***Official Manchester City vSSC Napoli match thread***

[Beefymcfc]

I don't know how you saw it on TV but I actually thought we played really well.

Mate, that shouldn't really reside. A lot of us went to the game tonight, comes across as arrogant.

Don't talk through your arse fucknuts, it was a genuine question as we all know it can look quite different on TV, which I am watching at the moment.

Have I come across as arrogant to you on this board, is it a recurring theme of my posts? That should give you a clue.

Good to see that you try to highlight a genuine statement instead of commenting on the rest of my post, or on the game. Says more about you I think.

Anyway, leave me to enjoy the game, with my arrogant self, in peace.

Cheers

Extra Special Fuck-nuts!

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

I don't know how you saw it on TV but I actually thought we played really well.

Mate, that shouldn't really reside. A lot of us went to the game tonight, comes across as arrogant.

Don't talk through your arse fucknuts, it was a genuine question as we all know it can look quite different on TV, which I am watching at the moment.

Have I come across as arrogant to you on this board, is it a recurring theme of my posts? That should give you a clue.

Good to see that you try to highlight a genuine statement instead of commenting on the rest of my post, or on the game. Says more about you I think.

Anyway, leave me to enjoy the game, with my arrogant self, in peace.

Cheers

Extra Special Fuck-nuts!

Firstly, don't get offensive. You're one of the best posters here, no need to start attacking people. Secondly your post was probably spot on, but people are often deterred by an opening gambit. I was so offended by your first i didint bother with the rest.

Talking about "how ppl saw it on TV" is derogatory. One of the things that makes MCF unique imo is the acceptance of foreign supporters.

[Beefymcfc]

I don't know how you saw it on TV but I actually thought we played really well.

Mate, that shouldn't really reside. A lot of us went to the game tonight, comes across as arrogant.

Don't talk through your arse fucknuts, it was a genuine question as we all know it can look quite different on TV, which I am watching at the moment.

Have I come across as arrogant to you on this board, is it a recurring theme of my posts? That should give you a clue.

Good to see that you try to highlight a genuine statement instead of commenting on the rest of my post, or on the game. Says more about you I think.

Anyway, leave me to enjoy the game, with my arrogant self, in peace.

Cheers

Extra Special Fuck-nuts!

Firstly, don't get offensive. You're one of the best posters here, no need to start attacking people. Secondly your post was probably spot on, but people are often deterred by an opening gambit. I was so offended by your first i didint bother with the rest.

Talking about "how ppl saw it on TV" is derogatory. One of the things that makes MCF unique imo is the acceptance of foreign supporters.

Why would anybody on here feel I was being derogatory, I mention it all the time to give an inkling to those who haven't been to the game, especially those overseas who cannot make it. And as for being offensive, or even attcking someone (how fucked up is that), again, don't talk through your arse. You've just said that my assessment was spot on but decided to throw it back at me just because I mentioned I'd been to the game. I might be wrong but I feel that a lot of posters want to know what the feeling was at the game compared to what they have seen on the TV, which in my opinionbrings more to this site as it allows for the non-game goers or overseas Blues to get a feel for what it is like at the game. Should I bother next time; I think I will, thank you very much (Edit: Unless I'm told specifically to shut the fuck up).

No need to reply pal, I thought I was beginning to understand why you are here and being a Legend. Now, I realise why my initial thoughts were right and we have nothing in common atall, not even City related. Proved by how you can mention that you went to the game but I cannot. Says it all really.

[halnone]

I thought we played well. Unlucky not to score more.
Napoli look a great side though. Villarreal and Bayern Munich will both have trouble containing their attack.

[Beefymcfc]

I thought we played well. Unlucky not to score more.
Napoli look a great side though. Villarreal and Bayern Munich will both have trouble containing their attack.

I thought that, they are set-up as a real counter attacking side.

Just a point of note, the Napoli fans were great and kept their singing going (plenty of forward Poznan's as well) but were obviously told over the tannoy that they were staying behind. The police presence after the game seemed well overboard with more vans and coppers than a Derby game; were they expecting something?

[ronk]

Why would anybody on here feel I was being derogatory, I mention it all the time to give an inkling to those who haven't been to the game, especially those overseas who cannot make it. And as for being offensive, or even attcking someone (how fucked up is that), again, don't talk through your arse. You've just said that my assessment was spot on but decided to throw it back at me just because I mentioned I'd been to the game. I might be wrong but I feel that a lot of posters want to know what the feeling was at the game compared to what they have seen on the TV, which in my opinionbrings more to this site as it allows for the non-game goers or overseas Blues to get a feel for what it is like at the game. Should I bother next time; I think I will, thank you very much (Edit: Unless I'm told specifically to shut the fuck up).

No need to reply pal, I thought I was beginning to understand why you are here and being a Legend. Now, I realise why my initial thoughts were right and we have nothing in common atall, not even City related. Proved by how you can mention that you went to the game but I cannot. Says it all really.

I watched it on TV, I thought the atmosphere sounded ace, really came across well. I thought it was an absolutely cracking game between two sides playing top quality football.

[ant london]

I remember watching United when they first made their way in the Champions League regularly being made to look like naïve amateurs on that stage by a variety of European sides (who I'd go as far as to say were not of Napoli's quality).

Approaching last night I harboured some fears that we may look similarly all at sea in some senses.

However, aside from some palpable big match nerves, some unnecessary over elaboration and some sub-par performances and silly mistakes we did not look remotely out of our depth.

Thought Dzeko was fantastic in particular. The rapist's touch of last season long long gone, provided a brilliant outlet.

Sure we got punished on the counter but we then dug straight back in and definitely deserved at least a point.

As to watching the game on TV....well it was brilliant stuff. Massively exciting game, great referee and atmosphere and occasion certainly worth the wait! More of the same please

[john@staustell]

I thought we played well. Unlucky not to score more.
Napoli look a great side though. Villarreal and Bayern Munich will both have trouble containing their attack.

Napoli have ambitions to win the title and watching that I wouldn't be surprised at all. Awesome in defence, awesome on the break - yet City still had the best of the game.

No cause for concern, and as Paul Walsh said we may well do better at their place when we play on the break.

[Renato_CTID]

A very hard game against the most difficult squad of Serie A! Looks like Yaya Tourè was everywhere yesterday, wonderful midfielder that he's becoming at our City! After all the only thing I disagree with Bobby Manc was the substition of Nasri with AJ. Too late, yes it was too late for me!

[david yearsley]

All the stuff about playing the ball too centrally is of course correct but what surprised me was how ineffective Nasri and Silva were.Silva was ok in the first half but disappeared and for me the pair of them got themselves too far forward too early.Too often they weren't the ones doing the creative work leading into the box and as they got forward they got marked tightly and made everything congested.
Then of course if Barry and Yaya puyshed a little high up there was great danger if we lost the ball.Let's face it Barry and Yaya are not the fastest in recovering.I do think Nigel would have read the game better and sat better which in turn would likely have brought Nasri and especially Silva back to the ball more to the team's benefit.

This is spot on Doug. It seemed to me that Nasri, Silva & Aguero were feeling the pace and all were too far forward too often. It reminded me of the old Hughes/Sven days when the defenders were left with no passing options as Yaya & Barry became overworked because they were being left on their own. They in turn stopped helping create as they tired & it led to the kind of cock up we saw for their goal. In hindsight, Micah & Clichy plus another central midf player instead of Nasri would have been a better attack.

We had no width & played like Arsenal. Zabba kept going inside when Dzeko wanted a cross. We were doing ok early on though & looked a bit raggish in our pressure play. They would have kept it going with width & won by 4 or 5 though. We need to learn that or sides will pick us off with that many attackers in the team.

Completely disagree though Ted that the rags would have beaten that Napoli side by 4 or 5 - no chance imo

[IanWright]

Really entertaining game, I thought. Thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I was a bit apprehensive going into the game, seeing as it was the second time I was watching youse this season. I felt that City may have gone all "Mourinho" on us and decided to pummel a team for the first 10 minutes, bag a couple of goals and leave the final 80 minutes null and void. Such a formulaic approach is hard to stomach (although I do wish the red n whites would adopt such an attitude now and again!)

A draw ain't too bad a result going into the Champions League proper. Rather refreshing also to see that the home fans didn't boo the team off after a draw following 4 straight wins. Stranger things have happened, but I think the majority of City fans were just happy to be there, given the crap that's gone on in the last 15 years.

Having said all that, do you think that a group stage elimination for City may spell a premature end for Mancini's tenure mid-way through the season?

[s1ty m]

I thought it was a good game against a side capable of pushing for the Serie A title. They are very good, in my opinion.

I thought a draw was about tright and I was very disappointed with the 2nd hald display by City, it was way below the quality in the 1st half, way below. Silva was ridiculously good in the 1st, anonymous in the 2nd.

Kolarov scored a crucial goal, but was otherwise dodgy. He is too slow, end of.

I honestly believe Napoli is the competition in this group, though Group of Death would appear to be about right. Bayern away, bring it on.

[Ted Hughes]

Really entertaining game, I thought. Thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I was a bit apprehensive going into the game, seeing as it was the second time I was watching youse this season. I felt that City may have gone all "Mourinho" on us and decided to pummel a team for the first 10 minutes, bag a couple of goals and leave the final 80 minutes null and void. Such a formulaic approach is hard to stomach (although I do wish the red n whites would adopt such an attitude now and again!)

A draw ain't too bad a result going into the Champions League proper. Rather refreshing also to see that the home fans didn't boo the team off after a draw following 4 straight wins. Stranger things have happened, but I think the majority of City fans were just happy to be there, given the crap that's gone on in the last 15 years.

Having said all that, do you think that a group stage elimination for City may spell a premature end for Mancini's tenure mid-way through the season?

I think Mancini's job is just to improve on last season. If he does that I don't think he will have a problem.

I think we were too much like your lot last night; lots of nice passing but trying to run through the middle of a packed defence. We have to develop that other side of the game which Mourinho's Chelsea had & the rags in particular still have now. They just go down the sides of teams like that & crack them open until they go to pieces completely under pressure & let 4 or 5 in.

It was clear that they had no defence whatsoever against crosses (the bloke from City TV even mentioned their aerial problems at half time ) yet we kept taking short corners & going back accross the front of the penalty area from wide positions rather than just putting a simple ball in to Dzeko & picking up the 2nd ball if he missed it. We put one corner in for Lescott & he missed a free header. Did we see that & try it again ? Nope. When Lescott was at Everton they would have taken that defence apart.

Arsenal have for years played the best football in the prem by a long way but lacked a plan B, which has kept them belhind Utd. We have to make sure we don't follow the same pattern.

[Beefymcfc]

Really entertaining game, I thought. Thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I was a bit apprehensive going into the game, seeing as it was the second time I was watching youse this season. I felt that City may have gone all "Mourinho" on us and decided to pummel a team for the first 10 minutes, bag a couple of goals and leave the final 80 minutes null and void. Such a formulaic approach is hard to stomach (although I do wish the red n whites would adopt such an attitude now and again!)

A draw ain't too bad a result going into the Champions League proper. Rather refreshing also to see that the home fans didn't boo the team off after a draw following 4 straight wins. Stranger things have happened, but I think the majority of City fans were just happy to be there, given the crap that's gone on in the last 15 years.

Having said all that, do you think that a group stage elimination for City may spell a premature end for Mancini's tenure mid-way through the season?

I think Mancini's job is just to improve on last season. If he does that I don't think he will have a problem.

I think we were too much like your lot last night; lots of nice passing but trying to run through the middle of a packed defence. We have to develop that other side of the game which Mourinho's Chelsea had & the rags in particular still have now. They just go down the sides of teams like that & crack them open until they go to pieces completely under pressure & let 4 or 5 in.

It was clear that they had no defence whatsoever against crosses (the bloke from City TV even mentioned their aerial problems at half time ) yet we kept taking short corners & going back accross the front of the penalty area from wide positions rather than just putting a simple ball in to Dzeko & picking up the 2nd ball if he missed it. We put one corner in for Lescott & he missed a free header. Did we see that & try it again ? Nope. When Lescott was at Everton they would have taken that defence apart.

Arsenal have for years played the best football in the prem by a long way but lacked a plan B, which has kept them belhind Utd. We have to make sure we don't follow the same pattern.

What I found bemusing was that when we finally saw AJ, and I was hoping for a bit of width, Dzeko gets taken off. AJ whipped a few balls in but the combined height of Tevez and Aguero were then no challenge to their defence.

It was clear that a few players weren't at the races 2nd half but I didn't think Dzeko was one of them. Aguero just wasn't getting it and I'm hoping Mancini is not rotating players from pre-ordained plans. Surely not?

[Ted Hughes]

Really entertaining game, I thought. Thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I was a bit apprehensive going into the game, seeing as it was the second time I was watching youse this season. I felt that City may have gone all "Mourinho" on us and decided to pummel a team for the first 10 minutes, bag a couple of goals and leave the final 80 minutes null and void. Such a formulaic approach is hard to stomach (although I do wish the red n whites would adopt such an attitude now and again!)

A draw ain't too bad a result going into the Champions League proper. Rather refreshing also to see that the home fans didn't boo the team off after a draw following 4 straight wins. Stranger things have happened, but I think the majority of City fans were just happy to be there, given the crap that's gone on in the last 15 years.

Having said all that, do you think that a group stage elimination for City may spell a premature end for Mancini's tenure mid-way through the season?

I think Mancini's job is just to improve on last season. If he does that I don't think he will have a problem.

I think we were too much like your lot last night; lots of nice passing but trying to run through the middle of a packed defence. We have to develop that other side of the game which Mourinho's Chelsea had & the rags in particular still have now. They just go down the sides of teams like that & crack them open until they go to pieces completely under pressure & let 4 or 5 in.

It was clear that they had no defence whatsoever against crosses (the bloke from City TV even mentioned their aerial problems at half time ) yet we kept taking short corners & going back accross the front of the penalty area from wide positions rather than just putting a simple ball in to Dzeko & picking up the 2nd ball if he missed it. We put one corner in for Lescott & he missed a free header. Did we see that & try it again ? Nope. When Lescott was at Everton they would have taken that defence apart.

Arsenal have for years played the best football in the prem by a long way but lacked a plan B, which has kept them belhind Utd. We have to make sure we don't follow the same pattern.

What I found bemusing was that when we finally saw AJ, and I was hoping for a bit of width, Dzeko gets taken off. AJ whipped a few balls in but the combined height of Tevez and Aguero were then no challenge to their defence.

It was clear that a few players weren't at the races 2nd half but I didn't think Dzeko was one of them. Aguero just wasn't getting it and I'm hoping Mancini is not rotating players from pre-ordained plans. Surely not?

I thought Dzeko was head & shoulders better than Aguero last night & was equally surprised to see him taken off. I can only presume Bob had seen some tactical thing we had missed but as we didn't seem to be particularly employing any tactics, just going for it, I don't know what that could have been. Dzeko would have won us that game easily, had we had a decent wide player delivering quality into the box.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I thought Dzeko should have stayed on as his physical presence was causing them trouble. Aguero had his worst game for us and should have made way for Tevez. I too got frustrated with us not just crossing from corners where they looked all at sea.
Ah well, onwards and upwards.

[Renato_CTID]

Is Carlos Tevez still a City player? I don't believe so after his fucking presence in the final of game yesterday!

[dazby]

Mancio's subs were not quite right for me either. Tevez should have come on for Aguero. Micah, if fit should have come on for Pabs. Happy enough with Johnno for Nasri though.

Joe will be very disappointed with letting that one through. But don't blame Gazbaz for the goal, the pass was poor.

Yaya man of the match for me.

Cracking game. Well worth the price of admission.

[ashton287]

Mancio's subs were not quite right for me either. Tevez should have come on for Aguero. [highlight]Micah, if fit should have come on for Pabs[/highlight]. Happy enough with Johnno for Nasri though.

Joe will be very disappointed with letting that one through. But don't blame Gazbaz for the goal, the pass was poor.

[highlight]Yaya man of the match for me.[/highlight]
Cracking game. Well worth the price of admission.

Seriously? Yaya was shocking and kolarov HAD to come off as he was worse than yaya, pablo did absolutely nothing wrong.

[Dronny]

[highlight]I thought Dzeko should have stayed on as his physical presence was causing them trouble[/highlight]. Aguero had his worst game for us and should have made way for Tevez. I too got frustrated with us not just crossing from corners where they looked all at sea.
Ah well, onwards and upwards.

I did wonder why we brought on AJ and promptly took off our only striker capable of heading the ball.....still that's why I sell fizzy pop and not manage a football club.