***City v Elton John Match Thread***

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I'm absolutely delighted for the youngster - what will all the media wankers say now about us buying ready made players and not developing anyone?

yep only paid £800,00 for this one when he was 15 maybe 16

[Swales4ever]

Got to be good for the confidence to score on debut like that. I hope all his family will have been there to see him as I know they try to watch every game he plays.He is Silva esque I would say with 2 differences.First he isn't as good but at 17 he has time and second he has a better goal scoring habit.Long may that continue.

considering the Slim's mention of the King, what about his pace?

[Dameerto]

I'm absolutely delighted for the youngster - what will all the media wankers say now about us buying ready made players and not developing anyone?

yep only paid £800,00 for this one when he was 15 maybe 16

So we can afford to do that another 30+ times until we turn up the next Messi all for the price of one established forward (with the occasional Silva and Kompany being found along the way as well) and we will still be quids in, and not having to pay a quarter of that purchase price in weekly wages for an established (and high earning) star then.
Youngsters dont have to have been born in Greater Manchester for us to develop them as our own.

[Beefymcfc]

You just can't beat FA Cup weekend and now we get another one. Well done the boys.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I'm absolutely delighted for the youngster - what will all the media wankers say now about us buying ready made players and not developing anyone?

yep only paid £800,00 for this one when he was 15 maybe 16

So we can afford to do that another 30+ times until we turn up the next Messi all for the price of one established forward (with the occasional Silva and Kompany being found along the way as well) and we will still be quids in, and not having to pay a quarter of that purchase price in weekly wages for an established (and high earning) star then.
Youngsters dont have to have been born in Greater Manchester for us to develop them as our own.

Absolutely right.Hopefully Suarez,Rekik,Lopes,Ntcham,Pozo,Bossaerts will prove just that.

[twosips]

You'd have to do it about a 1,000 times to get the next Messi, but I guess i'd be happy with the next Sergio Aguero for now :)

[phips]

how long did Lopes get to play? and did Rekik and/or Suarez make it on the pitch?

[Dameerto]

Absolutely right.Hopefully Suarez,Rekik,Lopes,Ntcham,Pozo,Bossaerts will prove just that.

can't wait for more of our next generation to get some game time.

[legget]

how long did Lopes get to play? and did Rekik and/or Suarez make it on the pitch?

Balotelli, Sinclair and Lopez were the subs used

[Beefymcfc]

Anybody know how the ref got on? I've had few messages saying he was as one sided as he could be, giving us yellows for next to nothing.

[Redna]

First game fore a while I have not seen. Only this. No rivers and no streaks not a beak meandering around the wonderfull landscape at all.
I guess from things I've read and listened to that we were at the hearth of the fire.
Cheers!!

[Mikhail Chigorin]

First game fore a while I have not seen. Only this. No rivers and no streaks not a beak meandering around the wonderfull landscape at all.
I guess from things I've read and listened to that we were at the hearth of the fire.
Cheers!!

....or sallying forth from Valhalla, onto the plains of Asgard, to fight the battle at Ragnarok.....

....or perhaps not.

[bobby brows]

This was written by a broadsheet:

Cup magic was conspicuous by its absence here, unless you count Mario Balotelli making the dreams of the 17-year-old substitute Marcos Lopes come true in stoppage time. Many were streaming for the exits by then, others must have been in danger of dozing off. Manchester City neutralised Watford's challenge with two first-half goals, and the underdogs never looked like biting back in a soporific second half.

"Scoring a second at the end of the first half knocked the stuffing out of them," the City assistant coach, David Platt, said. "We were always in control after that."

It is easy to see why Watford are going so well in the Championship. As might be expected of a Gianfranco Zola team, they have some lively attackers and ideas. Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany had their hands full with Matej Vydra, who embarrassed the City central defenders for pace in the opening few minutes. Trying to play on the break only resulted in the visitors finding themselves pushed on to the back foot, however, allowing City to keep rolling forward.

David Silva and James Milner made all sorts of passing triangles around Daniel Pudil in the first half, yet all they had to show for their enterprise was a succession of corners. Milner in particular was wasteful with his crossing, and after tiring of waiting in vain in the middle for final balls that never arrived Carlos Tevez took matters into his own hands midway through the first half. Fouled outside the area by John Eustace, Tevez took the free-kick and arrowed an unstoppable shot through the wall and beyond Jon Bond.

It was a goal that had been coming.Almost all the action had taken place around the Watford goalmouth, yet within seconds of going behind Zola's side had a glorious chance to get back on terms. This time it was Fernando Forestieri racing free through the middle with City's defenders trailing yards behind, but having sprung the offside trap to put himself one on one with Costel Pantilimon, the eventual shot lacked conviction, the goalkeeper saved and any chance of an upset was lost.

"We didn't take our chances as well as we usually do," Zola said. "I'm not saying we could have won the game, we were playing the champions minus Joe Hart after all, but we could have made it closer."

City continued to squeeze Watford for the rest of the first half, until a switch of wings worked wonders for Milner's accuracy, and a cross from the left byline was firmly headed home by Gareth Barry.

City's high line was breached again at the start of the second half. With more composure Troy Deeney could have pulled a goal back but a heavy touch showed too much of the ball to the goalkeeper. By the hour stage, with Tevez still failing to reach Milner crosses at the other end, the home fans were amusing themselves with their Poznan dance, the one that involves turning their backs on the action and in this case not missing much.

There was only one thing now that would regain the crowd's attention and Balotelli duly came on for the last 20 minutes, exchanging a joke with Zola on the way out and forcing a save from Bond with his first touch. For good measure Roberto Mancini sent out Scott Sinclair too, perhaps hoping to demonstrate the midweek training ground ructions had been overplayed. Balotelli missed his best chance from a Silva cross and was pulled up for a couple of fouls when attempting to help out in defence, before producing a shot that Bond could only push out to Lopes. The Portugal-qualified Brazilian has become one of City's youngest scorers after playing five minutes of competitive football. Balotelli should take note. He might have 100 more chances but he will need to sharpen up to take any.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013 ... mentpage=1

[Redna]

First game fore a while I have not seen. Only this. No rivers and no streaks not a beak meandering around the wonderfull landscape at all.
I guess from things I've read and listened to that we were at the hearth of the fire.
Cheers!!

....or sallying forth from Valhalla, onto the plains of Asgard, to fight the battle at Ragnarok.....

....or perhaps not.

Sir, you are abselutely spot on.
Cheers!

[Beefymcfc]

The Guardian is not a broadsheet, it is now just another Rag sychophant. That story is aimed purposely at the Rag fans, not City fans.

Good to see Stu Brennan (MEN) saying that Tevez' shot would've killed VP if he was in the wall.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

This was written by a broadsheet:

Cup magic was conspicuous by its absence here, unless you count Mario Balotelli making the dreams of the 17-year-old substitute Marcos Lopes come true in stoppage time. Many were streaming for the exits by then, others must have been in danger of dozing off. Manchester City neutralised Watford's challenge with two first-half goals, and the underdogs never looked like biting back in a soporific second half.

"Scoring a second at the end of the first half knocked the stuffing out of them," the City assistant coach, David Platt, said. "We were always in control after that."

It is easy to see why Watford are going so well in the Championship. As might be expected of a Gianfranco Zola team, they have some lively attackers and ideas. Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany had their hands full with Matej Vydra, who embarrassed the City central defenders for pace in the opening few minutes. Trying to play on the break only resulted in the visitors finding themselves pushed on to the back foot, however, allowing City to keep rolling forward.

David Silva and James Milner made all sorts of passing triangles around Daniel Pudil in the first half, yet all they had to show for their enterprise was a succession of corners. Milner in particular was wasteful with his crossing, and after tiring of waiting in vain in the middle for final balls that never arrived Carlos Tevez took matters into his own hands midway through the first half. Fouled outside the area by John Eustace, Tevez took the free-kick and arrowed an unstoppable shot through the wall and beyond Jon Bond.

It was a goal that had been coming.Almost all the action had taken place around the Watford goalmouth, yet within seconds of going behind Zola's side had a glorious chance to get back on terms. This time it was Fernando Forestieri racing free through the middle with City's defenders trailing yards behind, but having sprung the offside trap to put himself one on one with Costel Pantilimon, the eventual shot lacked conviction, the goalkeeper saved and any chance of an upset was lost.

"We didn't take our chances as well as we usually do," Zola said. "I'm not saying we could have won the game, we were playing the champions minus Joe Hart after all, but we could have made it closer."

City continued to squeeze Watford for the rest of the first half, until a switch of wings worked wonders for Milner's accuracy, and a cross from the left byline was firmly headed home by Gareth Barry.

City's high line was breached again at the start of the second half. With more composure Troy Deeney could have pulled a goal back but a heavy touch showed too much of the ball to the goalkeeper. By the hour stage, with Tevez still failing to reach Milner crosses at the other end, the home fans were amusing themselves with their Poznan dance, the one that involves turning their backs on the action and in this case not missing much.

There was only one thing now that would regain the crowd's attention and Balotelli duly came on for the last 20 minutes, exchanging a joke with Zola on the way out and forcing a save from Bond with his first touch. For good measure Roberto Mancini sent out Scott Sinclair too, perhaps hoping to demonstrate the midweek training ground ructions had been overplayed. Balotelli missed his best chance from a Silva cross and was pulled up for a couple of fouls when attempting to help out in defence, before producing a shot that Bond could only push out to Lopes. The Portugal-qualified Brazilian has become one of City's youngest scorers after playing five minutes of competitive football. Balotelli should take note. He might have 100 more chances but he will need to sharpen up to take any.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013 ... mentpage=1

Christ, that's an unusually positive analysis for a City game in the Gruniad! Only a couple or 3 digs in that one....

[Mark Garrett]

My thoughts of the match were positive. We were thoroughly professional and although perhaps we were not as quite as good as we were against Stoke, it was another good performance and convincing win.

Fair play to Watford fans - 6000 of them and for the most part good backing of their team but let themselves down chanting 'United' a few times, which City fans asked who did they really support.

[Beefymcfc]

14 shots, 10 on goal and 3 in the bag. Much more clinical.

[kinkylola]

good work, professionally done.

We do seem to get more criticism in victory than the rags do in defeat or draw, but that's the norm now.

Not every game is going to the epitome of the beautiful game, but it sounds like we acquitted ourselves just fine in a game that City would have made a total meal out of in the not too distant past.

[bobby brows]

My thoughts of the match were positive. We were thoroughly professional and although perhaps we were not as quite as good as we were against Stoke, it was another good performance and convincing win.

Fair play to Watford fans - 6000 of them and for the most part good backing of their team but let themselves down chanting 'United' a few times, which City fans asked who did they really support.

This is a fair assessment. The clean sheet pleased me as much as anything as too often we've conceded a late goal through sloppy defending.