*****Official 5 star match thread MCFC v Dortmund*****

[Nickyboy]

57 shots in two games and only 2 goals. Dortmund need to sack their strikers

[Beefymcfc]

I didn't understand why Tevez didn't start either Doug. Apart from the Aguero part, I'd agree with that.

[phips]

Finally got to watch this without knowing the result. A game between my 2 fav teams..gonna be fun.

Well, we were fortunate to get a point here. BVB were way better. Way.
I knew going into this game that we'd have to control midfield to win, and
we didn't control it. Sure, Silva looked good in the first half but that was it...except for
his attempt to fly-kick the cross in instead of using his head...
No way was playing 2 strikers a good idea here. Reus, Gotze, and Kuba bossed the
midfield and Bender kept everything in front of him.

Nasri was missing the entire game, which seems to be the norm now...unfortunately.
Yaya was totally out of the game too because he was basically playing central defense.
Having him play that far back basically takes our best player out of the game.

I don't know why Lescott didn't play but I didn't see anything from Nastasic that made me
question the sub...one bad pass of note. However, Rodwell looked awful. That's 3 goals he's
given away in 4 or 5 games since joining the club. He looks like the new Savic so far, not
Nasti.

Dzeko played basically no part aside from increasing our number of offsides. Proved tonight why he
shouldn't be starting..

Oh, and what do you know, minutes after we go to the back 3 we conceded. Fun. Nice Mancini.
Joe Hart was IMMENSE.

I really hope BVB and us advance from that group but that will be tough.

How many more cards until Vinnie is suspended? He's been making some rash decisions....

Could Reus look anymore German? Jesus.

[mr_nool]

Komps is suspended for the next CL game, I believe.

[Goaters 103]

We have perfectly recreated last years campaign to a tee. Draw the must-win home game, meaning we will spend the rest of the CL campaign desperately playing catch-up .... and failing.

Its a long time since a team has come onto our patch and given us a good chasing which Dortmund did last night. Hart was magnificent but his teammates far less so, and we should have lost by 2 or 3 goals. That said we salvaged a point which is something but its probably the hope that will kill us.

Too many big players - Kompany, Ya Ya, Silva, Aguero - just didnt show enough for us last night, and we made some rather odd substitutions too, with Milner surely always a better option than Rodwell who looks totally out of his depth, and is costing us a goal a game at the moment (Southampton, free kick given away against Liverpool, audacious half-way line lob at his own goal against QPR etc).

Granted Dortmund are a good side but we were absolute dogshit last night, and even when we made clear cut chances, just like Napoli last September, we fluffed them with Silva and Aguero in particular culpable here. Quite why Mancini wants to blood a 19 year old centre-half, and piss around with our solid pairing from last season only he knows but its affecting the whole back 4 and Kompany looks totally out of sorts.

We now have ensured we have to beat Ajax twice, beat Real at home and still likely have to go to Dortmund and get some sort of result. Can anyone realistically see that happening? Dortmund pressed us high up the pitch and at times we couldnt get out of our own half on our own ground. Changes needed to be made at half-time but werent forthcoming and we got exceedingly lucky to get even a point.

The problems are clear Roberto, many of us can see them, but quite why we have also assisted ourselves again in our own european malaise god only knows.

[johnny crossan]

collected insights from the gentlemen of the press

Man City 1 – Dortmund 1

Manchester City have to step up or the Champions League dream is over (Martin Samuel, Mail) Even as it is – and bookmakers still have them odds-on to qualify, inexplicably – they face a tough task. City must play Ajax home and away next but even if they were to win both matches, which is far from guaranteed, it does not make a whole lot of difference. Dortmund have already beaten Ajax at home, Real Madrid pulverised them away, so qualification in this group is likely to come down to the results of matches between the big beasts: the title winners from England, Spain and Germany. A real Champions League. And City look the weakest of the three.

Hart heroics save the day after Rodwell error (Matt Lawton, Mail) Inside the mind of Jack Rodwell it was still acceptable to deliver a blind pass across the City defence in the vain hope that nobody representing the Germans would be quick enough to exploit his stupidity.

Roberto Mancini hails ‘incredible’ Joe Hart after stunning display (Mark Odgen, Telegraph) Two weeks after urging Joe Hart to “stay in goal and make some saves” following Manchester City’s dramatic loss against Real Madrid, Roberto Mancini was left thanking the goalkeeper for saving his team from an “incredible defeat” at home to Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester City 1 Borussia Dortmund 1: match report (Henry Winter, Telegraph) City’s manager, Roberto Mancini, was furious with his players after this painfully laboured performance; he hinted darkly at an unspecified deep-seated problem which he would deal with. Barring the particular lethargy seizing Samir Nasri, and a lack of concentration from Jack Rodwell, City’s main malaise appears defensively where they have yet to manage a clean sheet this term. Yet it is Mancini who has broken up the Vincent Kompany-Joleon Lescott axis that was so successful last season. It was Mancini who experimented with three at the back in pre-season, using up valuable preparation time.

Composed Balotelli keeps City’s European dream alive (Ian Herbert, Independent) Jack Rodwell has only played 311 minutes since his £15m transfer from Everton but has already been directly responsible for City conceding three goals. On his City debut, on 19 August, the 21-year-old gave the ball away allowing Southampton to counter attack sharply and for Steven Davis to score. A week later, Rodwell handled the ball to concede a free-kick which Liverpool’s Luis Suarez put in. And last night Rodwell passed the ball straight to Marco Reus to give Borussia Dortmund the lead.

Joe Hart’s brilliance saves Manchester City from embarrassment (Paul Wilson, Guardian) If City barely merited a draw, their outstanding goalkeeper most certainly did. A point is better than nothing, and given their outrageous luck in this game it is still possible City might salvage something from the group, but to do that they must learn to live up to their promises. Not to mention pacify Balotelli and keep an eye on an unused and mutinous-looking Carlos Tevez.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/comment-an ... aced-evra/?

[MR IMAINEROAD]

Hard to stay positive when game after game we are all waiting for us to snap out of this shit form but we seem to be moving backwards. I don't know what the answer is, I'm sure we will get it right eventually but I can't help but think that the signings we have made are no where near the quality we need.

Herein is the elephant in the room. Scum get Van Persie. Chelski get Hazard.
City get.... sinclair, garcia, over the hill maicon, rodwell....

Ergo sum.

[MR IMAINEROAD]

Hard to stay positive when game after game we are all waiting for us to snap out of this shit form but we seem to be moving backwards. I don't know what the answer is, I'm sure we will get it right eventually but I can't help but think that the signings we have made are no where near the quality we need.

Herein is the elephant in the room. Scum get Van Persie. Chelski get Hazard.
City get.... sinclair, garcia, over the hill maicon, rodwell....

Ergo sum.

Oh and the next VIdic.

[Ted Hughes]

Hard to stay positive when game after game we are all waiting for us to snap out of this shit form but we seem to be moving backwards. I don't know what the answer is, I'm sure we will get it right eventually but I can't help but think that the signings we have made are no where near the quality we need.

Herein is the elephant in the room. Scum get Van Persie. Chelski get Hazard.
City get.... sinclair, garcia, over the hill maicon, rodwell....

Ergo sum.

If you gave Moyes or even Alan Pardew Mancini's squad, they would not play the fantastic pass & move football we saw at Fulham, but whatever the results they would have turned in much more competent displays v Southampton, QPR, Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa, Real & Dortmund.

Mancini has been fucking hopeless in the majority games this season. Trhe new signings are no excuse whatsoever. It's time he did the fucking job he gets paid for: MANAGE.

[Goaters 103]

On initial impressions neither Rodwell or Garcia are better than De Jong, Sinclair is inferior to Johnson, Maicon cant defend (shock horror), and Nastasic is talented but very raw.

Has our squad been improved since last season? Its exceedingly debatable. Milner is continually overlooked and Lescott cast aside in the 2 games where he was needed most - Real/Dortmund - not good. I'd agree Mancini hasnt exactly covered himself in glory so fa this season, but then again neither have several of our vaunted big players, some of whom pulled a Reggie Perrin last night.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

On initial impressions neither Rodwell or Garcia are better than De Jong, Sinclair is inferior to Johnson, Maicon cant defend (shock horror), and Nastasic is talented but very raw.

Has our squad been improved since last season? Its exceedingly debatable. Milner is continually overlooked and Lescott cast aside in the 2 games where he was needed most - Real/Dortmund - not good. I'd agree Mancini hasnt exactly covered himself in glory so fa this season, but then again neither have several of our vaunted big players, some of whom pulled a Reggie Perrin last night.

I do have real hopes for Rodders but at the moment he is like a rabbit in the headlights. He seems to panic when on the ball if he cant give it to Yaya which is what he seems programmed to do.There is much more in his game than just sitting and giving the ball to the nearest player and he has to be given the license to do more.

[Rag_hater]

collected insights from the gentlemen of the press

Man City 1 – Dortmund 1

Manchester City have to step up or the Champions League dream is over (Martin Samuel, Mail) Even as it is – and bookmakers still have them odds-on to qualify, inexplicably – they face a tough task. City must play Ajax home and away next but even if they were to win both matches, which is far from guaranteed, it does not make a whole lot of difference. Dortmund have already beaten Ajax at home, Real Madrid pulverised them away, so qualification in this group is likely to come down to the results of matches between the big beasts: the title winners from England, Spain and Germany. A real Champions League. And City look the weakest of the three.

Hart heroics save the day after Rodwell error (Matt Lawton, Mail) Inside the mind of Jack Rodwell it was still acceptable to deliver a blind pass across the City defence in the vain hope that nobody representing the Germans would be quick enough to exploit his stupidity.

Roberto Mancini hails ‘incredible’ Joe Hart after stunning display (Mark Odgen, Telegraph) Two weeks after urging Joe Hart to “stay in goal and make some saves” following Manchester City’s dramatic loss against Real Madrid, Roberto Mancini was left thanking the goalkeeper for saving his team from an “incredible defeat” at home to Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester City 1 Borussia Dortmund 1: match report (Henry Winter, Telegraph) City’s manager, Roberto Mancini, was furious with his players after this painfully laboured performance; he hinted darkly at an unspecified deep-seated problem which he would deal with. Barring the particular lethargy seizing Samir Nasri, and a lack of concentration from Jack Rodwell, City’s main malaise appears defensively where they have yet to manage a clean sheet this term. Yet it is Mancini who has broken up the Vincent Kompany-Joleon Lescott axis that was so successful last season. It was Mancini who experimented with three at the back in pre-season, using up valuable preparation time.

Composed Balotelli keeps City’s European dream alive (Ian Herbert, Independent) Jack Rodwell has only played 311 minutes since his £15m transfer from Everton but has already been directly responsible for City conceding three goals. On his City debut, on 19 August, the 21-year-old gave the ball away allowing Southampton to counter attack sharply and for Steven Davis to score. A week later, Rodwell handled the ball to concede a free-kick which Liverpool’s Luis Suarez put in. And last night Rodwell passed the ball straight to Marco Reus to give Borussia Dortmund the lead.

Joe Hart’s brilliance saves Manchester City from embarrassment (Paul Wilson, Guardian) If City barely merited a draw, their outstanding goalkeeper most certainly did. A point is better than nothing, and given their outrageous luck in this game it is still possible City might salvage something from the group, but to do that they must learn to live up to their promises. Not to mention pacify Balotelli and keep an eye on an unused and mutinous-looking Carlos Tevez.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/comment-an ... aced-evra/?

Dickheads didn't mention it was all Yaya's fault

[Ted Hughes]

On initial impressions neither Rodwell or Garcia are better than De Jong, Sinclair is inferior to Johnson, Maicon cant defend (shock horror), and Nastasic is talented but very raw.

Has our squad been improved since last season? Its exceedingly debatable. Milner is continually overlooked and Lescott cast aside in the 2 games where he was needed most - Real/Dortmund - not good. I'd agree Mancini hasnt exactly covered himself in glory so fa this season, but then again neither have several of our vaunted big players, some of whom pulled a Reggie Perrin last night.

I do have real hopes for Rodders but at the moment he is like a rabbit in the headlights. He seems to panic when on the ball if he cant give it to Yaya which is what he seems programmed to do.There is much more in his game than just sitting and giving the ball to the nearest player and he has to be given the license to do more.

I agree about Rodwell but the writing was on the wall for that to happen even in the 1st half. Yaya was caught in possession but got away with it & we had several near misses with Vinny, Garcia & Nasy. Someone was always likely to get caught during 90 mins due to Dortmund having the whole centre midfield to themselves. At one point, when Rodwell received the ball, there was him & 5 Dortmund players in the centre. Not one City player ahead of him to pass to unless he lumped it long.

We conceded central midfield to Arsenal too. It is not the level of tactical set up required for the champions of England.

[KippaxBlue]

Pics and comments on the City v Borussia Dortmund game are now online at
http://www.rtfract.com/citoct12.htm

[Swales4ever]

I would like to have more time to post a more decently spelled consideration, but I cannot renounce to say something after that second half on such a pivotal game for our bevoled Club.
First and foremost only one thing must never be forgotten: managers come and go, players too, only MCFC counts!
I am a huge fan of Roberto Mancini but I am disappointed with him for the start of this season.
Many points have been risen to discuss the argument and several to justify such a patchy beginning: Euro's fatigue, late arrival of top players, no preaseason all together, last ditch arrival of new enrolleds, tempative introduction of a contingency system of play (3-5-2).
Now, it's all good, some of this arguments have serious ground and frankly I do not buy the "Mancini is not good for european games" crap: having been grown on the most tactical and speculative league, I think is fair to assess that one could opine his ability to cope with the English game, which is different from everyone else and is the most challenging and demanding, not the europen football that is almost similar to the tactical and refereeing environment where he's been nurtured.
Still, there is no doubt in my mind that when You happened to witness such a let down like that wednesday's second half there's only ground for a huge blame of the manager, first and foremost!
I have my little, personal, issues on the game:
GazBaz and his influential presence not even optional on the bench (did he get a last moment injury or just ruled not fit enough to play 2 game in short time?);
a youngster, with potential but yet unprepared to face dire moments, thrown in the mix either at Bernabeu and on wednesday, ahead of the Europe's best center back of last season. if You are looking at improving the circulation from the back just start Nasty in 10 Wigan-like games, build his confidence with progress and You'll hopefully have a finished article for the next CL campaign. then You might be able to assess if he has something better to offer than the Klingon!
last, but most weird: another very unfinished article thrown in the battle of a very tricky pressing game ahead of the PROVEN professionalism of Jimmy Milner: I know You don't fancy him in the middle, as much as I do, but certainly he would have provided a more reliable option than a youngster still shocked by the previous mistake!

There is a common point that links me with the Mancini's doubter: the acknowledgement that his stubbornness, can sometimes become his major weakness along with being a clear trait of his talent and winning attitude: this season it has surfaced too much in excess, starting with the intention to persist in applying a system which has resulted a failure, not because it cannot be usueful, nor because we don't have the right personnel (another massive bullox: players at this level of quality, class and desire for victory, must be able to play different styles), but simply because this season the international schedule prevented us to have a normal preseason: the only moment where a major implementation can be settled!

Last but not least, almost opposite my nr.1 issue: the second half versus Dortmund resulted in a shameful display by 10 men (and thanks Joe who saved our pride, and CL hopes) who are, not supposed, just are some of the best footballers of the world, all committed to personal and Club's success. But what we saw in that 45 minutes, that lack of fighting spirit, that massive failure to impose the rights of their class - if it wasn't for Joe Hart - could have scraped the almost established brand of a world dominant Club, with all the relevant fallout on our marketing towards all the gloryhunters of the world.
NOW, I do not know why Yaya (suffocated by their excellent pressing game or not) never attemped to start one of his imperious coast-to-coast and stroled about like a fat pensioner, and even worser I do not know, nor understand, why on the fucking bastard hell, despite we enjoy in our team 4 of the VERY BEST STRIKERS in the world, who I won't swap with none other than Messi, we keep going with the need to create in excess of 10 glorious scoring opportunities to have 2 or 3 despatched home and until this trend shall continue we hardly will go places against the German or Spanish Champs: what I know is that when those things happen there is only one and one only responsible: THE MANAGER!

I am the opposite of a gloryhunter but, for many reasons, I am desperate to see out MCFC established as the Greatest Club ever seen in the History of Football and this can only happen by having the VERY BEST in each and every key roles. It's up to You, Bob, to maintain my opinion that You fit that bill for the MCFC's MANAGER job.

YOU BETTER SORT THIS CRAP OUT and end the season with clear signs of further improvements!

[Mase]

We need more one sentence responses in my opinion

[carl_feedthegoat]

We need more one sentence responses in my opinion

Torture isnt it.

[ashton287]

If you gave Moyes or even Alan Pardew Mancini's squad, they would not play the fantastic pass & move football we saw at Fulham, but whatever the results they would have turned in much more competent displays v Southampton, QPR, Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa, Real & Dortmund.

Mancini has been fucking hopeless in the majority games this season. Trhe new signings are no excuse whatsoever. It's time he did the fucking job he gets paid for: MANAGE.

He has done too much managing if you ask me. That's the problem.

[Original Dub]

He has done too much managing if you ask me. That's the problem.

No such thing mate.

Too much changing. Too much whinging. Too much molly coddling some players and bad mouthing other players.

Not enough managing at all.

He is a very good manager underneath it all, but his stubborness could possibly be his, and our, undoing.

[carl_feedthegoat]

He has done too much managing if you ask me. That's the problem.

No such thing mate.

Too much changing. Too much whinging. Too much molly coddling some players and bad mouthing other players.

Not enough managing at all.

He is a very good manager underneath it all, but his stubborness could possibly be his, and our, undoing.

You dont post much these days.
you dont argue much these days.
Why are you turning into a pussy?


Thanks for listening.