City v Saints Thread

[93:2012]

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Mangala, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Jovetic, Nasri, Aguero

Caballero, Pozo, Milner, Lampard, Fernando, Sagna, Demichelis

Like it a good strong team even minus injured Silva.

C'mon City

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I'm pleased to see Fernandinho go straight back in. I will be very interested to see how energised Yaya is for this one...

[gavin]

Very positive side with two up front. Bench looking a bit sparse attacking wise but it would be nice to see Pozo come on and make an impact. Come On City.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Who the feck is this ref?

Aguero gets hacked down in the area - and gets booked for diving 

[Rowley Birkin QC]

And Mangala looking all at sea at the back again... and now booked.

[Zabba]

Who the feck is this ref?

Aguero gets hacked down in the area - and gets booked for diving 

Do not be surprised if Aguero gets a second yellow and sent off.

Ref is one Mike Jones?

[Zabba]

And Mangala looking all at sea at the back again... and now booked.

Are we sure this is the same Mangala that played for us against Chelsea, I'm not.

[gavin]

Where do they get these refs from? Most have them haven't got the slightest clue. That was a clear penalty and yet a booking for diving was given. Really it should be unbelievable but after watching the game against the rags it is just par for the course I suppose. Utterly disgraceful.

I though we had a reasonable half without being incisive enough. Hopefully we can remedy that second half.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Half time, and after a promising start we have reverted yet again to our turgid, slow tempo, tippy-tappy, going no-where lateral passing - football.

Our movement off the ball is dreadful.

Drastic improvement needed in the second half or we will lose this one for certain.

[bluebrendan]

Lampard for Jovetic soon for me.

[bry the guy]

I was thinking the same and Milner for navas too.

[Zabba]

Half time, and after a promising start we have reverted yet again to our turgid, slow tempo, tippy-tappy, going no-where lateral passing - football.

Our movement off the ball is dreadful.

Drastic improvement needed in the second half or we will lose this one for certain.

What movement? There was movement, good God. We obviously have never heard off quick, sharp, incisive attacking.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I'll say one thing for Southampton - they're well organised and they work hard. Before the kick off I think the commentator on my feed said something about 7 of the Saint's players in the starting line up have played in every Premiership game this season. The continuity shows.

[Zabba]

Yaya, yaya, ya ya Yaya 

[Zabba]

WTF was Mangala thinking. Pathetic defending.

[bluebrendan]

WTF was Mangala thinking. Pathetic defending.

You mean Toure, sloppy again.

[bluebrendan]

Nice one Frank!

[Zabba]

City legend Lampard strikes again.

Brillant intercept James Milner.

[Zabba]

WTF was Mangala thinking. Pathetic defending.

You mean Toure, sloppy again.

NO Toure was an idiot but no point Mangala clattering the attacker to the ground, always going to a yellow and off.

[Kilkenny Blue]

Glichy ffs!!!! 

[gavin]

Great performance, great result. Well done City and a hearty fuck you to the refereeing department again. What a disgrace to the human race they are.

[Kilkenny Blue]

Great win.  Chelsea will drop more points as they're not as good as the meedja would have us believe.  Kuns yellow card was possibly the worst decision I've ever seen.  It looked as though he was about to blow for a penalty but changed his mind.

[bry the guy]

3-0 against the best defence in the league and a CLEAN SHEET well done city.Do we have lift off.

[Zabba]

Best performance by us this year. Well done City seized the opportunity Chelsea give them with both hands.

[The Blue Blooded Maniac]

Clichy had a great game

[zacc]

Let's hope Black Cats are not as organised on Weds!!
You know how hard games like that are mid week v teams like Sunderland!
So assume Demi as Mangala (nightmare ) will be out.
Loved the singing re how many men left playing     

[bry the guy]

Looks like Kompany will be out too.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

In the end, just enough City players came to the party to make a difference and get a good win, but it took Lampard and Milner's introduction to make it happen. Thank goodness for them - and Aguero.

For me, Yaya was next to useless. Even his goal needed a deflection.

Yet another lazy performance from the big man - too slow in both thought and deed putting himself and his team-mates under unnecessary pressure. There was a moment early in the second half when he received a ball just inside his own half when he had what must have been 20 yards of open grass in front of him that he could have run on into - but he dithering and eventually opted for a short lateral pass (which he fluffed) just as a Saints player got to him - and he lost the ball. That just about summed up his performances this season, and losing the ball in the lead up to Mangala's sending off topped off a really shit effort.

Hart's kicking and distribution are still woeful as well.

At least Clichy's finish managed to put a big fat smile on my face

[Zabba]

Every time the ball is passed back to Joe Hart (the guy with the ulgy looking rat on his lip) I start to panic.

Yaya cannot even be bothered to warm up properly. I would not lose sleep if he went on his merry way.

Navas is such a disappointment, he could and should be so good but just isn't.

[Neil Mcnab]

A good result, starting to get a bit of momentum. We all know it should have been at least four, the referee (Mr Magoo) might find his next game is a conference game, though that might be too much for him.

[City Slicker]

Well considering Chelsea have supposedly been rampant this season and we dont seem to have got going 6 point gap isnt so bad?!

We looked a lot better today, hope we are working up a head of steam now!

[zacc]

The strange facial hair sprouting is part of Movember to raise awareness of mens' health so check yer bits lads!
Thought the team played better yesterday Lampard is a great settler of madness when he comes on.
Yaya is improving but the more occasional rather than constant dawdling did get Mangala in hot water, mind
he needs to stop diving in too!!
Think Demi will be more reliable Weds (imagine saying that last season) not sure who'll step in for Kompany?
Still winning PL has never been a given so games like Weds all part of the test.
Good thing is getting wins and no Silva so gotta get better when he's back eh?

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Navas is such a disappointment....

Apparently not    -

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30268213

Played a vital role in helping to suppress Saint's attacking full backs - according to Jermaine Jenas.

Joking aside, I thought this article was an interesting read. As well as Navas, even Nasri gets some positive analysis. Yaya on the other hand barely gets a mention, which (you will have all ascertained from my previous comments) does not surprise me one jot!

[Swiss]

I'm wondering if Yaya will be at CB for the next match, we know he can play there as he did for Barce in the Champs league...

[alexsam]

Best performance by us this year. Well done City seized the opportunity Chelsea give them with both hands.

Bloody hell you don't half change your mind during a game. From the ridiculous to the sublime in about 4 posts

My advice is wait until the game has finished. 

[Zabba]

Best performance by us this year. Well done City seized the opportunity Chelsea give them with both hands.

Bloody hell you don't half change your mind during a game. From the ridiculous to the sublime in about 4 posts

My advice is wait until the game has finished. 

My observation at half time was we were not incisive enough, a bit tawdy and slow at times, that does not detract from my previous comments that it was still the best I have seen City start a game this season. But we were not clinical enough in and around the area that matters. Second half we put that right attacking the bye line and their box with real pace and purpose.

Overall far and away our best performance this season, and signs we are st6arting to get it together.