***Official City v Villa Match Thread***

[The Original Special One]

Another great win. This is phenomenal goalscoring and attacking football, even without our very best players. Next weekend, though, we need to pass the kind of test we've failed so far this season - beating one of the best teams in Europe. Till then, though, we are top, deserve to be top, and we can look forward to Sunday with a lot of optimism.

Re. Tuesday: A win against Villarreal would now be a bonus for me, as subconsciously I've just about written off the Champions League. So, if we do cock it up again I'll not be particularly devastated as the PL is something we can definitely win this year while I think we're still a couple of years away from being tight enough to challenge for the CL.

We should be able to beat Villareal, with something to spare: sticking my neck out, I'll say by three.
They're the whipping boys of our Group

[guv111]

On a more positive note, just how good was Clichy today?

He is mile ahead of Kolorov in the pecking order...really impressed with this player.

Not liable to whack the ball wide (or "shoot") from ridiculous distances, either. A good, solid signing, which has shown that Mancini has a keen eye for areas we can improve without spending fortunes. "Robbie" Savic is another astute signing.

[s1ty m]

On a more positive note, just how good was Clichy today?

He is mile ahead of Kolorov in the pecking order...really impressed with this player.

Not liable to whack the ball wide (or "shoot") from ridiculous distances, either. A good, solid signing, which has shown that Mancini has a keen eye for areas we can improve without spending fortunes. "Robbie" Savic is another astute signing.

Clichy and NDJ stood out today. This was NDJ's first game and my god I forgot how good he is. I suppose he's not 100% yet either.

Silva, NDJ, pure world class players, certainly our best. There are a few others too, great times!

[guv111]

On a more positive note, just how good was Clichy today?

He is mile ahead of Kolorov in the pecking order...really impressed with this player.

Not liable to whack the ball wide (or "shoot") from ridiculous distances, either. A good, solid signing, which has shown that Mancini has a keen eye for areas we can improve without spending fortunes. "Robbie" Savic is another astute signing.

Clichy and NDJ stood out today. This was NDJ's first game and my god I forgot how good he is. I suppose he's not 100% yet either.

Silva, NDJ, pure world class players, certainly our best. There are a few others too, great times!

Great times, indeed!

Strangely, I'm already looking back and wondering how I coped with so many years, decades and phases in my life knowing City were - realistically - incapable of winning anything. The 2006 FA Cup quarter final against West Ham was a memorable recent low.

Yep. This is fantasy land.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Shaky 10 to 15 mins or so but after that we just started to play football.....I think Villa shat themselves as they played against us as if they respected us far too much...very poor from them but cannot take anything away from City...everyone played well apart from Lescott who is utter shite and still brings absolutely nothing to the table as a top defender...my fucking head fell off when he lost that ball to Abgonodiarhia.

Bench the cunt please Bob !

He did that against Bayern :)

Really bad to lose that ball to Agbon though.

[mr_nool]

On a more positive note, just how good was Clichy today?

I'm almost happier with the signing of Clichy than of Agüero. I think he's been immense so far, and offers a lot both going forward and defending.

[s1ty m]

On a more positive note, just how good was Clichy today?

He is mile ahead of Kolorov in the pecking order...really impressed with this player.

Not liable to whack the ball wide (or "shoot") from ridiculous distances, either. A good, solid signing, which has shown that Mancini has a keen eye for areas we can improve without spending fortunes. "Robbie" Savic is another astute signing.

Clichy and NDJ stood out today. This was NDJ's first game and my god I forgot how good he is. I suppose he's not 100% yet either.

Silva, NDJ, pure world class players, certainly our best. There are a few others too, great times!

Great times, indeed!

Strangely, I'm already looking back and wondering how I coped with so many years, decades and phases in my life knowing City were - realistically - incapable of winning anything. That 2006 FA Cup quarter final against West Ham was a memorable low.

Yep. This is fantasy land.

Oddly enough, I don't think we've quite clicked yet either. I know that sounds daft, but I reckon there's a lot more to come, may be another 20%. They look like they are on the Edge Of Glory, Mrs Gaga!

[Ted Hughes]

Shaky 10 to 15 mins or so but after that we just started to play football.....I think Villa shat themselves as they played against us as if they respected us far too much...very poor from them but cannot take anything away from City...everyone played well apart from Lescott who is utter shite and still brings absolutely nothing to the table as a top defender...my fucking head fell off when he lost that ball to Abgonodiarhia.

Bench the cunt please Bob !

He did that against Bayern :)

Really bad to lose that ball to Agbon though.

The bloke just pushed him in the back, over the ball. Never seen that not given, ever.

I was pulling my hair out a bit early doors as I couldn't understand why, just because Silva was missing, we totally chucked in our passing game. In the end a bunch of English blokes were knocking the ball about like continentals. Excellent stuff. Villa played like a team at OT; no self belief whatsoever. That augurs well for us.

[guv111]

Strangely, I'm already looking back and wondering how I coped with so many years, decades and phases in my life knowing City were - realistically - incapable of winning anything. That 2006 FA Cup quarter final against West Ham was a memorable low.

Yep. This is fantasy land.

Oddly enough, I don't think we've quite clicked yet either. I know that sounds daft, but I reckon there's a lot more to come, may be another 20%. They look like they are on the Edge Of Glory, Mrs Gaga!

That's sort of what I alluded to earlier when I said we still weren't tight enough (composed enough/a close enough unit) to win the Champions League for a little while yet. I definitely think we can improve, and then we are going to be awesome on all fronts. I'd be scared if I wasn't so excited.

[Green & Blue]

Great win today when we really needed to step up to the plate after the rags dropped points.So satisfying that we took care of Villa after United slipped up.

Fantastic to see Mancinis squad rotation working so well.We lined up without such key figures such as Silva, Nasri, Dzeko and Aguero and still looked brilliant.Great to have such a strong squad and to see it being utilised so well.

[david yearsley]

Strangely, I'm already looking back and wondering how I coped with so many years, decades and phases in my life knowing City were - realistically - incapable of winning anything. That 2006 FA Cup quarter final against West Ham was a memorable low.

Yep. This is fantasy land.

Oddly enough, I don't think we've quite clicked yet either. I know that sounds daft, but I reckon there's a lot more to come, may be another 20%. They look like they are on the Edge Of Glory, Mrs Gaga!

That's sort of what I alluded too earlier when I said we still weren't tight enough (composed enough/a close enough unit) to win the Champions League for a little while yet. I definitely think we can improve, and then we are going to be awesome on all fronts. I'd be scared if I wasn't so excited.

Lescott had a couple of horror moments today. Against better strikers we´ll pay dearly. Have to cut those errors out. Tricky game today but we got the job done and some without key players. Of course we´re now there to be shot down at the swamp but whatever happens it shouldn´t make or break the season

[guv111]

Great win today when we really needed to step up to the plate after the rags dropped points.So satisfying that we took care of Villa after United slipped up.

Fantastic to see Mancinis squad rotation working so well.We lined up without such key figures such as Silva, Nasri, Dzeko and Aguero and still looked brilliant.Great to have such a strong squad and to see it being utilised so well.

Well put.

[guv111]

Strangely, I'm already looking back and wondering how I coped with so many years, decades and phases in my life knowing City were - realistically - incapable of winning anything. That 2006 FA Cup quarter final against West Ham was a memorable low.

Yep. This is fantasy land.

Oddly enough, I don't think we've quite clicked yet either. I know that sounds daft, but I reckon there's a lot more to come, may be another 20%. They look like they are on the Edge Of Glory, Mrs Gaga!

That's sort of what I alluded too earlier when I said we still weren't tight enough (composed enough/a close enough unit) to win the Champions League for a little while yet. I definitely think we can improve, and then we are going to be awesome on all fronts. I'd be scared if I wasn't so excited.

Lescott had a couple of horror moments today. Against better strikers we´ll pay dearly. Have to cut those errors out. Tricky game today but we got the job done and some without key players. Of course we´re now there to be shot down at the swamp but whatever happens it shouldn´t make or break the season

A lot of excellent comments in this thread today.

That's just what I was thinking after checking and re-checking the league table tonight. Of course, it would be bloody fantastic if we were to get a result next weekend. We can do it, too, but we will have to dig up the kind of spirit our Goater-era players managed, but the one element I felt was missing from the current squad - till last April. No slow start next weekend,though, please. But as you say, it shouldn't be a season breaker even if we were to have an off day.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Rang up me brothers pub in skegness which is basically a rags pub....me brother is a staunch red through and through and absolutely fucking hates City...it was fun to ring up and gloat even though I couldn't understand his rantings and ravings..me mentioned something about Arabs and money...eventually he slammed the phone down....rang brother number 2 up..also a red rag bastid..he too ranted and raved and slammed the phone down on me......then I rang me dad...fuck me....he too ranting and raved..mentioned mercenaries..money and something else that wasn't very coherent...and then ..slammed the phone down on me.

I'm laughing too much...piss funny...and what's even funnier is I'm going to ring them all up again at 4 in the morning UK time.

[brite blu sky]

Another great win. This is phenomenal goalscoring and attacking football, even without our very best players. Next weekend, though, we need to pass the kind of test we've failed so far this season - beating one of the best teams in Europe. Till then, though, we are top, deserve to be top, and we can look forward to Sunday with a lot of optimism.

Re. Tuesday: A win against Villarreal would now be a bonus for me, as subconsciously I've just about written off the Champions League. So, if we do cock it up again I'll not be particularly devastated as the PL is something we can definitely win this year while I think we're still a couple of years away from being tight enough to challenge for the CL.

Dangerously slow start AGAIN ffs, but ultimately a top class performance.

In relation to guvs post, i rekon we will be about right for beating anyone in Europe by the end of this season not two. And that's fine by me as I want us to win the Prem cake before we go gagga over the CL and throw the Prem away.

Milner has woken up after his first goal, now looking like the player we thought we bought. You could tell he was trying too hard and nothing coming off, now he is relaxing and things are coming off. Was a class goal too.

As for the AJ Downing debate.. all i can say id go fuclin support the tremendous Scouce if you love Downing that much to blind yourself wanking over him.

[guv111]

I'm currently watching the whole game, and that Lescott aberration stands out as a... well, an aberration in an otherwise disciplined and controlled performance. Anyway, the mistake was stupid and unnecessary, but Lescott''s not the only culprit. Kompany did almost the exact same thing a few weeks ago, and we were fortunate not to concede a goal then, too. Have our centre backs got some kind of death wish when they go out to the right? Mancini needs to sort this out.

Anyway, it's amazing the difference it makes watching a game "as live" as opposed to live, because City aren't looking nearly as leaden as it might have seemed at the time when you know they went on to win easily. Hindsight, etc...

[Beefymcfc]

Shaky 10 to 15 mins or so but after that we just started to play football.....I think Villa shat themselves as they played against us as if they respected us far too much...very poor from them but cannot take anything away from City...everyone played well apart from Lescott who is utter shite and still brings absolutely nothing to the table as a top defender...my fucking head fell off when he lost that ball to Abgonodiarhia.

Bench the cunt please Bob !

He did that against Bayern :)

Really bad to lose that ball to Agbon though.

The bloke just pushed him in the back, over the ball. Never seen that not given, ever.

I was pulling my hair out a bit early doors as I couldn't understand why, just because Silva was missing, we totally chucked in our passing game. In the end a bunch of English blokes were knocking the ball about like continentals. Excellent stuff. Villa played like a team at OT; no self belief whatsoever. That augurs well for us.

From where i was sitting it was quite obvious that just as Lescott was going to touch the ball Agbonlahor pushed him in the back. That was the point that I knew the ref was playing in Prada. Great stop by Joe as I'd stopped screaming at the ref.

[guv111]

Dean Sturridge.

Good to listen to a co-commentator without an axe to grind.

[Green & Blue]

Dean Sturridge.

Good to listen to a co-commentator without an axe to grind.

Ha thats quality, we all hated when they did that.

[Ted Hughes]

Beefy, tbf, I've just got home & seen it again; where I'm looking at from the other side of the pitch, I saw Agteapots hand push towards Lescott but in reality, it was shite from JL.

One of the few things he's actually sone wrong rather than being victimised . It was diabolical.