Winning without Carlos...

[brite blu sky]

Have been banging on about the danger of being over reliant on Tevez for some time. Now the day has come that his boots must filled in a Prem game. Either it will be confirmed that at present at least we struggle without him, or the direct opposite that in fact we have enough fire power and strength of will without him.
Mancini has laid down the challenge, the game is all important as all games are but with the extra incentive to close on our rivals. So the players have to step up at exactly the right time and they know it.
Can there be a bigger incentive to the rest of the team ? - i dont think so. I dont think they will be worried, in fact the opposite and i believe they will relish the space left by Carlito and go about proving a point. There is a big chance here for the squad to take that could be the catalyst to a kick start in the season. The timing is kind of perfect, the heat is on.

[john68]

It is quite obvious that we have relied far too heavily on Carlos all through the 1st part of the season but most of that was played without Mario being available. Had this happened earlier in the season, we would have been royally fucled.
Recently Siva has come more to the fore, meaning that we now have a better chance of service to the front rather than the "having to got and fetch it...do it all myself" of Tevez. Mario has been lauded as the new striker on the block and this is his big chance to "expect to score"
Not as worried about this as I would have been a few weeks ago. We should (hopefully) have far too much in the tank for West Ham and a win with 3pts should be ours.

Again, looking positively at this, I wonder how much Tevez's running and dropping back actually stops other players using the space that he has taken up. With him not there, a chance for others like YaYa, Siva, Barry, to occupy that space, creating more chances.

[CityGer]

It's vitally important that we prove tomorrow that we can win without Carlos. I think we will.

Mr68 has is spot on here

Again, looking positively at this, I wonder how much Tevez's running and dropping back actually stops other players using the space that he has taken up. With him not there, a chance for others like YaYa, Siva, Barry, to occupy that space, creating more chances.

I fully expect Silva to use the space and pull the strings. Another positive is Balo. Whilst he has his faults and drives me up the wall at times, one thing he has proved is that he is a goal threat.

2-0 to us.

[everyonehatesus]

Well I think we will be just fine this weekend. In the European games we have seen that we have more than enough players ready to step up and score when they get the chance, sometimes we a guilty of playing around Carlos too much.
With any luck we should win by a couple of goals and this should spur us on to spread the goals around the team more for the rest of the season.

[Fesan]

I think other creative players will benefit from not having Tevez take up the space in the middle all the time, and if we actually play a target striker (that stays upfront instead of dropping to our own half like tevez) I think we have the possibility of showing some great offensive play. Then again he will prob. play Balo up top and Silva / Milner out wide. Interesting to see how Balo takes on that role:-)

[john68]

I know in terms of Prem experience, mario is still a newbie but he is old enough to understand the striking role. I don't forsee him having any problems with it. Side netting, cross bars, posts, even the keeper, may all pose him a problem but he should know what's expected from him.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I just hope and expect that Mancini has got the team in a very positive attacking frame of mind for this game.We have to take it to teams like WHU and provided we get it right on the day I would expect a win. Yaya's the key man for me coming from deep.

[zuricity]

Well whilst I agree with the general assessment that we should play great attacking football. Quite frankly, I will be happy with a win. However we get it . Even if we shut up shop and steal a goal I don't care.

I don't like hammering the Hammers. They are a great club going through some difficult times ( Where have we seen that before ?).

So I hope that it's more a case of the Hammers tried but couldn't break us down. That should give the rabid press something to feed off for another few days and perhaps give West Ham something to build on.

I hope they stay up, but not at the expense of out Title challenge.

A quiet 1-0 will do me....

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Respect the sentiment there, but I'd be well chuffed if we dicked em. We don't destroy the weaker teams yet and that for me is a problem.

Take no prsoners. I don't want the Hammers to go down, but on match day I still hate them the same way I do every team we play. They stand between me and happieness for 90 minutes.

[john68]

I too respect those sentiments Zurich but like Lee will be quite happy should we give the hammers a going over.
I have no wish to destroy the Hammers, who I am quite fond of but I think the time has come to prove that we are capable of dishing it out.
Everything at the club is becoming geared to success, except the fans. I wonder at what point I may hear a chant of "WE'RE GOING TO WIN THE LEAGUE" coming from the stands. Whatever may be happening on the field, I feel our fans lack the confidence in the team to BIG THEM UP.

[zuricity]

I too respect those sentiments Zurich but like Lee will be quite happy should we give the hammers a going over.
I have no wish to destroy the Hammers, who I am quite fond of but I think the time has come to prove that we are capable of dishing it out.
Everything at the club is becoming geared to success, except the fans. I wonder at what point I may hear a chant of "WE'RE GOING TO WIN THE LEAGUE" coming from the stands. Whatever may be happening on the field, I feel our fans lack the confidence in the team to BIG THEM UP.

Yeah John I hear what you are saying we are about to explode onto the scene and it is almost the time to start chanting that song again.

Some time ago on another thread I couldn't help thinking about the timing of this 'Arrival as Title contenders'. I referred to the frustration and disappointment Mancini showed when the penalty and eventually late loss to Sunderland occured.

He really was miffed.

What I thought at the time was that Mancini wanted the game against Chelsea to be that arrival day and when/if things had gone to plan we would have jumped above them.

This 'Arrival' has now been postponed and I get the feeling it will now be at Emirates. We'll just keep going on collecting points along the way.

Then Blam !!! Arsenal away, we already owe them for that lucky escape they got when Dedryk was sent off.

[john68]

I hope you are right mate...I think we need a big explosive win, or even a series of big wins, where we look top class to shock the media and make a big statement. I think a lot of clubs are nervous of us and unsure of what we might do. I don't think they fear us yet and if they do, they don't fear us enough. We have won, we have played well but we haven't completely destroyed anyone yet. We need to do that.

"We'll be running round Newcastle with the league" was sung by the Kippax from almost the start of the season. Few of us beleived it, but we still sang it. They were times of no fear and we followed Allison's lead in bigging ourselves up. This season, I have found it very frustrating that the City fans seem so timid.

The club has been adament about changing the mindset of the club into a positive winning one but it has yet to rub off on the fans. It isn't reflected in any chants or songs and thus, doesn't ring out to inspire the players to beleive it.

I am certain that a some big wins would assist a change in the fans attitude. I would love to hear "We're going to win the league" belting out round the swamp in the derby. Especially if we were above them. They may chuckle, but they would worry about us deep down. It would be a shock to them to have City fans bragging and boasting about City on their own middin.

[Ted Hughes]

We won't miss Tevez at all if things are going well & the team clicks. We'll miss him if it's a struggle.

I don't see anything in the makeup of Balotelli, Jo or Johnson that would lift a team personality wise when things aren't working. Ade could do it but probably won't. Skill wise of course they could score a goal out of nothing but none of them would show the inspirational fighting qualities that Tevez & Bellamy did last season, dragging the team forward when the defenders were bottling it & making individual mistakes. Tevez is special, as was Bellamy & imo we could do with finding another attacking player with similar qualities, even if we win 4-0 today.

[brite blu sky]

Im going for the belief that the players will take advantage of and relish the space left by Carlito.. knowing full well it also send out a statement. As always getting that first goal will be vital, if they can do that early on then any lingering concern will evaporate and they can really start enjoying themselves. It may well be a bit nervy to begin with if WH come out and get stuck in. i am really looking forward to this game for all the reasons but also because Tevez isn't playing. So many positives come out of a good performance and a result, the game is a real biggie and a win without the star man will not go unnoticed by other teams and the press.

[Ted Hughes]

Im going for the belief that the players will take advantage of and relish the space left by Carlito.. knowing full well it also send out a statement. As always getting that first goal will be vital, if they can do that early on then any lingering concern will evaporate and they can really start enjoying themselves. It may well be a bit nervy to begin with if WH come out and get stuck in. i am really looking forward to this game for all the reasons but also because Tevez isn't playing. So many positives come out of a good performance and a result, the game is a real biggie and a win without the star man will not go unnoticed by other teams and the press.

I should imagine they'll do their best not to notice.

[brite blu sky]

Im going for the belief that the players will take advantage of and relish the space left by Carlito.. knowing full well it also send out a statement. As always getting that first goal will be vital, if they can do that early on then any lingering concern will evaporate and they can really start enjoying themselves. It may well be a bit nervy to begin with if WH come out and get stuck in. i am really looking forward to this game for all the reasons but also because Tevez isn't playing. So many positives come out of a good performance and a result, the game is a real biggie and a win without the star man will not go unnoticed by other teams and the press.

I should imagine they'll do their best not to notice.

Damn right. if we struggle and dont get a result the headlines are already written, you know it! A lot will depend on the actual scoreline though, if it goes our way and we bag goals the press while doing their best to hide it wont be able to ignore it. Anyway that is the press who dont matter in reality, other teams and managers will take note. Assuming it goes our way.

[CitizenYank]

If we can't create goals without Tevez, then how in the hell are we ever going to run the table or go far in Europe? We
need just a challenge like this to prepare us for a day when we won't have Carlos.

[brite blu sky]

Well, we won it with some brilliant football at times. WHU played better than i expected, but we cut through them with real style at times. Balotelli's miss from Jo's cross was a shocker in a way and would have been the perfect start and rattled WH from the off.
If that had gone in i would have gone for 6-1 final score.
Balotelli was crap but im not going to get on his back as he more than others is going to need time and careful management. Aside from him though i thought it was all positive.
Jo is improving.
Yaya is improving.
Barry is improving.
AJ looks like he is learning.
Silva is just pure class.

In addition i think we are seeing what Mancini is all about too. The idea that the front 3 or even 4 are constantly moving around and interchanging had WH all over the place. This is one of Mancini's basic signatures and it will provide some great football imo.

[ant london]

Well, we won it with some brilliant football at times. WHU played better than i expected, but we cut through them with real style at times. Balotelli's miss from Jo's cross was a shocker in a way and would have been the perfect start and rattled WH from the off.
If that had gone in i would have gone for 6-1 final score.
Balotelli was crap but im not going to get on his back as he more than others is going to need time and careful management. Aside from him though i thought it was all positive.
Jo is improving.
Yaya is improving.
Barry is improving.
AJ looks like he is learning.
Silva is just pure class.

In addition i think we are seeing what Mancini is all about too. The idea that the front 3 or even 4 are constantly moving around and interchanging had WH all over the place. This is one of Mancini's basic signatures and it will provide some great football imo.

I actually am starting to agree on the last paragraph. It perplexed me, really did bamboozle me, the fact that a player who was almost genius level from an attacking perspective himself and who clearly had shown he had the "right stuff" early doors in his mgmt career/late playing days in terms of coaching started out here with super defensive, negative, cagey ballbag football.

A few on here said that he was just getting the foundations right but I feared that he would be a George Graham (ie. flair player who, as a manager, manages in a style at the polar extreme from his playing style) but last few games it would seem that he is anything but.

The style of football and interchanging we are using has all the hallmarks of a very able manager who is communicating ideas pretty clearly to his playing staff. Some of the football I've seen us play in the last couple of matches pisses over even the best stuff we saw fleetingly under Sven (via Elano) and Hughes (mainly via Ireland/Robinho). When we are in full flow scything through the opposition at pace with lovely touch and guile as well as power and pace...well, its the stuff that should win us trophies in the end.

Ignoring the Tevez situation which I believe will get sorted one way or the other I agree with your appraisals.

Silva just looks like a magnificent player who is getting better all the time
Yaya looks increasingly like he will be immense

The whole team just look more and more like they are on the same wavelength. The quality of some of the movement and passing (even from the likes of Nigel) is just light years ahead of the start of the season/end of last.

I'm really happy with things as they stand today. Tevez or no Tevez.

[brite blu sky]

fucl yes i forgot to mention deJong.. another that has and is improving no end. His forward passing yesterday was spot on and his positioning to mop up the loose balls and send them back in was spot on too. He is even getting forward to support the attack.

Also not sure if anyone noticed but when Silva received the ball from deJong before AJ's run Mancini was waving frantically to AJ to run.. AJ had started to move but Mancini's encouragement looked to spur him to go hell for leather. So the wavelength thing is spot on imo.