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Just looking at the fixtures whilst reflecting on a good start.

Not wanting to get carried away but if we are to challenge for the title then there's a good opportunity for us to get off to a real flyer. These next six are very winnable and with our main rivals having a number of games against each other while we play these, this is a big opportunity for us.

Sunday, 28 August 2011
Tottenham v Man City, 13:30

Saturday, 10 September 2011
Man City v Wigan, 15:00

Saturday, 17 September 2011
Fulham v Man City, 15:00

Saturday, 24 September 2011
Man City v Everton, 12:45

Saturday, 1 October 2011
Blackburn v Man City, 15:00

Sunday, 16 October 2011
Man City v Aston Villa, 13:30

These six take us up to the derby and I reckon a haul 13/14 points would see us top by a decent margin. Perhaps it's stating the obvious and being slightly optimistic but I'm quite excited about the prospect of us getting a head start and opening up a bit of a gap.

I didnt know we played Spurs so soon.

But you're right, infact, it highlights how times have changed, we look at the fixture list and tbh only fear the other big 4 AWAY from home.

We SHOULD be top at Christmas imo.

all our league games this season are winnable...

I always got told off last season for 'next x games' threads. Get your tin hat on.

15 points should do nicely.

Spurs is one of the hardest away games we'll play all season. if we win it then it really makes a big statement but if we get turned over, I don't think it says that much; any of the top 4 could get turned over there at any time if Spurs were at their best.

If we win a few/lose a few v the top 4 & batter everybody else, we will win the league. We've started well in that regard.

One thing is for sure though; last season's City team was not good enough to go toe to toe away at Spurs & beat them. Are we good enough now ? Let's see. I won't lose any sleep if we get beat. Just have a go & see what happens.

Spuds is the only tough match there. An away draw would be acceptable if a little disappointing. We have played them fairly early the last few seasons; I seem to remember a draw last season a big improvement on a dicking the year before?

We should be looking for three points from every other match there and be going out with the same approach we have in the first two games.

I hope we fuck Everton over big time, they have been our bogey team since the Lescott saga.

I was thinking about this last night. We could easily go into the derby with 20+ pionts and a healthy lead over 'them'. I firmly believe we can win there if we go to play rather than shut up shop. We could put clear water between us before ten games have been played.

Spurs away and Everton (home or away) are not exactly fixtures that I think we will win .... we should but these two always seem like bogey sides for us, hopefully things will be different this season.

I think we need an early push to have any chance of finishing 1st or 2nd for a few reasons.

Mentality - our rivals (chelsea and scum) are both aware that we have a ridiculous amount of talent in our team, they know that one day we will probably be clear of them. Getting an early lead might take a bit of the fight out of them, less likely to happen with the scum but could still have the effect.

Our own players having a gap could just give them an extra nudge, convince a few more that we can win the title.

Also when the CL gets going and we are playing domestic cup games we will drop points in the league where the scum won't. I wouldn't expect chelsea to drop points when playing sun-wed-sun due to experiencing it before but with a new manager it's only a few players that have the experience not the team as a whole.

So i hope we do manage an early lead in the prem or atleast stay above the scum on goal difference.

Ted Hughes wrote:Spurs is one of the hardest away games we'll play all season. if we win it then it really makes a big statement but if we get turned over, I don't think it says that much; any of the top 4 could get turned over there at any time if Spurs were at their best.

If we win a few/lose a few v the top 4 & batter everybody else, we will win the league. We've started well in that regard.

One thing is for sure though; last season's City team was not good enough to go toe to toe away at Spurs & beat them. Are we good enough now ? Let's see. I won't lose any sleep if we get beat. Just have a go & see what happens.

Out of interest then how would you play it at Spurs? Keep it tight and hit them while they are trying to pile forward? Or win the midfield battle and try and dominate the play? or...

It's a Marathon, not a sprint.




Well, someone had to say it ;-)

Same as at Bolton but perhaps with different personnel, Clichy for his pace for example. Imo, if we play for & get a draw it's 1 point so if we attack & lose, we only lose 1 point. If we win, we gain 3. If we are trying to win the league, winning games is the way to go in most circumstances. We have the players. Lets give it a go. If we lose, we lose.

Ted Hughes wrote:Same as at Bolton but perhaps with different personnel, Clichy for his pace for example. Imo, if we play for & get a draw it's 1 point so if we attack & lose, we only lose 1 point. If we win, we gain 3. If we are trying to win the league, winning games is the way to go in most circumstances. We have the players. Lets give it a go. If we lose, we lose.

Ok so no particular insight into how to play Spurs at WHL then? Play our own game and see where it gets us then. That's a bit dull but is a safe option.

Personally as long as we flood the midfield and look to cut out Spurs distribution at source from players like Huddlestone we will be pretty safe and frustrate them. As we often have a 5 man mid then suits fine as long as they push up and mix it up in a high line.

brite blu sky wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Same as at Bolton but perhaps with different personnel, Clichy for his pace for example. Imo, if we play for & get a draw it's 1 point so if we attack & lose, we only lose 1 point. If we win, we gain 3. If we are trying to win the league, winning games is the way to go in most circumstances. We have the players. Lets give it a go. If we lose, we lose.

Ok so no particular insight into how to play Spurs at WHL then? Play our own game and see where it gets us then. That's a bit dull but is a safe option.

Personally as long as we flood the midfield and look to cut out Spurs distribution at source from players like Huddlestone we will be pretty safe and frustrate them. As we often have a 5 man mid then suits fine as long as they push up and mix it up in a high line.

The key to beating Spurs might come down to scoring more goals than them:)

But really I reckon it's all about stopping Bale and Lennon getting at us.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

brite blu sky wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Same as at Bolton but perhaps with different personnel, Clichy for his pace for example. Imo, if we play for & get a draw it's 1 point so if we attack & lose, we only lose 1 point. If we win, we gain 3. If we are trying to win the league, winning games is the way to go in most circumstances. We have the players. Lets give it a go. If we lose, we lose.

Ok so no particular insight into how to play Spurs at WHL then? Play our own game and see where it gets us then. That's a bit dull but is a safe option.

Personally as long as we flood the midfield and look to cut out Spurs distribution at source from players like Huddlestone we will be pretty safe and frustrate them. As we often have a 5 man mid then suits fine as long as they push up and mix it up in a high line.

The key to beating Spurs might come down to scoring more goals than them:)

But really I reckon it's all about stopping Bale and Lennon getting at us.

Hence Cichy for Kolarov.

As long as we don't concede inside the first half an hour against Spurs i'll be very confident we can take something from the game.

We need to stifle them a little and then impose ourselves. Spurs will be VERY fired up. Little point trying to race out of the blocks at the same time as them, because they do the direct assault on the senses as good if not better than anyone in this league. They're very quick starters. However I do think we are very good at containing teams and gradually wearing them down. Hence my belief that we should keep it tight and then look to exploit them as we start to control possession.

The FA cup win, 12 months together with full pre seasons is paying off. We are changing. Realising we are the business.

It happened when scum won their FA cup replay 20 odd years ago. They suddenly realised how good they were.

Didn't Chelsea win their first nine games last season? Scoring thirty-odd goals in the process?

Yes, the points would be handy but all this talk of "making statements" is basically media crap, I think. You win a game, you've got three more points. That's it.

We should be looking to beat everyone, home or away.

Think we beat them about six games in didn't we?

Ted Hughes wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

brite blu sky wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Same as at Bolton but perhaps with different personnel, Clichy for his pace for example. Imo, if we play for & get a draw it's 1 point so if we attack & lose, we only lose 1 point. If we win, we gain 3. If we are trying to win the league, winning games is the way to go in most circumstances. We have the players. Lets give it a go. If we lose, we lose.

Ok so no particular insight into how to play Spurs at WHL then? Play our own game and see where it gets us then. That's a bit dull but is a safe option.

Personally as long as we flood the midfield and look to cut out Spurs distribution at source from players like Huddlestone we will be pretty safe and frustrate them. As we often have a 5 man mid then suits fine as long as they push up and mix it up in a high line.

The key to beating Spurs might come down to scoring more goals than them:)

But really I reckon it's all about stopping Bale and Lennon getting at us.

Hence Cichy for Kolarov.

hence cutting out the distribution ( it also coincides with where most of our best players hang out,as long as they push up )