Training Thursday 5/8

[Burt]

This pre-season worries me greatly.
Even ignoring poor results and some horrendous displays, it has been erratic to say the least. A tour of the USA, governed by commercial considerations rather than football ones. Players returning late from WC duty with insufficient time to prepare and get match fit for the new season, only for some of them to be away again on international duty and missing the crucial final week. Mancini (quite rightly being away to be with his father), leaving us under the control of Platt at such an impotant time.

Several questions arise...Will the players be up to speed by the time we play Spurs? Have the new players had any chance to bed in with the team and even begin to get any understanding with them? Quite frankly, I think this has been the worst pre-season preparation I have seen at City for many years.

doesn't seem like it could be much worse does it.. ive just had this vision of Kiddo having taken ill from all the talking to camera he has had to do in the last few days and Phlatt will have to take over. Bobby wont get back from Italy and yes... Phlatt will have to lead us out against Spurs!!!!!!

im sorry but i just cant help hysterically laughing at this idea.

Pissed my fuclin sides at that last sentance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Carl mate i think it might be an idea to go into the blunt knife business.. what are the set up costs got any idea?

can we print a nice bold CTID on the handles?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Calm down calm down.( That doesn't look write in type!)
The sessions seemed fine to me so let's not go OTT just because it's him.Most of them have had plenty of Mancini so know what he wants and all be right on the night. ( he says hopefully)

The Platt issue isn't the major worry for me Doug, I exopect he has been given his instructions. It is the whole picture that I find worrying...an accumulation of mismanaged events, some governed by commercial interests and other beyond City's control.

The thought that the vast majority of the squad appear to have had little or no preparation for what could be our most important season for years.

Can't disagree John.I have no doubt there is plenty of contact between Mancini and what remains here but there is plenty which seems not quite right looking from the outside.
Players coming back late is far from ideal but we are not much different to all the other leading teams. Off all the players I saw today I would say Nigel seemed the most lively and if that was his first training session back with City I reckon he has been working elsewhere to keep his fitness up to scratch.

[john@staustell]

Calm down calm down.( That doesn't look write in type!)
The sessions seemed fine to me so let's not go OTT just because it's him.Most of them have had plenty of Mancini so know what he wants and all be right on the night. ( he says hopefully)

The Platt issue isn't the major worry for me Doug, I exopect he has been given his instructions. It is the whole picture that I find worrying...an accumulation of mismanaged events, some governed by commercial interests and other beyond City's control.

The thought that the vast majority of the squad appear to have had little or no preparation for what could be our most important season for years.

Can't disagree John.I have no doubt there is plenty of contact between Mancini and what remains here but there is plenty which seems not quite right looking from the outside.
Players coming back late is far from ideal but we are not much different to all the other leading teams. Off all the players I saw today I would say Nigel seemed the most lively and if that was his first training session back with City I reckon he has been working elsewhere to keep his fitness up to scratch.

Eating raw meat and running up and down a Dutch beach every day - should they have any.

Only a friendly but there were a couple of situations last night where I thought we missed Nigel big time. His sort of match.

[lets all have a disco]

Nurse pass me the pills,Platt running training.

Fuck me,literally fuck me.

[svengali]

Any news on Gai Assulin, Doug?

Was he training at all?

[CityGer]

What's Lombardo up to, Doug?

[Mark (Blue Army)]

A couple of pics from training today

[Ted Hughes]

Didn't spot this thread. Is that knife still about?

[The Man In Blue]

Didn't spot this thread. Is that knife still about?

there's a bit of a queue mate, can i interest you in a rusty hacksaw blade?

[Ted Hughes]

Didn't spot this thread. Is that knife still about?

there's a bit of a queue mate, can i interest you in a rusty hacksaw blade?

Cheers mate but after going to all the trouble of balancing the electric fire on the edge of the bath it'd be a shame to waste the effort.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

What's Lombardo up to, Doug?

Lombardo was there helping out and for much of the time joining in with all the routines including the match at the end. He looked pretty good too and should make the final 25 cut:)

As for that Assulin he might have been training with the reserves bas I have no idea what he looks like I haven't a clue.

[Blue Blood]

Umm if big phil is there training why wasn't he on tour.

He's better than Jo imo.

What the devil is happening with him?

[ronk]

I'm really starting to get a kick out of all this panicking.

Rags are sitting there looking over their shoulder with so many exciting signings and what's really looking like a complete squad. Messi is talking about how close we are to being a title winning side. We could sign the most exciting teenager around any moment. Are our rivals sitting back and relaxing because we lost a few friendlies and David fucking Platt was taking training today?

Yesterday I saw a game and thought that our new left back could well stake a claim to being the best in the premiership. We haven't had a great pre-season in a lot of ways but we've achieved some useful things. We've used a huge panel of players so there'll be some useful insight from seeing all the different combinations. We have some guys we'd written off who are coming into some form.

The meanest recurring story coming from the media is which fucking superstar are we going to offload because we're only allowed 25 of them and we're trying to buy even better ones. Over half the teams in the prem would love the guys we're supposed to be rejecting but can't afford them. Oh how I've dreamed of the day when I could worry about problems like that. Our reserves our better on paper than several prem teams!!

[Michigan Blue]

Fucking hell, how cold is Manchester in August?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Fucking hell, how cold is Manchester in August?

It wasn't really cold yesterday but Bridge and Tevez wear woolly hats whatever the weather.You should see how mnay layers of clothing Tevez wears when it is cold!