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

[City64]

A lot of people getting slightly carried away with Navas and what his pace brings but the whole system Pellegrini has installed is incredably flexable ...... it is a squad thing and Nasri played well again when he came on in that more forward role behind the strikers and got his goal for example , Silva is now more free to do what he does best and Yaya was sharper and effective . Our defence looked good although toon are shite , Lescott does what he always does very well and that is he stops everything , Kompany is class and clichy and Zabs defend well and get up and down non stop all match . Ted summed it up for me very well with we now play in the style of somewhere between Barca and a quality Italy !

[Bridge'srightfoot]

A lot of people getting slightly carried away with Navas and what his pace brings

Don't think we are tbh. We've been desperate for a player like that for 3 years now. It's not just his pace, it's the fact he can cross a ball too.

And most importantly he's being played on the CORRECT wing.

[bobby brows]

There are so many things to mention that we were good about last night, regardless of the opposition.

The service to the front two, get it to them quickly, to feet and support them. How many aimless balls were floated up to dzeko last year. How many times did it feel like playing with 9 because the strikers were so isolated.

Everyone working hard off the ball, i spent five minutes watching silva just anticipate where the ball was going to go and then move into that spot.

One Lescott tackle was compared to Bobby Moore in one paper today.

Someone always available for the ball and Navas as an outlet. The crossing was the best it's been since Mark Kennedy was done for anti social behaviour outside Beckham's house. There was one free kick that was just undefendable and another cross that was sheer perfection.

Dzeko x 1000 the player he was last year. If he gets one he'll get 30 this year.

The key was just watching City for 90 minutes and knowing what the game plan was. Be devastating in attack, score, hold onto the ball until opponent has given up, attack some more, score, hold onto the ball and spare opposition some dignity!

[Ted Hughes]

The workrate of Dzeko was about 30% more than anything he has produced previously even on a good day. I have said loads of times that I recon he's a superb player when he puts the work in, but is utter dogshite when he doesn't.

His finishing wasn't very good v Newcastle & imo he & Negrado will both continue to miss loads, they are not clinical finishers, but they are also capable of scoring an absolute shedload of goals whatever, & if both put the kind of work in which we saw from Dzeko, it fucks up the oppo in their own half & creates space for others, so chances are someone will score if they don't.

The way Nasri played when he came on (2nd striker one minute, midfield creator the next) is the way Isco often played at Malaga (as well as sometimes wide) & is the way Jovetic should be employed imo, not stuck right up next to a striker all the time. Let him move around, drop back & play where he wants, then make sudden runs to support the striker, not stuck upfront marked by a big hairy arsed centre back.

[brite blu sky]

I think we can all see this is the beginning of something we all wished for. Key here is letting players play, round pegs in round holes as well.
( Bob had the right idea imo for fluidity, but just never trusted the players and seemed to want to dictate/control players interpretation of the game )

My main take on this new approach is the speed of turning from gaining the ball to getting it at the front.

Lots and lots of detail in there and it is very very early days.

My analogy is City will be like sprung knives, as soon as the ball is retrieved they spring.


Apart from that and the evident class on display, The Count is clearly going to get the best from players and the turnaround in Dzeko and Nasri is evidence enough of that.

My fave part of last nights game was when he brought Nasri on into the central position as second striker. That single act shows nearly everything you need to know about Pellegrini.

Finally and this is very important for the longer term; The confidence that the individual players will get from being trusted will build into a supremely confident team, so confident in fact that they will not be overawed by any team anywhere on the planet. Previous Pellegrini teams have shown their audacity time and again, City's individual talent level begs that this Pellegrini team will top anything he has previously had. This is going to be one hell of an interesting journey.

[Cit.revenge]

Is there anywhere i can download the match ?

[Slim]

Is there anywhere i can download the match ?

I know the links, won't post them to the forum though.

[KippaxBlue]

Pics and comments on the Newcastle game are now online at
http://rtfract.com/citaug13.htm
sorry if the United TV ad comes up -there must be a United fan at Google!!!

[Ted Hughes]

I think we can all see this is the beginning of something we all wished for. Key here is letting players play, round pegs in round holes as well.
( Bob had the right idea imo for fluidity, but just never trusted the players and seemed to want to dictate/control players interpretation of the game )

My main take on this new approach is the speed of turning from gaining the ball to getting it at the front.

Lots and lots of detail in there and it is very very early days.

My analogy is City will be like sprung knives, as soon as the ball is retrieved they spring.


Apart from that and the evident class on display, The Count is clearly going to get the best from players and the turnaround in Dzeko and Nasri is evidence enough of that.

My fave part of last nights game was when he brought Nasri on into the central position as second striker. That single act shows nearly everything you need to know about Pellegrini.

Finally and this is very important for the longer term; The confidence that the individual players will get from being trusted will build into a supremely confident team, so confident in fact that they will not be overawed by any team anywhere on the planet. Previous Pellegrini teams have shown their audacity time and again, City's individual talent level begs that this Pellegrini team will top anything he has previously had. This is going to be one hell of an interesting journey.

Indeed it is, but wonderful as it is, even Pellegrini will need to go up a level or have a plan B when we come up against teams like Dortmund. They are not going to just use two players harrassing Lescott, Vinny etc when Hart throws the ball out, there will be 4 or 5 in our half, maybe 2 or 3 right on top of the cbs. Our midfield & strikers are going to have to make themselves immediately available to receive the ball, then also to move it on quickly, right through the team or this will happen again:

[youtube]_SH3g_hxQpQ[/youtube]

I can't believe the Count will be as fucking inept tactically as Mancini was that day (stop the picture on 4 secs & you can see how Mancini's stupid experimental tactic has half the team pushed right up the other end. leaving us to get mugged in our own half, as he did v Arsenal H & Villa League Cup) but even allowing for that; those are two midfield players who have been caught out, dithering, not two big daft centre backs. If it can happen to Yaya & Rodwell, it can happen to any of our cbs.

That potential for fuckup, plus a lack of protection in front of the defence, are absolutely the only faults I could find with our performance. The rest was better than I ever hoped for at this stage.

[Slim]

round pegs in round holes

My fave part of last nights game was when he brought Nasri on into the central position as second striker.

Like most of us have been begging to see since we signed him.

And the one game he did play there under Bobby(Watford in the LC I believe) he fucking smashed it like Jamie.

[Cit.revenge]

Is there anywhere i can download the match ?

I know the links, won't post them to the forum though.

Can u give me in p.m. ?

[Slim]

A lot of people getting slightly carried away with Navas and what his pace brings

Don't think we are tbh. We've been desperate for a player like that for 3 years now. It's not just his pace, it's the fact he can cross a ball too.

And most importantly he's being played on the CORRECT wing.

And even more importantly, he was making the right decisions in his crosses, the one that found Clichy was a particular highlight, great vision and decision making, couldn't ask for much better.

[brite blu sky]

That potential for fuckup, plus a lack of protection in front of the defence, are absolutely the only faults I could find with our performance. The rest was better than I ever hoped for at this stage.

You're right to point this out, as it stands against the best teams out there we look like we would be leaving a weakness. My take is that while you are right about it I think it is early days and we will see how it is addressed. I get the sense that The Count is horses for courses and will tailor the DM and strategy to suit the oppo.
The other aspect of course is the implementation and expertise in the pressing game, as that improves City will be less vunerable by default.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

A lot of people getting slightly carried away with Navas and what his pace brings

Don't think we are tbh. We've been desperate for a player like that for 3 years now. It's not just his pace, it's the fact he can cross a ball too.

And most importantly he's being played on the CORRECT wing.

And even more importantly, he was making the right decisions in his crosses, the one that found Clichy was a particular highlight, great vision and decision making, couldn't ask for much better.

The fact it was a right footer playing on the right meant he could whip that ball in early and find him. If that was Adam Johnson, he would have had to stop, check back play it in with his left. By which time Clichy would have been marked and they would have had more defenders back.

[Slim]

A lot of people getting slightly carried away with Navas and what his pace brings

Don't think we are tbh. We've been desperate for a player like that for 3 years now. It's not just his pace, it's the fact he can cross a ball too.

And most importantly he's being played on the CORRECT wing.

And even more importantly, he was making the right decisions in his crosses, the one that found Clichy was a particular highlight, great vision and decision making, couldn't ask for much better.

The fact it was a right footer playing on the right meant he could whip that ball in early and find him. If that was Adam Johnson, he would have had to stop, check back play it in with his left. By which time Clichy would have been marked and they would have had more defenders back.

Adam Johnson was a winger in the same way that I am a suspension bridge.

[Slim]

Pantilimon
Richards--Boyata--Nastasic--Kolarov
Milner--Rodwell--Barry--Nasri
JoJo--Negredo

That's the 2nd 11 that didn't start, forget them but the two senior players who wouldn't get in the 2nd 11 are Sinclair and Guidetti, both players I think would walk into the Newcastle side.

Now that's scary.