The "Balanced" Thread

[Arjan Van Schotte]

I just wish they'd scored early.

aint dat de choof.

in my ideal world they score in the first 30 seconds - then we have a chance.

[Ted Hughes]

All things considered, I actually thought today's performance was reasonable up until we, yet again, forgot how to mark from a set piece.

Having said that, I wonder if Mancini's tactics would have been even slightly different had Tevez been fit and the rest of the team not knackered from Thursday. Somehow I doubt it.

No mate, they'd have been exactly the same. They were exactly the same last season until the players decided to follow Tevez' lead and go for it in the second half. A lot of people instantly forgot how defensive we were for the first half of that game. What saved us was the fact that Lampard scored early enough instead of late on.

I knew they'd score today - the whole fucking world must have known it too... I just wish they'd scored early.

Good point. Sideshow Bob never once had to defend against anyone who could run & I don't think he can.

Did Balo look like he was going to rip up trees when he came on though? Not to me. I recon he lacks confidence & the other stuff is a front.

[Kladze]

All things considered, I actually thought today's performance was reasonable up until we, yet again, forgot how to mark from a set piece.

Having said that, I wonder if Mancini's tactics would have been even slightly different had Tevez been fit and the rest of the team not knackered from Thursday. Somehow I doubt it.

No mate, they'd have been exactly the same. They were exactly the same last season until the players decided to follow Tevez' lead and go for it in the second half. A lot of people instantly forgot how defensive we were for the first half of that game. What saved us was the fact that Lampard scored early enough instead of late on.

I knew they'd score today - the whole fucking world must have known it too... I just wish they'd scored early.

Couldn't agree more. Sometimes I actually find myself wishing our oppos would score an early goal to force us to change our approach.

[King Kev]

Positives: de Jong, Kompany and Silva

Negatives: Yaya, Kolorov and Yaya

[Kladze]

Positives: de Jong, Kompany and Silva

Negatives: Yaya, Kolorov and Mancini

.

[BadKompany]

Back 3 played well,Lescott especiallylooks strong,commanding and vocal.
Nige,all action effort again.
Milner as above.
Dzeko tried his best but pissing in the wind with no support.
Silva tried but again had no support or an outlet.
Barry was Barry

Yaya,kolarov and Balo are shocking.

[redders]

Mancini is absolutely PETRIFIED of every big team.

I can't stand his tactics and I've tried to get used to how wonderful it can be to rejoice in all things defensive, but its not me. I like attacking football and I'm of the opinion that the team who tries to win should always be held in high regard and the team that only wants to avoid a loss deserves everything that's coming to them.

Oh, I've to balance this up right? It is a positive that that match is over... its like a relief.

In fact, I've felt relieved after so many matches were over under Mancini because for 90 mins every week I feel frustrated instead of excited.

Completely agree with this. We have not gone forwards under Mancini and are still the 5th best team in the premiership, this is despite spending millions on complete shite.
I don't understand why we play so defensive when we have no pace to counter attack. Were never going to win using those tactics. Not good enough Mancini, were never going to wim anything with these tactics and players

[Arjan Van Schotte]

redders and badkompany - totally agree.

buying dzeko and playing down the middle is a complete nonsense.

however, the defence were generally good (bar kolarov).

[guv111]

It's quite simple... Those cunts who don't want to get behind the manager and team, leave the fucking Wembley tickets to those who want to go, stay at home and watch the '99 playoff DVD.... Or better still fuck off and watch the '99 treble DVD you bunch of fucking lemmings.

Some of you make me sick, yes we lost. The aim of the season was to finish 4th. How many players have been missing at times? We were 15 minutes from saying that was a good away point gained.

Finally, how many clubs would love to be in our position? Plymouth argyle for one, who we played regularly 20 years or so ago. So the football might not be what you want... But just deal with it.

If you lose 2-0 in the last 15 minutes, it's exactly the same as losing 2-0 in the first five minutes. The problem is, we had two attempts on goal in 90 minutes. Rarely does that win you matches, and Mancini had no interest in winning today. Again. We got what our negativity deserved. Mancini only took the attacking option when we were 1-0 down, and it was done in such an amateurish way that we even conceded another. Are we meant to be grateful?

[circumspect]

15 minutes away from a pretty good weekend then we dropped a bollock from a set piece (again).

I discount the second as it was a good goal when we were chasing the game.

Pretty sure we'll come back after the break to nail down 4th place and hopefully make 2 trips to Wembley.

Moan if you will but things will look brighter in a few weeks time if we stick together and back the lads.

[Beefymcfc]

Negative: I have Joe Hart in my Fantasy Dream Team.

Positive: I have Ivanovic and Luiz - Wankers!

[Blue Since 76]

negative: his tactics are 20 years out of date and his buying is, generally, shocking.

Postive: we'll have a new manager in summer

[ant london]

Negatives:

We have a manager who can build a solid foundation but no idea whether he can build upwards of the ground floor

It was possible to win that match but only if you actually try to do so.

We have a (very talented) mouse trapped inside a (very large and very unfit and very courage-free) man's body playing at number 42

Our two most fierce combatants were sat down throughout today's game, one nursing his father, the other his groin

The lad playing left back just turned in one of the worst performances in a sky blue shirt I can recall in recent memory

David Silva trying his best but today's tactics just not remotely being suitable for him. Why not start Johnson and bring on Silva.


Positives:

Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott. Both of whom were and have consistently, recently been....absolutely immense.

Nigel de Jong....plays at number 34 for Manchester City

Jerome Boateng seeming like "a prospect" worth bringing on at left back

We're still in the top 4.

We only have one more game left against a Top 6 side. The rest of us may fear the "also rans" but it's clear that only really the sight of United/Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs/Liverpool makes Mancini shit his tactical pants

Surely Mancini cannot continue to believe that James Milner is a wide player for much longer.....can someone not send him some fucking YouTubes of Milner at Villa ffs.

Lastly I thought that Dzeko did what he could pretty well. If you are going to use him as a target man then you need dynamic movement in and around him. He did his part well....unfortunately the "tactics".....or should I say "stat-tics" didn't have any room for a genuine accompanying attacking threat coming off poor old Edin.

[Ted Hughes]

Unfortunately, Andy Carroll made his debut for Liverpool today & straight away was causing fucking havoc at set plays. He has more time to practice them before they play us. Then there's Everton. We can beat both but only if we re-learn how to counter attack.

Otherwise, we're just asking for a repeat of today.

[SORTED]

Upside
We are defensively solid
We defend set pieces well
We have a truly great spine to the team

Downside
Mancini plays 'not to lose' too often for my liking
Our counter attacks are almost pedestrian
We depend too much on Tevez

Solutions
Give Barry and Yaya a kick up the arse and/or a stint on the sidelines
A few in and a few out once the summer window opens should address the aforementioned issues
Get rid of Mancini?

[Original Dub]

We have to play Liverpool and Spurs Ant as far as I know?

[ant london]

We have to play Liverpool and Spurs Ant as far as I know?

ah fuck yeah.....good oh. Europa League and 20000 crowds here we go again

fuckin a

[guv111]

Upside
We are defensively solid
We defend set pieces well
We have a truly great spine to the team

Downside
Mancini plays 'not to lose' too often for my liking
Our counter attacks are almost pedestrian
We depend too much on Tevez

Solutions
Give Barry and Yaya a kick up the arse and/or a stint on the sidelines
A few in and a few out once the summer window opens should address the aforementioned issues
Get rid of Mancini?

Sorry to be picky with your otherwise good post, but I think the only reason we are "defensively solid" is because we pack the midfield with defensive players and are reluctant to attack. Whenever we try to play a more open game we leak goals.

[ant london]

Not really true guv

The defensive solidity today came primarily from

Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Nigel de Jong....and to a lesser extent from Micah Richards and James Milner



Aleksander Kolarov's performance led to us playing effectively a "back three" and Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure offered pretty much fuck all in terms of additional "defensive" robustness.

We essentially today played with 4 "at the back" and we looked pretty bloody solid

[Arjan Van Schotte]

Upside
We are defensively solid
We defend set pieces well
We have a truly great spine to the team

Downside
Mancini plays 'not to lose' too often for my liking
Our counter attacks are almost pedestrian
We depend too much on Tevez

Solutions
Give Barry and Yaya a kick up the arse and/or a stint on the sidelines
A few in and a few out once the summer window opens should address the aforementioned issues
Get rid of Mancini?

Sorry to be picky with your otherwise good post, but I think the only reason we are "defensively solid" is because we pack the midfield with defensive players and are reluctant to attack. Whenever we try to play a more open game we leak goals.

we're defensively solid because it turns out that kompany, richards, lescott and zabba are very good players, with kolo and boyata as backup.

none of them bought by mancini.