Training Friday 3/2

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I was thinking before going to Carrington today how proud and priviledged I am ,along with Neil from BlueMoon,in being able to go along and watch City train.The English Premier league is the best league in the world and City are currently the best team in the country,we have some world class players and a brilliant squad with a top manager and here we are getting the chance to stand on the touchline to watch training and even do reports for a fans forum. WOW.

Anyway the sun was shining as the players came out and everybody present except Vinnie who is still not right with the knee he injured at Everton. Micah was looking ok with no bandage on his knee. All the usuall stuff for starters to get warmed up and Mancini took all the defenders to work on some specifics while the rest kept doing exercises and keep ball circle work.A few other fans had walked around the far side to get what view they could and a couple of cameramen were also that side with ladders trying as ever to get a headline photo.

There were 18 players involved today with Rekik,Razak and Scapuzzi (not F Mancini as I had thought yesterday) and the keepers were working away at the other end of the undersoil heated pitch.A few games of 1 and 2 touch passing followed and then a sort of match with the small goals to score in.There were plenty of near misses from Mario (2),Edin(2),Aleks,GazBaz before finally Mario swept one home and the game ended.

A few more exercises followed that while the keepers were finishing off with some long clearances.Some good ,some not so good but Attilio Lombardo p[ositioned himself way in to the opposition half and called for the keepers to aim at him!You can imagine which 2 words Joe chose to shout at him:) And so onto the game.

Very early on and Mario showed real quality bursting passed two defenders before scoring with a good cross shot.
Joe made a great save with his feet
Scapuzzi controlled a left foot volley but just wide
Vinnie came out for some work with Carminati to give hope for tomorrow
Some pin ball after a corner w as belted home by Rekik for 2 nil
Edin close with a glancing header
Joe was always evident with his shouting and encouraging.Other voices I could hear most were Micah,Nigel and Joleon
Pizzaro! Nothing obvious from him but maybe that's because he doesnt dwell on the ball.Simple quick passes and always available.
Another really good save with feet and this time from Costel and then again from Joe
Top class pass from Mario to Zaba just evading the full back and almost a goal
AK just missed from a good chance
Mario close
then some slack defending allowed Razak to find Barry free in the middle and he scored easily leaving some defenders very unhappy

and that was that at 3 nil! A bunch stayed out for some shooting practice (MB,AK,ED,JM,NDJ,) while Razak,Clichy and Savic did a little work together.All felt very positive today and hopefully all the negatives from Everton will have gone.

[bluej]

Cheers Doug, how likely do you think VK and Pizarro are to play tomorrow?

[Dubaimancityfan]

You make a good point Dough in yr first paragraph.

Similarly how lucky are we to have a forum member as dedicated as you to be there day in and day out to give us these great insights into what the lads do during training.
Great work Doug and many thanks.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Thanks Doug.

No sign of Bunn? I am trying to wrap my head around why he was recalled early from Preston, I was thinking he may get a place on the bench but it seems Scapuzzi has returned too, I wonder will he be on the bench?

I don't like the fact we started the game against Everton with no striking option on the bench.

[Chinners]

I was thinking before going to Carrington today how proud and priviledged I am ,along with Neil from BlueMoon,in being able to go along and watch City train.The English Premier league is the best league in the world and City are currently the best team in the country,we have some world class players and a brilliant squad with a top manager and here we are getting the chance to stand on the touchline to watch training and even do reports for a fans forum. WOW.

I've always thought this .... and I've always thought what a great role to have for on here .... and I've also thought, 'you lucky, lucky, lucky bastard' (in a Life of Brian type way)

[Sideshow Bob]

doug, with pizza-roll in the squad now and ya ya coming back soon, do you see think we'll see hargreaves even make the bench this season?

[Dubciteh]

Worrying about Vinny, last thing we need.

Thanks Doug

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Worrying about Vinny, last thing we need.

Thanks Doug

Not great but I expect it will be left to Vinnie whether he plays or not. But to be fair beating Fulham shouldnt be about our defence but all about attacking and scoring goals. Vinnie will be fine for the Villa game if he misses this one.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

doug, with pizza-roll in the squad now and ya ya coming back soon, do you see think we'll see hargreaves even make the bench this season?

Yes I think we will see him on the bench and it's possible he will start a game in the Europa but of course with Yaya and Pizzaro I would agree both are a little less likely.What we really need on the bench are potential game changers rather than players than can replace and shore things up.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Hargreaves not in Europa squad. Pizarro took T***z place is the only change.

[Hazy2]

Doug any news on VK for Fulham.

[Sideshow Bob]

Hargreaves not in Europa squad. Pizarro took T***z place is the only change.

guess that means no minutes for poor owen! barring injuries to our MF, i can't see bob having him in the team for league matches.

[john68]

Lovely thoughts eh Doug...but before you float away on a cloud,remember that you are still a kitchen steps thief that released the Goat Boy into the World from your gene pool....

....and thanks for the report Mate...as always good..:-)

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Lovely thoughts eh Doug...but before you float away on a cloud,remember that you are still a kitchen steps thief that released the Goat Boy into the World from your gene pool....

....and thanks for the report Mate...as always good..:-)

hahaha you say the nicest things.

One thing I would add to the report today...that Pizzaro fella is really small!

[phips]

that Pizzaro fella is really small!

Guess his nickname (pek, short for pequeno) is fitting.

I hope Vinnie is fit for Fulham...Savic in the mid would be not too good. Even though we're at home and Fulham sucks
in away games this season, we need to remember that we blew a 2 goal lead to them last time. Cant afford to let that
happen again or get too complacent.

I wonder if Zaba will give Micah's need a rest this weekend.

[DoomMerchant]

Dougie Fresh,

Does it seem like Mancini is preparing any better for this match than vs Everton? Is he getting his reps in and looking like he's fit? I'm really hopeful he earns a spot in this one after realizing that he single-handedly fucled it all up vs Golem's Grinders.

cheers

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Dougie Fresh,

Does it seem like Mancini is preparing any better for this match than vs Everton? Is he getting his reps in and looking like he's fit? I'm really hopeful he earns a spot in this one after realizing that he single-handedly fucled it all up vs Golem's Grinders.

cheers

Fair question but I don't know the answer. If the preparation is solely about the work I see them doing on the training ground then I don't see a problem but there again I didnt see a problem before the Everton game either.

They must obviously consider what specific tactics (attacking) they want to use against each opposition but they are not always obvious from watching training.So much of the way we attack isn't stereotype movements or get it wide and sling it over.There is a lot of interchanging of positions,with quick movement,quick passing etc etc.That is regularly practiced and will work as long as the players do move well off the ball,do have a good first touch and do pass the ball well.

When the movement stops and the other things are not good as they wern't v Everton you get a performance like we got and an essy ride for the opposition.I would have thought that the poor preparation he is referring to would be more about the mental approach to the game and in what to expect from Everton.In their previous games they were awful and maybe they expected the same against us.

I hope to hell it's nothing like as simple as that as that would be mega unprofessional.Not just of Mancini but the team as a whole.So I am left believeing he said what he said to deflect from the team as has been suggested.We were crap against Lpool last season and then used that sahek up to have a good run. Same please.

[Goataldo]

Lovely thoughts eh Doug...but before you float away on a cloud,remember that you are still a kitchen steps thief that released the Goat Boy into the World from your gene pool....

....and thanks for the report Mate...as always good..:-)

hahaha you say the nicest things.

One thing I would add to the report today...that Pizzaro fella is really small!

John, this Goat Boy moniker you seem to be lumbering me with - it better hadn't be a Bill Hicks reference. Just sayin.

Worried aobut Vinnie. I know he's our captain, a great leader and all that, but I was annoyed that Bob didn't take him off instead of Lescott against Everscum (they were both on yellows at the time). He looked like his knee was giving him real jip at the time, and if he misses Fulham, it will look like a real error in judgement.