Mancini issues Villa warning

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Roberto Mancini declares that next Wednesday's showdown with Tottenham is City's Cup Final - but says that his Champions League chasers must first win tomorrow's semi-final.

The Blues boss rates Aston Villa a real danger to the bid for fourth place and expects Martin O'Neill's men to pose a genuine attacking threat at the City of Manchester Stadium.

And he will warn his players - who finish their campaign with a tricky trip to West Ham - that they cannot afford to focus on Tottenham's crucial visit if they are to reach their goal.

Mancini said: "It's a big few days - we have a semi-final and a final! It's most important that we win the game against Aston Villa before we can think about Tottenham.

"We must concentrate on Villa, it's a massive game. They are above us in the table at the moment, even if they have played one more game than us. It is most important that we win.

"They will come here and attack, and
that is better. They are a very good
team - they have a good mentality and
they will come to try and win the
game"

James Milner has collected the accolades as Villa have impressed this season. Mancini said: "Milner is a good young midfielder, but Villa have not just Milner but a lot of good players.

"Richard Dunne played for City and was captain, he is a good defender. He will want to come here and be the best player on the pitch, like Kolo did against Arsenal in London."

City have to overcome the loss of goalkeeper Shay Given, one of the players of the season, after he dislocated a shoulder, but the boss has no doubt about their mental strength.

He said: "We work for this for a year - now at the end of the season we have three games. We wanted fourth position, now we have chance. The players have this set in their minds."

mcfc.co.uk

[Fish111]

I really hope we go all out for a convincing win tomorrow and not try to stifle Villa. We shouldn't be too scared of their attacking threat, they should be shit scared of ours though.

[Ted Hughes]

Well Mancini says we need to win all 3 games so that puts my mind at rest that we won't be trying some kind of tactical/cagey game. If we're really going to go for it then as Mancini says; it could be a really exciting week.

[Abu Dhabi]

Haha. Mancini trying to enforce open play on O'neil.

Not ONCE a team came to eastlands and tried to do that. Fact.

[Ted Hughes]

Haha. Mancini trying to enforce open play on O'neil.

Not ONCE a team came to eastlands and tried to do that. Fact.

They have to attack to some extent though as a draw pretty much finishes them.

[The Original Special One]

Aston Villa coming to ATTACK????
Shurely shome mishtake!!!

Villa are one of the most negative teams in the PL.
They play on the break

[shawzy]

We need to watch oue tackles on that diving bastard Oblong-whore

[The Original Special One]

We need to watch oue tackles on that diving bastard Oblong-whore

can you blame him for living up to his name? :)

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Well Mancini says we need to win all 3 games so that puts my mind at rest that we won't be trying some kind of tactical/cagey game. If we're really going to go for it then as Mancini says; it could be a really exciting week.

He says it's important we win. A cautious approach , keep Villa at bay for 45 minutes ,gradually take a hold in the game and then score the winner with 5 minutes to go:) I'll take it.

[The Original Special One]

Well Mancini says we need to win all 3 games so that puts my mind at rest that we won't be trying some kind of tactical/cagey game. If we're really going to go for it then as Mancini says; it could be a really exciting week.

He says it's important we win. A cautious approach , keep Villa at bay for 45 minutes ,gradually take a hold in the game and then score the winner with 5 minutes to go:) I'll take it.

now where have I heard that one, before?

This one could be sheer torture to watch.
Villa games are never high on my list of 'must-see TV'

[Im_Spartacus]

Well Mancini says we need to win all 3 games so that puts my mind at rest that we won't be trying some kind of tactical/cagey game. If we're really going to go for it then as Mancini says; it could be a really exciting week.

He says it's important we win. A cautious approach , keep Villa at bay for 45 minutes ,gradually take a hold in the game and then score the winner with 5 minutes to go:) I'll take it.

now where have I heard that one, before?

This one could be sheer torture to watch.
Villa games are never high on my list of 'must-see TV'

I dont think I will be able to hold out if he sets his team out like that again. Honestly, I think I will get thrown out of the family stand tomorrow if he does that. A ban would hopefully stop my silly urge to get a season ticket to watch any more of it.

Please, I implore Manchester City, dont fucking do it to me.

I think by 450 tomorrow, I will be heartily glad I can't make it to the spurs game, and will be sat in a bar in Portugal pissed up instead. When it came to booking a short break the other day, I just couldnt see why I would want to go to the spuds game after some of the negative shit we keep seeing against decent sides.

I have never, ever been so bereft of confidence before a run of games.

[Ted Hughes]

Well Mancini says we need to win all 3 games so that puts my mind at rest that we won't be trying some kind of tactical/cagey game. If we're really going to go for it then as Mancini says; it could be a really exciting week.

He says it's important we win. A cautious approach , keep Villa at bay for 45 minutes ,gradually take a hold in the game and then score the winner with 5 minutes to go:) I'll take it.

now where have I heard that one, before?

This one could be sheer torture to watch.
Villa games are never high on my list of 'must-see TV'

I dont think I will be able to hold out if he sets his team out like that again. Honestly, I think I will get thrown out of the family stand tomorrow if he does that. A ban would hopefully stop my silly urge to get a season ticket to watch any more of it.

Please, I implore Manchester City, dont fucking do it to me.

I think by 450 tomorrow, I will be heartily glad I can't make it to the spurs game, and will be sat in a bar in Portugal pissed up instead. When it came to booking a short break the other day, I just couldnt see why I would want to go to the spuds game after some of the negative shit we keep seeing against decent sides.

I have never, ever been so bereft of confidence before a run of games.

Fuckin ell John. You're a bundle of joy aren't you? Cue huge sigh of relief from the family stand when they find out ;)

[brite blu sky]

im not buying to this bereft of confidence stuff..

we can forget the early part of the season under Hughes as any guide to what we now are.
i think we can also discount pretty much the heavy learning period when Bob arrived.. up to perhaps the Liverpool at coms game. After that game there was a shift in emphasis of trying to get the attack up and running again.. and we had an up and down period of trying to get it cohesive.. but still no consistency in the play or results.. but fuck results for a minute.

i rekon it was the Fulham game where the team played as a team and things started to look more like we had a team that could do the basics. So for me it is from that point on that you could look at the performances under Mancini and try to deduce some idea of what City are now like. Before you think Everton, discount it due to the voodoo they had on us from the first game.
So if any pattern has emerged from Fulham onwards it is that firstly we are very difficult to break down and beat, even when we are not playing that amazingly. This shouldn't be underestimated as it is a quality we MUST have to challenge at the top.
We have only had the derby and Arsenal to show that we can be that difficult against the best in the league.

That again tells me that we have got that sorted and Mancini's defensive training work has basically paid off.. we can now be very confident of being at a level of difficult to beat that is basically as good as anything on offer in the Prem.

What we are still learning and dealing with is the concentration on switching to attack. Easy to do against the Burnleys so forget that.. Birmingham on the other hand are no walkover and that game showed we can get it right against decent opposition.. the last two games confirm our solidity but equally show the level we are at with what the team is trying to learn. We came very close in both the derby and at the Emirates to opening the scoring.. and as we all know that is the big magic key. Both the rags and Arsenal put a hell of a lot of effort into stopping us.. they took City very very seriously indeed.. and you have to credit them with doing a good job. If we were that close while we are still trying to get it together in terms of team play, then the sense of the future and whats to come when we have it as second nature is simply bordering on scary. If we had scored first against either the rags or Arsenal we would likely have gone on to really punish them hard.. you know it.

what i am trying to outline here are the reasons of what i personally see to suggest that we are now very very close indeed to that cohesion we are all looking for. If Villa and Spurs for that matter dont play out of their fuclin collective skins at coms they will get blown away. Dont get me wrong they are both very good teams.. in fact they are probably obviously better teams from the view of cohesion and knowing each other. But my argument is that City are really that good and so far we have been underachieving..

As people rightly are pointing out we have to go out and take a gamble.. if we do and we get that all important first goal then the game changes and whoever the opposition is they are fucled, because chasing the game and trying to keep that front 4 at bay is too much for any team to cope with.. including the rags, chelsea, arsenal and whoever the fucl else you care to mention.
This has only been the case since fairly recently as i say, but now it is the case and it will only get better in the longer term. Sh*t can happen we know, that is football after all, but you cant factor that into analysis. All being well City will show us all what they are made of in these next 3 games and my mind due to what im saying above there is no reason whatsoever to not be confident.. unless of course you are just a miserable fucler.

[Im_Spartacus]

Well Mancini says we need to win all 3 games so that puts my mind at rest that we won't be trying some kind of tactical/cagey game. If we're really going to go for it then as Mancini says; it could be a really exciting week.

He says it's important we win. A cautious approach , keep Villa at bay for 45 minutes ,gradually take a hold in the game and then score the winner with 5 minutes to go:) I'll take it.

now where have I heard that one, before?

This one could be sheer torture to watch.
Villa games are never high on my list of 'must-see TV'

I dont think I will be able to hold out if he sets his team out like that again. Honestly, I think I will get thrown out of the family stand tomorrow if he does that. A ban would hopefully stop my silly urge to get a season ticket to watch any more of it.

Please, I implore Manchester City, dont fucking do it to me.

I think by 450 tomorrow, I will be heartily glad I can't make it to the spurs game, and will be sat in a bar in Portugal pissed up instead. When it came to booking a short break the other day, I just couldnt see why I would want to go to the spuds game after some of the negative shit we keep seeing against decent sides.

I have never, ever been so bereft of confidence before a run of games.

Fuckin ell John. You're a bundle of joy aren't you? Cue huge sigh of relief from the family stand when they find out ;)

As is our lot as city fans, we go to the match in hope. That is all I have, I am struggling to find any expectation after the way we setup at Arsenal - like I have seen you post, a defeat there would have left us in no worse position, there was simply no excuse for not trying to win the game - just as we have with every other decent side we have come across.

Since about Feb, before every match someone from the club is wheeled out saying we have 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 cup finals left and we are up for the challenge. I have no doubt we have the players to take the points we need, i am just scared to death we will turn out a turgid performance yet again, because we cant keep fucking up our cup finals.

As for the spuds match, as much as it pisses me off, i'll miss not being there, the very reason why I have to renew every year - the bastards have got me by the balls!

[Ted Hughes]

I don't think we're solid defensively at all but we've improved in some aspects mainly at set pieces. I think most of the old problems regarding defence are still there though. The big difference has been that we generally have more men behind the ball to protect the back 4. When that protection goes though, either due to us attacking more or being careless/tired we let in the same kind of stupid goals & make the same mistakes, even against teams like Fulham, Burnley & Scunthorpe. The rags missed 2 sitters 1st half, Sunderland scored a stinker, as did Stoke, Birmingham etc. Most of the goas we've let in or lucky escapes have been of the same kind too, often unmarked headers/shots from unopposed crosses; individual blunders, same problems.

We've swept the problem under the carpet so far but at some point the back 4 has to learn to fend for itself for periods if we're to play attacking football. That's what we were trying to do earlier in the season & it's a bridge we'll need to cross again in the future unless we're to remain dull forever. Being negative won't win us the Prem though so we'll have to do it.

Chances are there will be some heart in the mouth defending to come right now as we'll have to attack Villa, Spurs & West ham. Mistakes will happen & it'll be a case of whether the oppo score from them or not.

[Ted Hughes]

As is our lot as city fans, we go to the match in hope. That is all I have, I am struggling to find any expectation after the way we setup at Arsenal - like I have seen you post, a defeat there would have left us in no worse position, there was simply no excuse for not trying to win the game - just as we have with every other decent side we have come across.

Since about Feb, before every match someone from the club is wheeled out saying we have 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 cup finals left and we are up for the challenge. I have no doubt we have the players to take the points we need, i am just scared to death we will turn out a turgid performance yet again, because we cant keep fucking up our cup finals.

As for the spuds match, as much as it pisses me off, i'll miss not being there, the very reason why I have to renew every year - the bastards have got me by the balls!

I'm optimistic. I think it'll be edge of the seat stuff but I think we'll do it so hopefully you'll enjoy your holiday .

[Beefymcfc]

Not much of a warning, and doesn't he know the last time we actually made a final?

Anyway, the lads should all be pulling in the same direction and should be playing their hearts out to get that Champs league spot. If they can't do it now when so close, they never will!

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!

[brite blu sky]

I don't think we're solid defensively at all but we've improved in some aspects mainly at set pieces. I think most of the old problems regarding defence are still there though. The big difference has been that we generally have more men behind the ball to protect the back 4. When that protection goes though, either due to us attacking more or being careless/tired we let in the same kind of stupid goals & make the same mistakes, even against teams like Fulham, Burnley & Scunthorpe. The rags missed 2 sitters 1st half, Sunderland scored a stinker, as did Stoke, Birmingham etc. Most of the goas we've let in or lucky escapes have been of the same kind too, often unmarked headers/shots from unopposed crosses; individual blunders, same problems.

We've swept the problem under the carpet so far but at some point the back 4 has to learn to fend for itself for periods if we're to play attacking football. That's what we were trying to do earlier in the season & it's a bridge we'll need to cross again in the future unless we're to remain dull forever. Being negative won't win us the Prem though so we'll have to do it.

Chances are there will be some heart in the mouth defending to come right now as we'll have to attack Villa, Spurs & West ham. Mistakes will happen & it'll be a case of whether the oppo score from them or not.

good points Ted... i am wondering though if you could level the same argument against any of the top teams tbh
goals in evenly matched teams in very important games can very often come from slight mistakes or even being slightly out of posiion.. thats how tightly matched good teams are. the best players in the world are capable of bring out mistakes by their very dangerousness. Arsenals attack was not one of their problem areas at the Emirates but i barely remember a serious strike on goal. Stopping that happening at the Emirates is no mean feat.

The end result is to get a balance and fluidity.. weve seen hughes try to bring it from the front first.. and now we have Mancini trying to get it from the back first.. so to speak. Still rekon it is early days and we will see us improve.. even over these next 3 games.. we know we have to get those opening goals.. after that the fun starts.
As you mention the rags.. it is rare that if they open the scoring they dont go on to win, as with any of the top sides.

We will be better than we were at the Emirates in the next 3 games.. both by building pressure and stressing Villa out and by the attempts at bits of magic from those we know who like to do it. We will be better.. and Villa will crack eventually one way or the other.