I suggest Mancini and his "tired" players watch this.

[john68]

Sorry Carl but I don't think that players not giving 100% is true mate.

I think there are times when players are not playing to their full potential and have bad days but i don't think that players don't care about winning.

[the_georgian_genius]

I'm watching players not giving 100% game after game........Players are not giving their all for the cause IMO....if the manager is making excuses for them about tiredness then it just gives them room for slackness.......in my opinion.

LOL that's because they can't give 100% as they are playing every 3 days. No professional footballer can give 100% playing every 3 days because believe it or not............they are human.

[Slim]

I believe City have more money than God right? We hear it from everyone including ourselves how we are a rich man's plaything, we have nothing but oil billionaire mercenaries? Then how in god's name can he complain that we have a small squad suffering from tiredness?

It's an excuse, it's a bad excuse and smacks of a manager who is so scared of fucking it all up he has to lay the groundwork now.

BTW, if we are tired and have a small squad, then why hasn't a competition been sacrificed yet? Europa has 7 games left, good run out for the kids imo.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Sorry Carl but I don't think that players not giving 100% is true mate.

I think there are times when players are not playing to their full potential and have bad days but i don't think that players don't care about winning.

Well - call it what you will..tiredness... laziness....lack of the right attitude......off days......the Fact of the matter is Mancini is using the term too tired to justify the shit we are dishing up more times than not.,,,its a terrible excuse.

At this stage of the season we need a winners attitude and I feel we have not got one.

[john@staustell]

I believe City have more money than God right? We hear it from everyone including ourselves how we are a rich man's plaything, we have nothing but oil billionaire mercenaries? Then how in god's name can he complain that we have a small squad suffering from tiredness?

It's an excuse, it's a bad excuse and smacks of a manager who is so scared of fucking it all up he has to lay the groundwork now.

BTW, if we are tired and have a small squad, then why hasn't a competition been sacrificed yet? Europa has 7 games left, good run out for the kids imo.

Well it's a fact that we currently have a squad of available senior players that is small and the players are knackered. These are not in dispute so I cant see why you critcise Mancini for saying it and say it's not true.

What you should be asking is why we have such a small squad now, with umpteen players on loan. Was it pressure from above? Is it the 25-man rule. Or has Mancini made a strategic error?

Thank God for Vieira eh?

[Slim]

Well I thought that was the blatantly obvious inference, guess I shouldn't have been so subtle.

[Tony P]

Other than say Liverpool, what other teams are playing well at the moment?

[BobKowalski]

Other than say Liverpool, what other teams are playing well at the moment?

West Ham.

And Liverpool's run of good form consists of 1 game. Prior to that they were crap against....West Ham.

Drew at home with Wigan before the WHU game if I recall. Were pants in that one as well.

Probably tired and saving themselves for the MU game :)

[Chinners]

I get tired by the end of each 9+hour working day, every day not every 3 days! ... and I don't use it as an excuse for my shoddy performance ... ever

[Tony P]

Other than say Liverpool, what other teams are playing well at the moment?

West Ham.

And Liverpool's run of good form consists of 1 game. Prior to that they were crap against....West Ham.

Drew at home with Wigan before the WHU game if I recall. Were pants in that one as well.

Probably tired and saving themselves for the MU game :)

My point exactly, we don't play in a bubble. Arsenal dropping points, Spurs as well. We played dully but we got three points. Who's to say it won't be the case against Chelsea.

[marvin]

Stupid tread because football is stop start, an players like Richards and YaYa would really struggle to run marathons.

After one session you need time to recover for the next.

The question that should be asked is not why the players are tired, but why we only have a pool of 15 or so. We only have 4 injuries to senior players. That's not unusual.

So why did we allow so many to go? Players like Bridge never played and were so rusty that they were rubbish for their first few games and now much improved.

[bluej]

I get tired by the end of each 9+hour working day, every day not every 3 days! ... and I don't use it as an excuse for my shoddy performance ... ever

I didn't want to say it, but sometimes the standards of your bollox do drop Chinners. But it's ok if you're tired, as Bobby would say, 'es normal'.

[marvin]

Mancini's comments on the official site reminded me about Zabaleta pulling up with cramp after 65 minutes at the South Stand end.

Maybe the original poster wasn't aware of this

I thought City did very well to grind out the 3 points

[john68]

Maybe it's Mancini's use of the word "TIRED" that is causing confusion. The issue is not tiredness but of "PERFORMANCE LEVEL."
I would reasonably expect every player to be absolutely exhausted by their efforts at the end of every game. I also think it is reasonable that having played every 3/4 days for a few weeks, it would affect the level of performance. I think Mancini makes a valid point on this. As is seen in other sports, athletes (from all sports) often miss quite important competitions in order to ensure they are in peak condition for other competitions they are targetting.

Whether Mancini was right to allow players who could/should have been retained to leave on loan, is another issue and I am tempted to be a little more sympathetic with Mancini on this. I think we should remember that this is Mancini's 1st season in the Prem and by his own admission, has never experienced this before.
I was led to believe that Marwood had been employed by City to set our football policy and Marwood would have fully understood the pressures of an English season. I don't know who gets the final word but wouyld suggest that marwood should have known better.
The decisions were taken at the beginning of the season, when a plan of campaign would have been discussed fully and a 25 man squad chosen. At that point, given the info available at that time, choices (right/wrong) were made. But I don't think that Mancini was alone in making those decisions.

[Hazy2]

Honest opinion, maybe the players are tired, Maybe, I doubt it I think they are bored of the Roberto Mancini, Sampdoria 80's Counter attack bollocks, Lets not get anything confused sitting back awaiting a chance to kill the game is pants, we have no pace upfront that will capitalise on this, Walcott/Nani/Defo/ we dont we have, We have Tevez trying to occupy a back 4.Chasing shadows and getting pissed off with it ! Hold it up when he gets it ! or YAYA breaking forward and taking a week to get back tha is why we are struggling. Micah and Zab are not Bale or attack minded. There is a leash on City That Roberto seems to stubborn to take off, it just about worked on Saturday Give Defo that Wigan chance in April and that is in. Take the leash of as you are boring us to tears 2nd halfs are shite as we know what is coming. Reading could be the game that breaks the back of Robertos A Game, IMO he is solid but negative as Fook. Reading will throw the lot at us, if they score 1st what then sit back.

[BobKowalski]

Maybe it's Mancini's use of the word "TIRED" that is causing confusion. The issue is not tiredness but of "PERFORMANCE LEVEL."
I would reasonably expect every player to be absolutely exhausted by their efforts at the end of every game. I also think it is reasonable that having played every 3/4 days for a few weeks, it would affect the level of performance. I think Mancini makes a valid point on this. As is seen in other sports, athletes (from all sports) often miss quite important competitions in order to ensure they are in peak condition for other competitions they are targetting.

Whether Mancini was right to allow players who could/should have been retained to leave on loan, is another issue and I am tempted to be a little more sympathetic with Mancini on this. I think we should remember that this is Mancini's 1st season in the Prem and by his own admission, has never experienced this before.
I was led to believe that Marwood had been employed by City to set our football policy and Marwood would have fully understood the pressures of an English season. I don't know who gets the final word but wouyld suggest that marwood should have known better.
The decisions were taken at the beginning of the season, when a plan of campaign would have been discussed fully and a 25 man squad chosen. At that point, given the info available at that time, choices (right/wrong) were made. But I don't think that Mancini was alone in making those decisions.

Squad management is a valid point and I would hate to guess the balance of responsibility between Mancini and Marwood. Being in the hunt in 3 competitions as we approach the business end of the season is going to stretch any squad especially as we are legitimately looking to do well in all three. What mistakes have been made (if any) will be judged at the end of the season but looking at the squad it doesn't look that bad (despite Mancini's protestations) especially if we get Milner, DeJong back quickly and AJ back sooner than expected.

Having bodies for the sake of it (RSC, Bridge et al) is no solution either.

[the_georgian_genius]

Chelsea vs Manchester City - Sunday 20th March 4pm

Chelsea have one game before that match, at home to Copenhagen in the champions league where they will rest a few players.

We have 3 including a 3,000 mile trip to the Ukraine.

It's the price of being successful but doesn't mean tiredness is not a valid reason or excuse.

[Hazy2]

Chelsea vs Manchester City - Sunday 20th March 4pm

Chelsea have one game before that match, at home to Copenhagen in the champions league where they will rest a few players.

We have 3 including a 3,000 mile trip to the Ukraine.

It's the price of being successful but doesn't mean tiredness is not a valid reason or excuse.

And the ideal player for this game and the counter attack Roberto will employ is playing for some team in South Wales.

[Ted Hughes]

Chelsea vs Manchester City - Sunday 20th March 4pm

Chelsea have one game before that match, at home to Copenhagen in the champions league where they will rest a few players.

We have 3 including a 3,000 mile trip to the Ukraine.

It's the price of being successful but doesn't mean tiredness is not a valid reason or excuse.

And the ideal player for this game and the counter attack Roberto will employ is playing for some team in South Wales.

Absolutely.

I think we have a great chance of beating Chelsea though & if I had to bet, I'd bet on us.

We would have an even better chance if Bob & his army of losers weren't making up excuses for defeat before we've even tried to win though.

[13021J]

Chelsea vs Manchester City - Sunday 20th March 4pm

Chelsea have one game before that match, at home to Copenhagen in the champions league where they will rest a few players.

We have 3 including a 3,000 mile trip to the Ukraine.

It's the price of being successful but doesn't mean tiredness is not a valid reason or excuse.

And the ideal player for this game and the counter attack Roberto will employ is playing for some team in South Wales.

Actually speaking to Cardiff fans Bellamy has been piss poor recently so I couldn't see him ripping into the Chelsea defence. He is not some sort of Messiah I think we were lucky to get the level of performance out of him that West Ham an many others couldn't due to injuries.