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[carl_feedthegoat]

What's all this crap about "new" fans... How do you get labelled a "new fan".

being a spastic who doesn't understand the game....or the club....or its fans

I don't care if people are new fans or long suffering but what annoys me and annoyed me yesterday was people spouting utter clueless shite about how shit we are/this player or that is...when if they understood the game and where the club had come from they would shut the fuck up

If I spout shite then your a photo finish !! Noone should take any fucking notice of match day rantings..its called blinded passion and if your a PROPER supporter you would understand this.

Today is Monday.....I am at peace again and have calmed down...I suggest you get off your snot box.

[carl_feedthegoat]

This is my 1st visit to the site since getting back from the match yesterday. I have not seen football first but watched MOTD last night.
My observations based on seeing it live at the ground are a mixture of what I have read in this thread – of course there is no need to be negative and over-react, but there are some things that definitely need to be looked at.

Main points (IMO):

1/ Needs to be said I am afraid no matter how it sounds like a lame excuse – Clattenberk is a twat who will look to give CITY nothing – I do not just mean the blatant foul before the equaliser – but all through the game he gave every decision he could to Fulham – just grateful there was not even an half shout for a penalty.

2/ Did not show up on MOTD as they showed very little of the game but before the 1st Fulham goal they were a team that had given up and it was only through a shocking lack of our ‘killer instinct’ and concentration / professionalism that they were gifted a way back into it. They were dead and had given up – we let them back in rather than them earning it. I hate the scum with a passion and it leaves a bad taste to say something positive but when they get 2 up they seem to get more urgent rather than complacent – which seems to be the disease we have and one which I hoped we had left behind.

It seemed to creep in just after the disallowed Aguerro goal – less urgency in the tackle, sloppy passing, less tracking back etc – it was the air of a team that has ‘switched off’ – the CITY fans in the crowd could sense it before the 1st Fulham goal was scored and were urging the team to buck up. Micah’s stupidity on the throw-in (why oh why does always take them?) and his half-hearted attempt to block Zamora’s shot are 2 obvious examples – but it was the same in other areas / players.

This is something that Mancini has to (and I am sure he will) address – he seems to hate such casualness and it needs to be driven out – when we are in charge – kill the opposition off FFS rather than adopt this ‘we are superior ‘ and can afford to be casual attitude – it is the difference (IMO) between champions and challengers.

3/ I think that Mancini is right to point out the fact that we have 6 away games after the CL league fixtures (the scum of course have 6 home ties) – of course it is not just the luck of the draw - but no point bleating about it – we have surely the squad to handle this situation – we handled it yesterday – we dropped points through poor attitude not lack of available players.

4/ If we are to play with the width coming from attacking FBs – seems to be absolutely the right approach, it shows the need for de Jong and the need to sort out his contract – to protect the 2 CBs from the counter-attack. You also need FBs who will get back asap not jog.

5/ Again if that is the approach I can see changes in our FBs. Micah has improved out of all recognition from 18 months ago when he seemed to be a world class jogger, but there still seems to be question marks over both his attitude and his skills as an attacking FB. People that love him are fully entitled to their opinion – as are those that raise questions – for me it is just that if that is our tactic then you need top players in that role and I would not be surprised if there is a new arrival in that position within the next 2 transfer windows (just an opinion). For the same reason I would see Clichy being ahead of Kolorov.

6/ Adam Johnson seems to have lost some (most?) of the mojo/confidence that saw him in the past take some responsibility to attack defenders and create opportunities. I do not know if this is something to do with the instructions he has been given (cannot see why that would be the case) or if he has just loos a yard of pace and a good deal of confidence – but we need more from him when he comes on.

7/ The CITY away crowd remains one of the most satisfying things to be a part of – what an atmosphere and noise – again this did not come across on MOTD – they were fantastic.

All in all – no reason to panic / over-react – but there are things that need sorting – and I am sure Mancini will get it done.

Excellent post mate..........I wish some fuckign idiots on here would accept that rantings on match day are part and parcel of being a fan.....the defence is an obvious issue and Im sure it will be addressed.

[stevefromdonny]

this time last year after 5 games we had 8pts, so we are 5pts better off, mind we will have to beat everton to keep points wise in front

[brite blu sky]

Some excellent posts on here. mcfc1632, ted as usual.. where is that snoring coming from?

Confirmaion for me that the biggest threat to this squad is themselves. As 1632 wrote, you could see that there was no reaction to Fulham picking up the pace bit by bit. When that happens in matches it is usual that one side picks it up as the other appears to slack off, the two go together. The focus has to go to the midfield and that is where momentum is regained, won or lost. When two teams are equally adamant about setting the pace there is usually one hell of a ding dong in midfield.

Stepping back a bit to look at this problem for City, it is collective but it is also down to the experience of players to know what to do and take responsibility. City are getting sucked in by their own hype.. they find it easy to outpass a midfield and assume that's it they will just dominate when they want to.

What we are seeing, Spurs getting a goal, Napoli, Bolton, now Fulham; is that the midfielders are only considering half their roles and duties. being sucked into the success and forgetting the basics, or expecting someone else to do it.

Being lenient about it, i would say that the team has let slip what they learn't last season in linking the defense to the attacking midfield- which imo was strong. That could be adjusting to the new players in that area tbh. ?

Either way though, if i were Mancini i would haul all the mids into a room and give them one serious lambasting about taking responsibility during a game and throwing away chances for success by not being aware of the dynamics in games.
We haven't done that in all games but tbh we have looked like we could have done by easing off. It is unacceptable and at best dangerous

[Ted Hughes]

Some excellent posts on here. mcfc1632, ted as usual.. where is that snoring coming from?

Confirmaion for me that the biggest threat to this squad is themselves. As 1632 wrote, you could see that there was no reaction to Fulham picking up the pace bit by bit. When that happens in matches it is usual that one side picks it up as the other appears to slack off, the two go together. The focus has to go to the midfield and that is where momentum is regained, won or lost. When two teams are equally adamant about setting the pace there is usually one hell of a ding dong in midfield.

Stepping back a bit to look at this problem for City, it is collective but it is also down to the experience of players to know what to do and take responsibility. City are getting sucked in by their own hype.. they find it easy to outpass a midfield and assume that's it they will just dominate when they want to.

What we are seeing, Spurs getting a goal, Napoli, Bolton, now Fulham; is that the midfielders are only considering half their roles and duties. being sucked into the success and forgetting the basics, or expecting someone else to do it.

Being lenient about it, i would say that the team has let slip what they learn't last season in linking the defense to the attacking midfield- which imo was strong. That could be adjusting to the new players in that area tbh. ?

Either way though, if i were Mancini i would haul all the mids into a room and give them one serious lambasting about taking responsibility during a game and throwing away chances for success by not being aware of the dynamics in games.
We haven't done that in all games but tbh we have looked like we could have done by easing off. It is unacceptable and at best dangerous

Just seen the game on Sky & in periods of the game, Yaya Toure is truly shocking he's just letting players move around him unopposed. I thought it on first viewing but seeing it again, he's much worse than I thought. It's not tiredness as he's in place to take action; he just isn't bothering to do it. The bloke is a very very good player but he's not a Premier League defensive mid. Sure, he gets in some great defensive interceptions but he just doesn't do his job half the time. He's strolling around like Robinho at times on the edge of our box whilst Fulham players jog in behind him. He just doesn't notice. If he was playing next to someone fast & vicious like Roy K***e then we might just about get away with it but poor ol Gareth Barry just can't cover that much area on his own.

[one man army]

better to draw a game now and learn from mistakes, which will hopefully follow.

[brite blu sky]

Just seen the game on Sky & in periods of the game, Yaya Toure is truly shocking he's just letting players move around him unopposed. I thought it on first viewing but seeing it again, he's much worse than I thought. It's not tiredness as he's in place to take action; he just isn't bothering to do it. The bloke is a very very good player but he's not a Premier League defensive mid. Sure, he gets in some great defensive interceptions but he just doesn't do his job half the time. He's strolling around like Robinho at times on the edge of our box whilst Fulham players jog in behind him. He just doesn't notice. If he was playing next to someone fast & vicious like Roy K***e then we might just about get away with it but poor ol Gareth Barry just can't cover that much area on his own.

True and not good. The problem is more widespread than just Yaya though, they were all just letting Fulham stroll right through at one point. Like they had decided they didn't need to hold the middle of the park as Fulham wouldn't do anything anyway.
Pretty pathetic from such players and would lead to a full on bollocking by most managers even in a non-league side.

Maybe a bit old school but when there are no excuses for things I believe in full on lambasting. It would be a severe ear toasting and a weeks docked wages and fence duty with Nige if it were up to me.

[Michigan Blue]

this time last year after 5 games we had 8pts, so we are 5pts better off, mind we will have to beat everton to keep points wise in front

We took 13 from the corresponding fixtures last season.

West Ham (H) - 3
Bolton (A) - 3
Spurs (A) - 1
Wigan (H) - 3
Fulham (A) - 3

Performances have by and large been better, but we're right where we were last season points-wise.