***city vs cskracists official match thread***

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Pellers looks beat. I mean, he always looked shattered, but the guy needs a fucking holiday.I worry for his health.

No doubt he's as baffled by the appalling attitude of our players as Mancini was the season after we won the league under him. But the fuckers don't have the excuse that the manager is a twat this time.

[AntMcfc]

Has Clichy ever had two good games in a row?

[AntMcfc]

Dzeko has to start from now on. Our attacking shape is poor without him.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

We need some of our youth in this set up, and quick !!
Our so called stars are as lazy as fuck. I know things are bad when some people are saying James fucking Milner is our player of the season so far. I will concede that he has a great work ethic, but the greatness ends there, if you have no skill to match its pointless. There was no drive, no passion i'm ducking fucked off. Hungry youth is the answer, has Pellers got the bottle to introduce it, i doubt it !!

All very important points. I wonder what the powers that be at the club tell the manager? We want to go far in the Champions League/win the league and we also want the young players to be introduced to the first team. A manager in this situation would have to have balls of steel not to just plump for players he knows he can trust (i.e. players who already have professional experience) and would have more chance of bringing success on the pitch. But I'm with you on this, some young blood from the youth set-up around the squad might help remind our 'stars' what the fucking point is of being a professional footballer.

[kinkylola]

Dzeko has to start from now on. Our attacking shape is poor without him.

I think it's poorer with him.

[kinkylola]

I feel sorry for pellers ... forced to pick clichey through injury, plays one of if not his best games in a city shirt, then when he's actually picked on merit for the next game, gives us that.

He's also had to watch a team of champions turn into lazy cowards in the space of 6 month's ... can't be easy. It goes right across the pitch too, not sure there is a player exempt from it, even though Sergio is still scoring goals.

[phips]

just watched this.
when i turned it on i thought to myself "CSKA is gonna score in the opening 5 mins". surprising, they did.

the opening free kick was very harsh but Yaya's marking was atrocious.

Navas simply isn't good enough. At all.

why is it that whenever Fernando passes the ball along the ground it looks like he's trying to pass a bowling ball?

Yaya was much more impressive in the 2nd half and he single handedly tried to drag us back into the match. his red was utter stupidity though.


at this point, i hope we end up bottom of the group. maybe that'll rattle some egos and force some changes.
if we can't beat CSKA is 2 matches then we don't deserve to be in the CL.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I'm a Pellers licker but his half time changes finished us off. Why take Jovetic off who who was trying to show imagination to open up CSKA For Nasri who is a French Duke who offers NOTHING.
Players who simply are not good enough
Clichy
Nasri
MDM
Ferna 1
Navas
It's hard to fathom our failures in Europe
It seems to be : No Silva no creativity. Simple as.

[edge275]

Dzeko has to start from now on. Our attacking shape is poor without him.

Then we truly are fucking doomed.

[xavi6]

Blaming the officials, UEFA and anyone else outside the club is an easy out and a lazy deflection from the real issues which are a lot closer to home.

Whether we were the first or third seed we still managed to only take ONE point from the two games against the bottom seed in the group, a team we beat twice only 12 months ago and a team that had won once in nine Champions League games before this.

Didn't kill the game off at their place and defended abysmally at the start of the home game to go behind within a few minutes. Throw in the two dropped points at home to Roma and the failure to hold on in Munich and there's no one to blame but the players and manager. This falls squarely on them and they should not be given a get out of jail card.

Yaya was rightly sent off, and Nasri should've followed him. Unacceptable brain farts from both and players of their experience need to keep their heads no matter what else is going on around them. City still managed to dominate possession and chances yet lost.

The fact is that this is an aging squad, the oldest in the league I think, and they are failing to deliver on the biggest European stage. The league will always be more important to me but you also want to mix it with the big boys. Right now we're more like whipping boys and it's not good enough.

[gillie]

Blaming the officials, UEFA and anyone else outside the club is an easy out and a lazy deflection from the real issues which are a lot closer to home.

Whether we were the first or third seed we still managed to only take ONE point from the two games against the bottom seed in the group, a team we beat twice only 12 months ago and a team that had won once in nine Champions League games before this.

Didn't kill the game off at their place and defended abysmally at the start of the home game to go behind within a few minutes. Throw in the two dropped points at home to Roma and the failure to hold on in Munich and there's no one to blame but the players and manager. This falls squarely on them and they should not be given a get out of jail card.

Yaya was rightly sent off, and Nasri should've followed him. Unacceptable brain farts from both and players of their experience need to keep their heads no matter what else is going on around them. City still managed to dominate possession and chances yet lost.

The fact is that this is an aging squad, the oldest in the league I think, and they are failing to deliver on the biggest European stage. The league will always be more important to me but you also want to mix it with the big boys. Right now we're more like whipping boys and it's not good enough.

Roma are the bottom seeds in our group mate but I kinda get your meaning.

[Mase]

Playing Zaba and Navas at the same time is pointless. Navas never picks him out when he goes on the overlap just comes back and Zaba just wastes his time with the run.

[xavi6]

Blaming the officials, UEFA and anyone else outside the club is an easy out and a lazy deflection from the real issues which are a lot closer to home.

Whether we were the first or third seed we still managed to only take ONE point from the two games against the bottom seed in the group, a team we beat twice only 12 months ago and a team that had won once in nine Champions League games before this.

Didn't kill the game off at their place and defended abysmally at the start of the home game to go behind within a few minutes. Throw in the two dropped points at home to Roma and the failure to hold on in Munich and there's no one to blame but the players and manager. This falls squarely on them and they should not be given a get out of jail card.

Yaya was rightly sent off, and Nasri should've followed him. Unacceptable brain farts from both and players of their experience need to keep their heads no matter what else is going on around them. City still managed to dominate possession and chances yet lost.

The fact is that this is an aging squad, the oldest in the league I think, and they are failing to deliver on the biggest European stage. The league will always be more important to me but you also want to mix it with the big boys. Right now we're more like whipping boys and it's not good enough.

Roma are the bottom seeds in our group mate but I kinda get your meaning.

Cheers, posting through red mist always means something goes wrong.

[Ted Hughes]

Sounds like you're content with that performance? If so I agree to disagree.

Nobody can be satisfied with that performance but the more I see of euro refs the more confused I get. I was worried very early on with tonight's ref as he gave that handball against Clichy which for me was a joke and then didn't give the foul against Milner when the guy scythed across him.It happened to Milner again late and you could sea an " I give up look" on his face. Milner doesn't give up but you know what I mean.

I felt the second yellow on Fernandinho was unlucky and I am sure the ref didn't see it so one of the other officials must have said something.The Yaya gets blocked in a similar way and nothing for that so Yaya acts like a petulant child and gets a red.

Did Aguero dive really? Looked a bit like it but I actually doubt it and reckon there was contact.

BUT the bottom line is WE WERE SHIT from start to finish and almost every player can be faulted. Jovetic is getting plenty of stick but at least he was trying stuff,like the free kick he won for the goal, but mostly it didn't come off as players seem to be expecting him to do something else.

How the hell did we beat the scum?

We have been stitched by refs at every turn but that's not why we're crap in Europe. We played at half whack vs the scum, & our half whack is better than their 100%.

We play at less than that in the Champions Lg & also mostly in the Europa League. I've only seen the 1st half, & we played EXACTLY the same way as we did v Newcastle, except with added nerves.

Watching Real Madrid vs scousers, even on a fairly lacklustre night, when the oppo is in situ on the edge of their own box Real have two plans: get balls into the 6 yard box from wide, or move the ball around quickly on the edge of the box, looking for one twos or trying to create a space for a shot. Bayern play pretty much the same game vs a packed defence. Both have turned us over like that, at times when we have had our whole team back, in place, defending.

We saw Jovetic run at their defence on his own once & win a free kick. Most times when he received the ball, that was his only creative option. I saw numerous times when he picked the ball up & turned, he had the option of passing sideways, backwards or running at the defence, so sometimes he ran at the defence, on his own, & on one occsion two players were stood, still, probably offside, on the other side of a wall of Russian defenders. His options then were to shoot from 30 yards, try & beat them all, or force a pass through them all, which he tried, & it was cut out. Had he succeeded, it would probably have been offside.

Another time he ran at the defence, and saw a wall of Russian defenders, with Aguero stood, with his back to goal, so he played the ball to the feet of Aguero, looking for a 1-2 or any kind of move to create a space for a shot etc just like Real & Bayern do, all the time, & Aguero was on his heels not expecting it, so a Russian got a foot to the ball instead. When he played the ball wide, nothing came in. Nobody made runs in behind, everyone just stood, watching.

This was exactly the same v Newcastle; a bunch of traffic cones.

If he had been playing for Real, or Bayern, there would be about 7 players all running about at different angles pulling defenders around, or a couple waiting on the edge of the box, for a pass to feet, so they could set him up for a fist time shot or turn & fire one in, play a 1-2 etc.

City had nothing, just traffic cones. When the traffic cones lose the ball, the blokes behind them shit their shorts & basically beg the oppo to score.

And not just Clichy; all of them.

[sheblue]

We can pick on this player and that player, but it all boils down to work. Its all down to work. Hard work. And we have not seen enough of it.
They deserved a good bollicking at half time last night, and clearly they didnt get it.

[NAMCO]

We are fast becoming the joke of European football. The fault lies in the running of the club.

It's safe to say we've been following the Chelsea model. They are now a force in Europe & at home & are in line with FFP. With the money we've spent we are no further along in Europe than when we started. Due to FFP we wont be able to spend another Billion quid to build another squad of superstars. In a couple of years we are going to need a major squad overhaul.

I'm pretty sure that Mansour may have expected the first year in the CL to be rocky. He would have been expecting to get to at least a SF within 4 years though.

[Ted Hughes]

We are fast becoming the joke of European football. The fault lies in the running of the club.

It's safe to say we've been following the Chelsea model. They are now a force in Europe & at home & are in line with FFP. With the money we've spent we are no further along in Europe than when we started. Due to FFP we wont be able to spend another Billion quid to build another squad of superstars. In a couple of years we are going to need a major squad overhaul.

I'm pretty sure that Mansour may have expected the first year in the CL to be rocky. He would have been expecting to get to at least a SF within 4 years though.

Not a rag by any chance ?

[Goaters 103]

We are fast becoming the joke of European football. The fault lies in the running of the club.

It's safe to say we've been following the Chelsea model. They are now a force in Europe & at home & are in line with FFP. With the money we've spent we are no further along in Europe than when we started. Due to FFP we wont be able to spend another Billion quid to build another squad of superstars. In a couple of years we are going to need a major squad overhaul.

I'm pretty sure that Mansour may have expected the first year in the CL to be rocky. He would have been expecting to get to at least a SF within 4 years though.

Not a rag by any chance ?

Hmm.

I do love it when people tell us what The Sheikh must be thinking, given he very rarely offers anything. Khaldoun will speak when necessary but people need to get their head around this supposed timetable of expectation as this isn't a 10 year project for Sheikh Mansour - its a 100 year one. Danny Mills - the ugly no mark little troll - was in fine form telling us what we must be thinking, and what Sheikh Mansour is thinking last night on 5Live, as though he would have any insight worth listening to.

Yes we are shite in Europe at present. Chances are we will get it right though, and win the Champions League itself before Arsenal ever do for example.

Things need to change, and Im sure they will.

[Ted Hughes]

We are fast becoming the joke of European football. The fault lies in the running of the club.

It's safe to say we've been following the Chelsea model. They are now a force in Europe & at home & are in line with FFP. With the money we've spent we are no further along in Europe than when we started. Due to FFP we wont be able to spend another Billion quid to build another squad of superstars. In a couple of years we are going to need a major squad overhaul.

I'm pretty sure that Mansour may have expected the first year in the CL to be rocky. He would have been expecting to get to at least a SF within 4 years though.

Not a rag by any chance ?

Hmm.

I do love it when people tell us what The Sheikh must be thinking, given he very rarely offers anything. Khaldoun will speak when necessary but people need to get their head around this supposed timetable of expectation as this isn't a 10 year project for Sheikh Mansour - its a 100 year one. Danny Mills - the ugly no mark little troll - was in fine form telling us what we must be thinking, and what Sheikh Mansour is thinking last night on 5Live, as though he would have any insight worth listening to.

Yes we are shite in Europe at present. Chances are we will get it right though, and win the Champions League itself before Arsenal ever do for example.

Things need to change, and Im sure they will.

I think you're dead right.

We will win the Champions Lg before Arsenal do, or Utd or Liverpool do it again. Chelsea might sneak one in before we do.

[Hazy2]

We are fast becoming the joke of European football. The fault lies in the running of the club.

It's safe to say we've been following the Chelsea model. They are now a force in Europe & at home & are in line with FFP. With the money we've spent we are no further along in Europe than when we started. Due to FFP we wont be able to spend another Billion quid to build another squad of superstars. In a couple of years we are going to need a major squad overhaul.

I'm pretty sure that Mansour may have expected the first year in the CL to be rocky. He would have been expecting to get to at least a SF within 4 years though.

Not a rag by any chance ?

The running of the club, haha you have not been around long have you. RAG.