City's main problem in Europe.

[stefano]

Mancini.

Hart.

[carl_feedthegoat]

As a tactician Mancini is average at best - to set the team up like he did last night was a fuckign piss take.
Mancinis fault we are out and I really dont think he will change next year either , he is too fuckign arrogant to change.
If we dont win the prem or FA this year then it might be his undoing.

[DoomMerchant]

i noticed that Mourinho came out today and said he would have been sacked if he crashed out of Europe like Mancini had....it was both true, and also a condemnation of City and Mancini -- a stone cast against our manager and the club. We aren't there yet.

He couched it in a solidarity statement about his fallen managerial brothers a la RDM as well, which made it somewhat softer, but his intent is clear.

The cunt just basically made his first press announcement as Bacon's replacement in my opinion...i hope we put him to the sword and run him out of the swamp if he takes that gig in one or two years time.

Just...a side note i needed to share.

i'm disappointed about our CL approach. It's been nothing short of a joke in Europe, even when Sparky was around. I'm bored of taking some fucking special bullshit tactical approaches to Europe. Play to your strengths and do what you do well, and you will get what you deserve. Simple as that for me and we haven't done that in the modern, post-takeover era that i can recall. Look how Chelsea won it last year...it wasn't by playing to their weaknesses in some special fucking tactical, badass ninja chessmatch....it was doing the basics 100% and taking your chances with Drogba, one of the biggest money finishers ever, when they came.

Do we miss Nigel more than Roberto thought we might?

cheers

[Chad]

We have to play 4-2-3-1 for me, with Yaya off a lone front man. Last year we went to (an admittedly poor) Villareal playing that way and dominated the game. We also switched to playing that way against Villareal at home when AJ had his strop after being replaced by Barry and only added more forwards when we were getting desperate.

This season we started off like that against Madrid away, but did away with it shortly before half time when Nasri had to come off and then we switched to three at the back which the players clearly aren't comfortable with and all 3 of our opponents this season have found a way of exploiting that.

Both campaigns have produced too many open games, with too many attacking players on our team who get caught ahead of the ball when we turn it over meaning we are prone to counter attacks all the time. Having all these attackers and Yaya in a holding role leaves us so exposed.

I don't know why Mancini hasn't gone with one striker more in the Champions League, he did it so often the year before last when we ground out results like the 0-0 at Arsenal, 1-0 win at home to Chelsea and cup semi-final win against United, all results which would have been good ones in the Champions League.

I'd liked to see us set up something like this unless we are playing weak opposition with possibly Milner for Garcia or Nasri:
[center]Hart[/center]
[center]Zabaleta Kompany Nastasic Clichy[/center]
[center]Barry Garcia[/center]
[center]Silva Yaya Nasri[/center]
[center]Aguero/Tevez[/center]

whenever possible and think that side has enough steel and flair to get results we need.

Obviously individual errors haven't helped but I think the team hasn't been set up in a way that gives us the best possible chance which is so frustrating but also so predictable.

[Nigels Tackle]

not giving a shit?

i challenge you to name 3 players who have given their all in this campaign... if you can then you've not been watching the same games that i have.

collective team rating 3
manager 2

bobby has one more chance. even if we were to win the domestic double this season, if we are being dumped out of the cl before xmas, he has to go...

[DoomMerchant]

not giving a shit?

i challenge you to name 3 players who have given their all in this campaign... if you can then you've not been watching the same games that i have.

collective team rating 3
manager 2

bobby has one more chance. even if we were to win the domestic double this season, if we are being dumped out of the cl before xmas, he has to go...

i disagree...if he wins the league again this season, he has another couple years to get Europe right provided we are in sniffing distance of the top of the table.

I love the idea of winning in Europe, but fuck me..if we win 3-4 more league titles in the next decade it would be a much bigger story.

cheers

[Swales4ever]

not giving a shit?

i challenge you to name 3 players who have given their all in this campaign... if you can then you've not been watching the same games that i have.

collective team rating 3
manager 2

bobby has one more chance. even if we were to win the domestic double this season, if we are being dumped out of the cl before xmas, he has to go...

Dunno where you got that "not giving a shit?", Mate, but I do disagree.
As I said many times, despite a couple of momentary slight concerns over the players' belief in the manager, THEY HAVE PROVED, times after times following a let down performance (ditto, basically Arse away last season and Ajax away this campaign) that They do trust Mancini and, much more importantly for all of us, THEY CARE!
My point is still the same, even if I too have had rants and disappointment with Their apparent attitude:
Superstars, rich men or whatever, players are first and foremost normal HUMAN BEINGS, exposed to the pressure of delivering as everyone of us. And certainly there's not other place in the world, for many reasons, from our long coveted expectations to the global hatered of the so called neutrals, where the pressure to deliver is higher than at MCFC.
We may have different sentiments towards the importance of the Chumps iro the Premiership Title, but it's undeniable that that IS the GLOBAL SHOWCASE and every time They have heard that anthem, seen all the fuzz around that stage, such pressure has affected Their focus. There is no doubt in many mind.
From Ajax home and particularly yesterday since Mancini has rectified his silly tactical stubbornness, You can see noticeable glimpses of Them getting used to that pressure and delivering the football that They have already proven domestically.
Let hope to qualify for the shitty Europa Pot and put additional experience under the belt and next campaign we will start to laugh back, I am very confident.

Yet again, it's not the problem of caring ot not, it's almost like the first, second and third time You had sex... Now having got used to stand in front a naked pussy, You have it much naturally, giving Your own best.

As per number of chances yet allowed to Bobby, I really don't give a shit, cause I happily live in the confidence that Khaldhoon is the wisest administrator ever been in charge of a simple Football Club. He'll do the best for City had he's done from day one.

[Ted Hughes]

Going back to when he first managed City in Europe, Bob has done various strange shit. Some of it got under the radar because we had injuries etc, so we'd all go "well that was fucking shite but he couldn't risk *(insert name here) in this game & *(insert name here) was only one game away from suspension, & the next game is more important so that's why *Jo had to play at right back" *(exaggeration for dramatic effect).

"The players are tired" remember that one ? Yet Yaya, who was playing like an asthmatic 90 year old, was starting games in the Ukraine at midnight.

So we come to the Champions League & City are away in Germany & I'm Norway trying to get the game thro wifi on my phone, ' eureka it works! But wait, something is wrong with the picture because that looks like Kolo Toure playing centre half, but that would be the most ridiculous move by any manager ever, as he's been out for a fucking lifetime suspended for drugs.

Nope it was definitely Kolo. And the next time we go to play away in one of the legends of European football, we have a 19 year old CB + Maicon making his fucking debut against one of the best attacking sides in the world. Then when we go to Holland, doing ok in the game,Lescott/Yaya drop a bollock, 1-2 but City as they have proved, will not lie down, so we can get this back. No we fucking can't, Lescott off 352, torn to pieces, oh fuck stick 4 up front (ala Villa League Cup).

So fresh from that failure, the Champions of Spain arrive & we fucking do it again.

This is not a case of a few nerves or a couple of missed chances. It's over & over, shite management, truly awfully diabolically shite.

Take Mancini out of the picture & just imagine for a minute that it was Pearce who chose those tactics & made those selections.

Would anyone make excuses for it then ? Would they fuck. They would call it for what it is; shite.

The truth is, we are lucky that Real & Dortmund fucked up so many opportunities to score, or we would have been totally humilliated in this group like no Premier League champions have ever been.

It's only the trust which comes from seeing Mancini perform at Premier League level which keeps people on his side. If he did this shit in the Prem on a regular basis, nobody would want him as manager.

It's time he stopped fucking about trying to win the games himself by smartarsed tactics & concentrated on getting a balanced, solid team outin europe & put some faith in the players to perform. He'll get one more go at it & if he fucks that up in the same manner, he wont last til Christmas next season, which would be tragic imo, but his own fault.

[Swales4ever]

The truth is, we are lucky that Real & Dortmund fucked up so many opportunities to score, or we would have been totally humilliated in this group like no Premier League champions have ever been.

And what truth would have been if, as You are keen to say of Real & Dortmund, Dzeko and Aguero would have despatched those three sitters, instead?
Or the Whole Team had kept the focus at Barnabeu for 6 minutes more, made a couple of professional fouls in the middle, a couple of sweeps old style and brought home three points from a temple of the Game?
Or if the referee had let us get what achieved on the pitch versus Ajax at home?

Come on, my funny Mate! I've learnt on here the merit of a good rant, but..... lol

[aaron bond]

not giving a shit?

i challenge you to name 3 players who have given their all in this campaign... if you can then you've not been watching the same games that i have.

collective team rating 3
manager 2

bobby has one more chance. even if we were to win the domestic double this season, if we are being dumped out of the cl before xmas, he has to go...

i disagree...if he wins the league again this season, he has another couple years to get Europe right provided we are in sniffing distance of the top of the table.

I love the idea of winning in Europe, but fuck me..if we win 3-4 more league titles in the next decade it would be a much bigger story.

cheers

You're right Doomie - if we win the league again, there is no way he deserves the sack.

It is absolutely fucking pathetic that anyone can suggest that if we win the double this season then Mancini should be sacked the following December if we don't qualify for the knockout stages of the CL.

The league is THE priority. Europe is a bonus. I do want us to win the CL but am not expecting it overnight. Mancini clearly has a lot to improve upon in the CL but if we don't win it so soon but continue to do well domestically then that's good with me.

We have come such a long way in a short time, that you can't help but enjoy the ride. Anyone who wants to get rid of Mancini so quickly despite our obvious success clearly has forgotten where we've come from.

I'm not giving Mancini excuses here to fail in the CL, and of course we're allowed to question things if they don't go as well as we'd hoped, but I really hope the majority of our fans can maintain a relative amount of level-headedness as we continue to establish ourselves as a leading side.

[Hazy2]

How do PSG manage it then a new team thrown together, Malaga have won a group with AC Milan in it. It is fair to ask why as he arsed about with the team and for me he tossed off every home game this year by starting with a change to what suits us. Last night by 8.00 it should have 0-3 he switched it, which meant survival until half time, waste of a half, given he is a top manager why-oh-why does he persist with piss poor attempts to be smart.

[Hazy2]

How do PSG manage it then a new team thrown together, Malaga have won a group with AC Milan in it. It is fair to ask why as he arsed about with the team and for me he tossed off every home game this year by starting with a change to what suits us. Last night by 8.00 it should have 0-3 he switched it, which meant survival until half time, waste of a half, given he is a top manager why-oh-why does he persist with piss poor attempts to be smart.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

Pretty obvious.

[Mase]

Pretty obvious.

That's why you're my favourite poster. Genuinely.

[Risby]

The 3 at the back has cost us goals in all most all games we have used it in. The staticians at the club should surely be pointing this out.
In contrast to that, when we have played 4 at the back, the only time we look susceptible to conceding is at set pieces.
I thought in the second half last night we gave a good account of ourselves. We didn't win, but we controlled the game and battered Real. The first half was the opposite I know, but in all the press today it is how crap we were as if the second half didn't count.
These were taken from just one article, it just pissed me off reading it.
'Sheihk Mansour's billions have bought the English title...Manchester City may be top of the premier league, but in the hardest school remain bottom of the class... Where this leaves Mancini who knows, but the omens don't look good... It was becoming embarrassing... Whether Mancini is around next time round is doubtful to say the least'
There was not one positive. I'm gutted we went out, but I didn't walk away from the ground last night deflated, I was proud of the second half effort and fight.
I'm just frustrated we don't play like that ALL the match.

[Swales4ever]

The 3 at the back has cost us goals in all most all games we have used it in. The staticians at the club should surely be pointing this out.
In contrast to that, when we have played 4 at the back, the only time we look susceptible to conceding is at set pieces.
I thought in the second half last night we gave a good account of ourselves. We didn't win, but we controlled the game and battered Real. The first half was the opposite I know, but in all the press today it is how crap we were as if the second half didn't count.
These were taken from just one article, it just pissed me off reading it.
'Sheihk Mansour's billions have bought the English title...Manchester City may be top of the premier league, but in the hardest school remain bottom of the class... Where this leaves Mancini who knows, but the omens don't look good... It was becoming embarrassing... Whether Mancini is around next time round is doubtful to say the least'
There was not one positive. I'm gutted we went out, but I didn't walk away from the ground last night deflated, I was proud of the second half effort and fight.
I'm just frustrated we don't play like that ALL the match.

Every city fan is or should be frustrated for that.
I for one, possible the biggest licker (granted NQDP, maybe) have repeatedly blamed such stubbornness, while trying to argue the manager reasons behind that insistence.

BUT, when frustration is over, someone should start considering why all this unanimous, continuous hunting for the MCFC manager's head keeps going uninterruptedly from the day Gary Cook introduced him?
Why the same had not even remotely happened when Mark Hughes was spending the very same Sheihk Mansour's billions, not threatening the establishment?

If anything I've learnt in life is that NOBODY is irreplaceable, but such a blatant witch-hunt against a manager with such a solid track record of success, in such a relatively young career should speak louder than any comment...

[Blue Since 76]

Easy, we're not experienced unlike top European sides like Dortmund.

What do you mean they've been in it the same number of times as us with the current team? What do you mean they have no previous winners in their squad whilst we have three? What do you mean a large proportion of the side had played in the CL even before last season and have now had two seasons in it with City?

We're not experienced, I tell you. Give it 10 years and these players will know how to play properly. Granted, most of them will have retired by then, but they'll be experienced.

Interesting as well that Zabaleta said in a radio interview last night that they changed back to a back 4, as they were more comfortable with that. So that's Micah, Kolarov and Pablo who've now said they don't like 3 at the back and I haven't heard any other defender discuss it. We went to 3 at the back away in Madrid when 2-1 up and lost. We started with it last night and were all over the place.

[Fergiesnose]

Mancini hands down. The players and formation he used against villa would have been spot on against Madrid Bar Macion and Kolarov. It had been proven countless times that dzeko is piss poor if he starts, why play him over tevez. Kolarov and Macion have proven they can't def for shit so why play them at all against a team like real.

The list goes on but Mancini always makes stupid decisions for no reasons, last season we would be losing and he would sub an attacking player and bring on Nigel or some other defensive player for no reason.

[dazby]

He would bring on a def mid to turn the tide of the match. This would be a period where we didn't have much of the ball. The def mid would regain the ascendancy for us in possession then bring on an attacker to get us a goal.

Strikers can't score without the ball.

[Dameerto]

He'd bring someone on to hold the midfield so Yaya could go marauding.