fixture -- you realise that you can target the game and actually have a go. We've been in that situation long enough, we know as fans how much the odd really good game covers for the other bad days out. Upsets are huge for morale and enjoyment, even for neutrals.

Beating us is really exciting for players and fans but also more realistic because we're a building side. They might never get as good a chance to beat the richest team in the world again. If it's Burnley they might never get back into the prem again. Fans could be living off beating the scum at home and almost beating us away and other good results in future leaner years.

I still recall well the satisfaction we had in being the first team to beat Mourinho's Chelsea.