Mancini proud despite defeat

[john68]

Sticking to the topic,which focuses on the players rather than Mancini, I think we have good reason to feel proud of the players.

Whatever arguments we may have about the selection or the positions and tactics they were ordered to play, botyh as individuals and as a team, for a long time, they matched what is considered by many to be the best footballing side in the country and even bettered them for a long time.
Chances were created and we were denied by some good goalkeeping. On another day, the story could have been so much different. it was inevitable that at some point, energy levels would diminish and when tht happened we suffered.
Under the circumstances I think we can hold our heads up after this.

When I saw thet young Dedryk was playing, I was surprised but was quite comfortable with it. He has shown us little to worry about in what he has done. All players make mistakes, even experienced ones. He will make his share but on balance, he has done plenty for us to be optimistic about his future. "Kid fucls up" ain't a new headline is it?..."Kid learns from fucl up"...is the important thing.

[Ted Hughes]

First thing to say is that I like Boyata and think he has the makings of a top class centre half.He did get it badly wrong yesterday both in giving Chamack a yard to start with as well as the rash challenge that followed. I also recall that he got it badly wrong twice against Chelsea and we got away with it. He could( should) have given away a penalty and with the 2 bad challenges in that game could have seen red again.

That's life and part of the learning but I am surprised that Mancini took the gamble of playing him when he had other options.There is no doubt he wasn't originally selected to play as Boateng was supposed to partner Vinnie so when Zaba dropped out it was a big decision not to go with Lescott for a couple of reasons.Right or wrong is all down to opinion.

I think it was the wrong decision as I think Lescott is a good centre back and doesn't' deserve much of the negative press he gets here.He hasnt been great this year but I do feel he was getting back to where he was before the injury last season when I thought he was playing very well.I was ok with Boateng getting the spot but when it was decided to move him it had to be Lescott for me.

I actually would have left Boateng at centre back and played Lescott at full back so that it was only one change and not two. lescott isn't the best full back but I do think he is better defensively than Bridge.

I agree that Lescott is better than Bridge, by a long way imo, but I also think he's miles better than Boyata & Boateng at left back or centre back. They will both be probably much better than him in the future but right now they're not & it's not even close.

[Nick]

Maybe its because I was acually at the game, but I thought we were pretty shocking, again I cant remember us troubling arsenal and abrely had any chances. Yes we had ten men, but would it have been a similar story if we didnt?

Clattenburg was an absolute arsehole, even if you guys say he got the big calls right. Song/ denilson should have been off.

Bringing Balo and not AJ was a daft decision, which saw us have 2 strikers on doing piss all up front because we had no1 to link up play.

Silva and Micah had good games.

Boateng is having a bad time. And I feel Hart should have saved one of the goals.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Maybe its because I was acually at the game, but I thought we were pretty shocking, again I cant remember us troubling arsenal and abrely had any chances. Yes we had ten men, but would it have been a similar story if we didnt?
Clattenburg was an absolute arsehole, even if you guys say he got the big calls right. Song/ denilson should have been off.

Bringing Balo and not AJ was a daft decision, which saw us have 2 strikers on doing piss all up front because we had no1 to link up play.

Silva and Micah had good games.

Boateng is having a bad time. And I feel Hart should have saved one of the goals.

Nah, it's because in all these years I've rarely if ever seen you post anything sensible. You are just trying to stay true to form. Nothing to do with being in the game.

[brite blu sky]

Trying to stay on topic, i think Mancini is right, not only in being proud but also in saying that after that showing we are one of the best teams in the prem.
With 10 men we outbattled them in midfield and kept them guessing with plenty of movement. The loss of Tevez was key imo. with 10 and no Tevez they were able to regain composure, up to that point they were actually struggling to get any control of the game.

SO the if... if it had stayed at 11 v 11. We would have panned them, they may well have got a goal with the back line as it was but we would have just overpowered them over the 90 mins. Silva was class again, Milner i though played some good little through balls and is slowly getting a bit more comfortable. Tevez was great as usual, but injured himself by the looks of it by going mad. Going forward i thought Barry was good also and Nige was getting in there too. All promising stuff imo. Micah was standout and if is that is representative of a new found hunger to improve than things bode well, im sure there will be ups and downs but he is looking like a different person.

I hate refs that ruin games and thats what happened. Most other refs would have just given a yellow in the circumstances im sure.

All told i think the players are going to be smarting after that.. real sense of injustice and a real sense of being slapped in the face by some twink like Fabregas.
There is some learning to go on here.. starting games a little bit slow or asleep should be one thing to learn from. I would expect the team to carry this disappointment for some time.. through and beyond the Derby. Someone needs to pay for this and it is a long way off until we play Arsenal again.

[Renato_CTID]

Dont get me wrong because i do like Mancini as our gaffer,but i think he got it wrong today on a couple of counts.

1: Why did he play Boyata instead of Lescott? It was a big game today and we needed experience in defence.He did the same thing playin Boyata at CB at the swamp last season in the cup and we lost that one.

2: Ade IMO is the last player you would bring on to replace Tevez when your down to 10 men.We needed a grafter to help in Mf and attack so why not bring AJ on.

Am i makin any sense or has the beer gone to my head ;-$

1: because Joleon was terrific at the end of the magpies game and last Thursday too. Are we still sure he would have been better than Dedrick yesterday?
2: We were only 0-1 with 40 minutes enough to try to draw or win. Ade was the best option indeed!

[Nick]

Maybe its because I was acually at the game, but I thought we were pretty shocking, again I cant remember us troubling arsenal and abrely had any chances. Yes we had ten men, but would it have been a similar story if we didnt?
Clattenburg was an absolute arsehole, even if you guys say he got the big calls right. Song/ denilson should have been off.

Bringing Balo and not AJ was a daft decision, which saw us have 2 strikers on doing piss all up front because we had no1 to link up play.

Silva and Micah had good games.

Boateng is having a bad time. And I feel Hart should have saved one of the goals.

Nah, it's because in all these years I've rarely if ever seen you post anything sensible. You are just trying to stay true to form. Nothing to do with being in the game.

Is that why the ground was empty after the third goal and most people around me were going mental, I also heard boo's. Yes I remember a couple of decent chances, but i just dont know where the impression that we played excellent has come from. All the lads in the gym before that were at the match agreed with me vs. the lads that watched it at home thought we played half decent.

IMO it was just another one of those matches where we didt look like scoring, lump the ball to tevez who then drops deep with no support. This was also the case against Newcastle, Blackpool and Wigan, but we got a bit lucky (penalty, wonder goal) and once we're 1-0 up we're usually fine.