The mancityfans.net football forum

There may have been a thread already but what are your genuine thoughts on this season? Players done better than expected? Players under performed? Mancini tactics? Formation? Summer signing? Overall what's your opinion on this season as a whole?

Even tho we have got to a final and prob finish 2nd I must say I've been a little disappointed. That's not me being spoilt we have some absolute class players and I don't feel that I've been entertained much this season, I did last season.

I suppose I expected us to kick on in Europe I spunked fortunes going to Madrid and Ajax it nearly cost me my marriage and the footy was shocking. No way now should we be so far behind united I wouldn't mind coming 2nd if our effort wasn't so feeble at times.

Zabba and nasty-stitch have been the standouts for me.

But over all below par and to me that is down to the management. No point in blaming the summer signings he asked for those players and accepted them.

Nastasic, Clichy and Zabaleta improved. Everyone else did not or went backwards. Some poor signings and some shite retained. How Dzeko and Kolarov are not viewed like Savic is beyond me.

we've gone backwards

Absolute shabby defence of the title and a lot of our players should take a long hard look at themselves.The manager has made some mind numbing tactical decisions this season also he is never pro-active he is always re-active when games need changing.Only players to have covered themselves in any glory are Zabs, Nasty and Tevez imo.

To be honest, I won't be able to make up my mind about this season until the end of next season. Then we'll see what actually happened in terms of our strength as a club, and if we took a step back to take two forward or if we've gone backwards. I say the club as this involves not just the manager and players, but the guys behind the scenes also and player outgoings/in-comings.

Seasons not over yet and kolarov is shit.

london blue 2 wrote:Seasons not over yet and kolarov is shit.

Yep. The Rags should be but ours is still to be defined.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:To be honest, I won't be able to make up my mind about this season until the end of next season. Then we'll see what actually happened in terms of our strength as a club, and if we took a step back to take two forward or if we've gone backwards. I say the club as this involves not just the manager and players, but the guys behind the scenes also and player outgoings/in-comings.

Thats a really good perspective.

There is a big transition going on and the shakedown from that will be what takes us to the next level. i cant help feeling that for one reason or another we have not seen anywhere near the best of any of our star players, and that fact alone has held us back.

We have matchwinners throughout the squad, but need them to step upto the plate for a much more substantial part of the season than once every couple of months. Whether that is the players' fault, the managers fault or a combination, it has to be sorted otherwise we will just get more of the same next season.

Saturday 24th April 1999

Manchester City 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2

Anything is going to be a let down compared to last seasons success
The way we won it. Who we beat to the title in the last seconds. And our footballing ability.
Letting DeJong go was a mistake. Injuries haven't helped and mancini has made his fair share of fuck ups as well.
We had high expectations and they have fell short by 10-13 points.
That's not good enough, but there are positives. We are in a final. We will finish 2nd and our first team is world class on their day. If we can do this playing crap and without a bench, then next season with the added strength we are sure to get, we can only improve.
Lets enjoy the FA cup. Enjoy the last few games of the season and then REALLY ENJOY the sensations that sign for city over the summer.

Beeks wrote:Saturday 24th April 1999

Manchester City 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2

Beeks the op is asking for thoughts on this season not how far we have come in 14 years.

gillie wrote:

Beeks wrote:Saturday 24th April 1999

Manchester City 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2

Beeks the op is asking for thoughts on this season not how far we have come in 14 years.

Perspective Gil

I personally would consider a possible 2nd in the Prem and a possible FA Cup win a very good season

Feed The Goat wrote:Even tho we have got to a final and prob finish 2nd I must say I've been a little disappointed. That's not me being spoilt we have some absolute class players and I don't feel that I've been entertained much this season, I did last season.

I suppose I expected us to kick on in Europe I spunked fortunes going to Madrid and Ajax it nearly cost me my marriage and the footy was shocking. No way now should we be so far behind united I wouldn't mind coming 2nd if our effort wasn't so feeble at times.

Zabba and nasty-stitch have been the standouts for me.

But over all below par and to me that is down to the management. No point in blaming the summer signings he asked for those players and accepted them.

curious. how much did you spend in total for madrid? assuming you're a season ticket holder, how much was the away ticket plus everything else?

Beeks wrote:
Perspective Gil

I personally would consider a possible 2nd in the Prem and a possible FA Cup win a very good season

Gun to head, you'd call this a really good season?

I said last week that as long as we finish strong and cut the gap to under 10 pts id be ok with this season.

Losing the way we have this season is weak and we've played more boring games this year than any other since Pearce was here.

I will be fairly happy with a solid 2nd place in the league plus an FA Cup win but clearly there are aspects of the season which are a bit worrying. We are clearly capable of beating any team in the league whether at home or away but somehow too many games have passed us by. We haven't always lost them but a draw is as bad when you are fighting to win a league.

The worry is why we lost those points.Is it because some of our squad players have simply not been good enough or is it because we get found out tactically.Or is it something to do with complacency. I think it's a big slice of of all 3 and maybe today's game showed us some of that.

I thought we were average today even in the first half even though winning the game and looking fairly comfy.And that was with one player who was unbelievably poor. As the 2nd half went on I actually said the way the game was going that we would lose as I was worried the team,almost to a man,seemed to think we could coast to a win.Games like that tend to bite you in the bum.

Spurs were shocking.For me they picked the wrong side and were playing really badly but at least AVB changed it around with substitutions and lo and behold the game changed.Tactically, as well as with player changes,Spurs improved and we did nothing to counter it.We looked leggy and stayed sloppy and it was no surprise we let goals in.

Just like in european games we allowed key players to have too much time and space and surprise surprise they hurt us.I would have been happier if Mancini had taken Dzeko off ( he should never have been on of course) and put Lescott on and we had sat back to try to win one nil rather than have the team all over the place letting Spurs run around us and do what they wanted.

Losing Milner was a blow as he is an intelligent footballer and bringing on Kolarov in his place was a joke wasn't it? He is the opposite of Milner. I don't care what anyone says we were poor all match and only ahead because Spurs were so bad.As soon as they woke up they cruised and we remained a complacent bunch.If our fans thought we were good at all then maybe they were complacent too.

Is it down to the players or the manager?

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:I will be fairly happy with a solid 2nd place in the league plus an FA Cup win but clearly there are aspects of the season which are a bit worrying. We are clearly capable of beating any team in the league whether at home or away but somehow too many games have passed us by. We haven't always lost them but a draw is as bad when you are fighting to win a league.

The worry is why we lost those points.Is it because some of our squad players have simply not been good enough or is it because we get found out tactically.Or is it something to do with complacency. I think it's a big slice of of all 3 and maybe today's game showed us some of that.

I thought we were average today even in the first half even though winning the game and looking fairly comfy.And that was with one player who was unbelievably poor. As the 2nd half went on I actually said the way the game was going that we would lose as I was worried the team,almost to a man,seemed to think we could coast to a win.Games like that tend to bite you in the bum.

Spurs were shocking.For me they picked the wrong side and were playing really badly but at least AVB changed it around with substitutions and lo and behold the game changed.Tactically, as well as with player changes,Spurs improved and we did nothing to counter it.We looked leggy and stayed sloppy and it was no surprise we let goals in.

Just like in european games we allowed key players to have too much time and space and surprise surprise they hurt us.I would have been happier if Mancini had taken Dzeko off ( he should never have been on of course) and put Lescott on and we had sat back to try to win one nil rather than have the team all over the place letting Spurs run around us and do what they wanted.

Losing Milner was a blow as he is an intelligent footballer and bringing on Kolarov in his place was a joke wasn't it? He is the opposite of Milner. I don't care what anyone says we were poor all match and only ahead because Spurs were so bad.As soon as they woke up they cruised and we remained a complacent bunch.If our fans thought we were good at all then maybe they were complacent too.

Is it down to the players or the manager?

Well obviously Dzeko being non existent is down to him, but the fact he stayed on the pitch, and the fact Kolarov came on for Milner is ultimately down to the choices of the manager.

I'm also wondering about fitness. We saw even last week in a winning performance against Chelsea how we faded badly at the end, but how much of that was fitness, and how much of that was losing the tactical initiative.

The players have to take responsibility for their performances, as its not Mancini's fault some of them look like they dont give a fuck most of the time, but it is his fault he keeps them on the pitch.

Im_Spartacus wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:I will be fairly happy with a solid 2nd place in the league plus an FA Cup win but clearly there are aspects of the season which are a bit worrying. We are clearly capable of beating any team in the league whether at home or away but somehow too many games have passed us by. We haven't always lost them but a draw is as bad when you are fighting to win a league.

The worry is why we lost those points.Is it because some of our squad players have simply not been good enough or is it because we get found out tactically.Or is it something to do with complacency. I think it's a big slice of of all 3 and maybe today's game showed us some of that.

I thought we were average today even in the first half even though winning the game and looking fairly comfy.And that was with one player who was unbelievably poor. As the 2nd half went on I actually said the way the game was going that we would lose as I was worried the team,almost to a man,seemed to think we could coast to a win.Games like that tend to bite you in the bum.

Spurs were shocking.For me they picked the wrong side and were playing really badly but at least AVB changed it around with substitutions and lo and behold the game changed.Tactically, as well as with player changes,Spurs improved and we did nothing to counter it.We looked leggy and stayed sloppy and it was no surprise we let goals in.

Just like in european games we allowed key players to have too much time and space and surprise surprise they hurt us.I would have been happier if Mancini had taken Dzeko off ( he should never have been on of course) and put Lescott on and we had sat back to try to win one nil rather than have the team all over the place letting Spurs run around us and do what they wanted.

Losing Milner was a blow as he is an intelligent footballer and bringing on Kolarov in his place was a joke wasn't it? He is the opposite of Milner. I don't care what anyone says we were poor all match and only ahead because Spurs were so bad.As soon as they woke up they cruised and we remained a complacent bunch.If our fans thought we were good at all then maybe they were complacent too.

Is it down to the players or the manager?

Well obviously Dzeko being non existent is down to him, but the fact he stayed on the pitch, and the fact Kolarov came on for Milner is ultimately down to the choices of the manager.

I'm also wondering about fitness. We saw even last week in a winning performance against Chelsea how we faded badly at the end, but how much of that was fitness, and how much of that was losing the tactical initiative.

The players have to take responsibility for their performances, as its not Mancini's fault some of them look like they dont give a fuck most of the time, but it is his fault he keeps them on the pitch.

Just watched the hoghlights on MOTD2. The whole defence was dozing for the first goal especially Vinnie, the second goal came about cos Nasri conceded possession far too easily and Vinnie then failed to show Defoe down the line and on his weaker left foot, instead allowing him to cut inside and get a shot on goal. Until spuds got their first goal we were in control of the game and it is only sloppy individual errors that have cost us the 3 points today.

Mancini should have hauled Dzeko off at half time, brought on Garcia and pushed Yaya further up. Kolarov should not have been on the pitch cos he is useless, but we were unlucky that Milner picked up an injury although he should have been replaced by Sinclair. Also, why was Aguero on the bench but not brought on? If he wasn't fit enought to play then he shouldn't have been in the squad. This is where Mancini got it wrong in my opinion but regardless of this we were once again profligate in front of goal, which is why we aren't going to win the league, and conceded two very soft goals due to errors that players at this level should not be making. Both the manager and players got it wrong today but I think most of the blame has to lie with the players.

Pretty Boy Lee wrote:

Beeks wrote:
Perspective Gil

I personally would consider a possible 2nd in the Prem and a possible FA Cup win a very good season

Gun to head, you'd call this a really good season?

Damn right I would..you'd think it was our god given right to win the title every year from now on the way some blues bang on

If we lose the FA Cup final then it hasn't been a great season..but if we win it Bobby has delivered 3 trophies in 3 seasons

Fucking dreamland territory and unthinkable to any blue 5 years ago

Glass half full..I'm enjoying every minute