***city v liverpool official match thread***

[TGR]

I am with everyone that thought that Pellers selection's for Saturday were badly wrong - but with none of the JCL brigade that just spout 'get rid' like spoilt brats.

So for me we were 'done' as soon as Pellers selected that formation, but the players also did not perform. Hate to say it but ahead of the Palace game last night one of the Neville sisters gave a pretty good explanation of how to beat the Klopp setup and how our players were just switched off, casual and lazy.

Don't kid yourself it is just the 'JCL Brigade' my friend it is far from it. I sit in block 126 and the vast majority of the hard core match going fans around me have similar thoughts - they just don't believe he is good enough[/b]. They don't believe he can motivate the players / team and they do believe he is tactically clueless, which he is. Don't shoot the messenger here fella that's just how it is.
He is a nice bloke for sure but he is not at the level of what is needed at the Etihad these days and in the future. I'll gladly wave him goodbye, heartily cheer him off on his last game and be glad to see the back of him and I won't be the only one.

The part of your post that I have highlighted is the issue that I have with the 'get rid' brigade - and the reason I mentioned JCLs (I meant to the club not this board). It is that CITY, in common with a lot of clubs that have done 'off the cuff' sackings should be able to remember the consequences of ill-thought through actions.

There is talk about the level we are now at and that Pellers is not good enough. That case can be argued for and against - but what I would argue very strongly against is that we repeat the sacking of manager(s) in mid-season unless a) it is part of a plan, with the replacement being the prime candidate, carefully chosen, or b) there was some extreme situation that warranted immersing the club into a situation where we have confusion, or a replacement manager that is not the 'carefully chosen candidate' etc.

We, perhaps more than any PL club, should know the folly of that - was it Peter Reid that was sacked because be were 5th? - not good enough for a club of our stature!! the rest is history - a very painful one. So, for me only the JCLs would not remember the lesson(s) of such an incompetent approach and demand that we repeat such stupid mistakes - because they obviously (IMO) know no better.

For me it is a simple flow:

I have total faith and gratitude towards the owner and he appointed one of his closest confidants to run the club - someone that could have been trusted to run any number of other global concerns on behalf of AD.

I have total confidence and faith in our Chairman and am frankly amazed that someone of his stature continues in that role when he could be running all sorts of major concerns for AD around the globe - a clear demonstration of his (and the Sheik's) commitment. [b]He chose the management team - from careful selection of the best available in world football - and with the global club (and business) that we are destined to become in mind.

I have a large degree of confidence in the Spanish duo - a) because of how they were recruited and by whom, b) their pedigree and experience, c) the evidence of what has been achieved commercially and with regard to global expansion, d) what MCFC have achieved and are on track to achieve- yes they will have to make some short term decisions due to circumstance and availability of resources, but they seem to clearly be working to a plan/strategy - so no knee-jerk from them. They appointed Pellers at a time when we needed some 'characteristics' brought into the club. I was a Mancini fan - but we needed some calm and I do love the way the media cunts fail to get a rise out of him. Pellers might not have been their 'long-term/strategic' target, but he has really helped bring calm and success to the club.

I have little doubt that they have their 'most-preferred' candidate(s) in mind and are working on bringing that person, or alternative, in - the same way they worked for ages behind the scenes to bring in Sterling and KDB - this is not high street shopping!! Also, I am confident that they will not be influenced by strident voices from people (not aimed particularly at you) that are not able to think beyond their immediate needs and view of what they are oh so entitled to now they are a fan of a very big club.

A good post fella. A very good post indeed.
I guess the difference between us is that I don't have total blind faith in the management team of the club (and I genuinely don't mean that as a dig at you).
I am far from convinced about the DoF. I know he has the magic word 'Barcelona' on his CV but Alan Ball could have done what he did at that time. He didn't build the Barca Academy or design / forge their style of play that was done well before he was in situ. For me he was very fortunate to be 'in the right place at the right time'. I also think he has done an OK job for us but nothing stellar and he does appear to pay seriouly top dollar for every transfer he is involved with.

As for Pellegrini I really just don't rate him. He is slightly above average but nothing more. We could achieve so much with a real. genuine, tactically astute manager at the helm who can motivate the players.

As I say it's all about opinions and good old fashioned 'debate' ;-)

[Hazy2]

The 1 yr extension said a lot more than fuck off to the press IMHO he is in his last season even if Pep has been flirting with and ends up in London.

[Original Dub]

"Blind faith.... above average"

How you call it blind faith when our faith is based on recent achievements?

If anyone is blind it's you. Fucking knee jerking is hilarious.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Good point on the ref Zuri.

He was totally biased in his decision making and I've noticed that before. There are shite refs out there, but they're shite all round.
This cunt managed to aid every dipper move (waving advantage after the foul on Sagna, WTF?!) while refusing to play advantages for us.

De Bruyne lost it with him at one stage. And that doesn't seem his normal style.

We were shite, but when the ref is like he was, it makes it a foregone conclusion.

The ref was marked as an excellent 9 out of 10 for his performance.

By who?

One of the national papers apparently marks the refs every game and that's what they came up with. But on the Sagna thing like every other City fan I thought it was a foul and maybe more often than not would be given but it's noticeable it hasn't been mentioned by anyone else anywhere.
I thought Sagna was fouled by Coutinho on their first.

But I also thought we got away with similar type fouls in the second half.

The advantage thing was ridiculous, fair enough if he wants to wait a few seconds to see if an advantage accrues but he can't do it on one decision and not on the rest.

It annoyed me that foul by Coutinho wasn't mentioned. Imagine it had been the other way round. I think the bootlicker referred to it in commentar as Coutinho's done well there or words to that effect.

Anyone I've spoken to about the game agrees it was a foul and that includes a number of Liverpool fans ( I'm surrounded by the fuckers AAAAAAAARRRGGHH! )