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Honest question. If you've followed Doug's reports then you'll know what I'm talking about.

As an AC fan too I confirm de Jong is playing so badly you couldn't imagine how, mate!

He was here at the start of the season and we were a mess then, with him in the team.

Yes and no, as a figure in the dressing room yes, but at this level, the players should sort it out.

I think we have that champions syndrome, here and even in the league. We are in a situations (as title winners) that is new for us and it's a bit odd to handle + we tend to fuck things up, starting with the preseason, transfer window and so on. In some way we are still "Typical City", but just at another level.

It never mattered how he played, it mattered off the pitch.

As for the start of the season, I'm sure that every player knew the score with Nige.

Beefymcfc wrote:It never mattered how he played, it mattered off the pitch.

As for the start of the season, I'm sure that every player knew the score with Nige.

Possibly they knew and they miss him but the spirit was fine on Saturday. That was our best performance since Bob arrived imo. WBA were a tough side to play with 10 men, which makes tonight's fiasco even more difficult to take.

Ted Hughes wrote:

Beefymcfc wrote:It never mattered how he played, it mattered off the pitch.

As for the start of the season, I'm sure that every player knew the score with Nige.

Possibly they knew and they miss him but the spirit was fine on Saturday. That was our best performance since Bob arrived imo. WBA were a tough side to play with 10 men, which makes tonight's fiasco even more difficult to take.

It was but it doesn't make it better.

He wouldn't have added anything special to the team that played today.

Ratboy was bang on all night. Three fuck-ups and each one down to Mancini:

Zonal marking - shocking.

Lescott off, Clichy to central defence - neither thing made sense to either player.

Fucking about with the team at the end out of desperation. We've made so many comebacks recently but always by patiently sticking to our guns. The last 20 minutes were shambolic.

Alioune DVToure wrote:Ratboy was bang on all night. Three fuck-ups and each one down to Mancini:

Zonal marking - shocking.

Lescott off, Clichy to central defence - neither thing made sense to either player.

Fucking about with the team at the end out of desperation. We've made so many comebacks recently but always by patiently sticking to our guns. The last 20 minutes were shambolic.

the worst thing is, even most people on this forum knew he was going to fuck about with the team before the game had started! its frightening! why the fuck does he do it!

We are missing Silva.
We are missing playing the same team for a few games in a row.

de Jong was a decent player, but he was no world beater as some people on here make him out to be.

He played in the Napoli game last year and let his man run across him and score.

He backed out of a challenge with Danny Welbeck in the FA Cup match last season.

Garcia will be just as good if not better given time.

I think for the system we should be playing ... yes we miss de jong at times. I should also say that I think Garcia and Rodwell will develop to fill that role, which is mainly solid d cover so that Yaya can go steamrolling up the field and not worry about lugging his gigantic frame back.

De Jong added his own flavor to the role with some hard tackling and dogged defending ... and I think Garcia/Rodwell can bring aerial prowess and MAYBE a more expansive passing game. It won't be like for like, but it will be in the same spirit and it will be effective. That is, if we ever play the formation that won us the league again.

yes we are, Vinny looks average at best, the reaction from Mancini to the 2nd goal was poor, To drag a player off like that was not great IMO, Ajax and the plan they had for us outed us as naive and poor all night to the tactical play of teams who stop us, Malaga are New to this and play the same way in the League. MOVE ON AND LEARN FROM IT.

In the short term, yes we are. However, other players will grow into the role so in the long term no. Garcia and Rodwell both have the tools to be more complete players than Nige, however I'd still rate Nige to be better in the tackle. But, given time, games, experience and coaching the two will more than fill Nige's role.