Please let us attack, Mr Mancini...

[s1ty m]

If he can't see it himself, there's something wrong. When we attack, as in the 2nd half, we look fantastic; the 2nd half display reminded me of the 'top' sides, just constantly attacking, bringing a sense of dread to opposing fans and a feeling of 'the goal is inevitable'.

So why can't we just decide to atack from the off?

And I am not getting carried away, the 1st half was a horrible display of pearcian proportions.

[french_tony]

I just dont understand his mentality at all. The players he has at his disposal and he would rather play such negative football. I just don't know what he thinks it will achieve. A midfield 3 of NDj, Baz and Zab will not create us chances.

Lets hope after today he's learnt his lesson...although I am not holding my breath.

[s1ty m]

I just dont understand his mentality at all. The players he has at his disposal and he would rather play such negative football. I just don't know what he thinks it will achieve. A midfield 3 of NDj, Baz and Zab will not create us chances.

Lets hope after today he's learnt his lesson...although I am not holding my breath.

me neither, he just has a different mentality and one that is odds with the obvious talent at his disposal, ie a very attcking set of players.

[The Original Special One]

If he can't see it himself, there's something wrong. When we attack, as in the 2nd half, we look fantastic; the 2nd half display reminded me of the 'top' sides, just constantly attacking, bringing a sense of dread to opposing fans and a feeling of 'the goal is inevitable'.

So why can't we just decide to atack from the off?

And I am not getting carried away, the 1st half was a horrible display of pearcian proportions.

to make matters worse, I've just heard him on SkySports where he claims to be mystified by our first half performance.
But this is the way he's had us playing for weeks now: its only when we get 'wake-up calls', like today and Chelsea that it seems he's 'forced' into 'going for it'.

These 3 points were there for the taking down
But he hogtied the players, and we ended up almost losing all three.

No defence would withstand 95+ minutes of the battering we subjected them to for most of the second half
(and its not as if our defence was badly exposed then: for the most part Kompany, Lescott, and De Jong were very comfortable)

[King Kev]

We out-shoot the opposition away from home yet people still claim we aren't positive enough!?

[Andy, lincs]

Is the comma in the thread title meant to be there?

[craigmcfc]

We out-shoot the opposition away from home yet people still claim we aren't positive enough!?

Think we all just want to see it for 90 minutes, not when it seems like it's been forced upon him when we're already behind

[Fidel Castro]

We out-shoot the opposition away from home yet people still claim we aren't positive enough!?

The problem is, we always have to wait til we go behind before we realise we should actually trying to win the game, or in fact scrape a draw.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

[carl_feedthegoat]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

[bluej]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Are you sure mate - before he came on we were just giving Sunderland possession by playing the long ball, at least when he came on we retained possession.

[carl_feedthegoat]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Are you sure mate - before he came on we were just giving Sunderland possession by playing the long ball, at least when he came on we retained possession.

WE WERE PLAYING THE WORSE FOOTBALL IVE EVER SEEN PRIOR SO IT WASNT HARD TO IMPROVE ON WAS IT?

[the_georgian_genius]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Are you sure mate - before he came on we were just giving Sunderland possession by playing the long ball, at least when he came on we retained possession.

WE WERE PLAYING THE WORSE FOOTBALL IVE EVER SEEN PRIOR SO IT WASNT HARD TO IMPROVE ON WAS IT?

This is why i try to avoid this place after every game we fail to win 3-0.

[carl_feedthegoat]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Are you sure mate - before he came on we were just giving Sunderland possession by playing the long ball, at least when he came on we retained possession.

WE WERE PLAYING THE WORSE FOOTBALL IVE EVER SEEN PRIOR SO IT WASNT HARD TO IMPROVE ON WAS IT?

This is why i try to avoid this place after every game we fail to win 3-0.

AVOID IT THEN.

[Rae4685]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Dude you dont half talk some crap

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Dude you dont half talk some crap

I think he knows that:)

[carl_feedthegoat]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

Dude you dont half talk some crap

I THINK YOU WILL FIND THE MAJORITY OF CITY FANS AGREE WITH ME IN THAT RSC IS A WASTE OF SPACE.
THEN THERE ARE FANS WHO WOULD GIVE HIM A RUN IN THE TEAM EVEN IF ITS NOT ON MERIT.

CARRY ON..............

[Ted Hughes]

Thought RSC did a great job as a target man & the chest flick he did to create one chance was the highlight of the game for me apart from the goal. He was guilty of a bad finish when he should have done a lot better though, as were Tevez & Bellamy. I suppose if everyone crucifies him for it & lets them off it'll help the team though.

Mancini's got a catch 22 in that Hughes was sacked mainly down to individuals making mistakes & he knows that our defenders are likely to make plenty of those mistakes again if he doesn't use the midfield to protect them. What's actually happening though is they're still making them; not quite as many but still enough to cost us. Imo we still need several goals to win a game so we may as well just attack & see where it takes us.

[Dunnylad]

I don't think it's all about the players he picks but the mentality he sends them out with. Barry in midfield can play any game you ask him too.If he is asked to get forward a lot he will be it seems he is asked to sit in the middle with the other 2.The standard approach seems to be keep it tight and let's see if we can sneak a goal and not let one in and then think about it for the second half. That's asking for trouble and saying to the likes of Sunderland get a goal and defend for your lives.

Against Chelsea he chose AJ wide right and he was poor so SWP came on and livened things up. Today it was the other way around.Tevez today had a tough old time and not a very good game but in the first half he was totally isolated and the SLD defenders just came through him. When RSC came on it was much better as even a blind man could see.

The next game is Fulham and we know they are an organised unit .If we approach that game the same way it will be boring as hell and probably 1 goal in it. He

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY MAD?
RSC WAS A WASTE OF SPACE IN ALL THE TIME HE WAS ON THE PITCH AND THATS A FACT.
WASTEFULL AND CLUMSY....I HOPE I DONT SEE HIM IN A BLUE SHIRT EVER AGAIN.

I'm glad you were watching the same game as me. We might well have improved with RSC up front, but we'd have looked better with David James up their!! RSC was woeful and is a sad reflection of our lack of striking alternatives - it could cost us 4th - 17 million!!! No wonder our Chairman thinks the games future's fcuked!

[carl_feedthegoat]

Thought RSC did a great job as a target man & the chest flick he did to create one chance was the highlight of the game for me apart from the goal. He was guilty of a bad finish when he should have done a lot better though, as were Tevez & Bellamy. I suppose if everyone crucifies him for it & lets them off it'll help the team though.

Mancini's got a catch 22 in that Hughes was sacked mainly down to individuals making mistakes & he knows that our defenders are likely to make plenty of those mistakes again if he doesn't use the midfield to protect them. What's actually happening though is they're still making them; not quite as many but still enough to cost us. Imo we still need several goals to win a game so we may as well just attack & see where it takes us.

HIS JOB IS TO SCORE GOALS MATE...THATS WHAT 17 MILLION POUNDS WENT ON.
HE MISSED A SITTER AND FUCKED UP 2 MORE TIMES ..ONE WHEN HE CROSSED INTO ROW Z AND THE LAST MINITE OF EXTRA TIME HE KICKED IT INTO THE CAR PARK INSTEAD OF SHOWING A LITTLE COMPOSURE...........

ALL THIS TARGET MAN BOLLOKS IS OVERRATED...HES A FORWARD...HIS JOB IS TO SCORE.