Rodwell

[twosips]

I thought he has OK in the first and fairly shite in the second. We can't judge him on one game, but I cannot see how anyone believes he was a better. Option than NDJ today. The defence was fucking awful and looked so exposed as well as far too deep. Nige provides excellent cover and this was missing. We got out of jail by sheer force of City (we have that these days!) but it was close. That said, talk of battering them, etc was always going to be daft talk. These newly promoted sides are a pain in the first few games, all bouncy and full of confidence.

All said, we created enough to have swamped them.

Do you not see a contradiction there. Battering them was daft talk but if we had taken our chances we would have swamped them............ not such daft talk then. All that was missing today was a bit of sharpness in front of goal which is not surprising considering it was the first game of the season and our leading score from last year was not on the pitch.

If Silva had scored his 2 clear opportunities, Clichy his and Dzeko before they had scored then it would have been a battering but we didnt but lets not get in a flap

Rodwell played cautiously which is understandable and so he just played 5/10 yard passes but he has only met these players and he will need to grow.

As for NDJ he doesnt want to sign the contract on the table De Rossi looks like an option so I think he will be gone

No, I don't think I'm contradicting myself. I always think that playing the newly weds on opening day is a lottery. Much better to play them in December, say, when they've had a few leatherings, etc. As it turned out, City could have had a hatful and really should have. Expecting it though, that's a different matter. We're starting the great big engine up, probably at 70%. They played significantly beyond their limts, I reckon. I expected a win like everone else but I thought it might be dicey. What I really loved was that sudden going through the gears and just simply taking the game away from them. All the top sides to do it.

As for NDJ, I hope you're wrong and he stays. Sadly, for me, he appears to be going. Shame.

Completely with you on all this. I also loved the spell just before half time where we absolutely roasted them for ten minutes. Some frighteningly good football. In particular the stuff down the right from Tevez that ended up with Silva wasting a very easy chance.

Not concerned in the slightest. In fact, i'm encouraged. The mentality is still clearly there, and we've had a nice early wake up call meaning we'll be fully focused in the next game.

[Beefymcfc]

Nothing great, did his job, made a mistake that could've/should've been sorted.

First game, we'll see where he goes from here.

Oh, was amazed he started.

[Swales4ever]

had a good debut, very obvious the role he was being asked to play ... and I think one upside for him is that he will do the job asked of him. I could see a few times that he wanted to break out and spread the ball a bit more, and he did a bit in a very conservative fashion, but mostly gave the ball off the silva or yaya, which must have been what mancini wanted. Having players who will play the role you want, in the way you want, is imperative ... especially in mancini's system. We see that problem with AJ, who seems to not want/be able to adapt exactly how mancini wants. Granted, it might be a smaller change for rodwell to do what bobby asks, but it's still worth noting, in my opinion.

Yes he gave away the ball that lead to their 2nd goal ... but really, how much of that passage of play was his fault? He gave away the ball with a weak pass on the edge of their area. How did we fail to stop them between there and our goal line? That was a failing of the team, in my opinion. We played to their level, and when rodwell gave the ball away, more than an individual fuck up ... to me he was displaying exactly the mentality that we had fallen into in those 10 minutes leading up to that point. We were knocking it about lazily, almost as if we just expected a goal to come, and not taking Southhampton seriously. We got punished for it.

very good post.
pretty much reflects my very same vision of Rodders debut, obviously incomparably more well spelled than I had been able with my relevant posts.
Just a question, which is also a plea for a language lesson, cause I'd tend to think that I am misunderstanding there: are You seriously thinking that it's worth nothing for a player to do what his manager asks him, Kinky mate?
and please, mind, I am not asking it because I am a Mancini licker, as I undoubtably am, but because I am seriously studying since several years, the relationships that intervenes between the longest spell of sporting starvation ever suffered by a big football Club, in specie the Greatest (actually sole) Football Club of Manchester, and the love for the anarchy that seems - to me - to affect the vast majority of their supporters.

[getdressedmctavish]

He played a minimilist role well. He has to do more. He's young and its his first game. There is good reason to believe he can and will do more. He has the stamina and skill to drive forward and shoot or play a penetrating pass. He plays with his head up. He is strong. All positives.He's not certain to achieve. If he was he would be £30 mill not £12 million.

[kinkylola]

had a good debut, very obvious the role he was being asked to play ... and I think one upside for him is that he will do the job asked of him. I could see a few times that he wanted to break out and spread the ball a bit more, and he did a bit in a very conservative fashion, but mostly gave the ball off the silva or yaya, which must have been what mancini wanted. Having players who will play the role you want, in the way you want, is imperative ... especially in mancini's system. We see that problem with AJ, who seems to not want/be able to adapt exactly how mancini wants. Granted, it might be a smaller change for rodwell to do what bobby asks, but it's still worth noting, in my opinion.

Yes he gave away the ball that lead to their 2nd goal ... but really, how much of that passage of play was his fault? He gave away the ball with a weak pass on the edge of their area. How did we fail to stop them between there and our goal line? That was a failing of the team, in my opinion. We played to their level, and when rodwell gave the ball away, more than an individual fuck up ... to me he was displaying exactly the mentality that we had fallen into in those 10 minutes leading up to that point. We were knocking it about lazily, almost as if we just expected a goal to come, and not taking Southhampton seriously. We got punished for it.

very good post.
pretty much reflects my very same vision of Rodders debut, obviously incomparably more well spelled than I had been able with my relevant posts.
Just a question, which is also a plea for a language lesson, cause I'd tend to think that I am misunderstanding there: are You seriously thinking that it's worth nothing for a player to do what his manager asks him, Kinky mate?
and please, mind, I am not asking it because I am a Mancini licker, as I undoubtably am, but because I am seriously studying since several years, the relationships that intervenes between the longest spell of sporting starvation ever suffered by a big football Club, in specie the Greatest (actually sole) Football Club of Manchester, and the love for the anarchy that seems - to me - to affect the vast majority of their supporters.

I was speaking to rodwell's ability to adapt to what mancini asks, and AJ's seeming inability to do the same. Which I mean to be a bit of a criticism of AJ ... even though he is being asked to adapt to a much bigger change than rodwell ... i think it's still a valid criticism of AJ, and slight praise of rodwell.

[Swales4ever]

thanks Mate, that's why I tendend to suspect that I was misunderstanding.... ;)
didn't match the whole history of Your very sensed opinions...

[Mike J]

Just seen that the lad is injured AGAIN.

Really starting to lose faith that he has a future with us. He has showed glimpses of the fantastic abilility he has but he can barely last a game. Even when he's not playing he's picking up odd knocks. I feel for the lad but i wonder if the club will be running out of patience.

Would love him to get fit as i think he'd be a real asset. Any physio's on here offer any hope he can fully recover!?

[Ajardine]

Just seen that the lad is injured AGAIN.

Really starting to lose faith that he has a future with us. He has showed glimpses of the fantastic abilility he has but he can barely last a game. Even when he's not playing he's picking up odd knocks. I feel for the lad but i wonder if the club will be running out of patience.

Would love him to get fit as i think he'd be a real asset. Any physio's on here offer any hope he can fully recover!?

Great point there Mike, I'd love to see him fit as think he has got a natural ability. Would be good to hear the views of a physio, looking at the injuries he's had and whether his body can keep up with the viguors of profession sport

[dazby]

Fortunately he's at a club that can persist with him and he can ease his way back.

[Green & Blue]

Fortunately he's at a club that can persist with him and he can ease his way back.

Hope so.I really think he could do a top job for City if his injury issues can get sorted out.It's worrying when you consider he has only managed 12 appearances in 15 months at the club.

[sheblue]

It's really a shame, have always thought he was/is a very good player. Hope he eventually pulls through this ongoing spell of injuries.