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Spurs were more efficient than us today. We attacked, won a lot of battles & played a lot of good football but they were able to bypass us, 1st with strength & power by missing out the midfield & lumping the ball at Crouch & causing us problems from corners etc, then later, when we unfortunately lost Barry, they took over midfield, started to be able pass it around more & started to hit us on the break.

Never at any time did Harry put everyone back behind the ball or start playing some kind of bollocks playstation game on the pitch, they attacked, not in numbers but in spirit, 1st by long ball, then by counter attacking etc. Harry had seen our weakness, as I thought he would & played on it, then when we ran out of steam, they changed into more of a passing game & killed us off. Clever stuff at PL level.

We can learn from them, as we can from the rags, Everton & other teams that did a job on us. Their crossing was lightyears ahead of ours & had they created as many great positions as we did, they would surely have put 5 past us. We wasted every opening we got, they created a chance or half chance from every opening they got.

Tbf, Crouch was a world apart from Adebayor both in the air & on the ground & was a big difference. Ade looks nice with backheels etc but Crouch scared us to death & turned in a quite superb performance that Ade could never match. Be interesting to see how they would have coped v him tonight.

Spurs were imo, the best team we've played 2nd half. Against a well organised Inter type team or the brilliance of Barca, Spurs may have come badly unstuck but they weren't playing against them, they were playing us. We're a work in progress & it was classic Prem Lg football/tactics from them to hit us at our weak points.

I hate Spurs/Harry with a passion but they came to our ground, played against a team/crowd that was right up for it & beat us.

I take my cyber hat off to them, well played Spurs & Harry & good effort from City/Mancini/Hughes getting into Europe for the 1st time since I was a teenager.

Well done to all the blues who stayed to applaud our team/manager off, they deserved it & I think it hit the spot with many of the players. We'll be better next season.

Most well written piece i've read since the game.
I'd agree with pretty much everything there mate. Especially the fact we need to congratulate our playing and backroom staff for a fantastic season. I can't remember one so exciting in year, although the feeling of losing to spuds was gutting, i cant remember when i was last excited about a prem game at the end of a season with us in it.
We are in the europa league, on our own merit for the first time in how long. Im chuffed with that, and with a squad like ours, why the hell cant we win it? exactly.
Bring on next season, im bloody excited! CTID

This seems like the most appropriate and sensible place to post my comments.

Like us all, I am hurting this morning but that aside I echo Ted's points re Spurs' performance and Orrible Arry's gameplan. Hats off to them and to him.

I hate Spurs with a passion but if I can set aside my partisan feelings for a second I actually think that it would have been unjust (deliciously so admittedly) if we had taken fourth after the form they have showed in this last third of the season. We have choked or not turned up in games where we could have taken 3 points (or just 1) and that, ultimately, is what has cost us. We were quite genuinely beaten by a better team last night. It stinks but it's true.

However, we are in Europe. I loved the UEFA campaign last year and I am well excited for it again.

The team has largely done us proud this season. Sure there have been some unconvincing/disappointing displays but we have had to conduct a campaign which has been hit by a tonne of injuries, management upheaval, vociferous public/press opposition and a team that has been trying to find itself and its own identity.

In reality we have done amazingly well to get to 5th. I can't be bothered going over any what ifs....as we are where we are and, as a City fan, I am pleased with this best ever Premier League finish and the first ever (on merit) European qualification.

I said it before last night and shall repeat for clarity but I do NOT want a new manager. I've seen enough of Mancini to want to see who he can bring in and how he can mould and develop a team. I like the fact that he puts City first and not Roberto Mancini. That is why I would be against any moves to bring TSO in, Mancini can take us where we want to be

And that, my friends, is next season....title challengers. Believe it. As that is where we are headed. I cannot wait.

CTID

Congratulations to spurs. They've won 7 of their last 9 games, incl beating arsenal, chelsea and us. On the back of that, they deserve 4th.

However, first, were not fifth yet. We still need a point on sunday. Second, who cares? Brilliant, we're fifth, get the open top bus out. Fourth is nowhere if it wasn't for the cl place, but fifth is first of the teams who failed. Does anyone think liverpool fans are celebrating being in the europa league? So why are we?

We tried for 4th and failed. There's no consolation prize. All that's left is to look at the performances over the season and see who's not up to it and where there are types of player missing. That starts with the manager - if he's staying, the club need to come out and confirm it this week, to stop the press speculation

Ted Hughes wrote:Spurs were more efficient than us today. We attacked, won a lot of battles & played a lot of good football but they were able to bypass us, 1st with strength & power by missing out the midfield & lumping the ball at Crouch & causing us problems from corners etc, then later, when we unfortunately lost Barry, they took over midfield, started to be able pass it around more & started to hit us on the break.

Never at any time did Harry put everyone back behind the ball or start playing some kind of bollocks playstation game on the pitch, they attacked, not in numbers but in spirit, 1st by long ball, then by counter attacking etc. Harry had seen our weakness, as I thought he would & played on it, then when we ran out of steam, they changed into more of a passing game & killed us off. Clever stuff at PL level.

We can learn from them, as we can from the rags, Everton & other teams that did a job on us. Their crossing was lightyears ahead of ours & had they created as many great positions as we did, they would surely have put 5 past us. We wasted every opening we got, they created a chance or half chance from every opening they got.

Tbf, Crouch was a world apart from Adebayor both in the air & on the ground & was a big difference. Ade looks nice with backheels etc but Crouch scared us to death & turned in a quite superb performance that Ade could never match. Be interesting to see how they would have coped v him tonight.

Spurs were imo, the best team we've played 2nd half. Against a well organised Inter type team or the brilliance of Barca, Spurs may have come badly unstuck but they weren't playing against them, they were playing us. We're a work in progress & it was classic Prem Lg football/tactics from them to hit us at our weak points.

I hate Spurs/Harry with a passion but they came to our ground, played against a team/crowd that was right up for it & beat us.

I take my cyber hat off to them, well played Spurs & Harry & good effort from City/Mancini/Hughes getting into Europe for the 1st time since I was a teenager.

Well done to all the blues who stayed to applaud our team/manager off, they deserved it & I think it hit the spot with many of the players. We'll be better next season.

We played EXACTLY how you asked us to play before the game. And I said before the game that it wouldn't be sensible way to approach the game. We run out of steam after 65 mins as we were pushing it too hard too early. Lacked patience. First REAL tactical error since Hull Mancini.

Blue Since 76 wrote:Brilliant, we're fifth, get the open top bus out. Fourth is nowhere if it wasn't for the cl place, but fifth is first of the teams who failed. Does anyone think liverpool fans are celebrating being in the europa league? So why are we?

Are Liverpool celebrating being in the Europa League? No. But then were Liverpool fighting against relegation up until the last few games of the season as recently as 3 seasons ago? No.

Completely regardless of everything else, City have finished 15,14,9,10 and now 5/6 respectively over the last few Premier League campaigns so I just don't get where you're coming from. Open top bus? Of course not. But celebrating reaching the UEFA cup /Europa League on merit for the first time in my life time? Why the fuck not.

Ted Hughes wrote:Spurs were more efficient than us today. We attacked, won a lot of battles & played a lot of good football but they were able to bypass us, 1st with strength & power by missing out the midfield & lumping the ball at Crouch & causing us problems from corners etc, then later, when we unfortunately lost Barry, they took over midfield, started to be able pass it around more & started to hit us on the break.

Never at any time did Harry put everyone back behind the ball or start playing some kind of bollocks playstation game on the pitch, they attacked, not in numbers but in spirit, 1st by long ball, then by counter attacking etc. Harry had seen our weakness, as I thought he would & played on it, then when we ran out of steam, they changed into more of a passing game & killed us off. Clever stuff at PL level.

We can learn from them, as we can from the rags, Everton & other teams that did a job on us. Their crossing was lightyears ahead of ours & had they created as many great positions as we did, they would surely have put 5 past us. We wasted every opening we got, they created a chance or half chance from every opening they got.

Tbf, Crouch was a world apart from Adebayor both in the air & on the ground & was a big difference. Ade looks nice with backheels etc but Crouch scared us to death & turned in a quite superb performance that Ade could never match. Be interesting to see how they would have coped v him tonight.

Spurs were imo, the best team we've played 2nd half. Against a well organised Inter type team or the brilliance of Barca, Spurs may have come badly unstuck but they weren't playing against them, they were playing us. We're a work in progress & it was classic Prem Lg football/tactics from them to hit us at our weak points.

I hate Spurs/Harry with a passion but they came to our ground, played against a team/crowd that was right up for it & beat us.

I take my cyber hat off to them, well played Spurs & Harry & good effort from City/Mancini/Hughes getting into Europe for the 1st time since I was a teenager.

Well done to all the blues who stayed to applaud our team/manager off, they deserved it & I think it hit the spot with many of the players. We'll be better next season.

Excellent post as usual Ted.Spot on.

Ted Hughes wrote:Spurs were more efficient than us today. We attacked, won a lot of battles & played a lot of good football but they were able to bypass us, 1st with strength & power by missing out the midfield & lumping the ball at Crouch & causing us problems from corners etc, then later, when we unfortunately lost Barry, they took over midfield, started to be able pass it around more & started to hit us on the break.

Never at any time did Harry put everyone back behind the ball or start playing some kind of bollocks playstation game on the pitch, they attacked, not in numbers but in spirit, 1st by long ball, then by counter attacking etc. Harry had seen our weakness, as I thought he would & played on it, then when we ran out of steam, they changed into more of a passing game & killed us off. Clever stuff at PL level.

We can learn from them, as we can from the rags, Everton & other teams that did a job on us. Their crossing was lightyears ahead of ours & had they created as many great positions as we did, they would surely have put 5 past us. We wasted every opening we got, they created a chance or half chance from every opening they got.

Tbf, Crouch was a world apart from Adebayor both in the air & on the ground & was a big difference. Ade looks nice with backheels etc but Crouch scared us to death & turned in a quite superb performance that Ade could never match. Be interesting to see how they would have coped v him tonight.

Spurs were imo, the best team we've played 2nd half. Against a well organised Inter type team or the brilliance of Barca, Spurs may have come badly unstuck but they weren't playing against them, they were playing us. We're a work in progress & it was classic Prem Lg football/tactics from them to hit us at our weak points.

I hate Spurs/Harry with a passion but they came to our ground, played against a team/crowd that was right up for it & beat us.

I take my cyber hat off to them, well played Spurs & Harry & good effort from City/Mancini/Hughes getting into Europe for the 1st time since I was a teenager.

Well done to all the blues who stayed to applaud our team/manager off, they deserved it & I think it hit the spot with many of the players. We'll be better next season.

Blue Since 76 wrote:Congratulations to spurs. They've won 7 of their last 9 games, incl beating arsenal, chelsea and us. On the back of that, they deserve 4th.

However, first, were not fifth yet. We still need a point on sunday. Second, who cares? Brilliant, we're fifth, get the open top bus out. Fourth is nowhere if it wasn't for the cl place, but fifth is first of the teams who failed. Does anyone think liverpool fans are celebrating being in the europa league? So why are we?

We tried for 4th and failed. There's no consolation prize. All that's left is to look at the performances over the season and see who's not up to it and where there are types of player missing. That starts with the manager - if he's staying, the club need to come out and confirm it this week, to stop the press speculation

These two posts just about nail it for me

Ant i agree with you pal that i also enjoyed the UEFA Cup run,but it affected our season and will do so again unless we have a squad of 40 players.

lets all have a disco wrote:Ant i agree with you pal that i also enjoyed the UEFA Cup run,but it affected our season and will do so again unless we have a squad of 40 players.

Since we are looking to strenghten again in summer but will not be able to get rid of Santa Cruz's and Toure's, we will most likely have 40 player squad.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

lets all have a disco wrote:Ant i agree with you pal that i also enjoyed the UEFA Cup run,but it affected our season and will do so again unless we have a squad of 40 players.

Since we are looking to strenghten again in summer but will not be able to get rid of Santa Cruz's and Toure's, we will most likely have 40 player squad.

Thank fuck because we will need a league team and a UEFA CUP team.

being in the europa league will do us no favours in trying to break into the top 4
next season, thats why us and spurs have done well this season through not being in europe.
if we had qualified for champs league this season players would have come to make it a possibillity
to play well in both league and europe not now.

We started both halves brightly but didn't get the crucial goal we needed, was very little chance of that with Adebayor as the main outlet seeming to be permanently offside! His performance was the stand out "poor" performance of the evening as far as I was concerned.

I'm hoping that Spurs do well in the CL for selfish reasons. The more they have to keep them occupied the better. I just hope that they don't end up in the Europa league because you can guarantee that we'll draw em at some point. They've got some voodoo shit over us and have had since 81 (2004 apart) so i'd be very happy to avoid them.