***Official Stoke vs City match thread***

[Beefymcfc]

Guesses on extra time? Who's the 4th official?

Why was there only 5 minutes, there were 6 subs and a few injuries.

[twosips]

Who cares if it was 'only' five minutes? We could have played another five and not scored. In fact, if there was anymore time they probably would have scored. Shite performance.

[Michigan Blue]

Worst part about that was the fact that we took zero belief or impetus from the equaliser.

Last 15 minutes we literally did fuck all.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

It's always fun wandering through this thread after a game to see how violent some of the reactions are and who they aimed at.

Dzeko obviously today and he wasnt great but he wasnt that bad either.I was watching for some dynamism at the end from of the 3 (4 if you count AJ) strikers we had on the pitch.Did we get anything close to that? Did you actually notice any of them?

I know Dzeko was involved because plenty on here were wanting him off but weren't the others just invisible? I would rather have someone failing but getting invloved than not showing and being involved at all.

Having said all that, boy do I dislike Stoke.

[Esky]

Guesses on extra time? Who's the 4th official?

Why was there only 5 minutes, there were 6 subs and a few injuries.

Not like they'd have done anything with it.

[Crossie]

We have been sussed out, it happened before xmas but we rode our confidence and got away with it for abit.

We play the crossing game with midgets upfront vs Chelsea, then today we put the big guys upfront and dont fucking cross!

Sometimes I sit here thinking, well it looks shit to me, but maybe its not actually that shit and its part of the plan and it will come good. But no, tonight, that was just shit, where have our balls gone????

We are top of the league though, it just feels like we've given up.

[paddyblue]

Guesses on extra time? Who's the 4th official?

Why was there only 5 minutes, there were 6 subs and a few injuries.

very rare to get more than 5, only when there is an extended injury

[getdressedmctavish]

No motivation, no plan other than give it to Ya Ya. How did Balliotelli stay on the pitch for the duration beats me.Like watchin flies trying to eat a turd. It is garbage. And Silve was fine, stupid to take him off and leave the madman on. I'm gettin seriously pissed with the manager. So many times this season were stuck in glue of our own making cos we are piss terrified of opening the game up.You cannot win like that away and you will often get beat.Cowards deserve fuck all.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

absolute shit. no movement at all. this is becoming too common. all this tip tap shit is too predictable.

we were lucky to get a point, stoke much the better team. hopefully a serious wake up call because any glossing over this result would be delusional

We deserved a point,Stoke were not the better team but we were not good.

[Redna]

A point is a point but it really was two dropped. The league's not a two horse race, it's a one horse vs 19.+ The most of the jockey's ;)
CTID!!

[london blue 2]

The most important thing we lost today weren't the 2 points, but the advantage in the worst case scenario, to win just one point at Arsenal.

Now we need to go there and win the game.

Spidey if we can't beat stoke then we need to worry about more than just ther Arsenal.

[leewonpen]

Can Mancini not see we play too narrow.Fuckin Stevie Wonder can see that.Why play Dzeko and Ballotelli if you not gonna cross the Fuckin ball.Johnson is wank he made no difference whatsoever. Why put Tevez on for less time than he played against Chelsea. We need 1 winger and another centre half at the winter transfer window. Very short sighted by the board, we spend all that money and then when it comes to the point that the title is to be decided.Nothing. Im so frustrated.

[kennyboy]

we just not want it enough.. really shite this, yaya's shot in frustration saved us from total embaressment.
why does Silva start? he needs a break, players should shoot more, sick of the small passes who end up nowhere
AND dzeko is not a footballer

[Nick]

It's always fun wandering through this thread after a game to see how violent some of the reactions are and who they aimed at.

Dzeko obviously today and he wasnt great but he wasnt that bad either.I was watching for some dynamism at the end from of the 3 (4 if you count AJ) strikers we had on the pitch.Did we get anything close to that? Did you actually notice any of them?

I know Dzeko was involved because plenty on here were wanting him off but weren't the others just invisible? I would rather have someone failing but getting invloved than not showing and being involved at all.

Having said all that, boy do I dislike Stoke.

What has dzeko done for Manchester City in 2012.

Yes im angry but nobody can put possitive BS on that performance. Everton, Lison, Swansea, Stoke - the worst games I have seen. And that compares to teams with Bob and Gareth Taylor in.

[stevefromdonny]

f*ck me

Passes completed

Stoke 94
City 296!!!!!

but you got to admit that we had 200 of those passes in our own half

[PeterParker]

The most important thing we lost today weren't the 2 points, but the advantage in the worst case scenario, to win just one point at Arsenal.

Now we need to go there and win the game.

Spidey if we can't beat stoke then we need to worry about more than just ther Arsenal.

After Liverpool, Arse, Chelsea, filth, Spuds and Everton (for us), Britannia is the hardest away trip in the league. Non of the first 5 won this season here.

But in this situation, we needed to win here. That is the problem.

[Dronny]

Can't be fuckin arsed to scroll back throught he pages but Howard Webb deserves a thread of his own for the most inept, one eyed reffing display ever.......just stopping short of calling him a cheating cunt

[Florida Blue]

Can Mancini not see we play too narrow.Fuckin Stevie Wonder can see that.Why play Dzeko and Ballotelli if you not gonna cross the Fuckin ball.Johnson is wank he made no difference whatsoever. Why put Tevez on for less time than he played against Chelsea. We need 1 winger and another centre half at the winter transfer window. Very short sighted by the board, we spend all that money and then when it comes to the point that the title is to be decided.Nothing. Im so frustrated.

How wide would you like to play on a narrow playing surface? Last I checked you can only play inside the touchline.

[Ted Hughes]

I think that's a decent point with all the injuries v the rugby team & Howard Webb. It's only a fluke from Crouch which has cost us the 2 points.

I don't have any complaints with Balotelli & Dzeko today, they did their best against a bunch of fucking thugs & a bent ref, with no creativity from the midfield.

Silva is a waste of a shirt at the moment & imo if he's going to play at all, it would be better to bring him on when the oppo are tired rather than start him & have him running around tackling people & getting viciously assaulted.

Once Aguero was ruled out, with Silva carrying an injury & JL VK missing, it was always going to require someone else in the midfield to step up, which, on a small pitch v a bunch of cheating fucking thugs is not easy.

Mario did well not to react to blatant, orchestrated violence & provocation. Howard Webb is a cunt.

[ashton287]

Silva looks very fed up with the prem and it's ref's now I think. You can just see him longing for Spain where he can play football and get on with it without being kicked to fuck.

How they got their first yellow in the 65th minute I don't know. Absolute bullshit.

Wy didn't Mancini make any changes after 20 minutes when the game started screaming for width. Should of started kolarov and AJ.

I hate football.