Alex Sapphire wrote:good analysis.
In summary
Nothing's changed
:)
Svensational wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Also, this is what neutrals think.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/poll/0 ... _r,00.html
Maybe we aren't as bad as we think we are?
49% of the vote. Its looking good.
Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Also, this is what neutrals think.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/poll/0 ... _r,00.html
Maybe we aren't as bad as we think we are?
ant london wrote:I'm kinda with Johnpb78777
Even under Hughes I didn't feel like we have got out of the blocks properly this season. All of our performances have been flawed to a degree. When it's clicked going forward defence has looked shaky, when we've been solid at the back we've looked offensively impotent and all season we have lacked the creativity and vim that we demonstrated frequently last year.
I know we are sitting pretty from a results/league perspective but I am still worried/frustrated by the fact that (with all the quality playing resources we have) we have not really put a single team comprehensively to the sword.
We have played very well against top top opposition (Chelsea, Arsenal, Munes, Liverpool) but we have been poor against the "best of the rest" and, playing like we have been the last couple of games, I am fearful that the wheels could come off in a bad way.
Stoke away will be a tough tough game, even more so if we beat them this weekend in the cup.
I am finding this season exciting but I'm not enjoying it so much from a footballing perspective. I thought we would be amazing after the first couple of games....and we have been anything but. Part of me thinks we have to come good and that we have too good a squad/players for this not to "click" at some point but fuck me it's taking a while
BobKowalski wrote:The Bolton game provided much needed solace only to find that I was in a minority of 1 as apparently it was the worse performance ever by a PL team. Luckily the arse v scouse game last night served up two equally dire performances including the sight of Wenger trying out the alien tactic of shutting up shop on the 80 min mark and holding out for the 1-0 win. I keep getting told top teams don't do that sort of thing so I was a bit baffled but I am sure I will catch on eventually.
johnpb78 wrote:The problem with this topic is that whilst we are looking good for 4th spot with that game in hand, there is a better than even chance of the wheels coming off over our next run of games, as we have not really played anyone (bar Everton) who should really be putting our squad under pressure in the league, yet we are due to come up against some of the best teams and top managers in the league in the coming weeks. The likes of Wenger, Benitez, Ferguson beat Italian style teams for fun in the champs league, and the approach will be our undoing.
I dont think it is "typical city" to be expecting that to happen, I think most football fans are naturally cautiously optimistic, but when even the most positive of people are worried that it is only a matter of time until Mancini's approach goes tits up, it speaks volumes.
In light of it being poll week, I think we should do a poll about doing a poll, about doing a poll about a glass half full / half empty poll
Douglas Higginbottom wrote:The more you look at the what if we do this or that scenarios the more you build up expectation and belief that we could finish 4th or 3rd or dominate the world or whatever. It's human nature or at least fan nature but it does also tend to lead to disappointment when something goes wrong. It only has to be an unexpected result like the Hull game and then it's all doom and gloom.
johnpb78 wrote:Svensational wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Also, this is what neutrals think.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/poll/0 ... _r,00.html
Maybe we aren't as bad as we think we are?
49% of the vote. Its looking good.
The problem with this topic is that whilst we are looking good for 4th spot with that game in hand, there is a better than even chance of the wheels coming off over our next run of games, as we have not really played anyone (bar Everton) who should really be putting our squad under pressure in the league, yet we are due to come up against some of the best teams and top managers in the league in the coming weeks. The likes of Wenger, Benitez, Ferguson beat Italian style teams for fun in the champs league, and the approach will be our undoing.
Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Alex Sapphire wrote:good analysis.
In summary
Nothing's changed
:)
Except that we are sitting fifth on level points with fourth and game in hand (albeit against Everton in superform). Spurs are one point behind us and Villa two points and they've played two and one games respectively more than us.
So in fact, quite a lot has changed.
BobKowalski wrote:johnpb78 wrote:Svensational wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Also, this is what neutrals think.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/poll/0 ... _r,00.html
Maybe we aren't as bad as we think we are?
49% of the vote. Its looking good.
The problem with this topic is that whilst we are looking good for 4th spot with that game in hand, there is a better than even chance of the wheels coming off over our next run of games, as we have not really played anyone (bar Everton) who should really be putting our squad under pressure in the league, yet we are due to come up against some of the best teams and top managers in the league in the coming weeks. The likes of Wenger, Benitez, Ferguson beat Italian style teams for fun in the champs league, and the approach will be our undoing.
You see I really don't get the "as we have not really played anyone (bar Everton) who should really be putting our squad under pressure in the league" bit. Are we talking about Wolves who held Liverpool to a draw and did the double over Spurs? Hull who battled Chelsea to a draw or Stoke who battle everyone and turned over Arsenal and held Liverpool? Blackburn beat Villa and so on. All teams we have played under Mancini and did ok against bar Hull.
I do find it odd that when we do win its automatically dismissed because its against a 'nothing team' - despite the fact that these 'nothing teams' have been a total pain in the arse for most of the top teams this season.
As for beating 'Italian teams for fun' in the champs league this is certainly true the last couple of years with Italian football on its knees after the match fixing scandal but I do seem to recall Milan spanking the scouse in the '07 final and Italian teams doing quite well up to '07 or at least comparable with PL teams. Not to mention an 'Italian style team' winning the World Cup or does that not count?
Sometimes I think City should just stick to British managers ala Hughes or Moyes. We would never win much save the odd cup but at least they 'get stuck in' and 'have a go' and they (usually) pick players in their proper positons :)
johnpb78 wrote:BobKowalski wrote:johnpb78 wrote:Svensational wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Also, this is what neutrals think.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/poll/0 ... _r,00.html
Maybe we aren't as bad as we think we are?
49% of the vote. Its looking good.
The problem with this topic is that whilst we are looking good for 4th spot with that game in hand, there is a better than even chance of the wheels coming off over our next run of games, as we have not really played anyone (bar Everton) who should really be putting our squad under pressure in the league, yet we are due to come up against some of the best teams and top managers in the league in the coming weeks. The likes of Wenger, Benitez, Ferguson beat Italian style teams for fun in the champs league, and the approach will be our undoing.
You see I really don't get the "as we have not really played anyone (bar Everton) who should really be putting our squad under pressure in the league" bit. Are we talking about Wolves who held Liverpool to a draw and did the double over Spurs? Hull who battled Chelsea to a draw or Stoke who battle everyone and turned over Arsenal and held Liverpool? Blackburn beat Villa and so on. All teams we have played under Mancini and did ok against bar Hull.
I do find it odd that when we do win its automatically dismissed because its against a 'nothing team' - despite the fact that these 'nothing teams' have been a total pain in the arse for most of the top teams this season.
As for beating 'Italian teams for fun' in the champs league this is certainly true the last couple of years with Italian football on its knees after the match fixing scandal but I do seem to recall Milan spanking the scouse in the '07 final and Italian teams doing quite well up to '07 or at least comparable with PL teams. Not to mention an 'Italian style team' winning the World Cup or does that not count?
Sometimes I think City should just stick to British managers ala Hughes or Moyes. We would never win much save the odd cup but at least they 'get stuck in' and 'have a go' and they (usually) pick players in their proper positons :)
I am in no way dismissing teams like Wolves, Hull, Burnley etc, as they all have a part to play in the league. The fact is though, that we have better quality in our squad than them, and that is a inescapable fact. The reasons for a defeat against such teams are not because your team is inferior, but because the direction and motivation is not equal to the direction and motivation of the opposition - the quality of the players on show rarely comes into it when your opposition are super motivated - see Leeds vs U***d, Bolton finishing 6th in 2006 etc etc.
So yes, Hull, we should have beaten them on paper as we should at home, and Burnley, Fulham etc, but the game isnt played on paper, the largest part of it is played in the minds of those on the pitch - which is the single biggest influence on a result.
Alex Sapphire wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Alex Sapphire wrote:good analysis.
In summary
Nothing's changed
:)
Except that we are sitting fifth on level points with fourth and game in hand (albeit against Everton in superform). Spurs are one point behind us and Villa two points and they've played two and one games respectively more than us.
So in fact, quite a lot has changed.
the highest we can climb by winning our games in hand is fourth.
this was also true on 31st Jan, 31st Dec, 30th Nov,
this hasn't changed.
what has changed is to do better than this we have to win 2 games rather than the 1 that were required earlier in the season, so if anything it's less likely
BobKowalski wrote:
Sometimes I think City should just stick to British managers ala Hughes or Moyes. We would never win much save the odd cup but at least they 'get stuck in' and 'have a go' and they (usually) pick players in their proper positons :)
Ted Hughes wrote:BobKowalski wrote:
Sometimes I think City should just stick to British managers ala Hughes or Moyes. We would never win much save the odd cup but at least they 'get stuck in' and 'have a go' and they (usually) pick players in their proper positons :)
Or other british no marks like Ferguson, Clough, Shankley, Mercer. Who wants them when we could have Italian managers who's record of success in this country is second to....oh hang on..
Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:Except that we are sitting fifth on level points with fourth and game in hand (albeit against Everton in superform). Spurs are one point behind us and Villa two points and they've played two and one games respectively more than us.
So in fact, quite a lot has changed.
carl_feedthegoat wrote:Btajim.
Hi Garry,I just wanted to shake your hand and ask you a question.I go to COMS as mucha as possible but sometimes I cannot leave the house as Sophie.....sorry..Sophie is my Cat...... needs a carer when Im away and sometimes I cannot find one.
My question is ; Is it possible to bring Sophie to matches at COMS in her kitten box and can she come in for free?
BobKowalski wrote:I think untold hysteria is our default position
I do agree but after the Hull game found myself avoiding everything City related, in fact everything football related, for 48 hours afterwards I was that pissed off.
The Bolton game provided much needed solace only to find that I was in a minority of 1 as apparently it was the worse performance ever by a PL team. Luckily the arse v scouse game last night served up two equally dire performances including the sight of Wenger trying out the alien tactic of shutting up shop on the 80 min mark and holding out for the 1-0 win. I keep getting told top teams don't do that sort of thing so I was a bit baffled but I am sure I will catch on eventually.
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