Topic: General Manchester City thread

[child-in-time]

Reportedly City have agreed a deal in principle with Atletico Madrid for Martin Demichelis, fee of around €4.1m.

[Xxavi]

Manchester City had a rocky start with Pellegrini at the helm, but I am positive they will be much, much better footballing side than what they were under Mancini.

However, if I have to criticize one thing about their transfers during this summer is the fact that their reinforcement in midfield weren't enough. Fernandinho is a step in the right direction, and I think he will come good, although he is struggling with his adjustment right now. But they need another 1-2 top class midfielders. Javi Garcia isn't that, and now, I think he is considered a defender (a bad one). Barry isn't top class, neither is Rodwell. Milner can do a decent job, but again, not top class. Yaya Toure has only a title that says he is a midfield, he became a very undependable one.

So instead of buying Navas, Negredo and Jovetic, they could have, and indeed should have, bought a top midfielder. Knowing Pellegrini's teams, I am surprised he didn't buy a ball playing possession style midfielder-playmaker. I know, he didn't have one in Malaga, but that's because he didn't have money. Watching a porous midfield get dominated by the likes of Hull... this is not what I expect from a Pellegrini team. Fernandinho, even if he comes good, won't do this alone, and Toure is no help.

[Tomaldinho]

Manchester City had a rocky start with Pellegrini at the helm, but I am positive they will be much, much better footballing side than what they were under Mancini.

However, if I have to criticize one thing about their transfers during this summer is the fact that their reinforcement in midfield weren't enough. Fernandinho is a step in the right direction, and I think he will come good, although he is struggling with his adjustment right now. But they need another 1-2 top class midfielders. Javi Garcia isn't that, and now, I think he is considered a defender (a bad one). Barry isn't top class, neither is Rodwell. Milner can do a decent job, but again, not top class. Yaya Toure has only a title that says he is a midfield, he became a very undependable one.

So instead of buying Navas, Negredo and Jovetic, they could have, and indeed should have, bought a top midfielder. Knowing Pellegrini's teams, I am surprised he didn't buy a ball playing possession style midfielder-playmaker. I know, he didn't have one in Malaga, but that's because he didn't have money. Watching a porous midfield get dominated by the likes of Hull... this is not what I expect from a Pellegrini team. Fernandinho, even if he comes good, won't do this alone, and Toure is no help.

Would Isco have been the solution to this? They were meant to be in for him, sprouting this typically Cityesque premature ejaculation

[RedHopper]

City were not good today. If hull were sharper in front of goal, they would have been well out of sight before city came close to scoring. Whatever solidity they had in defence came from Nastasic, who is a fine player. They desperately need kompany back , but it's a very poor reflection on a club that has spent as much money as city, that they need their two best players, or else they fall apart against the like cardiff.

It's interesting to watch them play just to see how pellegrini is changing things. navas looks like a useful addition, and negredo looks like a fairly consistent, if not amazing striker, but that's precisely what they need. The thing though is that they are still quite trundly on the attack, and a lot of that comes down to yaya toure frequently wanting a second and third and fourth touch on the ball. They need him to move the ball on a lot quicker. By the time he gets the ball out to navas or silva, they have already been picked up. Still though, great free kick. 

[Xxavi]

Would Isco have been the solution to this? They were meant to be in for him, sprouting this typically Cityesque premature ejaculation

Sure, Isco could have run the games for them. However, even him is not what they need, IMO. Isco, like Silva, would have been a player to direct their attacks. And he certainly would have improved them, I think he'd have been their best player in attacking midfield department including Silva, Nasri and Navas.

But for me, what they need is a midfielder. Central, defensive or holding midfielder. They currently start with Fernandinho-Toure combo, and one is not a midfielder any more, he is a lazy box to box midfielder (Toure), other seems to be good but not to dominate midfield. They need a midfield general like Xabi Alonso, Pirlo, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Cesc etc. In that sense, Illarramendi or Thiago or Gundogan are the ones they should have gone after.

Even if not a ball playing midfielder, they should have bought another midfielder like Fernandinho. Currently, it's Fernandinho against a midfield of 3-4 players. Medel eats him, and ManCity midfield is gone. Or Huddlestone and Co easily dominate him.

[Xxavi]

Also, now that their transfer campaign has ended, and there are no midfielders coming in, Pellegrini perhaps should switch their formation to crowd the midfield with quantity, if not quality. 2 strikers up front tactics lead them to be exposed in midfield, and defense being shite due to injuries, midfield cannot keep them from conceding chances and goals. 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 is the way, IMO. One clear striker, even if that means their high profile strikers sit on the bench.

4
DM-Fernandinho (DM=Barry, Milner, Garcia but not Toure!)

Navas-Toure-Silva
----Aguero/Dzeko/Negredo

or
4
DM-Fernandinho-Toure (DM = see above)

Navas---S----Silva/Nasri (S=one of their strikers)

[ManchesterBlue]

City were not good today. If hull were sharper in front of goal, they would have been well out of sight before city came close to scoring. Whatever solidity they had in defence came from Nastasic, who is a fine player. They desperately need kompany back , but it's a very poor reflection on a club that has spent as much money as city, that they need their two best players, or else they fall apart against the like cardiff.

It's interesting to watch them play just to see how pellegrini is changing things. navas looks like a useful addition, and negredo looks like a fairly consistent, if not amazing striker, but that's precisely what they need. The thing though is that they are still quite trundly on the attack, and a lot of that comes down to yaya toure frequently wanting a second and third and fourth touch on the ball. They need him to move the ball on a lot quicker. By the time he gets the ball out to navas or silva, they have already been picked up. Still though, great free kick.

Really poor first half today and somewhat less poor second. Yaya is infuriating. He isn't a defensive midfielder as he doesn't protect the back four. He should be in front of the player who does. There was no one better than De Jong at that task (although limited doing anything else) and even Barry could do an effective screening job, albeit only on one side of the field.

So if Yaya doesn't defend, he should be the fulcrum of our attacks, which he can do as he's an excellent passer of the ball or can run at defences, which we aren't doing enough of so far. But apart from a few passes today, he was barely in the game until that free-kick. I'd like to see Rodwell get some starts in his place as he does look like he could be a potent attacking force.

I looked at our back four today and it filled me with dismay. Kolarov is woeful, Lescott is a real curate's egg of a player - ocassionally very good but far too often he switches off and just isn't aware of what's going on around him. Nastasic is excellent but is more left-sided normally. Zabaleta is a strange one. Player of the Year and never ever stops running and tackling and it was a pin point cross for the goal but I think he's a technically limited player in terms of positioning and general football intelligence and therefore gets found out if the players around him aren't quite up to scratch. Clichy is OK but not really that great going forward and Richards is fantastic going forward but still has a lot to learn about being a top class defender.

[jooneyisdagod]

Ł2bn Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi slaves transfer kitty next window for the lads. Got it, tread on it. Lets be having ya!

Mate, I can see where you are coming from but frankly I don't think Man City supporters can do much about it unfortunately. No need for such inflammatory posts.

[Tomaldinho]

So if Yaya doesn't defend, he should be the fulcrum of our attacks, which he can do as he's an excellent passer of the ball or can run at defences, which we aren't doing enough of so far.

So often worked as a successful plan B for you, Mancini might have saved his job if he'd used his unlimited resources to get someone who could enable him to use it as a plan A...

[RedHopper]

Mate, I can see where you are coming from but frankly I don't think Man City supporters can do much about it unfortunately. No need for such inflammatory posts.

well they could think carefully about the size of the issues involved, what their club has become, and their new role of paying cheerleaders for tyrants, and find another club. There are more important things in this world than football, and if the price for watching all of these shiny new players is that you have to side with really nasty people, then the only real option is to stop. it's sad, and depressing but this is what football has become. It would be a little easier to accept if so many city fans weren't so incredibly keen on the whole thing.

otherwise you're little better than a chelsea fan. 

[jooneyisdagod]

well they could think carefully about the size of the issues involved, what their club has become, and their new role of paying cheerleaders for tyrants, and find another club. There are more important things in this world than football, and if the price for watching all of these shiny new players is that you have to side with really nasty people, then the only real option is to stop. it's sad, and depressing but this is what football has become. It would be a little easier to accept if so many city fans weren't so incredibly keen on the whole thing.

otherwise you're little better than a chelsea fan. 

Well if they are such tyrants then perhaps the British Government should stop being their allies ? Some economic sanctions perhaps ? Refusing to do business with them might hit them hard until they changed their human rights policies could help maybe ? The Saudis are close international allies of the British government and have been for ages so what's the problem with one of them owning a football club in Britain ? Obviously if the charges against the owners were serious enough the British Government would push for sanctions against them. I mean, you can't really imagine an Iraqi or a North Korean or a Syrian owning a football club in the UK can you ? I don't think you have any right giving someone shit over supporting a football team while your government is in bed with the same fellows.

[RedHopper]

I don't understand what the british government being their allies has to do with anything. Your government will suck anyone's er, water pipe, if they have money and power and oil. It's not that long ago since they ruled a quarter of the world. If a human being had the moral compass of the british government, they would be a total psychopath.

Football fans are humans, who are supposed to identify with other humans, and if your owners allow slavery, torture democracy activists, and imprison women if they are raped, then the time has come to grow up and make an adult decision. These are serious, real, and truly awful things. The problem for a city fan is that without the money they'd be back where they were, and that money that they get is soaked in blood. Their previous owner killed thousands of people, these ones are pretty vile.

The question is just how nakedly evil does someone have to be before football fans turn down their money?

[jooneyisdagod]

I don't understand what the british government being their allies has to do with anything. Your government will suck anyone's er, water pipe, if they have money and power and oil. It's not that long ago since they ruled a quarter of the world. If a human being had the moral compass of the british government, they would be a total psychopath.

Football fans are humans, who are supposed to identify with other humans, and if your owners allow slavery, torture democracy activists, and imprison women if they are raped, then the time has come to grow up and make an adult decision. These are serious, real, and truly awful things. The problem for a city fan is that without the money they'd be back where they were, and that money that they get is soaked in blood. Their previous owner killed thousands of people, these ones are pretty vile.

The question is just how nakedly evil does someone have to be before football fans turn down their money?

To just swat away the moral compass of a government doesn't sit right with me. Like you rightly observed earlier, there are more important things than football. Taking that into consideration, your calls for City fans to boycott or protest their owners while simultaneously turning a blind eye to their Government doing business deals with the very folk seems like a token gesture and frankly I would have something concrete happen with the labour laws in the Gulf than token gestures that ultimately mean fuckall.

If you are really sincere about the brutality of the regime and I do believe you are, then call for a boycott of their products/companies based there and petition your local MP's to sever ties with them and so on. Action where it'll actually hurt rather than goad City fans over why they aren't protesting the Owners. If we are really getting into the issues, you'll find that Indonesia where we recently played and have a partnership with for instance with Garuda Indonesia are hardly the best guardians of human rights in the world.

You've said a couple of times that City's success is bankrolled by blood money while we are simultaneously sponsored by a bank. Tell me how many people have lost jobs, lost their homes and practically lost their lives due to banks like Stan Chartered being greedy ? Without taking the thread too far off topic, the GFC caused a massive surge in suicides at least in the USA so it can be argued that the profits of Stan. Chartered and many other banks are just as tainted with blood. So are you now saying that we are tainted by blood money too ?

I think alcohol is a major problem in many societies too. Drinking alcohol can lead to physical issues and yet we were prominently advertising an alcoholic brand. So does that mean as football fans we should have all refused to buy those shirts and indeed protest the promotion of alcohol which has wreaked havoc on many societies ?

I would much rather someone did something about the labour laws in the gulf states at the level of the government rather than some silly walkout at a football club.

[RedHopper]

To just swat away the moral compass of a government doesn't sit right with me. Like you rightly observed earlier, there are more important things than football. Taking that into consideration, your calls for City fans to boycott or protest their owners while simultaneously turning a blind eye to their Government doing business deals with the very folk seems like a token gesture and frankly I would have something concrete happen with the labour laws in the Gulf than token gestures that ultimately mean fuckall.

No, you're missing the point. Governments are largely amoral organizations. People are supposed to be moral. If You or I were to behave in the manner of the UK govt over the last 600 years, then we'd be very famous, and not for good reasons. Asking the british govt to stop doing deals with unpleasant oil states would be a pointless token gesture, because virtually every oil state is a deeply unpleasant regime. Man city fans protesting outside the PR front of the Abu dhabi royal family would be meaningful because their ownership of man city is all about positive publicity. But we're nowhere near that. we're talking about people who wholeheartedly embrace these people. City fans don't care that their club has been taken over and used to whitewash evil. They seem to love it. They're the only ones who can do anything about it.

If you are really sincere about the brutality of the regime and I do believe you are, then call for a boycott of their products/companies based there and petition your local MP's to sever ties with them and so on. Action where it'll actually hurt rather than goad City fans over why they aren't protesting the Owners. If we are really getting into the issues, you'll find that Indonesia where we recently played and have a partnership with for instance with Garuda Indonesia are hardly the best guardians of human rights in the world.

Man City are the public face of Abu Dhabi in the UK. Man city Fans are the public cheerleaders of The abu dhabi regime in the UK. It is their club, they are the ones with responsibility to do something about it. Remember, they are the ones ensuring that everyone thinks that these people are santa claus. And yes I'm unconvinced that we should be doing deals with Indonesian companies, but at least garuda are one step removed from the people ordering the torture. The point here is that the Man city situation is the worst case scenario.

You've said a couple of times that City's success is bankrolled by blood money while we are simultaneously sponsored by a bank. Tell me how many people have lost jobs, lost their homes and practically lost their lives due to banks like Stan Chartered being greedy ? Without taking the thread too far off topic, the GFC caused a massive surge in suicides at least in the USA so it can be argued that the profits of Stan. Chartered and many other banks are just as tainted with blood. So are you now saying that we are tainted by blood money too ?

I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. Banks are not exactly my favourite things in the world, but they are on a different f*cking planet of evil to the al-nayhan family. You're not remotely comparing like with like.

I think alcohol is a major problem in many societies too. Drinking alcohol can lead to physical issues and yet we were prominently advertising an alcoholic brand. So does that mean as football fans we should have all refused to buy those shirts and indeed protest the promotion of alcohol which has wreaked havoc on many societies ?

now you're being silly.

I would much rather someone did something about the labour laws in the gulf states at the level of the government rather than some silly walkout at a football club.

I'm afraid that this sentence encapsulates much of what is wrong with the modern football fan.

[ManchesterBlue]

well they could think carefully about the size of the issues involved, what their club has become, and their new role of paying cheerleaders for tyrants, and find another club.

I appreciate you're sincere in what you say RH but Jesus H Christ! Do you understand what being a football supporter is?

[Trada]

 Viktoria Plzen v Manchester City
Tuesday 17th September 2013
Kick-off – 8.45pm (local time)

The Club has secured an additional, very limited, allocation of category 1 tickets priced as follows:

Ł86 Adults

Please note concession prices are not available for this game.

[AB LFC]

Ł86, bargain!

[stevieG786]

We will finish ahead of these shites

[Po The Panda]

Their transfer business has been poor the last two windows, I was not convinced in the summer by their dealings they have paid the best part of 100 million on their 2nd rate targets. When they won the league they should have built on top of that and pretty much dominate the league for the foreseeable future but they fucked up

[bigbear]

Their transfer business has been poor the last two windows, I was not convinced in the summer by their dealings they have paid the best part of 100 million on their 2nd rate targets. When they won the league they should have built on top of that and pretty much dominate the league for the foreseeable future but they fucked up

The 4 players they signed this summer are not second rate. Navas, Fernandinho, Jovetic and Negredo are all top class.

Di Michelis is second choice to fill a hole.

I think City will come good but Pelligrini needs to work out that there is a physical need away at some of these grounds.

[Drinks Sangria]

I appreciate you're sincere in what you say RH but Jesus H Christ! Do you understand what being a football supporter is?

He understands. But it also seems that he understands what being a human is. How can thousands continue to pump countless millions into the coffers of a tyrant's plaything? Supporting another club shows and protesting is a gesture that shows a lot of decency and integrity in my eyes.

The PL should have told their dirty billions to fuck off, but they'd never do that would they?

[HighSix]

If Di Canio was not so crazy 33/1 for Manuel Pellegrini to be first sacked would be tempting. Apart from an easy CL opener they have a challenging next 8 with the form they are in >>>United, Villa away, Bayern, Everton, West Ham away, CSKA away, Chelsea away.

100m spent again this summer but do not look upgraded much at all. Navas adding pace to the team is a big positive but dont really see where Jovetic fits in how they play or Negredo as an upgrade on Dzeko (not seen much of Fernandinho). Balotelli & Tevez not replaced at all.

[Macedonian Red Reborn]

Their transfer business has been poor the last two windows, I was not convinced in the summer by their dealings they have paid the best part of 100 million on their 2nd rate targets. When they won the league they should have built on top of that and pretty much dominate the league for the foreseeable future but they fucked up

The signings that they have made this summer are actually pretty good. Fernandinho, Negredo, Navas and Demichelis are experienced performers, and would very likely come good once they adapt to the league. Jovetic will be one of the stars of the league in a year or two. It will take some time before the manager and the new players adapt to the new league, but their quality suggests that they will make it sooner or later.

[sinnermichael]

Still fancy them to beat United next week. They should have a field day against that United midfield.

[BigMarcs]

Roberto Mancini to be announced as the new Galatasaray coach in the next few days.

I felt he was harshly criticized at City, everyone thought Pellegrini would kill it and look how hes struggling so far (I know its early days).

[downtown]

Roberto Mancini to be announced as the new Galatasaray coach in the next few days.

I felt he was harshly criticized at City, everyone thought Pellegrini would kill it and look how hes struggling so far (I know its early days).

Poor move for Mancini. Reckon he should have waited for a better job at a better league.

There is a ceiling to reach with a team like Gala...Not an ambitious move by Mancini.

[BigMarcs]

Poor move for Mancini. Reckon he should have waited for a better job at a better league.

There is a ceiling to reach with a team like Gala...Not an ambitious move by Mancini.

Not sure about that, he can restore his reputation by gaining a Turkish league and adding that to his CV. Plus the opportunity to coach players like Drogba and Sniejder would be awesome as well. Galatasaray are relatively big spenders as well, and are in the CL so I reckon its a great opportunity for any coach.

[JohnnoWhite]

To be honest here, what do you mean - "the opportunity to coach players like Drogba and Sniejder would be awesome ...." 

What do you think could he possibly bring to the games of such long-established players?

If these two guys ain't by now mastered how best to play their game, I'm in the "it's too ferkin' late for anyone to start pissing around with them" camp.

[PaisleyPrint]

Still fancy them to beat United next week. They should have a field day against that United midfield.

Change beat for battered and you were spot on.

[JohnnoWhite]

Sad but true- absolutely battered !

[Kochevnik]

We will finish ahead of these shites

 

Or maybe you're a Chelsea fan?   

[Gaz123456]

Still too inconsistent for a team with so much talent. The title is there for the taking this year, but they are doing everything they can to cock it up again.

[ElCapo]

Be interesting to see the game tomorrow.  I hope Pep doesn't go for a draw.

[The 1989 Brit Awards]

City will win 2-1

[CHOPPER]

Pellegrini has got a head of hair like the arse end of an Alsatian.

[Matts]

Wow, Joe Hart had a shocker.

[TheGOAT]

442 v them was insane, Toure and Fernandinho were hopeless but weren't helped by the tactics

[Drinks Sangria]

Schooled today. Lahm, Robbery and Muller were a delight, they tore City apart. City gave them some trouble in the last ten minutes, but that's not disguising the fact they were trounced tonight. Good goal by Negredo.

[Milkay Gundog]

absolutely battered tonight although they won't be the last time to suffer that against Bayern, to beat Bayern you have to be strongly drilled and determined for the whole 90 minutes. City quite frankly did not do that tonight they were missing for 75 minutes of the game.   

[SerbianScouser]

I don`t buy Bayern being this superior to them for a second.

I thought Pellegrini`s set up was a proper suicide. With different set up - flooding the midfield and playing with one striker who would help the midfield rather than two who don`t - I think they would compete properly with them.