*******Official Valencia Game Thread*******

[Haz]

only caught the end of second 1/2 did Bellers play ??

Nope. Hope its not a sign.

[Manx Blue]

Hilarious... Watching the Joe hart interview, stewards swarming all over the lower tier of the away section, despite no visiting support having sat there!

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Did we win? If we did I'm sure we are going to win the league. If we lost we are getting relegated for sure.

[Colin the King]

Much improved performance tonight, definitely. Just to run through the areas of the park-

Defensively, we started off looking so much more comfortable and composed- every one of them was calm in possession. Boateng and Kompany built up a good understanding and seemed to compliment each other well, and then Boateng shifted across to the right seamlessly- his dribble and cross for the first goal was exceptional. Looks a real player- strength, pace, good feet, adaptability, positionally sound and still only 21. Kolarov showed great acceleration again and looks to have good positional sense. Richards was fantastic I thought, he was so well disciplined, kept tight on his man throughout and didn't allow crosses on his side- that's something he's improved tenfold on because he was guilty of being too easy to bypass at times last season in particular.
Kolo and Lescott were reasonably good when they came on, but we did seem to lose a little concentration and solidity at the back as time went on, maybe it's a coincidence. Kompany and Boateng seemed a very good partnership though and one I'd like to see again.

The other Touré looked positive in midfield, what was most noticeable was that whenever he got the ball, the head was up, and he always wanted to get things moving, forward thinking at all times. He gives off an air of calmness and looks like someone who'll be able to dictate tempo. Great burst of pace over 10 yards, whilst being adept at slowing it down if he wants to. de Jong added the steel and solidity we so lacked on Wednesday night, committed as always, and seemed to have simplified his passing, which is something a lot us wanted to see- he kept it short and sweet, and let the others do the 'expansive' stuff.
Barry was relatively good, on one hand he showed some excellent touches and awareness of what was around him, and obviously the goal was well taken, but at times he overcomplicated his passing, where much simpler options were clearly available. I sometimes wonder if he's consciously trying to impress with elaborate passing.

Tevez and Silva, despite only being on for half an hour, added that class and trickery we'd been missing. While Tevez wasn't at his sharpest, you could see by some of his movements and through balls, that he has the vision only a select few do. Silva's weight of pass is perfect and footwork is a joy to watch. Both of them gave us a much needed lift in class and creativity, really looking forward to seeing those two in particular this season.
Adebayor's game was interesting- ironically, he's so quick at chasing down the ball, quicker than just about anyone in fact, but when he does get hold of it, often slows things down to such a degree that it gives their defenders too much time to regroup. He was selfless when he managed to get into dangerous positions though, and aware of what was around him. If he could spend a little less time dropping out onto the flanks I really think we'd benefit, especially with the likes of Kolarov delivering high quality crosses now.

We looked good in the second half but a little less tight at times, although that's to be expected with so many changes. Vieira slowed the tempo in the centre of the park but didn't play too badly. His passing was relatively good, and he showed great feet for our second goal. Johnson and Wright-Phillips were outstanding, I think the competition for places will work positively for these lads, because they know they'll have to work exceptionally hard to get in the side. Johnson's footwork and ability to get in and out of tight spaces is first class, he really is exciting to watch and an absolute nightmare for full backs. Shaun's all round game was superb, he looked a yard quicker, more determined, his first touch was generally good and when he did get to the byeline his delivery was improved markedly on years gone by. I'm sure both will have plenty of opportunities to impress, and will do.

Jo showed good strength and skill to get away when he hit the post, and generally held the ball and linked with midfield well. Some poor touches to go along with that in fairness, but credit to him for being there to tap the second goal in. He's done nothing wrong in preseason and might just be giving Mancini second thoughts on selling him. Weiss showed some good footwork, but still looks devoid of a 'football brain'. The skill is there, so too the pace, but he doesn't seem to have any awareness of what's around him and too often runs with his head down. Needs to eradicate that from his game soon or get left behind.

Overall, I'm glad that we've shown the ability to look like a top side- we looked strong as a unit, with everyone taking responsibility and looking calm and confident in possession. We controlled most of the match and looked menacing when we wanted to. Let's hope we carry that cohesiveness and understanding into next Saturday.

[Kladze]

Did we win? If we did I'm sure we are going to win the league. If we lost we are getting relegated for sure.

The title's ours to lose mate ........

[BobKowalski]

Did we win? If we did I'm sure we are going to win the league. If we lost we are getting relegated for sure.

Won and played well. Which is great news as I was on a knife edge. Literally.

[Crossie]

Great to hear its finally clicked.

[mcfc1632]

I could not find fault with Micah tonight defensively - and trust me - I am that down on him I would if it was there







mind you - could you ever imagine him having the skill and crossing ability that Boateng showed for the 1st goal - superb

[Beefymcfc]

I enjoyed it ;-)

[The Original Special One]

I'm not getting carried away, because Valencia aren't as advanced in their pre-season preparation as we are, and they played Villa last night, so I'm not sure how they slpit the two teams.

But......

Positives:
There are signs that our blend of the old and new can click as a team
And play the fast-paced attacking football we all love to see City play.
Boateng
Adam Johnson: looking forward to showing 'Johnny Foreigner' that he's worth a starting place
Shay Given, rising to Joe Hart's challenge,......and seeing it off;
Ya Ya Toure can get forward;
Silva and Tevez look like they could develop a most productive partnership
The rebirth of Shaun Wright Philips,.....(get stuffed, 'Wrighty'),.......and maybe even Micah Richards;
Jo might just be worth keeping in the squad.
Cunningham to keep out Bridge?

Negatives:
Lescott and (Kolo) Toure
Keeping everybody in the squad happy,.....and The Meeja will sure as hell want to 'stir things up'
What exactly will Milner bring to the party?

[Grob]

Did we win? If we did I'm sure we are going to win the league. If we lost we are getting relegated for sure.

You dog!

Much more in control today but as we are one week away and they are 3 weeks away its the least i expected.

Glipses of magic in the first half from Silva and Tevez and then Shaun and AJ. Good sign.

Adebayor lazed around the pitch again. He'd better play properly next week.

Boateng and Vinnie looked very assured. Richards had his best game of pre season too.

Barry looked slow when compared to Silva, Kolarov and Yaya. Is he on the slippery slope? Im certain Milner will be taking his place.

And Jo, stop it!

[Green & Blue]

Much improved performance tonight, definitely. Just to run through the areas of the park-

Defensively, we started off looking so much more comfortable and composed- every one of them was calm in possession. Boateng and Kompany built up a good understanding and seemed to compliment each other well, and then Boateng shifted across to the right seamlessly- his dribble and cross for the first goal was exceptional. Looks a real player- strength, pace, good feet, adaptability, positionally sound and still only 21. Kolarov showed great acceleration again and looks to have good positional sense. Richards was fantastic I thought, he was so well disciplined, kept tight on his man throughout and didn't allow crosses on his side- that's something he's improved tenfold on because he was guilty of being too easy to bypass at times last season in particular.
Kolo and Lescott were reasonably good when they came on, but we did seem to lose a little concentration and solidity at the back as time went on, maybe it's a coincidence. Kompany and Boateng seemed a very good partnership though and one I'd like to see again.

The other Touré looked positive in midfield, what was most noticeable was that whenever he got the ball, the head was up, and he always wanted to get things moving, forward thinking at all times. He gives off an air of calmness and looks like someone who'll be able to dictate tempo. Great burst of pace over 10 yards, whilst being adept at slowing it down if he wants to. de Jong added the steel and solidity we so lacked on Wednesday night, committed as always, and seemed to have simplified his passing, which is something a lot us wanted to see- he kept it short and sweet, and let the others do the 'expansive' stuff.
Barry was relatively good, on one hand he showed some excellent touches and awareness of what was around him, and obviously the goal was well taken, but at times he overcomplicated his passing, where much simpler options were clearly available. I sometimes wonder if he's consciously trying to impress with elaborate passing.

Tevez and Silva, despite only being on for half an hour, added that class and trickery we'd been missing. While Tevez wasn't at his sharpest, you could see by some of his movements and through balls, that he has the vision only a select few do. Silva's weight of pass is perfect and footwork is a joy to watch. Both of them gave us a much needed lift in class and creativity, really looking forward to seeing those two in particular this season.
Adebayor's game was interesting- ironically, he's so quick at chasing down the ball, quicker than just about anyone in fact, but when he does get hold of it, often slows things down to such a degree that it gives their defenders too much time to regroup. He was selfless when he managed to get into dangerous positions though, and aware of what was around him. If he could spend a little less time dropping out onto the flanks I really think we'd benefit, especially with the likes of Kolarov delivering high quality crosses now.

We looked good in the second half but a little less tight at times, although that's to be expected with so many changes. Vieira slowed the tempo in the centre of the park but didn't play too badly. His passing was relatively good, and he showed great feet for our second goal. Johnson and Wright-Phillips were outstanding, I think the competition for places will work positively for these lads, because they know they'll have to work exceptionally hard to get in the side. Johnson's footwork and ability to get in and out of tight spaces is first class, he really is exciting to watch and an absolute nightmare for full backs. Shaun's all round game was superb, he looked a yard quicker, more determined, his first touch was generally good and when he did get to the byeline his delivery was improved markedly on years gone by. I'm sure both will have plenty of opportunities to impress, and will do.

Jo showed good strength and skill to get away when he hit the post, and generally held the ball and linked with midfield well. Some poor touches to go along with that in fairness, but credit to him for being there to tap the second goal in. He's done nothing wrong in preseason and might just be giving Mancini second thoughts on selling him. Weiss showed some good footwork, but still looks devoid of a 'football brain'. The skill is there, so too the pace, but he doesn't seem to have any awareness of what's around him and too often runs with his head down. Needs to eradicate that from his game soon or get left behind.

Overall, I'm glad that we've shown the ability to look like a top side- we looked strong as a unit, with everyone taking responsibility and looking calm and confident in possession. We controlled most of the match and looked menacing when we wanted to. Let's hope we carry that cohesiveness and understanding into next Saturday.

Quality anaylisis CTK i enjoyed that read and agree with most of it.

One particular thing you mentioned that also struck me was the Kompny/Boateng partnersip it really could develop well.Both are quick and intelligent players well capable of turning defense into attack.Equally both looked composed defensively.
On tonights showing it looks like Mancini wants his full backs to imply an attacking emphasis, more than happy with that.Micah was encouraging tonight, i think he put in a really goood performance.As for Kolarov it would be difficult to hold the man back at the best of times i reckon.An attacking wing back if ever i saw one.
Really like what i have seen from Kolarov hes got pace in abundance and seems more than willing to take a man on.

In general i am more than impressed with what i have seen from the new recruits.Having already mentioned Boateng and Kolarov i think its time to move on to the midfield.
Yaya looks very the business, his all round game is immense.I hate to say it (for fear of it coming back to haunt me)but he seems to be pretty much the full article in the sense of a centeral midfielder.Strong in both presence and the tackle, he has his head up at all times and his passing ability is superb.I think he will partnership De jong in midfield regularly.De jong is developing into one of the most reliable defesive midfielders in europe.I think when it comes down to players complimenting each other in midfield De jong will do much more for the tean than Barry.Barry seems short in pace and his all round play is not what i thought it wold be when we originally signed him.Hes not lived upto expectations as of yet for me by any means.

Going forward things look sweet.Silva looks like a reincarnation of Kinky hes a quick thinker on the ball and i can see him providing the passes for many a goal this season.Other than that like Kinky hes more than willing to take a man on and go it on his own.
To be honsest i think he will become a key player, Mancini has spotted a ready polished diamond here and i think he will have a huge influence on th team.
I know we are linked with Balotelli and although i want him here as i feel hes a great young talent i am a firm believer that Ade and Tevez are more than capable of providing us with the goals we need.Feelings are mutual regarding Tevez but in Ades case i think some maybe disinchanted but his goalscoring ratio last season was top notch considering hes a striker who never got to stand over a penalty or a free kick all season.

[dazby]

This is a friendly and we all know that friendlies mean fuck all.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Much improved performance tonight, definitely. Just to run through the areas of the park-

Defensively, we started off looking so much more comfortable and composed- every one of them was calm in possession. Boateng and Kompany built up a good understanding and seemed to compliment each other well, and then Boateng shifted across to the right seamlessly- his dribble and cross for the first goal was exceptional. Looks a real player- strength, pace, good feet, adaptability, positionally sound and still only 21. Kolarov showed great acceleration again and looks to have good positional sense. Richards was fantastic I thought, he was so well disciplined, kept tight on his man throughout and didn't allow crosses on his side- that's something he's improved tenfold on because he was guilty of being too easy to bypass at times last season in particular.
Kolo and Lescott were reasonably good when they came on, but we did seem to lose a little concentration and solidity at the back as time went on, maybe it's a coincidence. Kompany and Boateng seemed a very good partnership though and one I'd like to see again.

The other Touré looked positive in midfield, what was most noticeable was that whenever he got the ball, the head was up, and he always wanted to get things moving, forward thinking at all times. He gives off an air of calmness and looks like someone who'll be able to dictate tempo. Great burst of pace over 10 yards, whilst being adept at slowing it down if he wants to. de Jong added the steel and solidity we so lacked on Wednesday night, committed as always, and seemed to have simplified his passing, which is something a lot us wanted to see- he kept it short and sweet, and let the others do the 'expansive' stuff.
Barry was relatively good, on one hand he showed some excellent touches and awareness of what was around him, and obviously the goal was well taken, but at times he overcomplicated his passing, where much simpler options were clearly available. I sometimes wonder if he's consciously trying to impress with elaborate passing.

Tevez and Silva, despite only being on for half an hour, added that class and trickery we'd been missing. While Tevez wasn't at his sharpest, you could see by some of his movements and through balls, that he has the vision only a select few do. Silva's weight of pass is perfect and footwork is a joy to watch. Both of them gave us a much needed lift in class and creativity, really looking forward to seeing those two in particular this season.
Adebayor's game was interesting- ironically, he's so quick at chasing down the ball, quicker than just about anyone in fact, but when he does get hold of it, often slows things down to such a degree that it gives their defenders too much time to regroup. He was selfless when he managed to get into dangerous positions though, and aware of what was around him. If he could spend a little less time dropping out onto the flanks I really think we'd benefit, especially with the likes of Kolarov delivering high quality crosses now.

We looked good in the second half but a little less tight at times, although that's to be expected with so many changes. Vieira slowed the tempo in the centre of the park but didn't play too badly. His passing was relatively good, and he showed great feet for our second goal. Johnson and Wright-Phillips were outstanding, I think the competition for places will work positively for these lads, because they know they'll have to work exceptionally hard to get in the side. Johnson's footwork and ability to get in and out of tight spaces is first class, he really is exciting to watch and an absolute nightmare for full backs. Shaun's all round game was superb, he looked a yard quicker, more determined, his first touch was generally good and when he did get to the byeline his delivery was improved markedly on years gone by. I'm sure both will have plenty of opportunities to impress, and will do.

Jo showed good strength and skill to get away when he hit the post, and generally held the ball and linked with midfield well. Some poor touches to go along with that in fairness, but credit to him for being there to tap the second goal in. He's done nothing wrong in preseason and might just be giving Mancini second thoughts on selling him. Weiss showed some good footwork, but still looks devoid of a 'football brain'. The skill is there, so too the pace, but he doesn't seem to have any awareness of what's around him and too often runs with his head down. Needs to eradicate that from his game soon or get left behind.

Overall, I'm glad that we've shown the ability to look like a top side- we looked strong as a unit, with everyone taking responsibility and looking calm and confident in possession. We controlled most of the match and looked menacing when we wanted to. Let's hope we carry that cohesiveness and understanding into next Saturday.

cheers mate. That made me feel almost like I saw the game.

[Beefymcfc]

This is a friendly and we all know that friendlies mean fuck all.

It's about the performance, not the result ;-)

[CitizenYank]

Catching the replay via FSN replay, overall good effort I thought. Boateng's cross to Barry was pure class. Silva was great in his
debut. Amazed at how physical our squad is and how much depth we have!!! Can't wait for the first leg of Europe!!

[dazby]

This is a friendly and we all know that friendlies mean fuck all.

It's about the performance, not the result ;-)

And not surprising that our best performance happens at home.

I was going to start a thread about this but it's probably not worthy. After the last couple of world cups playe
rs have traditionally not performed the following season. The break will do them the world of good. We can gradually ease them in.

[ant london]

Actually sounded like there was some atmosphere there yesterday.....admittedly it's easier to get that when we play quite well but was quite impressed by that

[Beeks]

Actually sounded like there was some atmosphere there yesterday.....admittedly it's easier to get that when we play quite well but was quite impressed by that

it was quite good actually..27k turned up so there was enough to have a sing song..few beers in the townley beforehand and it made for a nice evening

[bluej]

Actually sounded like there was some atmosphere there yesterday.....admittedly it's easier to get that when we play quite well but was quite impressed by that

South stand sounded good throughout. Bought tickets on the door and got put in the north stand which had no atmosphere until the second half when a fair few people made the trip into it at half time from the other end of the stadium. It was weird seeing the whole away end empty apart from about 20 people in the second tier.