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Lovely day and Kidd with Fausto were out setting everything up for the usual day before a game training session.Clichy out early in very red boots followed by AJ in green and then Silva in black. Suprising how odd plain black boots look nowadays.The keepers went out together early as usual, all in black leggings, a change for Panti who was wearing some strange grey tights yesterday.

A load of cameras then came out for the regulation pre CL game.Maybe about 10 which is way down on the numbers pre the Villareal home game. All present and correct with the players and good to see Kolo out there doing what he loves best.Interesting to watch the little groups of players as they milled around waiting for Mancini to gather them for the pre session chat. Silva with Zaba and Aguero, Savic with Dzeko and Kolarov, Kolo with Nasri and Clichy (Yaya was late out for a change), Milner and the english coningent plus Vinnie and Nigel.

Mancini did his chat and then they jogged around before coming right next to the fence for some fitness routines.Mancini was watching very closely.At one stage he clapped his hands I think to ask for more focus in the work and at another he was pointing out to one of the players excatly what the physio was asking them to do because he wasnt doing it right. Attention to detail!

Off to some keep ball circles and then into a handball game, one touch football and then 2 touch before a final headers only game. As ever in the headers game Micah scored the first but he was followed by Zaba , Edin and Clichy before the golden goal winner was..... Silva with a diving header from a Mario chip. Some more short fitness routines followed before the final game and again Mancini was watching very closely.

Onto the game and the early notables were both keepers wearing white snoods, Yaya having a roll around for the cameras after a challenge. Panti saving well twice before the first goal from a corner where Savic rose high at the back post to head back across the keeper low to the bottom corner. Top header.Joe Hart was very vocal as ever shouting out instructions to his defenders.

It was a warm day and I noticed there was still only 1 player in shortsleeves and no prizes for guessing who that was.Mario's shooting wasnt the best today and for a while his best effort was a backheel. Not really a show boat effort but justified in a tight situation.Then a great equaliser after superb work from Nasri set Aguero free. Joe was out fast and blocked the shot a point blank range but it looped away and Dzeko was on hand to head home. Nothing more Joe could have done.Within seconds Nigel broke through and squared to Nasri to smash home another.

The equaliser was from GazBaz from about 20 yards. A real top corner beauty.Edin nearly made it 3.2 at full stretch but hit the post from a great Yaya surge and cross.And then it was golden goal time.They really don't want to lose the golden goal and it's noticeable. AJ threatened to break free but you don't shrug off Yaya easily.The game went back and forth and then in a challenge Edin won the ball about 7 yards out and as the keeper flew out he just calmly put his foot under the ball and lifted it into the net. Good enjoyable session.

Just a couple stayed out for shooting practice but they were Nigel and Milner. Milner was superb.He really does strike the ball well with both feet. Clichy was also still out practicing some defensive work with Fausto.Owen came out late to start his work with Carminati.

I can't believe Joe is still flapping saves back into the danger area after all the coaching he had on here

Thanks Doug... Any chance of a bit of video, not just the training but where you all stand, what the whole scene looks like etc. Just to geta feel of you up a ladder or whatever goes on

Good report Doug Thanks :-))

Patrick wrote:I can't believe Joe is still flapping saves back into the danger area after all the coaching he had on here

Thanks Doug... Any chance of a bit of video, not just the training but where you all stand, what the whole scene looks like etc. Just to geta feel of you up a ladder or whatever goes on

You need to work on your sarcasm:)

No chance at all.Unless City decide to do a feature for the OS and send Sharon round.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Interesting to watch the little groups of players as they milled around waiting for Mancini to gather them for the pre session chat. Silva with Zaba and Aguero, Savic with Dzeko and Kolarov, Kolo with Nasri and Clichy (Yaya was late out for a change), Milner and the english coningent plus Vinnie and Nigel.

I'm probably worrying over muchly but I hope this isn't a sign of destructive cliques developing.

Lol ^^^

What a pessimist.

Kladze wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Interesting to watch the little groups of players as they milled around waiting for Mancini to gather them for the pre session chat. Silva with Zaba and Aguero, Savic with Dzeko and Kolarov, Kolo with Nasri and Clichy (Yaya was late out for a change), Milner and the english coningent plus Vinnie and Nigel.

I'm probably worrying over muchly but I hope this isn't a sign of destructive cliques developing.

I think the Balkan lads will form a truce with the Englishmen to out the Hispanic blokes. The deciding factor will be if the French choose to get involved, and if so, whose side they take. We may have a microcosm of a world war at our club. We have already experienced failed peace talks, sanctions, and outside provocation. It is only a matter of time

Nigel De Jong is nothing if not optimistic - more shooting practice indeed!

john@staustell wrote:Nigel De Jong is nothing if not optimistic - more shooting practice indeed!

Good sign if you ask me ( not that this is the first time either) that he knows he will get situations on the edge of the box and he needs to do better.

twosips wrote:Lol ^^^

What a pessimist.

Yeah.

Point taken :-)

Cheers Doug, great report as usual. Glad to hear the group is in great spirit.