Are you bothered about the score?

[Mase]

Following on from a point that was made last night by a poster who said he wasn’t bothered what the score was.

Bearing in mind a couple of points -

1. We wouldn’t have won our first Prem title in 11/12 without out-scoring the rags
2. We wouldn’t have knocked the wind out of the scousers sails this season without the 4-1 and absolutely rubbed their faces in Mr Whippy’s ice cream
3. Knockout Champions League matches are over two legs - it’s important to build up a good goal difference going in to the second leg as we’ve found out previously
4. Is Pep bothered? Do we see him shut up shop at 1-0?

[carl_feedthegoat]

Anyone that thinks that a 1 nil win is just as good as any other scoreline is fucking deluded.
We watch games for entertainment which means scoring goals.

PeP agrees and anyone with half a football brain would agree.

*****Message to FIBD****** There are just 2 options to pick so no need for your fucking ANAL stats and algorithms in your response.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

[Mase]

I think if we win any first leg by 3 or 4 - it helps us rest players for the second leg or not have to work at 100%

That will help us in other competitions because players will be fresh.

[BlueinBosnia]

The difference between 3-0 and 5-0 in an FA Cup or League Cup game doesn't bother me. However, I never feel comfortable if we're only 2 goals ahead after 70-odd minutes. And once we've hit 6 or more, I always want us to go for 10.

For league games and the first leg of two-legged games, I want us to score as many as possible.

[john68]

Sorry Mase but I think you are taking what Beefy posted in another thread a little too literally.

[carl_feedthegoat]

[john68]

[carl_feedthegoat]

[Mase]

[stevefromdonny]

we should always go for 2-3 goals, then I can watch the game in peace, but always score as many as we can in champs lg

[brite blu sky]

[aaron bond]

Even though for the past 10 years we are generally secure when 1-0 or 2-0 up, I still cannot relax until we're at least 3 ahead.

That's just something I've always felt since the 90s and I don't think I'll ever be able to shake that.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Less so since our defense got sorted, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say we’ve played some boring games lately.

[salford city]

[nottsblue]

The score line is a major part of football. Games and trophies are won and lost on this most obvious outcome, so of course it matters. Silly to assume otherwise

But, like most things in life, there are shades of grey.

Enjoyment of the game socially is a huge part for a lot of people for example. It’s a place to meet your mates and catch up as well as watching the game. You can’t win every game of football you play and you certainly can’t score freely in every game. And to be quite honest, daft as though it might sound, how long before that gets boring? Celtic for example have won their League for the last 9 years with barely a challenge. Can their fans get excited in the same way as when there is a challenge? I don’t know. Which of our PL titles was the most enjoyable? Difficult question as they obviously all have their own merits. But was the procession in 18 better than pipping the dippers a year later? Was the 12 title better than those because of the drama?

We all want City to do well and win but I’ve got to say there have been some games, especially in the group stages of the CL where we have been winning 3/4 nil and I’ve been bored. When it’s a procession it takes something out of the contest that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Which win over the dippers was the better game for edge of your seat enjoyment, the 2-1 in 19 or the 4-0 last year or even the 5-0 in 17? For me it was the 2-1, primarily because of the context of the game and the stakes involved. The 1-0 v the rags in 12 with Kompanys goal was far more enjoyable than the 4-1 a couple of years later for my money.

I’d love us to properly smash a team for 10 one day and I was even a bit disappointed after only beating Watford 8-0 a few years ago after being 5-0 up after 20 odd minutes. But Salford City has it right in the above post when he talks about the game management. We have won 19 straight games in a large part to game management. 2-0 gets 3 points the same as 5-0. I know GD can make a difference as we have a PL title to prove it, but ten 2-0s is better than nine 4-0s and a draw say.

All that being said, we have been the countries top scorers in all competitions for a good number of years now and we are well on track for another 100 goal season in all competitions again so it isn’t as if we aren’t playing attacking football. More of the same please

[belleebee]

[quote="nottsblue"]Which win over the dippers was the better game for edge of your seat enjoyment, the 2-1 in 19 or the 4-0 last year or even the 5-0 in 17? For me it was the 2-1, primarily because of the context of the game and the stakes involved. The 1-0 v the rags in 12 with Kompanys goal was far more enjoyable than the 4-1 a couple of years later for my money./quote]

In thinking about the OP and the poll, this was what came to my mind too. In addition to the 2-1 win over the dippers, there's the Kompany screamer against Leicester at the tail-end of the 18/19 season. Both fantastic nights, with the sort of atmosphere we crave for at the Etihad. And would our title win in 11/12 be as sweet if, at 93.20, Aguero had banged in our 5th goal of the game? Of course, the proviso to this line of thought is that you can really appreciate a win in a really tight game only once it's over: before the final whistle goes your emotions take you through the ringer.

[Mase]

Would you have rather beat Liverpool 5-0 that season instead of 2-1? Would beating them 5-0 have taken the wind out of their sails and would we have ended up winning the season more comfortably?

That’s the point. It’s great to look back and think “ah we won the league anyway, so that night was great even though we only beat them 2-1”. Same with Leicester - it’s a great moment now having that Kompany goal to rewatch, but I’d rather we have smashed Leicester to be honest. And it would have been a different story had it come down to goal difference as it did in 11/12

It’s all about opinions and what you’d want personally. I hated that season with Liverpool, and I hated that match where we won 2-1. I hated the last 5-6 games of the season and didn’t enjoy it one bit. It was absolutely poisonous.

[belleebee]

[Mase]