***official city v newcastle match thread***

[Herb]

My apology re my earlier mention that there wouldn't be a sending off because 'Marriner was a half decent ref' or words to that effect - I was so wrong that I hang my head in shame - Marriner was a cunt tonight, a useless whistle blowing idiot, he lost control at times and his decision making was so ludicrous that we could easily have lost a player to his card. The sending off was one of only a few things the got right.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

My apology re my earlier mention that there wouldn't be a sending off because 'Marriner was a half decent ref' or words to that effect - I was so wrong that I hang my head in shame - Marriner was a cunt tonight, a useless whistle blowing idiot, he lost control at times and his decision making was so ludicrous that we could easily have lost a player to his card. The sending off was one of only a few things the got right.

I didn't think the ref had a notable game really. Not sure we've got much to go nuts about.

[MilnersJaw]

with the almighty himself on our side, how can we fail?

[Green & Blue]

Pardew saying if Cabaye had played it would have been a different result.

Sure Alan, SURE.

Lol and to think Arsenal only value him at 10 million.

[Florida Blue]

The only difference between this game and Barca's destruction of Levante last night was that they finished better than us.

This was total and utter domination. Could have easily been 6/7 if we had taken our chances better... wonderful display nonetheless. The team looks incredibly balanced, and without Jovetic, Nastasic and Richards too.

Tim Krul deserves a lot of credit for keeping it 4-0. It could have been 6/7/8 easily, but he made some saves that very few would have. We put that many on target every week, we will win a lot, and score more than two seasons ago. Yes it was Newcastle, but if we stay healthy, it will not matter the opponent.

[Beefymcfc]

Just snuck into say - All's fine, enjoy tomorrow in work ;-)

[scroll]We are top'the league, we are top'the league...............[/scroll]

Where's Mancio?

[Plain Speaking]

My apology re my earlier mention that there wouldn't be a sending off because 'Marriner was a half decent ref' or words to that effect - I was so wrong that I hang my head in shame - Marriner was a cunt tonight, a useless whistle blowing idiot, he lost control at times and his decision making was so ludicrous that we could easily have lost a player to his card. The sending off was one of only a few things the got right.

I didn't think the ref had a notable game really. Not sure we've got much to go nuts about.

The main things Marriner ignored were 3 very clear penalty appeals, Yaya taken down, Zabba taken down and a clear hand ball from Taylor before he "stiff-armed" Kun.
The disallowed Negredo goal was a very poor decision, he was a clear yard onside, but this was down to the assistant.

[phips]

Without getting too carried away because Newcastle arent that great and they were missing their best creative plauer (Cabaye),

-I had no idea Navas liked to get inside as much as he did. He looks really crucial on the flank. I dont see how we can play without him or Milner on the right in "big games"

-I tried to focus my attention of Fernandinho but the tv camera wouldnt let me. he did play some great balls over the top and won back alot of balls. definitely better in Barry. maybe Barry is better defensively bur Fernandinho is faster and a better passer.

-Silva looked great in the first half but seemed to fade in the second.

-I noticed that Yaya hugged Nasri on the sideline after his goal (which was gorgeous)..I wonder if that has to do with the footage in the recent Inside City of them practicing curling in free kicks from right about where Yaya scored from.

-Thank god we're playing Cardiff next...losing Kompany for that one wont be too bad. Looks like Garcia will be in the middle for the next two. God damn, we need another center half. If we have to rely on Garcia we are screwed. Lescott didnt look that bad aside from 2 bad plays that I noticed. Kompany looked amazing before he went down too.

-Great hustle from Nasri for the 4th. Out paced and outran Debuchy.

-Shame that Negredo got his debut goal incorrectly ruled out.


Oh yeah, top of the table.

[BlueinBosnia]

-I had no idea

The correct tense is 'have'.

[phips]

-I had no idea

The correct tense is 'have'.

no, because it was past tense. i currently have the idea since i now know. when i saw it (past tense) i had no idea (past tense).

[Jorgobot]

Tim Krul deserves a lot of credit for keeping it 4-0. It could have been 6/7/8 easily, but he made some saves that very few would have. We put that many on target every week, we will win a lot, and score more than two seasons ago. Yes it was Newcastle, but if we stay healthy, it will not matter the opponent.

I do like Krul and believe he is classy

[Jorgobot]

no, because it was past tense. i currently have the idea since i now know. when i saw it (past tense) i had no idea (past tense).

BROKE Bib! Jk

[dazby]

We were a little bit exciting in this game. I thought 4 of the 5 yellows plus the red shouldn't have been given.

Augurs well for a doozy of a season.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I was really impressed with Nasri when he came on. That twenty minutes or so was better than pretty much anything he produced last season.
He's been rightly criticised the last two seasons but last night he was hungry and wanted the ball all the time. He was also working hard off the ball.
Maybe it's because he now knows he has real competition for his place and anything less than 100% and he has no chance of getting a game.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I was really impressed with Nasri when he came on. That twenty minutes or so was better than pretty much anything he produced last season.
He's been rightly criticised the last two seasons but last night he was hungry and wanted the ball all the time. He was also working hard off the ball.
Maybe it's because he now knows he has real competition for his place and anything less than 100% and he has no chance of getting a game.

[City64]

Cracking night at the Etihad last night ..... really enjoyed our football , the atmosphere in the stadium was also much better than last season maybe that was down to our new fluid style of quick tempo football ? anyway great night and we hit the ground runining ........ fantastic ! Ref was shit though , 2 stonewall pens for us NOT GIVEN WTF !!! Fernandinho was exceptional , those little passes and his workrate make us tick , Aguero was back to his best , what a stroke Pellegrini pulled off getting him fit , sharp and ready to go , what a player and better than Van Pussy for me any day ! Lastly fingers crossed on Vinny ....... we need him fit this season !

[Ted Hughes]

It's one game against a not very good on the day Newcastle defence (but still miles better than Swansea's ).

But the number of differences in this performance compared to pretty much anything we have seen since the takeover, are really too many to list. From small details to huge obvious changes. It was like a mixture of the absolute best ideas from both our previous managers, with much more variation compared to both.

One simple, easy to spot difference (from someone who had occasional Monday morning bald patches due to watching Zabba/Clichy fuck up endless opportunities to put half decent balls into the penalty area for fucking years), both, in the last 10 mins or so, put in FIRST TIME crosses. Not take a step, look up, "shall I pass it backwards, I don't want to give the ball away, oh fuck the fullback is here I'll whack it into his legs/pass it backwards", but "fucking ave it, in yer go son, get on the end of that one" attempts to put a ball into the danger area.

Zabba's was the usual overhit bag of shite which sailed over everyone's heads towards the other side of the pitch (but he got several excellent simple, one touch layoffs right first half), Clichy's though, was a lovely hard hit, low cross to Negronky, who whacked it into row Z. On another day, it lands in the top corner. The difference is in the EARLY ball.

This, plus a genuine winger (with pace ON THE CORRECT SIDE) plus the strikers running off each other, step overs/flick ons, working as a pair (even Watford's no mark strikers did that stuff better than City's have been doing for 3 years)

This is the stuff the rags have been winning titles with, for decades. The stuff loads of us have been pointing out & begging for. But we can, & do, also play like Barca, & Italy, which they can't.

For it all to happen in the first game, even if we were playing v the one legged paperboys 11, is remarkable.

To top it off, Yaya scores a perfect free kick, something Pellegrini has had the whole team PRACTICING.

Tougher tests will come & we still have a lack of protection in front of the defence, but what this bloke is trying to do is RIGHT & it's on another fucking planet compared to what we have been doing.

[Michael Brookes]

When Toure's shot didn't hit row Z I was amazed. When the net bulged I was in disbelief!

Outstanding performance all round. If I had to find something to be critical about, then it was Lescott reinforcing my opinion that he is an excellent stopper but crap on the ball.

Good day at the office all round in summary

[Bridge'srightfoot]

It's one game against a not very good on the day Newcastle defence (but still miles better than Swansea's ).

But the number of differences in this performance compared to pretty much anything we have seen since the takeover, are really too many to list. From small details to huge obvious changes. It was like a mixture of the absolute best ideas from both our previous managers, with much more variation compared to both.

One simple, easy to spot difference (from someone who had occasional Monday morning bald patches due to watching Zabba/Clichy fuck up endless opportunities to put half decent balls into the penalty area for fucking years), both, in the last 10 mins or so, put in FIRST TIME crosses. Not take a step, look up, "shall I pass it backwards, I don't want to give the ball away, oh fuck the fullback is here I'll whack it into his legs/pass it backwards", but "fucking ave it, in yer go son, get on the end of that one" attempts to put a ball into the danger area.

Zabba's was the usual overhit bag of shite which sailed over everyone's heads towards the other side of the pitch (but he got several excellent simple, one touch layoffs right first half), Clichy's though, was a lovely hard hit, low cross to Negronky, who whacked it into row Z. On another day, it lands in the top corner. The difference is in the EARLY ball.

This, plus a genuine winger (with pace ON THE CORRECT SIDE) plus the strikers running off each other, step overs/flick ons, working as a pair (even Watford's no mark strikers did that stuff better than City's have been doing for 3 years)

This is the stuff the rags have been winning titles with, for decades. The stuff loads of us have been pointing out & begging for. But we can, & do, also play like Barca, & Italy, which they can't.

For it all to happen in the first game, even if we were playing v the one legged paperboys 11, is remarkable.

To top it off, Yaya scores a perfect free kick, something Pellegrini has had the whole team PRACTICING.

Tougher tests will come & we still have a lack of protection in front of the defence, but what this bloke is trying to do is RIGHT & it's on another fucking planet compared to what we have been doing.

Savage summed it up well.
Main thing was we played and passed with PURPOSE. Last season there was so much fannying about, passing the balll backwards and sideways with little off the ball movement and just hoping that something would open up.
Several people on here have been crying out for some pace and width in the side and Navas gave us both and showed the difference it can make.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

It's one game against a not very good on the day Newcastle defence (but still miles better than Swansea's ).

But the number of differences in this performance compared to pretty much anything we have seen since the takeover, are really too many to list. From small details to huge obvious changes. It was like a mixture of the absolute best ideas from both our previous managers, with much more variation compared to both.

One simple, easy to spot difference (from someone who had occasional Monday morning bald patches due to watching Zabba/Clichy fuck up endless opportunities to put half decent balls into the penalty area for fucking years), both, in the last 10 mins or so, put in FIRST TIME crosses. Not take a step, look up, "shall I pass it backwards, I don't want to give the ball away, oh fuck the fullback is here I'll whack it into his legs/pass it backwards", but "fucking ave it, in yer go son, get on the end of that one" attempts to put a ball into the danger area.

Zabba's was the usual overhit bag of shite which sailed over everyone's heads towards the other side of the pitch (but he got several excellent simple, one touch layoffs right first half), Clichy's though, was a lovely hard hit, low cross to Negronky, who whacked it into row Z. On another day, it lands in the top corner. The difference is in the EARLY ball.

This, plus a genuine winger (with pace ON THE CORRECT SIDE) plus the strikers running off each other, step overs/flick ons, working as a pair (even Watford's no mark strikers did that stuff better than City's have been doing for 3 years)

This is the stuff the rags have been winning titles with, for decades. The stuff loads of us have been pointing out & begging for. But we can, & do, also play like Barca, & Italy, which they can't.

For it all to happen in the first game, even if we were playing v the one legged paperboys 11, is remarkable.

To top it off, Yaya scores a perfect free kick, something Pellegrini has had the whole team PRACTICING.

Tougher tests will come & we still have a lack of protection in front of the defence, but what this bloke is trying to do is RIGHT & it's on another fucking planet compared to what we have been doing.

Excellent post. The variety of our attacking options (width, pace, long-ball, short-passing etc.) was a joy to watch.