player of the half season

[Nigels Tackle]

only one candidate

pablo zabaleta

rest of the fuckers need to grow a heart as big as his

pab zab - you are a fucking legend

[Ted Hughes]

Probably right but GB has been pretty good too imo.

The rest, (apart from Dzeko & Mario imo who are both a bit better than previously) are lesser players than they were last season.

[sidSmith]

Totally agree. Defends like a beast. Just a shame that he's probably the least skilful when it comes to going forward, yet he is always the outlet ball.

[Dameerto]

Totally agree. Defends like a beast. Just a shame that he's probably the least skilful when it comes to going forward, yet he is always the outlet ball.

I'd say he's better than Clichy going forward - and Kolarov if he can still be thought of as a fullback. There's not much between him and Micah anymore either. He's come a long way.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Pab zab for me hands down.

[RodneyRodney]

Pablo.Honourable mention also for Big Dave.

[Im_Spartacus]

Pablo.Honourable mention also for Big Dave.

Silva?

You're fucking joking right? Not saying its his fault strikers have stopped making intelligent runs etc, but he has been consistently one of our most ineffective players all season.

[RodneyRodney]

Pablo.Honourable mention also for Big Dave.

Silva?

You're fucking joking right? Not saying its his fault strikers have stopped making intelligent runs etc, but he has been consistently one of our most ineffective players all season.

I jest not Spartan ; a bit quiet early one but gettng back to his best in recent games. Plenty of effort too.

[Im_Spartacus]

I jest not Spartan ; a bit quiet early one but gettng back to his best in recent games. Plenty of effort too.

Yep, better than early doors. Long long way off what he can do, and as it stands at the moment, we have never relied on him more.

Interesting that he was a slightly above average pl player in the negative tactics of 2010/11, then the leagues player of the first half of last season, till mancinis tactics turned negative again and he has hardly ever turned in a performance like we saw aug-nov 2011 since.

Stunning player on his day, but it hasnt been often enough in the last12 months.......can he genuinely change a game, or is he just a stand out player in a team brimming with confidence, bullying a scared opposition?

[PeterParker]

Zabs and Gazbaz. Both at the same level.

Even Dzeko might have a word on this.

[Mase]

Until a couple of weeks ago Joe Hart

[Longball]

easy zabba

[Ted Hughes]

I jest not Spartan ; a bit quiet early one but gettng back to his best in recent games. Plenty of effort too.

Yep, better than early doors. Long long way off what he can do, and as it stands at the moment, we have never relied on him more.

Interesting that he was a slightly above average pl player in the negative tactics of 2010/11, then the leagues player of the first half of last season, till mancinis tactics turned negative again and he has hardly ever turned in a performance like we saw aug-nov 2011 since.

Stunning player on his day, but it hasnt been often enough in the last12 months.......can he genuinely change a game, or is he just a stand out player in a team brimming with confidence, bullying a scared opposition?

I can't agree about the criticisms of Bob being negative, but whatever, this is a great post & difficult to answer.

He is absolutely fantastic imo but he is a gold plated cog in a machine, like Xavi & Iniesta; world class but only if the machine is functioning. Take out a few bits & ask any of those to make up for it : they can't do it apart from the odd occasion.

If the machine is malfunctioning lacking what he has to offer, then he can sometimes kickstart it, but mostly, he needs it all happening arround him in order to be effective.

My criticism of him & Bob, is that he should have improved; Bob has not improved him other than to make him work harder when we lose the ball. This is something I think is fair criticism of Bob with most of our players; they may work harder but their weaknesses remain.

[DoomMerchant]

I jest not Spartan ; a bit quiet early one but gettng back to his best in recent games. Plenty of effort too.

Yep, better than early doors. Long long way off what he can do, and as it stands at the moment, we have never relied on him more.

Interesting that he was a slightly above average pl player in the negative tactics of 2010/11, then the leagues player of the first half of last season, till mancinis tactics turned negative again and he has hardly ever turned in a performance like we saw aug-nov 2011 since.

Stunning player on his day, but it hasnt been often enough in the last12 months.......can he genuinely change a game, or is he just a stand out player in a team brimming with confidence, bullying a scared opposition?

I can't agree about the criticisms of Bob being negative, but whatever, this is a great post & difficult to answer.

He is absolutely fantastic imo but he is a gold plated cog in a machine, like Xavi & Iniesta; world class but only if the machine is functioning. Take out a few bits & ask any of those to make up for it : they can't do it apart from the odd occasion.

If the machine is malfunctioning lacking what he has to offer, then he can sometimes kickstart it, but mostly, he needs it all happening arround him in order to be effective.

My criticism of him & Bob, is that he should have improved; Bob has not improved him other than to make him work harder when we lose the ball. This is something I think is fair criticism of Bob with most of our players; they may work harder but their weaknesses remain.

i would have thought both Fat Sam and a slew of others would have gotten "graft" added to the skillset matrix quite easily since there was little else they'd have to offer. That surely shouldn't be our high watermark from "The Mancini Era" i would hope. "Got Silva to track back." Woo-hoo. Okay, he won the league...let's add that to the CV as well.But as others have said...i think that hauling the Rags back was because the players hauled themselves up the table by sheer will and not some brilliant tactical display. Does Mancini deserve credit for "playing opossum" as we like to say here in the States and making the Rags think they'd won and thereby 'motivating' City and demotivating the Rags? I'd suggest not but in brighter times i've claimed that he outmaneuvered Bacon at this own game. I can't have it both ways surely, but that's how complex the Mancini issue is for me as a fan i suppose. I've never been a huge fan -- until he's lifting a trophy -- and i feel he's pissing away what should be the start of a golden era.

[Im_Spartacus]

I can't agree about the criticisms of Bob being negative, but whatever, this is a great post & difficult to answer.

He is absolutely fantastic imo but he is a gold plated cog in a machine, like Xavi & Iniesta; world class but only if the machine is functioning. Take out a few bits & ask any of those to make up for it : they can't do it apart from the odd occasion.

If the machine is malfunctioning lacking what he has to offer, then he can sometimes kickstart it, but mostly, he needs it all happening arround him in order to be effective.

My criticism of him & Bob, is that he should have improved; Bob has not improved him other than to make him work harder when we lose the ball. This is something I think is fair criticism of Bob with most of our players; they may work harder but their weaknesses remain.

More meaning about the approach that we setup as being hard to beat and grind out the wins throughout 10/11, then for the whole of 2012, rather than outright negativity.

Gotta say, I am a fan of Silva and in a team moving forward with flair and pace he is unstoppable at finding the killer ball. But he is a part of that machine moving forwards rather than the one who dictates the pace. He is the one with the speed of thought and quality at his feet to react to the fast pace and spot the pass instinctively.

Its almost as if he can only play to his best off instinct, (think back to the pass to Dzeko at the swamp) and when he has to think about it and do something against a defence facing him rather than on the back foot, he really struggles to pick a pass which can do any damage.

There is an argument to say that against 11 defenders who can blame him, and as ive mentioned before today, it would take a maradona or messi in terms of dribbling skills to make something out of mancinis tactics currently, so maybe the concern about silva is unwarranted and our expectations are too high.

Zabba however (to bring this back ot), is the only one currently who I see trying to dictate pace within the game, and he cant really do that from full back.

I would say whatever happens between now and May, Zabba has to be a formality for poty at city.

[Ted Hughes]

I can't agree about the criticisms of Bob being negative, but whatever, this is a great post & difficult to answer.

He is absolutely fantastic imo but he is a gold plated cog in a machine, like Xavi & Iniesta; world class but only if the machine is functioning. Take out a few bits & ask any of those to make up for it : they can't do it apart from the odd occasion.

If the machine is malfunctioning lacking what he has to offer, then he can sometimes kickstart it, but mostly, he needs it all happening arround him in order to be effective.

My criticism of him & Bob, is that he should have improved; Bob has not improved him other than to make him work harder when we lose the ball. This is something I think is fair criticism of Bob with most of our players; they may work harder but their weaknesses remain.

More meaning about the approach that we setup as being hard to beat and grind out the wins throughout 10/11, then for the whole of 2012, rather than outright negativity.

Gotta say, I am a fan of Silva and in a team moving forward with flair and pace he is unstoppable at finding the killer ball. But he is a part of that machine moving forwards rather than the one who dictates the pace. He is the one with the speed of thought and quality at his feet to react to the fast pace and spot the pass instinctively.

Its almost as if he can only play to his best off instinct, (think back to the pass to Dzeko at the swamp) and when he has to think about it and do something against a defence facing him rather than on the back foot, he really struggles to pick a pass which can do any damage.

There is an argument to say that against 11 defenders who can blame him, and as ive mentioned before today, it would take a maradona or messi in terms of dribbling skills to make something out of mancinis tactics currently, so maybe the concern about silva is unwarranted and our expectations are too high.

Zabba however (to bring this back ot), is the only one currently who I see trying to dictate pace within the game, and he cant really do that from full back.

I would say whatever happens between now and May, Zabba has to be a formality for poty at city.

Zabba is certainly favourite.

i don't think Mancini is being negative, I just don't think he has any influence at present. He has hit a brick wall & his future depends on getting through it.

[Green & Blue]

I can't see past Zabaleta either, no competition really.Nastasic, Barry and Clichy have been half decent but other than that i think the majority of the squad have underperformed.

[Buffalo Soldier]

Zabba by a mile.

Clichy and Barry in 2nd and third.

Millers looked half decent when he's been fit and he's had a chance.

Nastasic deserves a mention given his age and the improvement he's showing.

The rest need to fucking buck their ideas up as they're way behind the standard they set last year.

[BobbyJ1956]

I love Zab for his passion, his guts, his going for fish & chips in Didsbury. But when we're picking player of the season based on commitment rather than skill it's a reminder of the days when the side was so bad that Dunnie won the award three years in a row.

[bobby brows]

Clichy has played well when he's played.