Beefymcfc wrote:BB, I'd love to follow it as in your last post but my comp keeps telling me that you're a problem to children?
I don't know what it is but I'm not taking the chance of being linked to some wierd underage porn site.....strictly over 60s for me!
It's a sound link mate but for your convenience and so as to protect you innocence i'll cut and paste it for you :D
Wholesale changes have yet again occurred at Manchester City this close season.
While the players coming in look certain to push City towards winning the coveted Premier League title, I've read in the past few weeks numerous articles from various sources, fans and media alike, writing off any chances of us winning the title or even breaking the top four, due to one thing, our defence.
This is a fair point and one I would have shared to a degree before I watched the Valenciafriendly last Saturday but after seeing what I saw at Eastland's that day, my mind is changed on the matter, my faith in our defensive capabilities is completely renewed.
Experimental
During the majority of the pre-season friendly's we have fielded mostly experimental sides, featuring often odd blends of youth, reserves, unwanted and star players and as such we have let in quite a number of goals and scored very few, this had left city fans with a bad taste in the mouth coming up to the big Premier League opener against Tottenham on August 14th.
Against Valencia though, that bad taste, that feeling of apprehension was blown away with an outstanding performance from a team, no longer experimental but very much first team in nature.
This change from experimental to serious highlighted something very clearly for the first time, our defence is considerably improved over last season, it was evident, glaring in fact that the impressive new signings of Kolarov and Boateng look to have solved the weakness's in the flanks of the defence which so often undermined City's defensive work last season.
The imperious Vincent Kompany at centre half looked solid and commanding as ever and add to that the apparent resurgence of a certain Micah Richards to something like his best form and there is big reason for fans to get excited.
A defence which for large parts of the previous season looked like individuals, appeared to have finally found a blend which works. Manchester City, for the first time since the Pearce era look to have a formidable defensive unit but unlike the Pearce team of old there's an astonishingly talented attacking team in front of it! Things are looking very very good for us going into the Tottenham game.
Opener
On the basis of what I saw against Valencia, I fully expect Mancini to choose the defensive line up of Kolarov, Kompany, Boateng and Richards on day one of the season at White Hart Lane.
Now, I hear you ask, where does this leave Lescott, Kolo Toure, Onuoha, Bridge and Zabaleta, all international quality players who likely expect to be starters also. Frankly I don't care, in the hard unforgiving Premier League you must play your best defence and if we intend to mount a serious title charge we must put faith in a back four and play it week in, week out, when fit.
These dropped players will probably be unhappy at being limited to a rotational/bench role throughout the season but if we are serious in our quest for the top spot and in our pursuit of the many cups we will be participating in across the season, they will have to accept their roles, improve and be picked, or leave. The choice is theirs.
Last season our defence let us down, this season the players are in place now for this to change.
Super Mario Balotelli should he sign will no doubt be relieved to know that the leaks at the back look to be plugged and he and the rest of this fantastically talented city team can concentrate on scoring goals and winning games knowing that things at the back are vastly improved and ready to go.
