Wake up call part II

[carl_feedthegoat]

Carl,
Are you upset because we drew at Albion or is this a deeper issue?
Is it because I have returned and relegated you down to the 2nd most handsome poster on here?

Being 2nd to me is still a pretty decent shout mate.....
BTW, so is being top of the League, above the rags on goal difference. Bet you can't remember the last time....

As always...luv n hugs

I live for the present mate not years gone by and YES I am upset we drew today..but even more upset the scum won and have clawed back 5 points to draw level.

What happens if we lose next week and the rags go above us..are you then going to say you cant remember the last time we were second in the league at this time of year ???

Yes I'm fucking upset....upset Mancini did not YET AGAIN make the subs earlier on....especially when its glaringly obvious to do so.

[guv111]

I'm hoping we quickly get back to our best and that United stumble for the sake of City and the fans, and also because football in this country needs a change from the tiresome existing order. The original poster's talk of wanting to see the Rags falter because he will "get a lot of shit" if they don't is just strange in its selfishness. If you've been going around acting an idiot on the back of City's success you're operating on the same level as the Rag glory hunters.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

At the moment - and compared with our form since the start of the season, we've started going through an indifferent spell which could be construed as our 'blip', for want of a better expression.

We all expected such a thing to happen at sometime during the season but there is a small chink of light even in this, in that we've started to keep clean sheets once again, with three in a row. If, after the next few games, we emerge two, three or four points behind the Scum, in a way the pressure is off us to some extent and back upon the Trafford Red Sox.

All the so called media 'experts' (such as Alan Shearer on last night's MOTD) now gushing over the Scum and how supposedly better they are in the second part of the season and "coming through on the rails", are overlooking the fact that Bacon Face has hardly ever been in the position before where they are top of the League but there's another side breathing down their necks and "coming through on the rails". In the past, if they have been in first place (and John68 - with his compendious knowledge might correct me here if I'm wrong), invariably they've had a biggish lead and everyone else has given up, contenting themselves on finishing second, or in the top four etc etc.

If we're still chasing them home come February/March time, it could be an entirely new ball game for them and with all the away games they have to play against the better sides, they might be feeling a totally new and different pressure.

It's a long season with so many points still to fight for, we have the better team, we have the better individual players, we have the better Manager and we have by far the better fans.

Let's just hang on and enjoy this history making ride, watching memorable events unfold.

[Blue Since 76]

Since the derby massacre who's had the tougher games? From memory the only tough game they've had is Newcastle at home and they drew. Unfortunately playing against fodder has given them some confidence back.

They'll be top of the league for new year. and there will be loads of grief and tossing off on MOTD. So what. Our job is to beat Sunderland and Liverpool and then show them how crap they are in the cup game.

One of us will be top at the end of the season and whoever it is will deserve it. As they've pointed out to enough in the past it's all about 38 games not one. We were perhaps unlucky yesterday and also not at our best. In other games we'll get something we didn't deserve. Over a full season it'll be roughly equal, so try and stay level between now and May, as this won't be the only blip

[Goaters 103]

I did laugh at the time when the thread appeared about which game was more important, the FA Cup Final win vs Stoke or beating Utd.

Apparently in the misguided eyes of some on here, beating Utd 6-1 actually won us a trophy and made a mental marker on them - and yet here we are, dead level on points come the half-way stage.

The 6-1 was worth 3 pts, and was one game. It didnt seal any trophies for us, and merely gained us 3 pts. I think the current Prem table illustrates this quite clearly. There's a loooong way to go and we need to see where we are come end of March, with about 10 games left.

Sooner or later Utd will come up against a side that actually tries against them, but until then we need to dig in and keep pace ourselves.

[CityFanFromRome]

January will make or break our title challenge I reckon. With us in a sort of small blip of form, and many games to play including one against Liverpool, if we come out of January on level terms with the rags or even a couple points behind, I'm confident we will go on to win the league. They have an harder set of fixtures in the second part of the season and we will have recovered from our blip, also they have to come to our place.

[bernabias_right_boot]

One of those days yesterday. Playing sides with eleven behind the ball will always be hard.
Let's get on with the next game.

[Ted Hughes]

Modric and Bale were rested to play us. Well, only Bale, because Modric was in that soap opera with his transfer at Chelsea.

Modric could have played either game but possibly not both. They were worried he'd break down with an injury if he played either v the rags or us, as he was a bit suspect, so they saved him for the City game as it was more important to them.

I think Modric was ruled out because he wanted a move to Chelsea which he expected to happen. Injuries forced him to play against us and he did not try a leg.

He was ruled out because Spurs chose not to play him because he may have then been unavailable to play us. Interesting how you are totally happy to say Modric wasn't trying v us but when someone suggests any kind of below par performance by some players v rags, they are talking nonsense. You my friend have been well and truly brainwashed by the rag propoganda machine.

[Ted Hughes]

Btw, it's not the end of the world that we didn't win at WBA but those of you who just brush it off need to wake up. You are all so used to losing & competing for fuck all, that you don't realise the potential importance of it. It's time as a club when we have to take this kind of thing on board & deal with it rather than sticking our heads under the bedclothes & pretending it didn't happen.

'Oh it's ok, well played WBA' is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. The correct attitude is ' this is not good enough, lets win the next ten & make sure it doesn't happen again'.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Yesterday we were not good enough and a draw was about all we deserved ,despite having over 70% of the possession but the one thing I would like to from us that hasnt been happening is a real sense of urgency in the first 20 minutes.

There have been so many games where "it's just a matter of time before we score" and of course we usually do in the 30th or 40th minute or whatever. Of course we do create the odd chance in the early minutes but there just seems a lack of any sense of urgency early on. Don't get me wrong I am not after a cavalry charge and hoofing the ball up immediately or anything like that but some sense that it's important to score an early goal.

All teams will set up the same way from now as it's clear it causes us problems so it will be interesting to see how we work through it and for me especially in the first 1/4 of games.

[Beefymcfc]

Btw, it's not the end of the world that we didn't win at WBA but those of you who just brush it off need to wake up. You are all so used to losing & competing for fuck all, that you don't realise the potential importance of it. It's time as a club when we have to take this kind of thing on board & deal with it rather than sticking our heads under the bedclothes & pretending it didn't happen.

'Oh it's ok, well played WBA' is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. The correct attitude is ' this is not good enough, lets win the next ten & make sure it doesn't happen again'.

There is nothing at all wrong with praising a team that has done something that no other has achieved this season. Many on here see it for what it is and a draw away from home is not the end of the world, although frustrating considering the stats that were posted.

The important thing is for the management, and the team understand that sometimes a Plan B is needed rather than trying to walk it into the net. On another day Sergio would have put that away, Silva would have placed that ball into the back of the net and Mario would have another goal as the linesman would not have flagged.

It seems that it's more to do with the Rags catching up rather than us drawing a game. It's this attitude that stops us from going forward, not the mentality that we drew away from home against a very well organised West Brom. To many, it's as if we'd rather laud it over the Rags than actually go on and win the league. This is the attitude that us, the fans, have to change.

[guv111]

Btw, it's not the end of the world that we didn't win at WBA but those of you who just brush it off need to wake up. You are all so used to losing & competing for fuck all, that you don't realise the potential importance of it. It's time as a club when we have to take this kind of thing on board & deal with it rather than sticking our heads under the bedclothes & pretending it didn't happen.

'Oh it's ok, well played WBA' is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. The correct attitude is ' this is not good enough, lets win the next ten & make sure it doesn't happen again'.

I agree. With the long run of what look like very hard games coming up (barring , maybe, Wigan away, though after WBA who can tell?) points dropped at West Brom wasn't a luxury we could really afford. As you say, an away point at a decent Premier League team isn't the end of the world, though the manner of it and the lack of sharpness gave grounds for concern. And sharpness is key, as we are anything but a methodical side, even though we do grind teams down with our possession and movement. We rely a lot of burst of creativity and sparks of individual brilliance, so tiredness and dullness are things we need to avoid as best we can, and in the next five weeks that will mean relying on the depth of our options. The games with Liverpool and United are likely to be especially grinding. With what lies ahead in the immediate future, West Brom wasn't the time or place to have an off day. That's where the anxiety stems from.

Also, congratulating opposition teams on playing well is folly, unless we've beaten them. After all, it's their job (even duty) to play well which many PL sides seem to forget. They are clubs taking part in one of the best league divisions in the world, they should be good.

[Ted Hughes]

Yesterday we were not good enough and a draw was about all we deserved ,despite having over 70% of the possession but the one thing I would like to from us that hasnt been happening is a real sense of urgency in the first 20 minutes.

There have been so many games where "it's just a matter of time before we score" and of course we usually do in the 30th or 40th minute or whatever. Of course we do create the odd chance in the early minutes but there just seems a lack of any sense of urgency early on. Don't get me wrong I am not after a cavalry charge and hoofing the ball up immediately or anything like that but some sense that it's important to score an early goal.

All teams will set up the same way from now as it's clear it causes us problems so it will be interesting to see how we work through it and for me especially in the first 1/4 of games.

Balotelli, Aguero, Silva, Milner can all smack a ball in from 20 yards yet as a team we hardly ever even thought about setting each other to do just that & Silva must have ignored ten opportunities to do it.

If WBA line up the same way v the rags, they will just have Rooney or Nani etc slot one in from the edge of the box & we will be saying how shit West Brom were for standing back & leaving him the space to do it; which they did for us many many times.

[Ted Hughes]

Btw, it's not the end of the world that we didn't win at WBA but those of you who just brush it off need to wake up. You are all so used to losing & competing for fuck all, that you don't realise the potential importance of it. It's time as a club when we have to take this kind of thing on board & deal with it rather than sticking our heads under the bedclothes & pretending it didn't happen.

'Oh it's ok, well played WBA' is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. The correct attitude is ' this is not good enough, lets win the next ten & make sure it doesn't happen again'.

I agree. With the long run of what look like very hard games coming up (barring , maybe, Wigan away, though after WBA who can tell?) points dropped at West Brom wasn't a luxury we could really afford. As you say, an away point at a decent Premier League team isn't the end of the world, though the manner of it and the lack of sharpness gave grounds for concern. And sharpness is key, as we are anything but a methodical side, even though we do grind teams down with our possession and movement. We rely a lot of burst of creativity and sparks of individual brilliance, so tiredness and dullness are things we need to avoid as best we can, and in the next five weeks that will mean relying on the depth of our options. The games with Liverpool and United are likely to be especially grinding. With what lies ahead in the immediate future, West Brom wasn't the time or place to have an off day. That's where the anxiety stems from.

Also, congratulating opposition teams on playing well is folly, unless we've beaten them. After all, it's their job (even duty) to play well which many PL sides seem to forget. They are clubs taking part in one of the best league divisions in the world, they should be good.

If we beat all the WBA's and Fulhams, then, if or when we fuck up v a Liverpool, Arsenal or (God forbid) Utd, we still win the league. This is how the rags do it; their opponents come up with results like us & Chelsea & Liverpool did yesterday & then beat each other.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Yesterday we were not good enough and a draw was about all we deserved ,despite having over 70% of the possession but the one thing I would like to from us that hasnt been happening is a real sense of urgency in the first 20 minutes.

There have been so many games where "it's just a matter of time before we score" and of course we usually do in the 30th or 40th minute or whatever. Of course we do create the odd chance in the early minutes but there just seems a lack of any sense of urgency early on. Don't get me wrong I am not after a cavalry charge and hoofing the ball up immediately or anything like that but some sense that it's important to score an early goal.

All teams will set up the same way from now as it's clear it causes us problems so it will be interesting to see how we work through it and for me especially in the first 1/4 of games.

Balotelli, Aguero, Silva, Milner can all smack a ball in from 20 yards yet as a team we hardly ever even thought about setting each other to do just that & Silva must have ignored ten opportunities to do it.

If WBA line up the same way v the rags, they will just have Rooney or Nani etc slot one in from the edge of the box & we will be saying how shit West Brom were for standing back & leaving him the space to do it; which they did for us many many times.

Sadly a lot of truth in that. It really is all about scoring that first goal and taking on shots is a decent way of scoring.Once that first goal goes in the game opens up and any score becomes possible.Just talking to some WBA friends and they were actually disappointed at how limited (their words) City looked and they put that down 100% to Silva having a poor game.They,the fans and the team,grew massively in confidence as the game developed as they felt the game was in control and they might even nick it.

[Beefymcfc]

Btw, it's not the end of the world that we didn't win at WBA but those of you who just brush it off need to wake up. You are all so used to losing & competing for fuck all, that you don't realise the potential importance of it. It's time as a club when we have to take this kind of thing on board & deal with it rather than sticking our heads under the bedclothes & pretending it didn't happen.

'Oh it's ok, well played WBA' is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. The correct attitude is ' this is not good enough, lets win the next ten & make sure it doesn't happen again'.

I agree. With the long run of what look like very hard games coming up (barring , maybe, Wigan away, though after WBA who can tell?) points dropped at West Brom wasn't a luxury we could really afford. As you say, an away point at a decent Premier League team isn't the end of the world, though the manner of it and the lack of sharpness gave grounds for concern. And sharpness is key, as we are anything but a methodical side, even though we do grind teams down with our possession and movement. We rely a lot of burst of creativity and sparks of individual brilliance, so tiredness and dullness are things we need to avoid as best we can, and in the next five weeks that will mean relying on the depth of our options. The games with Liverpool and United are likely to be especially grinding. With what lies ahead in the immediate future, West Brom wasn't the time or place to have an off day. That's where the anxiety stems from.

Also, congratulating opposition teams on playing well is folly, unless we've beaten them. After all, it's their job (even duty) to play well which many PL sides seem to forget. They are clubs taking part in one of the best league divisions in the world, they should be good.

If they should be good, what's the problem when they get a draw against us? If these teams are so good why should we have the automatic right to beat them on their own manner, are they not allowed to play on the same park?

I find yours and Ted's view quite disconcerting, somehow believing we have a divine right to win home or away against 11 other players that are set out to do a job. Yes, we should've won with the chances we had but I just don't believe we are at a point where 'We'll do what we want', if you get my drift.

Unlike you and Ted, I have no anxiety issues, this is football. There'll be many twists and turns to come and I for one am loving what's happened so far. Rags on their best points total ever, we're still top of the league. Work that one out.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

That's what I was saying when everyone was going on about how shite the Rags are and I said the lead could evaporate just as quick as it was built up.

They are not shite, not by any means. And if they are what does it say about us?

[guv111]

If we beat all the WBA's and Fulhams, then, if or when we fuck up v a Liverpool, Arsenal or (God forbid) Utd, we still win the league. This is how the rags do it; their opponents come up with results like us & Chelsea & Liverpool did yesterday & then beat each other.

Indeed, and then there were (valid) complaints about Mancini's lack of pivotal, well-timed substitutions yesterday. The thing is, in order to beat the teams you mention - who make up the majority of the sides in the PL - we will need to use the squad, which many acknowledge to be the best in the country. That we missed Barry so much was worrying. Does he really have to play nearly every game in order for us to win? Do we have to play him against not just the Uniteds and Arsenals but the West Broms and Wigans, too? I've said it before, and it's not a "sell him!" rant as someone here suggested last time I mentioned it, players like Silva need to rise above the mediocrity of poor team performances and turn games when we are struggling, rather than being part of the problem. But we really shouldn't be relying on one or two key players whose absence destabilises the team.

[Mase]

There is nothing at all wrong with praising a team that has done something that no other has achieved this season. Many on here see it for what it is and a draw away from home is not the end of the world, although frustrating considering the stats that were posted.

The important thing is for the management, and the team understand that sometimes a Plan B is needed rather than trying to walk it into the net. On another day Sergio would have put that away, Silva would have placed that ball into the back of the net and Mario would have another goal as the linesman would not have flagged.

It seems that it's more to do with the Rags catching up rather than us drawing a game. It's this attitude that stops us from going forward, not the mentality that we drew away from home against a very well organised West Brom. To many, it's as if we'd rather laud it over the Rags than actually go on and win the league. This is the attitude that us, the fans, have to change.

Agree with all of that.

[guv111]

Btw, it's not the end of the world that we didn't win at WBA but those of you who just brush it off need to wake up. You are all so used to losing & competing for fuck all, that you don't realise the potential importance of it. It's time as a club when we have to take this kind of thing on board & deal with it rather than sticking our heads under the bedclothes & pretending it didn't happen.

'Oh it's ok, well played WBA' is absolutely the wrong attitude to take. The correct attitude is ' this is not good enough, lets win the next ten & make sure it doesn't happen again'.

I agree. With the long run of what look like very hard games coming up (barring , maybe, Wigan away, though after WBA who can tell?) points dropped at West Brom wasn't a luxury we could really afford. As you say, an away point at a decent Premier League team isn't the end of the world, though the manner of it and the lack of sharpness gave grounds for concern. And sharpness is key, as we are anything but a methodical side, even though we do grind teams down with our possession and movement. We rely a lot of burst of creativity and sparks of individual brilliance, so tiredness and dullness are things we need to avoid as best we can, and in the next five weeks that will mean relying on the depth of our options. The games with Liverpool and United are likely to be especially grinding. With what lies ahead in the immediate future, West Brom wasn't the time or place to have an off day. That's where the anxiety stems from.

Also, congratulating opposition teams on playing well is folly, unless we've beaten them. After all, it's their job (even duty) to play well which many PL sides seem to forget. They are clubs taking part in one of the best league divisions in the world, they should be good.

If they should be good, what's the problem when they get a draw against us? If these teams are so good why should we have the automatic right to beat them on their own manner, are they not allowed to play on the same park?

I find yours and Ted's view quite disconcerting, somehow believing we have a divine right to win home or away against 11 other players that are set out to do a job. Yes, we should've won with the chances we had but I just don't believe we are at a point where 'We'll do what we want', if you get my drift.

Unlike you and Ted, I have no anxiety issues, this is football. There'll be many twists and turns to come and I for one am loving what's happened so far. Rags on their best points total ever, we're still top of the league. Work that one out.

Don't worry, Beefy, it's a case of getting some thoughts aired rather than any belief that there is some deep seated malaise. As for the West Brom game, it's already been said that they did a good job - City's job is to expose and punish weaknesses and earn results. Too many teams lie down, and have lost before they kick a ball. I'm as optimistic as anyone, and am thoroughly enjoying the season too. But where there are perceptions of problems, these thoughts surely need to be aired? Isn't that the idea, to knock around some ideas and suggestions when we have had a bit of a stumble? It seems to be a general trend because City forums are empty, desolate places when we have been beating low to middling sides by three, four, or five goals of late. To raise issues isn't to be a doom and gloom merchant, it''s trying to fathom what's going on and where City presently stand.