Mancini's fault

[Douglas Higginbottom]

It was the same starting XI and set up that saw us take Liverpool apart.

I think that's the bit that worries me.I never thought we took Liverpool apart even though it was a top class and clear win. But what we did against LPool was control the middle and ,although not threatening to score that often , we got through at critical moments of the game and add to that LPool were crap.

Against Sunderland we again set out to control the game and instead of nicking the goal we miss a sitter.Sunderland worked us out a bit and changed a few things and suddenly we controlled the game less , looked even less like scoring and eventually gave a goal away and lost.I do have concerns that we do not seem to be confident enough yet to go away and take teams on with attacking play. 2 away games , very few chances and no goals is not an inspiring start but it is just 2 games so let's see how it is after a dozen.

[Ted Hughes]

Have to say I'm a bit nonplussed by the criticism of Mancini for his late substitutions.
Seems to me he's being criticised for trying to win the game rather than settling for the point. And, had he shut up shop, there would have been those all too ready to slaughter him for that too.

What advantage did you think Barry gave to us at fullback then? To me, it weakened the defence, midfield & attack (as Lescott is a proven matchwinner from set pieces) & they scored directly because of it. No way were we a better attacking team after his substitutions, we were just a mess. It was a very very poor piece of judgement & I honestly can't think of a worse one for a long long time.

[Lev Bronstein]

Have to say I'm a bit nonplussed by the criticism of Mancini for his late substitutions.
Seems to me he's being criticised for trying to win the game rather than settling for the point. And, had he shut up shop, there would have been those all too ready to slaughter him for that too.

What advantage did you think Barry gave to us at fullback then? To me, it weakened the defence, midfield & attack (as Lescott is a proven matchwinner from set pieces) & they scored directly because of it. No way were we a better attacking team after his substitutions, we were just a mess. It was a very very poor piece of judgement & I honestly can't think of a worse one for a long long time.

From watching a stream and listening to Radio Manc, Lescott was very much the weak link in the second half. He certainly gave the ball away far too cheaply and far too often.

[Ted Hughes]

It was the same starting XI and set up that saw us take Liverpool apart.

I think that's the bit that worries me.I never thought we took Liverpool apart even though it was a top class and clear win. But what we did against LPool was control the middle and ,although not threatening to score that often , we got through at critical moments of the game and add to that LPool were crap.

Against Sunderland we again set out to control the game and instead of nicking the goal we miss a sitter.Sunderland worked us out a bit and changed a few things and suddenly we controlled the game less , looked even less like scoring and eventually gave a goal away and lost.I do have concerns that we do not seem to be confident enough yet to go away and take teams on with attacking play. 2 away games , very few chances and no goals is not an inspiring start but it is just 2 games so let's see how it is after a dozen.

I thought Yaya was the key to us losing midfield. Didn't seem sharp at all 2nd half & lost yards off his pace. Did't think we were in any danger of losing until Barry went to fullback & Silva came on though.

[Ted Hughes]

Have to say I'm a bit nonplussed by the criticism of Mancini for his late substitutions.
Seems to me he's being criticised for trying to win the game rather than settling for the point. And, had he shut up shop, there would have been those all too ready to slaughter him for that too.

What advantage did you think Barry gave to us at fullback then? To me, it weakened the defence, midfield & attack (as Lescott is a proven matchwinner from set pieces) & they scored directly because of it. No way were we a better attacking team after his substitutions, we were just a mess. It was a very very poor piece of judgement & I honestly can't think of a worse one for a long long time.

From watching a stream and listening to Radio Manc, Lescott was very much the weak link in the second half. He certainly gave the ball away far too cheaply and far too often.

I thought the whole team did that & can't see even the slightest reason for singling out Lescott. The defence was as solid as I can ever remember it until he went off. Then we looked like letting in a goal & did, directly caused from that position. It's the clearest case of dodgy subbing imaginable really. Silva was also useless then bringing on Jo was the icing on the turd cake.

[failsworthblue]

Lescott for Ade was a joke and that was the downfall.

Yaya was treading quicksand in the second half and should have come off.


Very poor subs and Im am really suprised with Mancini on these.

Hope him and the team learn a very painfull lesson.

[brite blu sky]

Lescott for Ade was a joke and that was the downfall.

Yaya was treading quicksand in the second half and should have come off.


Very poor subs and Im am really suprised with Mancini on these.

Hope him and the team learn a very painfull lesson.

yeah agree with this. Mancini is learning about his players as much as they are learning about each other and some of them the Prem. I thought Yaya put in a stint in the first half and then when he tired or lost his grip we went off the pace. Bob could have moved Milner into the middle and swapped AJ to the other wing and brought on swp. Ade for Tevez a bit later on if hadn't made any headway. Milner would have grabbed that opportunity to impress and grab the game. imo

[The Man In Blue]

No way mancini's fault. How could he have changed Monday's side.

[Ted Hughes]

No way mancini's fault. How could he have changed Monday's side.

He couldn't but his subs were diabolical. Just as an example, imagine taking off Yaya Toure for Silva, dropping Milner into Midfield & going to 4-3-3 with Ade for Johnson. Would that not have been a nice solid attacking & defending side rather than putting Barry at fullback & bringing on Jo?

My team after the subs: Ade up front, Tevez & Silva behind him & Barry/ De Jong/ Milner midfield, wouldn't have lost imo.

He fucked up but I'll let him off. I think we're going in the right direction.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Yaya looked really tired. Does he suffer with Ramadan where Kolo doesn't?

[Ted Hughes]

Yaya looked really tired. Does he suffer with Ramadan where Kolo doesn't?

Never thought of that. I did find it strange the way he wilted because imo it happened pretty early in the 2nd half, in fact almost from the off. There was suddenly a hole appearing where previously he'd been sweeping up everything. I thought his 1st half performance was fantastic, up there with the best of Gerrard & Co but he became Christian Negoui in the 2nd.

[Kladze]

Yaya looked really tired. Does he suffer with Ramadan where Kolo doesn't?

Never thought of that. I did find it strange the way he wilted because imo it happened pretty early in the 2nd half, in fact almost from the off. There was suddenly a hole appearing where previously he'd been sweeping up everything. I thought his 1st half performance was fantastic, up there with the best of Gerrard & Co but he became Christian Negoui in the 2nd.

Get him to fucking eat summat then!

He's contracted to City not Allah ! ;-)

[The Man In Blue]

Just as an example, imagine taking off Yaya Toure for Silva, dropping Milner into Midfield & going to 4-3-3 with Ade for Johnson. Would that not have been a nice solid attacking & defending side rather than putting Barry at fullback & bringing on Jo?

i'll concede there. however, this is addressing why we didn't win imo. i reckon the reason we lost was an individual error, which you cannot really legislate for.

[zuricity]

We lost because teves didn't put the ball away. Nothing more, nothing lesss

[Ted Hughes]

We lost because teves didn't put the ball away. Nothing more, nothing lesss

That's utter nonsense mate. We miss a chance so that's it? The rest of the game didn't happen? We probably would have won if Tevez had put that sitter away, yes, easily, but that doesn't excuse the 2nd half or the substitutions. To suggest it does is plain daft. We had 45 mins against a potential bottom 6 team & were struggling to do anything at times.

If we'd continued playing just as well & unluckily missed a few & had an unlucky goal against then fair enough but our standards dropped alarmingly & we were nowhere near as good. We can't write off games because we miss a chance in the 1st half! Well not if we want to finish in the top 6 we can't. Mancini won't be happy with the 2nd half performance so I don't see why we should be.

[DoomMerchant]

We lost because teves didn't put the ball away. Nothing more, nothing lesss

That's utter nonsense mate. We miss a chance so that's it? The rest of the game didn't happen? We probably would have won if Tevez had put that sitter away, yes, easily, but that doesn't excuse the 2nd half or the substitutions. To suggest it does is plain daft. We had 45 mins against a potential bottom 6 team & were struggling to do anything at times.

If we'd continued playing just as well & unluckily missed a few & had an unlucky goal against then fair enough but our standards dropped alarmingly & we were nowhere near as good. We can't write off games because we miss a chance in the 1st half! Well not if we want to finish in the top 6 we can't. Mancini won't be happy with the 2nd half performance so I don't see why we should be.

the good news about today is that, imho, it took a pretty sweet confluence of events for us to actually lose -- the Tevez miss, TYY's poor shot, other chances we didn't create with all the possession in the first half, then a 2nd half drubbing coupled with a nice GK save from them, some poor substitutions, a missed offsides/penalty scenario, and then Bent actually burying his chance....

used to be one or two of those things and we were done for...today it took about half-dozen things breaking against us.

food for thought...

cheers

[Lev Bronstein]

I want to hear from people who were at the game.

On Radio Manc Fred Eyre & Ian Cheeseman said that in the second half Lescott was making too many mistakes and had to be taken off.

Comments from those who saw the game would be welcome

[horlock2000]

Small team ?!?!?!

Hart - 6 footer
Richards - Near 6 footer
Toure - 6 footer
Kompany - 6 footer
Lescott - 6 footer
Barry - 6 footer
Toure - 6 footer


Thats 7 big players, what youon about small team?!?!?!

[Grob]

That today was classic Mancini away from home.

Worked against Burnley i suppose

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Have to say I'm a bit nonplussed by the criticism of Mancini for his late substitutions.
Seems to me he's being criticised for trying to win the game rather than settling for the point. And, had he shut up shop, there would have been those all too ready to slaughter him for that too.

I agree. I wasn't happy that after the first half we were still drawing the game late in the game. When chips are down in a game like this, I would always prefer us going all in for win. I mean there's three points in offer so we do need to try and grab it in places like Sunderland.

It was just one of those days really. I think we deserved to win that. I honestly did. But it was fucking typical City stuff.

I agree with Blue2, real test of character will be how we bounce back.