4 Points Ahead of the Chasing Pack

[Beefymcfc]

WOW.

It seems that many people have raised their expectations to ridiculous levels. As things stand we are very much on course to Champion's League qualification but that's obviously not enought to many people anymore.

Funny that many of those same people preached about patience before. Now that we are finally on course to do what is expected, people raise their expectations so that we will never meet them.

We will not win the league, I could've told that to people even before the season started.

Talking about people changing their opinions, I can't be arsed searching through all your posts, but I'm pretty sure that you said you would never forget or forgive Hughes for the gutless performance in his first home derby?

Last night is the worst derby performance I've ever seen (considering levels of talent available and the relatively poor quality of United these days) so I'm guessing you are pretty fuming about it?

if you rather take losing in derby than result then that's up to you.

do you think last night's performance was full of the passion, courage and endeavour that you lambasted the previous management's derby performances for lacking?

Hughes has no impact whatsoever within the confines of this debate. He left a long time ago making all comparisons null and void allowing everyove to move on to better debate.

PS. I'd love to see a little Hughes style play on Saturday, just a little though, don't want to spoil myself.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

WOW.

It seems that many people have raised their expectations to ridiculous levels. As things stand we are very much on course to Champion's League qualification but that's obviously not enought to many people anymore.

Funny that many of those same people preached about patience before. Now that we are finally on course to do what is expected, people raise their expectations so that we will never meet them.

We will not win the league, I could've told that to people even before the season started.

Talking about people changing their opinions, I can't be arsed searching through all your posts, but I'm pretty sure that you said you would never forget or forgive Hughes for the gutless performance in his first home derby?

Last night is the worst derby performance I've ever seen (considering levels of talent available and the relatively poor quality of United these days) so I'm guessing you are pretty fuming about it?

if you rather take losing in derby than result then that's up to you.

do you think last night's performance was full of the passion, courage and endeavour that you lambasted the previous management's derby performances for lacking?

no. But it's the results that justify the management. We got fucking horrible results in derby games under Hughes. Mancini is doing better.

What Hughes has to do with this topic anyway? He is managing Fulham you know.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

WOW.

It seems that many people have raised their expectations to ridiculous levels. As things stand we are very much on course to Champion's League qualification but that's obviously not enought to many people anymore.

Funny that many of those same people preached about patience before. Now that we are finally on course to do what is expected, people raise their expectations so that we will never meet them.

We will not win the league, I could've told that to people even before the season started.

Talking about people changing their opinions, I can't be arsed searching through all your posts, but I'm pretty sure that you said you would never forget or forgive Hughes for the gutless performance in his first home derby?

Last night is the worst derby performance I've ever seen (considering levels of talent available and the relatively poor quality of United these days) so I'm guessing you are pretty fuming about it?

if you rather take losing in derby than result then that's up to you.

do you think last night's performance was full of the passion, courage and endeavour that you lambasted the previous management's derby performances for lacking?

no. But it's the results that justify the management. We got fucking horrible results in derby games under Hughes. Mancini is doing better.

What Hughes has to do with this topic anyway? He is managing Fulham you know.

[The Man In Blue]

WOW.

It seems that many people have raised their expectations to ridiculous levels. As things stand we are very much on course to Champion's League qualification but that's obviously not enought to many people anymore.

Funny that many of those same people preached about patience before. Now that we are finally on course to do what is expected, people raise their expectations so that we will never meet them.

We will not win the league, I could've told that to people even before the season started.

Talking about people changing their opinions, I can't be arsed searching through all your posts, but I'm pretty sure that you said you would never forget or forgive Hughes for the gutless performance in his first home derby?

Last night is the worst derby performance I've ever seen (considering levels of talent available and the relatively poor quality of United these days) so I'm guessing you are pretty fuming about it?

if you rather take losing in derby than result then that's up to you.

do you think last night's performance was full of the passion, courage and endeavour that you lambasted the previous management's derby performances for lacking?

no. But it's the results that justify the management. We got fucking horrible results in derby games under Hughes. Mancini is doing better.

What Hughes has to do with this topic anyway? He is managing Fulham you know.

I'm playing devil's advocate you touchy fucker - i'm happy with Mancini and firmly behind him.You have to admit though, it's pretty funny - when you-know-hugh was at the helm a thread like this would have been greeted with howls of derision from certain sections of the board.

Also, like it or not, Hughes is a part of the history of our club and i'm fucked if you lot can just airbrush him out, pravda style, because you don't like the accusations of hypocrisy that you will (inevitably) receive.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I'm playing devil's advocate you touchy fucker - i'm happy with Mancini and firmly behind him.You have to admit though, it's pretty funny - when you-know-hugh was at the helm a thread like this would have been greeted with howls of derision from certain sections of the board.Also, like it or not, Hughes is a part of the history of our club and i'm fucked if you lot can just airbrush him out, pravda style, because you don't like the accusations of hypocrisy that you will (inevitably) receive.

You can't say that topic like this would've been created under same circumstances. We LOST ALL three Derby games under Hughes. And I AM fucked if people try to change the history to make it sound like he did well on those games. People even going as far as to say that 3-4 "Kick in the nuts Cup Final" was somehow nice game. It wasn't.

But bollocks to fucking Hughes. We are 4 points clear of rest of the teams chasing for Champion's League spot and Hughes going for new world record of drawing games in Fulham. Hanging in the relegation zone at this time of the season feels like distant bad dream now.

[Original Dub]

I'm playing devil's advocate you touchy fucker - i'm happy with Mancini and firmly behind him.You have to admit though, it's pretty funny - when you-know-hugh was at the helm a thread like this would have been greeted with howls of derision from certain sections of the board.Also, like it or not, Hughes is a part of the history of our club and i'm fucked if you lot can just airbrush him out, pravda style, because you don't like the accusations of hypocrisy that you will (inevitably) receive.

You can't say that topic like this would've been created under same circumstances. We LOST ALL three Derby games under Hughes. And I AM fucked if people try to change the history to make it sound like he did well on those games. People even going as far as to say that 3-4 "Kick in the nuts Cup Final" was somehow nice game. It wasn't.

But bollocks to fucking Hughes. We are 4 points clear of rest of the teams chasing for Champion's League spot and Hughes going for new world record of drawing games in Fulham. Hanging in the relegation zone at this time of the season feels like distant bad dream now.

That 4-3 game last season hurt me like hell, but I'm fucked if I'll not admit it was one of the most exciting football matches I have watched in recent times.

My heart was racing. Passion covered every inch of the pitch. My mouth was bone dry. I smoked about 30 cigs and drank like a lord. We tried to win and it didn't work.

On wednesday I felt next to NOTHING.

But if you find one point more memorable than a game like the one at the swamp last season, then so be it.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I'm playing devil's advocate you touchy fucker - i'm happy with Mancini and firmly behind him.You have to admit though, it's pretty funny - when you-know-hugh was at the helm a thread like this would have been greeted with howls of derision from certain sections of the board.Also, like it or not, Hughes is a part of the history of our club and i'm fucked if you lot can just airbrush him out, pravda style, because you don't like the accusations of hypocrisy that you will (inevitably) receive.

You can't say that topic like this would've been created under same circumstances. We LOST ALL three Derby games under Hughes. And I AM fucked if people try to change the history to make it sound like he did well on those games. People even going as far as to say that 3-4 "Kick in the nuts Cup Final" was somehow nice game. It wasn't.

But bollocks to fucking Hughes. We are 4 points clear of rest of the teams chasing for Champion's League spot and Hughes going for new world record of drawing games in Fulham. Hanging in the relegation zone at this time of the season feels like distant bad dream now.

That 4-3 game last season hurt me like hell, but I'm fucked if I'll not admit it was one of the most exciting football matches I have watched in recent times.

My heart was racing. Passion covered every inch of the pitch. My mouth was bone dry. I smoked about 30 cigs and drank like a lord. We tried to win and it didn't work.

On wednesday I felt next to NOTHING.

But if you find one point more memorable than a game like the one at the swamp last season, then so be it.

What does "memorable" mean? That you have shit memories? Well I don't want to have bad memories nor do I cherish them.

And I was just as bervous on wednesday as I was on 4-3.

[brite blu sky]

For what it is worth i was more nervous during this match than the 4-3, i was more out and out excited during the 4-3 though.

I was on a total knife edge during this game, as i thought an opening was going to come and wanted it to be us obviously.. so the longer it went on the sharper the knife edge got.

Bottom line is that is was in no way as enjoyable as the 4-3, but then there was no sense of injustice and despair at the final whistle. If those cancel each other out im not sure.

[Original Dub]

I'm playing devil's advocate you touchy fucker - i'm happy with Mancini and firmly behind him.You have to admit though, it's pretty funny - when you-know-hugh was at the helm a thread like this would have been greeted with howls of derision from certain sections of the board.Also, like it or not, Hughes is a part of the history of our club and i'm fucked if you lot can just airbrush him out, pravda style, because you don't like the accusations of hypocrisy that you will (inevitably) receive.

You can't say that topic like this would've been created under same circumstances. We LOST ALL three Derby games under Hughes. And I AM fucked if people try to change the history to make it sound like he did well on those games. People even going as far as to say that 3-4 "Kick in the nuts Cup Final" was somehow nice game. It wasn't.

But bollocks to fucking Hughes. We are 4 points clear of rest of the teams chasing for Champion's League spot and Hughes going for new world record of drawing games in Fulham. Hanging in the relegation zone at this time of the season feels like distant bad dream now.

That 4-3 game last season hurt me like hell, but I'm fucked if I'll not admit it was one of the most exciting football matches I have watched in recent times.

My heart was racing. Passion covered every inch of the pitch. My mouth was bone dry. I smoked about 30 cigs and drank like a lord. We tried to win and it didn't work.

On wednesday I felt next to NOTHING.

But if you find one point more memorable than a game like the one at the swamp last season, then so be it.

What does "memorable" mean? That you have shit memories? Well I don't want to have bad memories nor do I cherish them.

And I was just as bervous on wednesday as I was on 4-3.

Memorable means that it sticks in your memory my friend.

You think the performance, passion, excitement and general emotion of both games are comparable??

Maybe you should just check the classified afterwards if the only thing you care about is results.

I live for passionate, attacking football. I absolutely adore it. Maybe that's the fundamental difference between us and the reason we just find it so difficult to agree on almost every single football matter?

[saulman]

What's the point in loads of memorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th?

Wednesday was just another game to Mancini and so it should be. Someone has to remain focused on hitting 4th because if he'd have adopted some of the tactics spoken about on here since Wednesday night we'd be a point less in the league and having the piss ripped out of us from all the Rags we work with. Like he said, we've managed a point more against them than we did last season.

Anyone who is deluding themselves that we will be watching this sort of football forever under Mancini is talking bollocks. We have the money to buy pretty much anyone who wishes to come. Whether that's Dzeko, Torres, Shrek, Kaka or whoever the fuck they want to throw money at, we'll get someone who can do the business up front along with Tevez. When that happens, we'll have a forward line that compliments our already decent midfield and defence.

You play to your strenghts to get your points and if our strength is in defence, it would be stupid to go all out attack. That's something Keegan would do.

[The Goose]

What's the point in loads of memorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th?

Wednesday was just another game to Mancini and so it should be. Someone has to remain focused on hitting 4th because if he'd have adopted some of the tactics spoken about on here since Wednesday night we'd be a point less in the league and having the piss ripped out of us from all the Rags we work with. Like he said, we've managed a point more against them than we did last season.

Anyone who is deluding themselves that we will be watching this sort of football forever under Mancini is talking bollocks. We have the money to buy pretty much anyone who wishes to come. Whether that's Dzeko, Torres, Shrek, Kaka or whoever the fuck they want to throw money at, we'll get someone who can do the business up front along with Tevez. When that happens, we'll have a forward line that compliments our already decent midfield and defence.

You play to your strenghts to get your points and if our strength is in defence, it would be stupid to go all out attack. That's something Keegan would do.

A few things that I disagree with slightly. I don't see Mancini particularly changing the shape of his team in the coming months. What will make us more attacking will be swapping Milner, who's essentially a box to box midfield player, for Balotelli, who's an out and out forward. It's a shame we haven't had him available yet, but the time will come. The other thing is the point you make about going out to win the match. It's very easy in hindsight to say "if we'd lost we would have gotten the piss ripped out of us", but I firmly believe that had we shown the intent psychologically, nevermind in terms of team selection or tactics, to win the game, we'd have done just that. It felt like an opportunity missed.

[mr_nool]

What's the point in loads of memorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th?

Wednesday was just another game to Mancini and so it should be. Someone has to remain focused on hitting 4th because if he'd have adopted some of the tactics spoken about on here since Wednesday night we'd be a point less in the league and having the piss ripped out of us from all the Rags we work with. Like he said, we've managed a point more against them than we did last season.

Anyone who is deluding themselves that we will be watching this sort of football forever under Mancini is talking bollocks. We have the money to buy pretty much anyone who wishes to come. Whether that's Dzeko, Torres, Shrek, Kaka or whoever the fuck they want to throw money at, we'll get someone who can do the business up front along with Tevez. When that happens, we'll have a forward line that compliments our already decent midfield and defence.

You play to your strenghts to get your points and if our strength is in defence, it would be stupid to go all out attack. That's something Keegan would do.

A few things that I disagree with slightly. I don't see Mancini particularly changing the shape of his team in the coming months. What will make us more attacking will be swapping Milner, who's essentially a box to box midfield player, for Balotelli, who's an out and out forward. It's a shame we haven't had him available yet, but the time will come. The other thing is the point you make about going out to win the match. It's very easy in hindsight to say "if we'd lost we would have gotten the piss ripped out of us", but I firmly believe that had we shown the intent psychologically, nevermind in terms of team selection or tactics, to win the game, we'd have done just that. It felt like an opportunity missed.

Welcome Goose! Good point, I totally agree.
I would also like to add: What's the point in loads of immemorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th? A draw only gives one point. A win three. Ergo, one win and two losses is just as good as three draws (not counting the points the opponent gains). I know which of the scenarios I prefer if the first one means entertaining football.

[The Goose]

Welcome Goose! Good point, I totally agree.
I would also like to add: What's the point in loads of immemorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th? A draw only gives one point. A win three. Ergo, one win and two losses is just as good as three draws (not counting the points the opponent gains). I know which of the scenarios I prefer if the first one means entertaining football.

Thanks for the welcome fella. Tonight was as good a night as any to start posting. I take your point about points gained with losses v draws, but you have to remember that Mancini needs more than anything to finish 4th. Everything else is a bonus. He won't ever view the derby as anything other than another game against one of the top teams in the league. His way of building from the back is frustrating as hell at times, and the reality is that his approach, if it works, will make him a genius. If it fails however and we end up chasing 4th in the last few weeks of the season, I imagine in Abu Dhabi he'll be seen as a failure. He's not going to take any unnecessary risks, it's not in his nature.

[Ted Hughes]

Welcome Goose! Good point, I totally agree.
I would also like to add: What's the point in loads of immemorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th? A draw only gives one point. A win three. Ergo, one win and two losses is just as good as three draws (not counting the points the opponent gains). I know which of the scenarios I prefer if the first one means entertaining football.

Thanks for the welcome fella. Tonight was as good a night as any to start posting. I take your point about points gained with losses v draws, but you have to remember that Mancini needs more than anything to finish 4th. Everything else is a bonus. He won't ever view the derby as anything other than another game against one of the top teams in the league. His way of building from the back is frustrating as hell at times, and the reality is that his approach, if it works, will make him a genius. If it fails however and we end up chasing 4th in the last few weeks of the season, I imagine in Abu Dhabi he'll be seen as a failure. He's not going to take any unnecessary risks, it's not in his nature.

Agree with that Mr Goose & welcome. Mancini is going for his target rather than the ones some of us would go for. He made a comment last week about possibly having a dart at the title later in the season, 'as Chelsea will have problems caused by the Champ's Lg.' That doesn't bode well for us going all out to win the Europa, or we'd have the same problems.

[brite blu sky]

Welcome Goose! Good point, I totally agree.
I would also like to add: What's the point in loads of immemorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th? A draw only gives one point. A win three. Ergo, one win and two losses is just as good as three draws (not counting the points the opponent gains). I know which of the scenarios I prefer if the first one means entertaining football.

Thanks for the welcome fella. Tonight was as good a night as any to start posting. I take your point about points gained with losses v draws, but you have to remember that Mancini needs more than anything to finish 4th. Everything else is a bonus. He won't ever view the derby as anything other than another game against one of the top teams in the league. His way of building from the back is frustrating as hell at times, and the reality is that his approach, if it works, will make him a genius. If it fails however and we end up chasing 4th in the last few weeks of the season, I imagine in Abu Dhabi he'll be seen as a failure. He's not going to take any unnecessary risks, it's not in his nature.

Agree with that Mr Goose & welcome. Mancini is going for his target rather than the ones some of us would go for. He made a comment last week about possibly having a dart at the title later in the season, 'as Chelsea will have problems caused by the Champ's Lg.' That doesn't bode well for us going all out to win the Europa, or we'd have the same problems.

It is difficult as yet to know what the hell Mancini will do or what indeed he is like.. he comes across to me as a bit of an enigma tbh. He may well be quite pragmatic in his approach depending on the situation.. eg. he would ditch the Europa if we are still there if he thought we had a shout at the title and both would stretch the resources too far in the same week. He seems cautious but then sometimes takes risks non of us would have expected... i'm sure it is going to take more than this season to work him out. So far for me he has got his priorities right if not all decisions.

Welcome to The Goose.. will you still be around after Xmas ?

[Ted Hughes]

Welcome Goose! Good point, I totally agree.
I would also like to add: What's the point in loads of immemorable games if we don't pick up the necessary points to make 4th? A draw only gives one point. A win three. Ergo, one win and two losses is just as good as three draws (not counting the points the opponent gains). I know which of the scenarios I prefer if the first one means entertaining football.

Thanks for the welcome fella. Tonight was as good a night as any to start posting. I take your point about points gained with losses v draws, but you have to remember that Mancini needs more than anything to finish 4th. Everything else is a bonus. He won't ever view the derby as anything other than another game against one of the top teams in the league. His way of building from the back is frustrating as hell at times, and the reality is that his approach, if it works, will make him a genius. If it fails however and we end up chasing 4th in the last few weeks of the season, I imagine in Abu Dhabi he'll be seen as a failure. He's not going to take any unnecessary risks, it's not in his nature.

Agree with that Mr Goose & welcome. Mancini is going for his target rather than the ones some of us would go for. He made a comment last week about possibly having a dart at the title later in the season, 'as Chelsea will have problems caused by the Champ's Lg.' That doesn't bode well for us going all out to win the Europa, or we'd have the same problems.

It is difficult as yet to know what the hell Mancini will do or what indeed he is like.. he comes across to me as a bit of an enigma tbh. He may well be quite pragmatic in his approach depending on the situation.. eg. he would ditch the Europa if we are still there if he thought we had a shout at the title and both would stretch the resources too far in the same week. He seems cautious but then sometimes takes risks non of us would have expected... i'm sure it is going to take more than this season to work him out. So far for me he has got his priorities right if not all decisions.

Welcome to The Goose.. will you still be around after Xmas ?

May not be that kind of Goose.

[john@staustell]

Manicini didn't say 4th was his ultimate target. He said if the season ended now and we were 4th he'd be happy.

But the season doesn't end now, and he said targets can change. He expects the squad to improve, play better together, and to get rid of the dead wood and get another decent striker in January - at least.

His aims are much higher than that, despite this week's heavy criticism.

He said about hurling into the attack against United, or scoring 3 or 4 goals "EEz jus not possible". With that he meant with Tevez limping, Balotelli out and no other fast striker to call on, and the team not yet firing on all cylinders, it is imperative to not let them score, and take it from there. It's already an improvement on last year.

By the second derby "Eet will be possible".

[Swales4ever]

Manicini didn't say 4th was his ultimate target. He said if the season ended now and we were 4th he'd be happy.

But the season doesn't end now, and he said targets can change. He expects the squad to improve, play better together, and to get rid of the dead wood and get another decent striker in January - at least.

His aims are much higher than that, despite this week's heavy criticism.

He said about hurling into the attack against United, or scoring 3 or 4 goals "EEz jus not possible". With that he meant with Tevez limping, Balotelli out and no other fast striker to call on, and the team not yet firing on all cylinders, it is imperative to not let them score, and take it from there. It's already an improvement on last year.

By the second derby "Eet will be possible".

Mark my Prick's words:

55 % City will finish 3rd
45 % City will finish 2nd

and upon both circumstances City will travel to Dublin... :-)

[The Goose]

Manicini didn't say 4th was his ultimate target. He said if the season ended now and we were 4th he'd be happy.

But the season doesn't end now, and he said targets can change. He expects the squad to improve, play better together, and to get rid of the dead wood and get another decent striker in January - at least.

His aims are much higher than that, despite this week's heavy criticism.

He said about hurling into the attack against United, or scoring 3 or 4 goals "EEz jus not possible". With that he meant with Tevez limping, Balotelli out and no other fast striker to call on, and the team not yet firing on all cylinders, it is imperative to not let them score, and take it from there. It's already an improvement on last year.

By the second derby "Eet will be possible".

Mark my Prick's words:

55 % City will finish 3rd
45 % City will finish 2nd

and upon both circumstances City will travel to Dublin... :-)

You have a psychic prick - that's weird fella~! :-P

Reading John's post, I have to say mate that it pretty much reads as a City press release. No offense and I hope you don't take it wrong! I just mean in the sense that you've stated nothing different to what Roberto said after the game in midweek.

I think we can all sit tight for the moment because there is still a long long road ahead of us. I am cautiously optimistic that we are still capable, with the right results between now and Christmas, to go into the new year still fighting for the title. What is crucial is that we cut out the daft dropped points against lesser sides. Starting today! C'mon City!

[Dameerto]

Welcome to the boards GOOSE - it was good to take a GANDER a your first few posts (see what I did there?). I agree with you about Mancini's longterm strategy and can see why he makes his decisions, though I know it will frustrate (and has frustrated) a lot of the fans.