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City v Barca

Started by 93:2012, February 24, 2015, 18:45:49

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93:2012

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero

Caballero, Sagna, Mangala, Fernandinho, Lampard, Navas, Bony

Well all out attack pin Barca back in their own box it seems, umm that should work. I can see no reason why it would not.

Mangala dropped again - why did we buy him?

Zabba

Fernando in for the big game Fernandinho out - I would love to hear Pelle explain. Probably feels we need the silky passing skills of Fernando against Barcelona.

Ludo

What the fu...

Barcelona could tear us a new arsehole here.

gavin

Yes confused to see Fernando playing particularly but also DeMichelis to an extent considering Mangala started the last couple. Bloody cold here hopefully that won't suit Barca.

The Blue Blooded Maniac

How hasn't mashcherano been booked yet?

Lekos

Well Fernando has been pretty shit so far.

Lekos


Swiss


Ludo

Is Fernando the worse city player ever??

Ludo


The Blue Blooded Maniac

Why did no cnut close down before they put that cross in??

Lekos


Swiss

Quote from: Ludo on February 24, 2015, 20:15:09
Is Fernando the worse city player ever??

Not by a long shot


Ludo

Quote from: Swiss on February 24, 2015, 20:18:42
Quote from: Ludo on February 24, 2015, 20:15:09
Is Fernando the worse city player ever??

Not by a long shot

Not that long. He's shockingly bad,

Zabba

I am embarrassed for Pelle. This game was lost before a ball was even kicked. It takes a special incompetence not to learn the lessons no matter how often plan a fails. 

Hesperus

We are no closer to European elite than we were when we started. The transfer policy of the last two or three seasons must be seriously questioned. Huge changes are required for us to compete at this level in both playing staff and management. 

Ludo

How many times have we ben caught out trying to play 4-4-2 in Europe?

The Blue Blooded Maniac

Some good words of wisdom from Lee Dixon

In super slow mo, it doesn't look that fast

Ludo

Fernando looks like he's constantly in super slow mo.

Ludo

Would it be worth while taking sergio, silva and Nasri off to save them for the Liverpool game?

goat

Quote from: Ludo on February 24, 2015, 20:29:09
Fernando looks like he's constantly in super slow mo.

and its fucking everyone else up. at one point he took 10 minutes to knock it 3 yards to milner, milner had to rush his pass



this is a million miles away from saturday

Zabba

Judging on past form Pelle will take off Kompany and Zabba and throw on sagna and bony. 3 up front.

Rowley Birkin QC

Being totally out-played here by a much better organised and quicker thinking / moving team.

Poor defending in the build-up to both goals. Messi allowed to put the ball into Suarez without a challenge for the first, and just how much time and space did we want to give Alves in our penalty area for the second? Very disappointing.

We break and go forward like we're wading through treacle. Aguero still doesn't look fully fit to me.

goat

wonder when he was fully fit last

93:2012

This all out attack approach seems to be working well. Masterstroke by Pellegrini.

Ludo

We've always got Kolarov to pull us out of a hole.

bluepill

Anyone else bored of this death by a thousand cuts? Shit in the league stages and scrape through, now shite in the knockout stages. Why are we all so happy and smiley with the opposition it's just soft  if we're not as good as them we should be making some effort at kicking them up in the air

Ludo


goat

Quote from: bluepill on February 24, 2015, 20:50:43
Anyone else bored of this death by a thousand cuts? Shit in the league stages and scrape through, now shite in the knockout stages. Why are we all so happy and smiley with the opposition it's just soft  if we're not as good as them we should be making some effort at kicking them up in the air

bring back de jong,

bluepill

Also  clichy. come on just fuck off dude

Ludo

Quote from: goat on February 24, 2015, 20:53:46
Quote from: bluepill on February 24, 2015, 20:50:43
Anyone else bored of this death by a thousand cuts? Shit in the league stages and scrape through, now shite in the knockout stages. Why are we all so happy and smiley with the opposition it's just soft  if we're not as good as them we should be making some effort at kicking them up in the air

bring back de jong,

I'd take Javi Garcia back at this rate

bluepill

Quote from: goat on February 24, 2015, 20:53:46
Quote from: bluepill on February 24, 2015, 20:50:43
Anyone else bored of this death by a thousand cuts? Shit in the league stages and scrape through, now shite in the knockout stages. Why are we all so happy and smiley with the opposition it's just soft  if we're not as good as them we should be making some effort at kicking them up in the air

bring back de jong,

To be fair we've spent a lot on it but our midfield has never been as good as that season before he left

goat

amount spent isnt a sign of quality. if you buy a dog turd for 50 million its still  a dog turd....and better than fernando

bluepill

Makes a stupid pay rise and keeping him sound like it would have been the best idea

goat

betting even with the raise he would be on less than some of the shite

The Blue Blooded Maniac


The Blue Blooded Maniac

Fuckin weird second half that

goat

fuckin city

they make supporting them fucking hard work sometimes

Swiss

How many times is that we've had a player sent off against barce??? 3?

Took the sting out of the game that did

Zabba

Player sent off was a joke. Penalty was always coming we always crack in the end.

We were second best all round and did not work anywhere near hard enough as a team.

Pelle has to carry the blame entirely wrong set up and wrong choice of players. 442 was so obviously stupid even Pelle must havbe known that begs the obvious question did he feel compelled to play it.

He is also a pointless tinker man and has destroyed our defence.

Rowley Birkin QC

We were quicker and more positive in the second half and scored a very good goal - should have had at least another. Great save from Hart at the end.

Watching the first half, and considering how long we have had some of these players and the quality they supposedly represent, I continue to be puzzled by the lack of awareness they sometimes display, the poor anticipation, and how much time some of them need to dither with the ball at their feet.

At this level you get precious little time on the ball. You have to know where your team mates are (or going to be) and they have to work hard to find space to give you that outlet - and with that familiarity comes the quick passing game you need to take on the best opponents. There are times when our mob look like they've only known each other for 10 minutes!

Oh... and you have to be prepared to run a bit. And run hard. How many times tonight did we see Barcelona defenders and midfielders suddenly burst forward with runs that left our players surprised and trailing in their wake?

bry the guy

On a plus note i thought Dzeko worked harder and played better than he has in ages.

The Blue Blooded Maniac

Ye felt sorry for dzeko. He won quiet a few headers but there was never anyone following up on them

Zabba

Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on February 24, 2015, 22:01:00
We were quicker and more positive in the second half and scored a very good goal - should have had at least another. Great save from Hart at the end.

Watching the first half, and considering how long we have had some of these players and the quality they supposedly represent, I continue to be puzzled by the lack of awareness they sometimes display, the poor anticipation, and how much time some of them need to dither with the ball at their feet.

At this level you get precious little time on the ball. You have to know where your team mates are (or going to be) and they have to work hard to find space to give you that outlet - and with that familiarity comes the quick passing game you need to take on the best opponents. There are times when our mob look like they've only known each other for 10 minutes!

Oh... and you have to be prepared to run a bit. And run hard. How many times tonight did we see Barcelona defenders and midfielders suddenly burst forward with runs that left our players surprised and trailing in their wake?

I agree with most of that, just the first bit I do not entirely agree with. It is pointless being 'quicker and more positive in the second half' after having already thrown the game away with an inept first half performance. It means nothing.

We just did not work for each other as a team first half and how we were set up contributed 80% to that, players apathy the other 20%.

Oh you also forgot to place significant blame at Pelles door which he deserves.

Zabba

Quote from: Durk on February 24, 2015, 22:28:10
Ye felt sorry for dzeko. He won quiet a few headers but there was never anyone following up on them

I don't his headers were lame and ineffectual, his overall performance at best average.

Swiss

Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on February 24, 2015, 22:01:00
We were quicker and more positive in the second half and scored a very good goal - should have had at least another. Great save from Hart at the end.

Watching the first half, and considering how long we have had some of these players and the quality they supposedly represent, I continue to be puzzled by the lack of awareness they sometimes display, the poor anticipation, and how much time some of them need to dither with the ball at their feet.

At this level you get precious little time on the ball. You have to know where your team mates are (or going to be) and they have to work hard to find space to give you that outlet - and with that familiarity comes the quick passing game you need to take on the best opponents. There are times when our mob look like they've only known each other for 10 minutes!

Oh... and you have to be prepared to run a bit. And run hard. How many times tonight did we see Barcelona defenders and midfielders suddenly burst forward with runs that left our players surprised and trailing in their wake?

Exactly. I've often thought we're a second half team. Which is so dangerous against better teams. Thought their first knocked us for the entire half.

gavin

Well I am quite happy, might sound odd after losing 2-1 at home but having played absolute shite in the first half, had a stupid sending off and given away a silly penalty - I'm glad still to be in the tie. We showed we can go there and win in the second half if we concentrate and press them for the entire game. We had the chances in the second half. We just can't afford to play a like a load of knobheads for a half and on a couple more occasions in the second again. It was a bad performance in many, many ways but we're still in it and showed that we can worry them.

reddishblue

Quote from: gavin on February 24, 2015, 22:56:22
Well I am quite happy, might sound odd after losing 2-1 at home but having played absolute shite in the first half, had a stupid sending off and given away a silly penalty - I'm glad still to be in the tie. We showed we can go there and win in the second half if we concentrate and press them for the entire game. We had the chances in the second half. We just can't afford to play a like a load of knobheads for a half and on a couple more occasions in the second again. It was a bad performance in many, many ways but we're still in it and showed that we can worry them.

Well said. Hope it upsets the miserable sods on here. You know who you are  :D

reddishblue

I would just like to add that Hart's distribution was again woeful. I't's like he cant see and then just decides to hoof it. Should get his eyes tested instead of having his hair done.

Tricky Trev

#50
Quote from: Hesperus on February 24, 2015, 20:23:49
We are no closer to European elite than we were when we started. The transfer policy of the last two or three seasons must be seriously questioned. Huge changes are required for us to compete at this level in both playing staff and management.

Pretty much this. Also I find it hilarious to see De Jong mentioned so many times the past few weeks. I can't remember a single fuck giving a rats ass that he was given away for a pack of peanuts. Such disgraceful transfer policy the last few years by city. It's like a competition to see who can get the worse deal, while chelsea sell david luiz for a gazzilion dollars.

But by a miracle city is still somewhat in it, joke lucky city.

bry the guy

De Jong is being linked to the rags.

goat

Quote from: TrickyTrev on February 25, 2015, 00:35:47
Quote from: Hesperus on February 24, 2015, 20:23:49
We are no closer to European elite than we were when we started. The transfer policy of the last two or three seasons must be seriously questioned. Huge changes are required for us to compete at this level in both playing staff and management.

Pretty much this. Also I find it hilarious to see De Jong mentioned so many times the past few weeks. I can't remember a single fuck giving a rats ass that he was given away for a pack of peanuts. Such disgraceful transfer policy the last few years by city. It's like a competition to see who can get the worse deal, while chelsea sell david luiz for a gazzilion dollars.

But by a miracle city is still somewhat in it, joke lucky city.

youve been around as a member all of 5 minutes and this isnt the only place people talk city

if i remember right, the picture at the top of the old site was de jong holding the cup for a while

Lekos

I remember quite a lot of "fucks" on here that were quite disappointed he was allowed to leave.



Lekos

Quote from: TrickyTrev on February 25, 2015, 00:35:47
But by a miracle city is still somewhat in it, joke lucky city.

Have you found your way here via Red Cafe by any chance...?

zacc

First half gave them too much respect stood off them no idea why?!
Looked better second half still City can learn that their passing game's still got a long way to go !
Hope they learned a footballing lesson!

Rowley Birkin QC

Quote from: Lekos on February 25, 2015, 05:46:45
I remember quite a lot of "fucks" on here that were quite disappointed he was allowed to leave.

Yes - I can remember muttering darkly on here about if they let De Jong go they'd better have a bloody good replacement lined up!

...and of course, they didn't...

I still maintain that our failure to significantly strengthen our central midfield that summer cost us the defence of our Championship to a very ordinary rag side. The situation was not adequately recovered until we signed Fernandinho.

Lekos

I thought we started well, and were 'OK' until their first goal.  That seemed to knock the wind out of us.  Still, better second half and hopefully can make a game of it in Spain.

bluebrendan

Let's face it, a central midfield partnership of Fernando and Milner against Iniesta, Busquets and Rakitic with Messi dropping back at times was never going to end well was it? I still don't understand why Pellegrini can't see that going a man short in the middle against the likes of Barca is tantamount to surrendering the tie before it starts. We were far too open and it was more luck than judgement that we didn't end up losing by 2-5 or some similarly daft scoreline.


Rowley Birkin QC

Quote from: bluebrendan on February 25, 2015, 08:36:33
Let's face it, a central midfield partnership of Fernando and Milner against Iniesta, Busquets and Rakitic with Messi dropping back at times was never going to end well was it?

This is sadly true...

ebm1991

we keep saying our second half was good but was good because they slowed down a bit with 0-2?

goat

#61
Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on February 25, 2015, 08:15:40
Quote from: Lekos on February 25, 2015, 05:46:45
I remember quite a lot of "fucks" on here that were quite disappointed he was allowed to leave.

Yes - I can remember muttering darkly on here about if they let De Jong go they'd better have a bloody good replacement lined up!

...and of course, they didn't...

I still maintain that our failure to significantly strengthen our central midfield that summer cost us the defence of our Championship to a very ordinary rag side. The situation was not adequately recovered until we signed Fernandinho.




the version of de jong we had was not that good a player really...compared to his ajax days anyway but he could stop better players than him from playing. fernando is like a fucking turnstile
some fucks given  http://smf.citymancs.com/forum/index.php?topic=26351.0

Zabba

OMG how deluded are some on here. Blue Brendan and EBM1991 excepted.

We were well and truly second class to Barca in every position and area of the game. We were played off the park at home first half and lucky to go in at half time only 2 0 down.

Yes indeed second half we played better; but the tie never mind game was over by then and they had eased down and were saving energy. When we scored they stepped it up again and in desperation we ended up with a player getting sent off.

A message to the deluded on here there is more chance of Man Utd winning this years Champion League than us going through to the next round.

We are naïve in the way we are set up and seem unable to understand that against a team that is simple better all round than us we need to apply a different approach than 442 with Fernando and Milner in midfield and Nasri and Silva as back up defenders.

Lesser teams would have more chance of winning at the Nou Camp than we do; because they are not deluded and recognise they are inferior, then they play to their strengths and work their balls off for 90+ minutes.

This manager and this team are just are not capable of doing that and such a work ethic. 

goat

todays word of the day is deluded

wonder what 26th will be

gavin

First leg score was 2-1. We have a chance to go through still. I far from expect us to do it but to say it is deluded that we have a chance is too far the other way. We can beat Barcelona. I am sure we could score a few goals against them. My main concern is that we will concede as many.

They probably weren't quite as positive second half but I would say it wasn't their intent to concede and to look like they could concede more either. For a period it was perfectly realistic that City could get an equaliser. The first half was very bad but you can't deny we made inroads in the second half. Still in the tie.

goat

if dzeko had a head like a 50p coin it could have been all over by now in citys favour

Zabba

I fear that we will save ourselves for the Barca return match, rather than giving 100% against Liverpool and going all out for a win and the PL, in a delusional belief we can somehow make the next stage of the CL. 

Which of course we can with a MIRACLE.

Lekos

What on earth are you on about now? Standard drivel.

We have Liverpool this Sunday and don't play Barca again until the 18th March (after Leicester at home and then Burnley away).


The Blue Blooded Maniac


Zabba

So original Durk, how did you come up with it. I guess you must be a member of Mensa (or more likely menopausal).

.

Zabba

Good articulate article from Guardian. Mind I disagree with the last bit in my view only a miracle can save us at Nou Camp from another limp CL exit.

Article Link

Barney Ronay, Guardian

In many ways Manchester City found exactly the right team to lose to on Tuesday night in what was one of the more profound narrowly preserved 2-1 thrashings one is likely to see. Like City Barcelona may or may not end up winning any trophies this season. They may also shed another manager, although of the two men whirling and pointing on the touchline at the Etihad Stadium Manuel Pellegrini looks the more likely to suffer in the wake of this tie, a victim of weighty expectations but also his own bodged tactical plan in Manchester.

Should they fail, however, Barcelona will at least fail in the right way, a team who can lose while still appearing to know in exact detail how they intended to win. For City, on the other hand, the defeat flagged up how far this spirited champion club still has to go.

Most obviously Pellegrini sent out a team ill-equipped to deal with this opposition. City’s manager may get another season after this, depending on the availability and willingness of City’s preferred alternative, Pep Guardiola. But his mistake in setting his team up in an attacking 4-4-2 highlighted above all the disorienting pressures of the job at a club that is still all aspiration and ambition at this level.

No matter how Pellegrini tries to spin his team’s stirring zombie resurrection in the second half, the fact is the players he selected were never really given a chance. The talk before the match was of City’s need to play without fear, of the craving for a defining European performance just as 20 years ago Manchester United had those unforgettable matches against Juventus and Chelsea found their own muse in Barcelona in the early Mourinho years.

And yet common sense dictated City simply play the game in front of them whatever their wider sense of destiny. Málaga had shown a way to play Barcelona at the weekend: press high up the pitch, put two men on Messi, force those malevolent little ball-playing superheroes inside every time. Instead City’s manager lost his bearings, gambling that the best of his team, the ability to build up wave after wave of full-width attack, might overload Barcelona’s vulnerable defence. Instead it left his team exposed to a superior central midfield not to mention the deadliest attacking trident since Poseidon as City’s own two-man attack presented Sergio Busquets with the freedom to run the game from the space just behind them.

And so City came marching out across the ring with their chin held high waiting to be picked off and providing in the end not a defining victory but an example of how the champion spirit of a fine group of players can cover shortcuts and work still to be done in the grander plan for only so long.

City, of course, do have a plan. The visitors on Tuesday night are in many ways their model for the future. Approaching the ground before kick-off through the vast construction site of the Etihad Campus it was clear that plenty of City fans had taken the opportunity to watch the under-21s in action at the excellent new academy stadium next door. The idea here is to create a sense of continuity, a grand tactical and textural scheme, a club at home in its own self-sustaining model. Tuesday night was a register of the distance there is still to go at the cutting edge, most notably during a first-half Barcelona performance that spoke to an entire supporting culture, 40 years in the incubation, of how the game should be played.

Before kick-off inside the Etihad there was a crackle of authentic heavyweight European competition in the air for a meeting of two teams who are second in their domestic leagues and who have spent impressive amounts of money in recent years. And yet on the pitch the difference in style and ambition was painful at times. To borrow a phrase from the great Australian Bill Woodfull, there were two teams out there, but only one of them was playing elite level modern European football. And with half an hour gone this tie was effectively over as Barcelona produced football of a different style and calibre to anything seen here this season, a team completely in tune with itself, seeing the pass before it came, movements synchronised all over the pitch.

We like to scoff at the idea of a footballing “philosophy” in this country, to sneer when one of the great footballing method men â€" whose fingerprints are still there on this Barcelona team â€" is unable to reinvent a drifting Manchester United team in the space of six months. But it is no accident that Barcelona looked from the start like a coherent whole, able to display all those accumulated good habits of touch and pass and move when it matters most. This is what happens when you have a system in place so sturdy it supersedes the managerial merry-go-round, the loss of great players, the pressures of performing that left City looking like a team attempting to invent a way of playing on the hoof.

A quick glance at the two teams is instructive. The number of home-reared players in the Barcelona first XI has dipped but they still had four dominant outfield players in Messi, Busquets, Gerard Piqué and Andrés Iniesta. Even the players bought in fit the pattern, selected with a playing style in mind not just a scattergun sense of big-name splurge. Ivan Rakitic was a considered midfield reinforcement. Neymar may be a marketing prize but he also plays as if he could have been raised in La Masia. Luis Suárez has shown in the last few weeks that he is, stylistically, what Barcelona need, not just what they could get at the time.
By contrast City are basically the same old New City with £130m of fresh talent bought in over the past two years but largely absent here; a failure to buy well has put extra pressure on the stalwarts of that first title-winning team. It has been obvious for some time that the Premier League produces revenue not footballers. But at some point the absence of method, the churn of new signings and new managers will naturally affect the product itself.

Compared to the visitors City’s team at the Etihad was a high-priced hodgepodge with an attack that jammed together a 6ft4in Bosnian nicknamed “the lamppost” in his own country and the relentlessly subtle movement of Sergio Agüero. James Milner and Fernando looked like a will-this-do? central midfield pair sent out in hope. City have spirit and great heart. Only a fool would write them off completely in the second leg. But the fact is what pressure they exerted came when they basically had nothing to lose, like a lower league team having a right old go in the dying minutes of a third-round FA Cup tie.

This is perhaps to be expected against the very best. City are still an evolving idea and this may be a useful defeat in the end, just as their likely exit from the competition in Catalonia could be the spur for a clear-out of the ageing component parts of City 1.0. Pellegrini was spooked by the gravity of the occasion in Manchester but he remains a fine manager well liked by the hierarchy. Whether he can stay in place to oversee the next stage in this constant sky blue revolution may depend on a famous change of gear at the Camp Nou.


The Blue Blooded Maniac

Quote from: Zabba on February 27, 2015, 10:40:14
So original Durk, how did you come up with it. I guess you must be a member of Mensa (or more likely menopausal).

.


Rowley Birkin QC

I think the Guardian article is very good.

I especially agree with -

QuoteA quick glance at the two teams is instructive. The number of home-reared players in the Barcelona first XI has dipped but they still had four dominant outfield players in Messi, Busquets, Gerard Piqué and Andrés Iniesta. Even the players bought in fit the pattern, selected with a playing style in mind not just a scattergun sense of big-name splurge.

and -

QuoteBut it is no accident that Barcelona looked from the start like a coherent whole, able to display all those accumulated good habits of touch and pass and move when it matters most. This is what happens when you have a system in place so sturdy it supersedes the managerial merry-go-round, the loss of great players...

This is what city have to aspire to.


The Blue Blooded Maniac

Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on February 27, 2015, 13:25:35
I think the Guardian article is very good.

I especially agree with -

QuoteA quick glance at the two teams is instructive. The number of home-reared players in the Barcelona first XI has dipped but they still had four dominant outfield players in Messi, Busquets, Gerard Piqué and Andrés Iniesta. Even the players bought in fit the pattern, selected with a playing style in mind not just a scattergun sense of big-name splurge.


We havent had any big name splurge's. We've bought players who have performed consistantly for their respective clubs for postitions that were needed to be fullfilled. We payed alot of money for them to. Why that is though I dont know because most of the players we have bought in the last couple of seasons have only ever been linked with us.

Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on February 27, 2015, 13:25:35

QuoteBut it is no accident that Barcelona looked from the start like a coherent whole, able to display all those accumulated good habits of touch and pass and move when it matters most. This is what happens when you have a system in place so sturdy it supersedes the managerial merry-go-round, the loss of great players...

This is what city have to aspire to.



This I agree with. We have had the same core of first team players for a good few years now and should be developing the team around them. No such luck though.

Rowley Birkin QC

I think Yaya can be called a big name splurge, but otherwise I agree the statement isn't entirely reflective - but I do think the term scattergun is an accurate description of much of our dealings in the transfer market so far.

Zabba

My worry is we have spent good sums of money that could have bought us really good players on what has turned out to be average players, Fernando, Navas, Mangala, to mention a few. I can see why this has happened as they all threaten at times to be really good players. We need to learn the lessons.

Pelle worries me, he is likeable, but chops and changes needlessly and pointlessly. Find our starting 11 and get them working as a unit, then rest one or two and allow other players to integrate. Do not mess with the central defence unless unavoidable.

Three superstars in our team, mega signings, Aguero, Yaya and Silva.


goat

Quote from: Zabba on February 27, 2015, 19:27:39
My worry is we have spent good sums of money that could have bought us really good players on what has turned out to be average players, Fernando, Navas, Mangala, to mention a few.

thats the thing, on the face of it really good players came in, a spanish and french international

no signing is guaranteed to work no matter who it is or the fee, we could buy messi and cristiano ronaldo tomorrow but if they dont fit in/their mrs has the hump/ fernando touches them they wont play at their best and look bad signings

im assuming you are only going on the name or what daily mail says so using that we would never have had bargains like vinny and zabba

Zabba

I certainly thought Navas was a good signing at the time having watched. Mangala was a no brainer in my view. Put them in the PL and tempo and passion from opponents shows you what they really are like and boy, in the main, that has been mega disappointing.

You said it many times playing for Porto and like teams even average players can look like stars. Better scouting and transfer due diligence needed in future.

clevblue

Yes, especially if we win nothing, this summer will bring in players

as far as the return leg against Barca is concerned, what strikes me is that Barca played very very well, and it will be difficult for them to produce that level again next month at home - plus the fact that they will be under great pressure to do so! They are a team that can be beaten, as they were only last week. I think we have a good chance of doing a Bayern on them because of that.

goat

Quote from: Zabba on February 27, 2015, 21:01:15
I certainly thought Navas was a good signing at the time having watched. Mangala was a no brainer in my view. Put them in the PL and tempo and passion from opponents shows you what they really are like and boy, in the main, that has been mega disappointing.

You said it many times playing for Porto and like teams even average players can look like stars. Better scouting and transfer due diligence needed in future.



like i said, scouting etc doesnt guarantee anything, even players youve seen playing here have looked shit/dont work out when they sign, rodwell,sinclair and johnson

Swiss

Quote from: goat on February 25, 2015, 16:46:43
Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on February 25, 2015, 08:15:40
Quote from: Lekos on February 25, 2015, 05:46:45
I remember quite a lot of "fucks" on here that were quite disappointed he was allowed to leave.

Yes - I can remember muttering darkly on here about if they let De Jong go they'd better have a bloody good replacement lined up!

...and of course, they didn't...

I still maintain that our failure to significantly strengthen our central midfield that summer cost us the defence of our Championship to a very ordinary rag side. The situation was not adequately recovered until we signed Fernandinho.




the version of de jong we had was not that good a player really...compared to his ajax days anyway but he could stop better players than him from playing. fernando is like a fucking turnstile
some fucks given  http://smf.citymancs.com/forum/index.php?topic=26351.0

And I still stand by what I said then. Our central midfield has looked so disjointed since De Jong left. No, he was never going to be a messi or CRonaldo, but he shielded our defence, put in the tough tackles, rallied the troops, got stuck in when the chips were down. Ok he miss timed a few tackles... But he had that fear factor in the attacking players. He was also well liked at the club (player / Chappie level) and was such a character in the dressing room. I heart De Jong.

Hesperus

I was never a fan of De Jong as a player. Slow, passed sideways and backwards, however I loved his attitude and the crunching tackles he put in, but as a player he was limited. If you take the combined transfer fees of Garcia, Rodwell, Fernando and Fernandinho we could have bid for one hell of a player.

The transfer policy has been awful since we first won the title. I've said it previously, none of the players signed since then, with the possible exception of Demichelis have made any impact in the first team. Our big game players are Aguero, Ya Ya, Kompany, Zab, Silva and they are the same players who first won us the title and we do have an ageing squad with minimal homegrown players.  Chelsea have reinvigorated their squad with younger quality players who are looking great in the first team.  Hazard, Costa, Matic etc and they've managed to fund it without breaking FFP. I've no idea who runs our transfer policy, I assume it's Tixki, but who ever it is is failing the club.

Rowley Birkin QC

I liked De Jong. From a defensive point of view he was very effective and he allowed Yaya the freedom to push forward and do some damage. I thought this was one of the keys to out Championship success under Manchini.

However, De Jong was less effective going forward (as goat and Hesperus point out). Not positive enough and too many lateral passes. I always thought we could do better - and with that prospect I was content to let him go. But as we all know, City failed to find better. Garcia turned out to be his hardly adequate stand in, and the result was catastrophic to our Championship defence. Without De Jong our entire central midfield duties fell on Yaya's shoulders and in my opinion effectively neutralised him as an attcking force for most of that season.

Fernandinho's introduction last season balanced things up again in the middle (I think Hesperus is a little harsh not to give him some credit along with Demichelis) and allowed Yaya to be more expressive again.

Swiss

Quote from: Rowley Birkin QC on March 01, 2015, 12:05:11
I liked De Jong. From a defensive point of view he was very effective and he allowed Yaya the freedom to push forward and do some damage. I thought this was one of the keys to out Championship success under Manchini.

However, De Jong was less effective going forward (as goat and Hesperus point out). Not positive enough and too many lateral passes. I always thought we could do better - and with that prospect I was content to let him go. But as we all know, City failed to find better. Garcia turned out to be his hardly adequate stand in, and the result was catastrophic to our Championship defence. Without De Jong our entire central midfield duties fell on Yaya's shoulders and in my opinion effectively neutralised him as an attcking force for most of that season.

Fernandinho's introduction last season balanced things up again in the middle (I think Hesperus is a little harsh not to give him some credit along with Demichelis) and allowed Yaya to be more expressive again.

Yep, spot on, you wouldn't use him when you know a team would sit back against you (unless you were worried about counter attack strength) but where you needed to dominate the midfield in a 451 then his passing wouldn't matter too much as he could lay it off to the more attacking players easily.
He was also pretty good at linking the defence to attack... Could have done with him today!

If we're going to go 451 then we need to get rid of Dzeko and Bony and go for wide forwards with pace. 

goat

the thing is he was not a limited player, he was a quality box to box midfielder and could even do a quality job at rightback. might have been to do with him in a midfield with sneijder and van der vaart in holland  but the player we got from hamburg went backwards ( except his passing, that went sideways)