***Official Match Thread - Arsenal Away***

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

looks like mancini is gambling on us beating villa and spurs at home for the fourth spot. its a little nerving for me.

What are you on about? Do you think he had two options, either take a win at Arsenal or 'gamble' against Spurs and Villa.

Fuck me some people have become arrogant. Like we have some god given right to go to places like Arsenal and take three points.

Just for the record, very few teams go there and get anything, including so called top teams. It's hard fixture for anyone. At least we aren't hoping for 'small loss' anymore.

We sound more and more like Newcastle supporters every day.

[Ted Hughes]

That was a quality performance. If we were trying to avoid relegation with a team that cost about 5% of this one. If it had been early in the season against a full strength Arsenal side with everything to play for. If our team was ravaged by injuries.

For a full strength side supposedly desperate to get 4th playing against an injury ravaged Arsenal side with nothing to play for, who's confidence is shot to pieces it was fucking pathetic. Any of the other top 7 would have ripped them to pieces, they were abysmal.

I rarely remember seeing us attack on a break with more than 2-3 players. It's exactly how Pearce's team used to play in the relegation battle but now we have with better players. Everyone in our own half then whack it long hoping for a lucky break behind the defence. I'd rather just read the fucking result on tv than watch it.

[The Original Special One]

Bellamy and Johnson hardly figured.
Hopefully we won't have to play Micah Richards again this season.

Ade was clearly up for it: he must have played in every position, bar goalkeeper.
But we really need to get a more dominant central midfield player: Barry is neither one thing, nor the other.

We'll have to start 4-4-2 against Villa
They'll park the bus, for sure!

[Socrates]

The reason it's a valuable point is that it means that if we beat Spurs then 4pts from Villa and Wham would put us level on points even if Spurs win both their other games, then depends what happens GD wise, we are currently ahead by 1.

[KinkyKinkladze]

That was a quality performance. If we were trying to avoid relegation with a team that cost about 5% of this one. If it had been early in the season against a full strength Arsenal side with everything to play for. If our team was ravaged by injuries.

For a full strength side supposedly desperate to get 4th playing against an injury ravaged Arsenal side with nothing to play for, who's confidence is shot to pieces it was fucking pathetic. Any of the other top 7 would have ripped them to pieces, they were abysmal.

I rarely remember seeing us attack on a break with more than 2-3 players. It's exactly how Pearce's team used to play in the relegation battle but now we have with better players. Everyone in our own half then whack it long hoping for a lucky break behind the defence. I'd rather just read the fucking result on tv than watch it.

Quoted for truth.

[Beefymcfc]

For those that are disappointed with a point, would you have taken one at the start of the season? Arsenal are, sorry were still in the race for the title after all.

[cityPinoy_fc]

looks like mancini is gambling on us beating villa and spurs at home for the fourth spot. its a little nerving for me.

What are you on about? Do you think he had two options, either take a win at Arsenal or 'gamble' against Spurs and Villa.

Fuck me some people have become arrogant. Like we have some god given right to go to places like Arsenal and take three points.

Just for the record, very few teams go there and get anything, including so called top teams. It's hard fixture for anyone. At least we aren't hoping for 'small loss' anymore.

We sound more and more like Newcastle supporters every day.

relax there chief i'm happy with the point we defended very well i'm just a little nervous with the games coming up. it doesn't offer us much of an insurance if we fail to take advantage of our home games.

[branny]

And barring a huge change in goal difference in scouse2s favour, we've now qualified for the Europa league even if we don't pick up another point. :)

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

The reason it's a valuable point is that it means that if we beat Spurs then 4pts from Villa and Wham would put us level on points even if Spurs win both their other games, then depends what happens GD wise, we are currently ahead by 1.

exactly mate. There are loads of scenarios where this point could be worth gold.

It wasn't the kind of performance I was hoping for but point in Arsenal is always decent result in my books. Even when we are ruling the world football one day. It sure as fucking hell wasn't this game where we lost 4th spot if we don't manage to get it.

[KinkyKinkladze]

For those that are disappointed with a point, would you have taken one at the start of the season? Arsenal are, sorry were still in the race for the title after all.

But we're not at the start of the season. Before today, we were playing an Arsenal side with, realistically, nothing to play for. An injury ravaged Arsenal side at that.

[Blue2]

Just think our attacking threat against Campbell and Sylvestre was a bit poor. Johnson, Bellers and Tevez were shite.

[avoidconfusion]

I think the issue is that we didn't even try to win this game and we should have.

[Nick]

were too ambitious!

I was too pissed off with the manner of the game.

Before the match I would have taken a point.

The defence was great and again I mention the unsung Vince.

Although why we cant test an Arsebal B team is anyones guess. Whether it be because tevez has gone crap/ unfit, johnson and bellers too or whether they were under orders to do very little, its anyones guess.

I did pick up on mancini saying he was very happy with the united performance which WORRIED me. We are city and I dont like this defensive, go for a point at home bollocks.

[DoomMerchant]

you have to admit it was a fantastic team defensive effort. Which it should have been since everyone was playing as a defender.

i think Tevez was in our third of the pitch as much as he was in their 3rd.

I felt lucky to grab a point after Given went down...

Barry played a good match i felt. Our crossing was about as bad as i've seen in years. And in general we couldn't pass the ball for shit. Our setup made for a defensive midfield scrap which even when we won had no teeth behind it to break on the counter despite our pace and ball controlling ability from Tevez, AJ and Bellers.

Micah is a fucking joker with his play and his shirt-tugging fiasco. WTF lad...sort it out.

Shots of Ireland on the bench were amusing. He looked bored as fuck and completely disinterested. He's done with this squad. His body language says it all.

A point won, but honestly this was a match to gamble on 3 pts for, and i think Mancini thought he was doing that in his mind -- keep it close 1st half, take a gamble 2nd half. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for him.

Toure played pretty well too i thought as did Komps.

Given out is really going to be a blow, but those things happen. If we were to nab 4th with him injured i would hope we'd bring Joe Hart back in the summer.

cheers

[Ted Hughes]

Our crossing is always piss poor both in the air & on the ground & has been all season. Not only that but we seem to have no intelligence in the runs we make into the box so that the player with the ball knows where to put it in order to find a man. Bellamy or tevez could have given Barry an easy pass for an assist today but both made thick headed runs.

It's important stuff & we should be working on it as much as anything else. Especially if our attacks are going to be so infrequent. We need to be much more clinical if we're going to be so negative in our play.

Also why the fuck is Johnson NEVER on the left? That could have won us both games. Mancini lacks imagination imo.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Our crossing is always piss poor both in the air & on the ground & has been all season. Not only that but we seem to have no intelligence in the runs we make into the box so that the player with the ball knows where to put it in order to find a man. Bellamy or tevez could have given Barry an easy pass for an assist today but both made thick headed runs.

It's important stuff & we should be working on it as much as anything else. Especially if our attacks are going to be so infrequent. We need to be much more clinical if we're going to be so negative in our play.

Also why the fuck is Johnson NEVER on the left? That could have won us both games. Mancini lacks imagination imo.

AJ was no threat whatsoever on the right and I cannot fucking understand why we persisted with him there for the whole game.......This is what frustrates me with Mancini, every cunt can see it but he cant or he can but refuses to make the change.

SWP should have come on for bellers and AJ moved to the left..and that should have happened around the 50 minite mark IMO.

[Ted Hughes]

Our crossing is always piss poor both in the air & on the ground & has been all season. Not only that but we seem to have no intelligence in the runs we make into the box so that the player with the ball knows where to put it in order to find a man. Bellamy or tevez could have given Barry an easy pass for an assist today but both made thick headed runs.

It's important stuff & we should be working on it as much as anything else. Especially if our attacks are going to be so infrequent. We need to be much more clinical if we're going to be so negative in our play.

Also why the fuck is Johnson NEVER on the left? That could have won us both games. Mancini lacks imagination imo.

AJ was no threat whatsoever on the right and I cannot fucking understand why we persisted with him there for the whole game.......This is what frustrates me with Mancini, every cunt can see it but he cant or he can but refuses to make the change.

SWP should have come on for bellers and AJ moved to the left..and that should have happened around the 50 minite mark IMO.

Playing wide players on their wrong side seems to be the latest trend in football. I can see why it's done; they can cut in & pass through the middle from deep, shoot, play diagonals into the box etc but why the fuck it doesn't get swapped around for at least half the time in a game I don't know. I can't believe we didn't put Johnson against Neville last week.

[failsworthblue]

Another opportunity wasted.

Mancini is not the man to take us forward , to negative again against a very weak Arsenal side.

Villa win be rubbing their hands.

[gillie]

I only saw the last 20 minutes after getting in from work so is it just me or do you think Bellers looked totally disinterested?.

[Lees Alter Ego]

I only saw the last 20 minutes after getting in from work so is it just me or do you think Bellers looked totally disinterested?.

come on mate, you cant tell something like that from 20 mins. For me he was as up for it as ever and got stuck in. Shame he has to play out of position.