Topic: General Manchester City thread

[Yosser0_0]

A Liverpool fan lost an eye after being hit by a coin thrown by an Abu Dhabi 'fan' at the Emptyhad a few seasons ago. Throwing things were all City were good at before Abu Dhabi bought their name. Anyone who ever stood on the away side of the Kippax fence will testify to that.

At least you felt well protected by the netting that they had fitted between the opposing fans, it was virtually bullet proof! What exciting times they were!
 

[Yosser0_0]

Mate of mine got hit by a golf ball there, got hit by a meat pie once as well, the pie was rock hard and did more damage than the golf ball, come to think of it the pie incident may have been on the kop, things are a bit hazy but the golf ball deffo happened at maine road

Umm, are you sure that wasn't at Wigan Athletic?

On that subject I once heard a story about an aerobics class being held in Wigan. The instructor told the class to put their 'hands on thighs' and the entire class responded by covering their eyes with their hands.
 

[ScouserAtHeart]

What does any of that even mean? If I'm understanding it right, its saying they were looking to hire a manager before Pep leaves who would stay in the background and basically hang around the club learning the ropes so they can have a smooth transition?

As an aside, all clubs go through transitions and rebuilds. It bugs me no end that City  - from Pep down to their fans - think they're entitled to just spend shedloads of cash to perpetually cling to top spot.

As a fan I'd find that do dull. Eventually teams figure you out and develop tactics to counter you; your players age and need replacing. And yes, you can do a Fergie if you're canny with transfers and know how to bring the youth on, so you can minimize the disruption. City just don't want to face any of those challenges.

They don't just want success  - they want easy success. Maybe its because of a lifetime in the wilderness, but they just don't want to fight for it.

The irony is they're kicking off because they're failing to reach the bar THEY set.

Think they basically want to hire a manager a year early, and spend that year learning everything from the great and powerful Pep before leaving

[Red Beret]

Think they basically want to hire a manager a year early, and spend that year learning everything from the great and powerful Pep before leaving

Great. He'll learn all the shortcomings too.

[Skeeve]

Up against £8m for ours who are essential undroppable components of our team.

Be fair that £210m includes the ones that would also be the backups so you have to include the cost of our backups too.

Since they are Milner and Gomez, that'd take the total up to a massive £10.25m.

[Musketeer Gripweed]

He'll learn to count to two anyway.

[gazzalfc]

Funny how quiet the Liverpool thread is over on Blue-moon

[L8Craig]

He's a brilliant manager Pep is.
The city side he inherited was brilliant but also the players he has signed have been brilliant too.

They let Kompany go leaving Laporte, Ottamendi and Stones. Even if Kompany was a bench player for them last season, not replacing him was stupid. An injury was bound to happen to Fernandinho or one of the CBs leaving the defensive set up looking fragile.

Aguero and Sane, as brilliant as they are, are replaceable due to the sheer amount of world class technical attacking players they have accrued over the years.

Putting Fernandinho into defence rather than letting him being his snidey self in the centre of the park isn't the greatest move. Rodri looks good but he isn't Fernandinho and playing two 10s either side of him doesn't help the fragility they have behind the midfield.

They've lost that killer instinct that made teams concede the game before the game had even kicked off.

Lovely.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

I honestly don't get why they don't just swap Rodri and Fernandinho around. Fernandinho is obviously a better midfielder, and Rodri is built like a centre back and knows how to play there.

[vicar]

Umm, are you sure that wasn't at Wigan Athletic?

On that subject I once heard a story about an aerobics class being held in Wigan. The instructor told the class to put their 'hands on thighs' and the entire class responded by covering their eyes with their hands.
 

 

I am going to steal that!

[L8Craig]

I honestly don't get why they don't just swap Rodri and Fernandinho around. Fernandinho is obviously a better midfielder, and Rodri is built like a centre back and knows how to play there.

I think it's because Stones and Ottamendi are jokes defensively too, so Fernandinho is quite senior at the back.

[Red Beret]

Their ability to stop the counter-attacks this season has almost completely evaporated.

Wonder if Klopp's mind games regarding tactical fouls played a part in it. I reckon they did.

Since they moved Fernandinho their ability to tactically foul themselves out of trouble has greatly diminished.  Saw a suggestion online the other day that they plan to keep him at CB as he's likely to be off in the summer, so they'd rather bloody someone else in DM as a replacement.

[Medellin]

A Liverpool fan lost an eye after being hit by a coin thrown by an Abu Dhabi 'fan' at the Emptyhad a few seasons ago. Throwing things were all City were good at before Abu Dhabi bought their name. Anyone who ever stood on the away side of the Kippax fence will testify to that.

Yep & not just a City thing back when they were at Maine rd..Utd fans done exactly the same during the FA cup replay there, everything got hurled at us that night including a huge lump of coal..yeah coal of all things for fucks sake.

[Dave D]

Heads have completely gone, it's only December.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11882040/pep-guardiola-says-manchester-city-struggling-to-match-elite-clubs-at-current-time

"That is the level we face against Liverpool, United, Barcelona, Madrid, Juventus - they are the teams we have to face and the reality is maybe we are not able now to compete with them"

[killer-heels]

They are done this season.

They wont be winning the CL either. Their only trophies could be in the domestic cups.

[El Lobo]

He's a brilliant manager Pep is.
The city side he inherited was brilliant but also the players he has signed have been brilliant too.

They let Kompany go leaving Laporte, Ottamendi and Stones. Even if Kompany was a bench player for them last season, not replacing him was stupid. An injury was bound to happen to Fernandinho or one of the CBs leaving the defensive set up looking fragile.

Aguero and Sane, as brilliant as they are, are replaceable due to the sheer amount of world class technical attacking players they have accrued over the years.

Putting Fernandinho into defence rather than letting him being his snidey self in the centre of the park isn't the greatest move. Rodri looks good but he isn't Fernandinho and playing two 10s either side of him doesn't help the fragility they have behind the midfield.

They've lost that killer instinct that made teams concede the game before the game had even kicked off.

Lovely.

Not sure they are really. Bringing on Sane against tired legs is a massive thing they’ve missed, or him starting and bringing on someone else after he’s ran them ragged. Aguero too is a flat track bully that Jesus isn’t. Sanes been a huge loss for them.

[killer-heels]

He's a brilliant manager Pep is.
The city side he inherited was brilliant but also the players he has signed have been brilliant too.

They let Kompany go leaving Laporte, Ottamendi and Stones. Even if Kompany was a bench player for them last season, not replacing him was stupid. An injury was bound to happen to Fernandinho or one of the CBs leaving the defensive set up looking fragile.

Aguero and Sane, as brilliant as they are, are replaceable due to the sheer amount of world class technical attacking players they have accrued over the years.

Putting Fernandinho into defence rather than letting him being his snidey self in the centre of the park isn't the greatest move. Rodri looks good but he isn't Fernandinho and playing two 10s either side of him doesn't help the fragility they have behind the midfield.

They've lost that killer instinct that made teams concede the game before the game had even kicked off.

Lovely.

Kompany wasnt a bench player. He was a key player that they wheeled out for every big game. If anything they did all they could to protect him.

Aguero and Sane are two of their best 3 out and out attackers, alongside Sterling. Silva is an all rounder but neither Jesus or Mahrez are in the class of Aguero or Sane.

The good thing for us long term is that Aguero doesnt have much left in the tank and Sane may well go and even if he doesnt he may have been curtailed long term due to suffering an ACL.

[SerbianScouser]

Sane may well go and even if he doesnt he may have been curtailed long term due to suffering an ACL.

Plus for some reason Pep was losing his trust in him anyway, was benching him a lot last season with Bernardo practically taking over his spot as wide-forward.

[mkingdon]

Any bets on City breaking the January window spending record....on their own?

Johnny Evans for £300m?  It seems to be Pep's one trick....spend, spend and then spend some more.

Where are all the kids their gabillion pound FFP dodging infrastructure has delivered?

[Nobby Reserve]

What does any of that even mean? If I'm understanding it right, its saying they were looking to hire a manager before Pep leaves who would stay in the background and basically hang around the club learning the ropes so they can have a smooth transition?

As an aside, all clubs go through transitions and rebuilds. It bugs me no end that City  - from Pep down to their fans - think they're entitled to just spend shedloads of cash to perpetually cling to top spot.

As a fan I'd find that do dull. Eventually teams figure you out and develop tactics to counter you; your players age and need replacing. And yes, you can do a Fergie if you're canny with transfers and know how to bring the youth on, so you can minimize the disruption. City just don't want to face any of those challenges.

They don't just want success  - they want easy success. Maybe its because of a lifetime in the wilderness, but they just don't want to fight for it.

The irony is they're kicking off because they're failing to reach the bar THEY set.

From this bit - "An exact title was not specified but it was essentially described as a job to audit and oversee the first-team medical and fitness departments on behalf of the club, rather than Guardiola." - I took it to mean that ADPRFC want to bring in someone to oversee certain aspects of playing squad side of things, who reports to - and whose loyalty is to - the club, rather than the manager. They're using the anticipated departure of Pippy as an opportunity to bring in this change, with the next manager having to work within this set-up.

[PhilV]

Those quotes from Guardiola are so devoid of self awareness of who he is and the team he is managing and their spending power (which they have used frequently)



He can get to fuck, bald c*nt. I have never liked him, reminds me AJ, the fake humbleness bollocks but inside you know they are fucking dickheads.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

He's a brilliant manager Pep is.
The city side he inherited was brilliant but also the players he has signed have been brilliant too.

They let Kompany go leaving Laporte, Ottamendi and Stones. Even if Kompany was a bench player for them last season, not replacing him was stupid. An injury was bound to happen to Fernandinho or one of the CBs leaving the defensive set up looking fragile.

Aguero and Sane, as brilliant as they are, are replaceable due to the sheer amount of world class technical attacking players they have accrued over the years.

Putting Fernandinho into defence rather than letting him being his snidey self in the centre of the park isn't the greatest move. Rodri looks good but he isn't Fernandinho and playing two 10s either side of him doesn't help the fragility they have behind the midfield.

They've lost that killer instinct that made teams concede the game before the game had even kicked off.

Lovely.

Aguero isn't really replaceable. I can't remember him having a bad season (whem fit) in his career since Atletico. He's probably the most consistent striker in the league since 2011.

[Sir Capon of Debaser]

He's basically saying "We're done here lads. We've got no chance now they won't let us spend stupid amounts. I can't coach Aldi level players into superstars. Who do you think I am,fucking Klopp?"

[L8Craig]

Kompany wasnt a bench player. He was a key player that they wheeled out for every big game. If anything they did all they could to protect him.

Aguero and Sane are two of their best 3 out and out attackers, alongside Sterling. Silva is an all rounder but neither Jesus or Mahrez are in the class of Aguero or Sane.

The good thing for us long term is that Aguero doesnt have much left in the tank and Sane may well go and even if he doesnt he may have been curtailed long term due to suffering an ACL.

Big games wise he only started against us and Man Utd in the prem. Rest were on the bench or injured. He still played in 15 other games in the prem.

Sane and Aguero are world class but i'd say the drop in quality to Jesus and Mahrez is much closer than if we had to go from Mane and Salah to Origi and Shaqiri.

Even without Aguero and Sane, they still have KdB, D Silva, B Silva, Sterling, Mahrez, Gundogan and Rodri to fill the 6 places infront of the defence.

[Yosser0_0]

I am going to steal that!

So two Wiganers are talking away during their lunch time whilst eating, one says to tother, 'I got engaged to my girlfriend last night and bought her a ring'. The tother one say's 'Eighteen Carat?'*. To which he replies 'No I'm chewing on me pie'.

*(Eating carrot?)

 

[Cpt_Reina]

Reacting to racism in Italy, and not saying a word about racism in your own ground where he saw the incident with his own eyes - that is hypocrisy. We Liverpool fans know that, it's nothing new for us, we're just making sure that everyone understands that too.

Are you kidding me?

Sterling is not some sort of arbiter of the morality of the game, nor is he duty bound to address every incident of racism which occurs.

There's no hypocrisy whatsoever there.

[L8Craig]

Aguero isn't really replaceable. I can't remember him having a bad season (whem fit) in his career since Atletico. He's probably the most consistent striker in the league since 2011.

Why don't they have Sterling upfront where Aguero plays? He has scored 15 so far not even half way through this season whereas Aguero scored 32 in all comps last season.

Ok, Aguero is up there in the tier below Messi and Ronaldo, but I think in an attacking sense, Man City have way too much quality where they shouldn't be affected too much from losing him.

[DelTrotter]

Seems quite a few of them want to lose to Leicester  how the mighty have fallen.

[Statto Red]

So two Wiganers are talking away during their lunch time whilst eating, one says to tother, 'I got engaged to my girlfriend last night and bought her a ring'. The tother one say's 'Eighteen Carat?'*. To which he replies 'No I'm chewing on me pie'.

*(Eating carrot?)

 

We call Wigeners, goons [well it's more Wigan RL fans ]as well as pies, goons being they're thick as 2 short planks. the pies is historical, the general strikes of the 20s, people from Wigan were first back to work, with replies they've gone back to eat humble pie.

[Nobby Reserve]

Are you kidding me?

Sterling is not some sort of arbiter of the morality of the game, nor is he duty bound to address every incident of racism which occurs.

There's no hypocrisy whatsoever there.

By keeping markedly silent about racism connected to his own club, isn't any future intervention by him on the topic of racism diluted, though?

At best he's laid himself open to accusations that he turns a blind eye to racism involving players/fans of the club paying his wages.

[Morgana]

Their ability to stop the counter-attacks this season has almost completely evaporated.

Wonder if Klopp's mind games regarding tactical fouls played a part in it. I reckon they did.

I think 2 other managers called them out on the tactical fouls months before Klopp did: Pellegrini and someone else I cannot remember. Klopp would’ve never even mentioned it if Pep hadn’t been silly enough to go throwing rocks at Sadio.

[stewy17]

Are you kidding me?

Sterling is not some sort of arbiter of the morality of the game, nor is he duty bound to address every incident of racism which occurs.

There's no hypocrisy whatsoever there.

You're right of course, but as some have said here, he's rightly weighed in on racism issues at other clubs, for England and in other countries but he's kept quiet now that it's happened at his club. I don't think it's hypocrisy, it's obviously playing it safe because it could potentially involve criticising his own fans / club / employers. I think it's likely that the City players will have been instructed to keep quiet on both the Mendy/Silva and this issue, which of course leaves him in a tough place.

I wouldn't criticise the lad and I think that what he did over the past year or so really shone a light on some problems, however I can understand why some might ask why he's quiet now after being so vocal previously.

[Scouser-Tommy]

Seems quite a few of them want to lose to Leicester  how the mighty have fallen.

That literally sums up their fan-base, absolute self-entitled whoppers.

[Zlen]

If we go through in CL I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed we draw them in the knockout rounds.

[Cpt_Reina]

The only reason you'd think Sterling is out of order or a hypocrite for not calling out this case of racism among the others which he has is because of your own partisan views due to him being an opposition player.

If it was a Liverpool player, Brewster perhaps, who had called out racist behavior by other teams fans and players but who then didnt act or speak up when someone supporting Liverpool also acted in an incorrect way then very very few people on these boards would be calling him a hypocrite for it, if any.

Sterling doesn't need to comment on that idiot City fan at all, especially considering his club was very proactive in disavowing it on Saturday. What do you really expect or want the lad to do?

[12C]

So two Wiganers are talking away during their lunch time whilst eating, one says to tother, 'I got engaged to my girlfriend last night and bought her a ring'. The tother one say's 'Eighteen Carat?'*. To which he replies 'No I'm chewing on me pie'.

*(Eating carrot?)

 

I see they’ve opened up another new furniture store in Wigan
MFPie, and they have put it next to PIKEA. Rumours are that UCPie cinemas are going to open up as well.

[Dim Glas]

Here's a thought, can we just carry on laughing at Guardiola's hilarious comments today rather than do this whole ridiculoius Sterling song and dance at every possible moment. It's just such bullshit.  Yes the guy is an absolute weapon as was proven yet again with the Gomez stuff, but the fact people dont' like his admittedly often shite public persona should be kept well away from all this racist discussion. He has fuck all to do with this.  It's Manchester City that should be the ones making statements (they have I presume), and sorting out their god awful fanbase (something they will struggle to do, I know), it really is that simple.

[12C]

I think 2 other managers called them out on the tactical fouls months before Klopp did: Pellegrini and someone else I cannot remember. Klopp would’ve never even mentioned it if Pep hadn’t been silly enough to go throwing rocks at Sadio.

On the subject of diving.
Sterling’s dive, unreported as it was, reminded me of a toddler diving into a paddling pool.

[Elzar]

Guardiola:

"That is the level we face against Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus. They are the teams we have to face and the reality is maybe we are not able now to compete with them.

"Maybe we need to live that as a club to improve, to accept the reality now and improve."

"But still we must battle for the final 8 points to secure our place in the league next season"*

_{*I may have added the last line}

[redk84]

Bloody marvellous watching them crumble recently.
Am hoping there's more to come in the next few months

Now they can fade away, they are not our rivals at the moment 14 points behind....if not competing with us then ain't arsed about them or any of their players or fans to be honest

Lets hope we can keep it that way for a while now