Nasri Deal?????? On/Off, On/Off, On/Off

[Beefymcfc]

All this Wenger, is he good, is he bad, is he lucky talk has got me thinking...

Imagine this, Bobby and Wenger left City and Arsenal respectively and Wenger took control of this current city squad.

He'd win us the league wouldn't he, you just know he would, the current squad screams at times "let me off the leash" but Mancini reins it in and sticks to the Italiano 1-0 way.

If Wenger brought the philosophy of his Arsenal team and instilled it into our current crop, building off the rock solid defence and strong characters that we have, it would be magical, we'd evolve another step.

Which raises the question in my mind that if I'm so certain Wenger would win us the league why am I also certain Mancini won't..

Is Mancini, as much as I like the guy, currently city's weakest link? He's built an amazing team but is it his own philosophy which is stifling us from being the strongest premier league team on paper to being the strongest premier league team on the field??

Currently I'm unsure, one thing is for certain, he has a season to prove he is the man for this job or likely a man like Wenger will take his place.

That's a very good point BB but I'd suggest that Wenger wouldn't automatically take us to the top. He has possibly shown that he is unable to deal with the top players and that's possibly why he hasn't made those big time signings. You could say that the likes of Vieira, Henry, Pires et al were moved on at the right time or, you could say that they were moved on once they found their voice.

On Mancini, I do think he can make it but it will be down to the players to take what he says on-board and put it into practice. Mancini wants a keep-ball Barca style of play whilst keeping a tight defence, which isn't easy to do. Every person has to give 100% in the game and one lapse in concentration can lead to the system failing, from set pieces where everyone has his zones to the midfield covering back to front. Most players are used to doing just their job, not having to cover others, which is a mind-set that Mancini is trying to change.

In my view of course.

Pretty much agree with this.

Cheers BoB!

[blues2win]

I'd love to see the Nasri deal finished off so that we can get Mata from Valencia. Wenger would go potty!

[Tokyo Blue]

I'd love to see the Nasri deal finished off so that we can get Mata from Valencia. Wenger would go potty!

It would not surprise me. Why when the management have said we are after a winger, would we not be looking at him?

[BobbyJ1956]

Mata, definitely. With Silva here already they'd be a great pair, and though this has no footballing logic to it the idea of getting another lad from the place where Bert Trautmann now lives is oddly appealing.

[phips]

Which raises the question in my mind that if I'm so certain Wenger would win us the league why am I also certain Mancini won't..

Is Mancini, as much as I like the guy, currently city's weakest link? He's built an amazing team but is it his own philosophy which is stifling us from being the strongest premier league team on paper to being the strongest premier league team on the field??

Currently I'm unsure, one thing is for certain, he has a season to prove he is the man for this job or likely a man like Wenger will take his place.

I've actually been reading some stuff which pretty much agrees with you...that Mancini is the weakest link...that with a team like ours, plus Aguero now and possibly Nasri, should be doing better overall than we did last season. I don't know if its the players' effort, behavior, or w/e and it all gets piled on Mancini as the manager or if it actually is his stifling style and stubbornness.

I do think that the money has gone to his head at bit here though to be honest. He's become very ambitious and adventurous (not on the pitch), and yes that's good but it can also be very bad with him getting full of himself and recklessly spending our petrol dollars left and right

[Ted Hughes]

How the fuck do we know we should be doing better? The season hasn't started!!!

Fair enough, if he can't get us to the next stage, with most of his players in place, thenhe's not good enough & I'll be on his case too, but lets see where we end up before sayinghe can't do it!

[Beefymcfc]

Which raises the question in my mind that if I'm so certain Wenger would win us the league why am I also certain Mancini won't..

Is Mancini, as much as I like the guy, currently city's weakest link? He's built an amazing team but is it his own philosophy which is stifling us from being the strongest premier league team on paper to being the strongest premier league team on the field??

Currently I'm unsure, one thing is for certain, he has a season to prove he is the man for this job or likely a man like Wenger will take his place.

I've actually been reading some stuff which pretty much agrees with you...that Mancini is the weakest link. That with a team like ours, plus Aguero now and possibly Nasri, should be doing better overall than we currently are. I don't know if its the players' effort, behavior, or w/e and it all gets piled on Mancini as the manager or if it actually is his stifling style and stubbornness.

I do think that the money has gone to his head at bit here though to be honest. He's become very ambitious and adventurous (not on the pitch), and yes that's good but it can also be very bad with him getting full of himself and recklessly spending our petrol dollars left and right

Sorry Phips, I don't get it??? We've not kicked a ball yet and you are saying we should be doing better than we are???

If you're talking about last season then I'm sure that a developing team who finished 3rd (you could say joint 2nd) and beat all sorts of previous records, as well as winning a pot, could be considered a success. We also had a run in of 6 wins and 2 losses at the end of last season and one point from those 2 losses would've give us an outright 2nd place.

It maybe just me but I don't expect instant success, or any success for that matter. It has to be earned and we earned our success last season because of Mancini and the whole team from top-to-bottom. Maybe it's a media thing and their incessant troll to bring us down in some way as started to influence people but in no way can anyone say we should be doing better at this moment in time.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

How the fuck do we know we should be doing better? The season hasn't started!!!

Fair enough, if he can't get us to the next stage, with most of his players in place, thenhe's not good enough & I'll be on his case too, but lets see where we end up before sayinghe can't do it!

Fuck the FA Cup win.....knives are already being sharpened!

I personally don't think we'll win league this season but I expect steady progress pointwise and being there and thereabouts in the end of the season. 12/13 we should def have title as fair expectation.

[Ted Hughes]

Imo Wenger was fortunate to get success off the foundations laid long before he joined. Once he started building his own team ... well you know the rest

Exactly mate. Someone pointed it out the other day, not sure who. Wengers most successful teams had a defence built on foundations laid by George Graham

Someone pointing it out doesn't make it correct

Arsenal's 'invincibles' title winning team of 03/04 had a back line of

Lehmenn

Lauren
Campbell
Toure
Cole

The only non Wenger signing in the team was Bergkamp who was signed by Rioch.

That team was built by Wenger. The biggest factor on Arsenal's development since reaching the 2006 CL final (again with a team built by Wenger) is the new stadium with Wenger qualifying for the CL on a small transfer budget which facilitated the paying off the stadium ahead of schedule.

Irrespective of what is happening now to make out that Wenger's success rests on what George Graham did is total bollocks.

Does anyone do any research before posting shit on here?

I love you

Complete and utter fucking horse shit.

A defence built on the foundations of Arsenal's doesn't just fucking fall apart overnight because the players gradually change, espcially not when the originals were drilled by Don Howe. They pass on their methods & organisation to those next to them & Martin Keown was still fucking there to help: ' Keown remained at Arsenal until 2004, winning another Premier League title, before being released on a free transfer. His final season brought 10 league appearances – the minimum to qualify for a title winner's medal – and it came during the season when Arsenal achieved the rare distinction of completing a league season unbeaten.'

The remarkable thing Wenger achieved was how fast he managed to get that defence to disintegrate when he had players like Sol Cambell (probably the best CB ever in the Pl) with players like Vieira in front of them. Within a season or two of Keown going they were exhibiting the kind of disorganisation with which he currently excels today. Wenger has NEVER built a defence, he just added players to one which was already there.

He can't do it.

[Beefymcfc]

Complete and utter fucking horse shit.

A defence built on the foundations of Arsenal's doesn't just fucking fall apart overnight because the players gradually change, espcially not when the originals were drilled by Don Howe. They pass on their methods & organisation to those next to them & Martin Keown was still fucking there to help: ' Keown remained at Arsenal until 2004, winning another Premier League title, before being released on a free transfer. His final season brought 10 league appearances – the minimum to qualify for a title winner's medal – and it came during the season when Arsenal achieved the rare distinction of completing a league season unbeaten.'

The remarkable thing Wenger achieved was how fast he managed to get that defence to disintegrate when he had players like Sol Cambell (probably the best CB ever in the Pl) with players like Vieira in front of them. Within a season or two of Keown going they were exhibiting the kind of disorganisation with which he currently excels today. Wenger has NEVER built a defence, he just added players to one which was already there.

He can't do it.

I thought mine was more eliquent ;-)

[Ted Hughes]

Complete and utter fucking horse shit.

A defence built on the foundations of Arsenal's doesn't just fucking fall apart overnight because the players gradually change, espcially not when the originals were drilled by Don Howe. They pass on their methods & organisation to those next to them & Martin Keown was still fucking there to help: ' Keown remained at Arsenal until 2004, winning another Premier League title, before being released on a free transfer. His final season brought 10 league appearances – the minimum to qualify for a title winner's medal – and it came during the season when Arsenal achieved the rare distinction of completing a league season unbeaten.'

The remarkable thing Wenger achieved was how fast he managed to get that defence to disintegrate when he had players like Sol Cambell (probably the best CB ever in the Pl) with players like Vieira in front of them. Within a season or two of Keown going they were exhibiting the kind of disorganisation with which he currently excels today. Wenger has NEVER built a defence, he just added players to one which was already there.

He can't do it.

I thought mine was more eliquent ;-)

If you say so ;)

Just seen Bob's presser & he clearly says he wants to get player(s) in & that Cerci is a possibility but ISN'T one of those he's talking about, suggesting they're 'important' therefore bigger players than Cerci. So, we've got the keeper in already, it can't be him, we're after Nasri & someone else . Who ?

[Beefymcfc]

Complete and utter fucking horse shit.

A defence built on the foundations of Arsenal's doesn't just fucking fall apart overnight because the players gradually change, espcially not when the originals were drilled by Don Howe. They pass on their methods & organisation to those next to them & Martin Keown was still fucking there to help: ' Keown remained at Arsenal until 2004, winning another Premier League title, before being released on a free transfer. His final season brought 10 league appearances – the minimum to qualify for a title winner's medal – and it came during the season when Arsenal achieved the rare distinction of completing a league season unbeaten.'

The remarkable thing Wenger achieved was how fast he managed to get that defence to disintegrate when he had players like Sol Cambell (probably the best CB ever in the Pl) with players like Vieira in front of them. Within a season or two of Keown going they were exhibiting the kind of disorganisation with which he currently excels today. Wenger has NEVER built a defence, he just added players to one which was already there.

He can't do it.

I thought mine was more eliquent ;-)

If you say so ;)

Just seen Bob's presser & he clearly says he wants to get player(s) in & that Cerci is a possibility but ISN'T one of those he's talking about, suggesting they're 'important' therefore bigger players than Cerci. So, we've got the keeper in already, it can't be him, we're after Nasri & someone else . Who ?

Mmmmmm, just keeps us guessing doesn't it. I reckon it's someone Big though ;-)

[Ted Hughes]

Complete and utter fucking horse shit.

A defence built on the foundations of Arsenal's doesn't just fucking fall apart overnight because the players gradually change, espcially not when the originals were drilled by Don Howe. They pass on their methods & organisation to those next to them & Martin Keown was still fucking there to help: ' Keown remained at Arsenal until 2004, winning another Premier League title, before being released on a free transfer. His final season brought 10 league appearances – the minimum to qualify for a title winner's medal – and it came during the season when Arsenal achieved the rare distinction of completing a league season unbeaten.'

The remarkable thing Wenger achieved was how fast he managed to get that defence to disintegrate when he had players like Sol Cambell (probably the best CB ever in the Pl) with players like Vieira in front of them. Within a season or two of Keown going they were exhibiting the kind of disorganisation with which he currently excels today. Wenger has NEVER built a defence, he just added players to one which was already there.

He can't do it.

I thought mine was more eliquent ;-)

If you say so ;)

Just seen Bob's presser & he clearly says he wants to get player(s) in & that Cerci is a possibility but ISN'T one of those he's talking about, suggesting they're 'important' therefore bigger players than Cerci. So, we've got the keeper in already, it can't be him, we're after Nasri & someone else . Who ?

Mmmmmm, just keeps us guessing doesn't it. I reckon it's someone Big though ;-)

Ok you've set me up for the Peter Crouch joke but I won't use it.

Surprised nobodie's got hold of this in the media, because Bob definitely suggests it's someone more known than Cerci, therefore it's probably a well known, fairly expensive player. The press are missing a big opportunity for wild speculation & bullshit. Bizarre.

[blues2win]

Slightly fed up with Mancini's whingeing about not having all the new players for the whole pre season. Savic and Clichy came pretty quickly and the new goalkeeper's neither here nor there. Aguero wouldn't have been available any earlier regardless of when he signed because of the Copa America. As for Nasri until recently Arsenal were insisting he'd stay. I'm sure he's pissed off not getting Alexis Sanchez but once Barcelona made a deadset for him we were always second favourites. I don't know why we haven't yet got the wideman he clearly wants although someone will come in, I'm sure

All in all it would be better to get the squad up for the first three matches than get in quick with a ready made excuse. Before the Charity Cup he said the team wouldn't be really firing for two months. Why?

[mcfc1632]

Whatever people have in the way of doubts etc - our bed is made and we need to get behind the manager and the team 100% - there are enough out there picking holes - we need a fortress mentality

I for one think that he will be a big success this season and I am very hopeful we will win the title and surprise a lot of teams in the CL

With the circus that could evolve at CITY there is a need for a strict disciplinarian - and I can think of few better than Mancini - we all need to back him

If we do not become successful this year then the FFPR position and the ability to resist UeFA operating under the direction to the G14 gets very difficult - be must become one of the elite or we could be fucked

[carl_feedthegoat]

Whatever people have in the way of doubts etc - our bed is made and we need to get behind the manager and the team 100% - there are enough out there picking holes - we need a fortress mentality

I for one think that he will be a big success this season and I am very hopeful we will win the title and surprise a lot of teams in the CL

With the circus that could evolve at CITY there is a need for a strict disciplinarian - and I can think of few better than Mancini - we all need to back him

If we do not become successful this year then the FFPR position and the ability to resist UeFA operating under the direction to the G14 gets very difficult - be must become one of the elite or we could be fucked

If we won the prem , FA cup and got to the semi finals of the CL, wankers in the press would still give us no credit....theyd say we bought those cups and/or it was a minimum ask for all the money we have spent.

Reminds me to start the hate campaign against the haters.................degenerate crackhead..has he come out with anything yet?

[Beefymcfc]

Slightly fed up with Mancini's whingeing about not having all the new players for the whole pre season. Savic and Clichy came pretty quickly and the new goalkeeper's neither here nor there. Aguero wouldn't have been available any earlier regardless of when he signed because of the Copa America. As for Nasri until recently Arsenal were insisting he'd stay. I'm sure he's pissed off not getting Alexis Sanchez but once Barcelona made a deadset for him we were always second favourites. I don't know why we haven't yet got the wideman he clearly wants although someone will come in, I'm sure

All in all it would be better to get the squad up for the first three matches than get in quick with a ready made excuse. Before the Charity Cup he said the team wouldn't be really firing for two months. Why?

It maybe that the board promised him certain players and getting them in early, and now they've still not been sorted he's getting a shitty on. I suppose I'd be a little pissed this close to the 1st game.

I reckon there's definately still a Big Name signing (for you Ted) hanging in the wings but it is matter of the right people doing the right deal.

[mcfc1632]

Whatever people have in the way of doubts etc - our bed is made and we need to get behind the manager and the team 100% - there are enough out there picking holes - we need a fortress mentality

I for one think that he will be a big success this season and I am very hopeful we will win the title and surprise a lot of teams in the CL

With the circus that could evolve at CITY there is a need for a strict disciplinarian - and I can think of few better than Mancini - we all need to back him

If we do not become successful this year then the FFPR position and the ability to resist UeFA operating under the direction to the G14 gets very difficult - be must become one of the elite or we could be fucked

If we won the prem , FA cup and got to the semi finals of the CL, wankers in the press would still give us no credit....theyd say we bought those cups and/or it was a minimum ask for all the money we have spent.

Reminds me to start the hate campaign against the haters.................degenerate crackhead..has he come out with anything yet?

I agree - the haters and detractors will be out in abundance - so we need to all stay tight - we cannot afford to have detractors in our own camp. FFS the season has not started yet and the last experience we fans had of competitve football was winning the FA cup and storming through to automatic CL place - lets wait until we have something to question about before we start

[Beefymcfc]

Whatever people have in the way of doubts etc - our bed is made and we need to get behind the manager and the team 100% - there are enough out there picking holes - we need a fortress mentality

I for one think that he will be a big success this season and I am very hopeful we will win the title and surprise a lot of teams in the CL

With the circus that could evolve at CITY there is a need for a strict disciplinarian - and I can think of few better than Mancini - we all need to back him

If we do not become successful this year then the FFPR position and the ability to resist UeFA operating under the direction to the G14 gets very difficult - be must become one of the elite or we could be fucked

If we won the prem , FA cup and got to the semi finals of the CL, wankers in the press would still give us no credit....theyd say we bought those cups and/or it was a minimum ask for all the money we have spent.

Reminds me to start the hate campaign against the haters.................degenerate crackhead..has he come out with anything yet?

I agree - the haters and detractors will be out in abundance - so we need to all stay tight - we cannot afford to have detractors in our own camp. FFS the season has not started yet and the last experience we fans had of competitve football was winning the FA cup and storming through to automatic CL place - lets wait until we have something to question about before we start

I'd like to know if you've heard a lot of this over the summer from match going City fans as I haven't heard a peep?

It's all a do about nothing, internet wise!

[phips]

I've actually been reading some stuff which pretty much agrees with you...that Mancini is the weakest link. That with a team like ours, plus Aguero now and possibly Nasri, should be doing better overall than we currently are. I don't know if its the players' effort, behavior, or w/e and it all gets piled on Mancini as the manager or if it actually is his stifling style and stubbornness.

I do think that the money has gone to his head at bit here though to be honest. He's become very ambitious and adventurous (not on the pitch), and yes that's good but it can also be very bad with him getting full of himself and recklessly spending our petrol dollars left and right

Sorry Phips, I don't get it??? We've not kicked a ball yet and you are saying we should be doing better than we are???

If you're talking about last season then I'm sure that a developing team who finished 3rd (you could say joint 2nd) and beat all sorts of previous records, as well as winning a pot, could be considered a success. We also had a run in of 6 wins and 2 losses at the end of last season and one point from those 2 losses would've give us an outright 2nd place.

It maybe just me but I don't expect instant success, or any success for that matter. It has to be earned and we earned our success last season because of Mancini and the whole team from top-to-bottom. Maybe it's a media thing and their incessant troll to bring us down in some way as started to influence people but in no way can anyone say we should be doing better at this moment in time.

I corrected my typing. I didnt mean better than we are as in right this second..because as you said, we havent even started the season. What I meant was, last season. And, I also stated (but I guess it wasnt clear) that this was all stuff that I had read about Mancini not being up to par. I guess my whole post wasnt clear. I read this stuff awhile ago and sadly have no quotes to supply (been looking for awhile, cant find the article again). Just the basic notion that people believe Mancini should have done better with the squad we had last year...and that fans settle for too little and are complacent with 3rd place and the FA cup when Mancini should be delivering more (again, not my words...paraphrasing of someone else's)

I think he's fine. Preseason was a success compared to those of the past and last year was good as well with the FA cup and 3rd place w/ champs league.
The only part of that that was my opinion was about Mancini getting a little egomaniacal and possibly becoming spoiled with all the money we have.