Belief

[Im_Spartacus]

We only had 2 new players in the team last night, so the "team spirit" issue or "gelling" should not even be an issue. All the players with the exception of Yaya and Milner have played together for a year (or 6 months in AJ's case). This is the sort of performance that the club were "capable" of last year, but appeared entirely incapable of doing so on so many occasions.

I have to wonder just how much of last night's performance was down to the bloke who pays the bills being here. I have to seriously ask the question, as unless there has been a miraculous transformation since our pre-season friendlies that performance is more likely to be the exception than the rule.

[Kladze]

We only had 2 new players in the team last night, so the "team spirit" issue or "gelling" should not even be an issue. All the players with the exception of Yaya and Milner have played together for a year (or 6 months in AJ's case). This is the sort of performance that the club were "capable" of last year, but appeared entirely incapable of doing so on so many occasions.

I have to wonder just how much of last night's performance was down to the bloke who pays the bills being here. I have to seriously ask the question, as unless there has been a miraculous transformation since our pre-season friendlies that performance is more likely to be the exception than the rule.

That's it! I'm on a downer now.

It doesn't take much for us 'manic depressive City fans' you know ;-)

[Im_Spartacus]

We only had 2 new players in the team last night, so the "team spirit" issue or "gelling" should not even be an issue. All the players with the exception of Yaya and Milner have played together for a year (or 6 months in AJ's case). This is the sort of performance that the club were "capable" of last year, but appeared entirely incapable of doing so on so many occasions.

I have to wonder just how much of last night's performance was down to the bloke who pays the bills being here. I have to seriously ask the question, as unless there has been a miraculous transformation since our pre-season friendlies that performance is more likely to be the exception than the rule.

That's it! I'm on a downer now.

It doesn't take much for us 'manic depressive City fans' you know ;-)

Haha, I just hope we can carry this on mate. After being average for the first half vs Spurs, we have looked very solid now for 210 minutes of football which would suggest things are definately on the up.

I just hope the players realise that its not just the Sheik they need to thank, its the fans for giving them the support week in week out.

[dikdik]

...unless there has been a miraculous transformation since our pre-season friendlies that performance is more likely to be the exception than the rule...


That's more like the City supporter I know and love.


:)

[Im_Spartacus]

...unless there has been a miraculous transformation since our pre-season friendlies that performance is more likely to be the exception than the rule...


That's more like the City supporter I know and love.


:)

I know a false dawn when I see one. I am not sure this is though, this could be the real deal. I just don't like to jump up and down too much as I've seen it go tits up often enough

[Renato_CTID]

Are you really sure Yaya is a defensive midfielder, Doug? I believe Mancio doesn't think so, and you?

[Im_Spartacus]

Are you really sure Yaya is a defensive midfielder, Doug? I believe Mancio doesn't think so, and you?

No, he never was defensive last night, he was always further forward than the other two, although they all looked so mobile i'd say that he was just being a midfielder

[brite blu sky]

im gonna keep banging on about this until im proven wrong... and i should say i have no more idea than anyone else about Mancini. But my take is that the aim of the Club is to become a European force, as ive said before that means as good as if not better than Milan, Barca, Chelsea.. Real etc etc. Thats what the Club intends to be, so for them to take on Mancini and back him means he must have a plan to be able to get a team to that level.. both in quality of players, organisation and strategically.
The strategy bit for me means not just having a best 11.
WTF do i know, but it seems to me a good strategy, over and above what we would say is normal top 4 quality, is the capacity to be able to surprise the opposition with selection and tactics. The team sheet last night surprised virtually all our fans, so wtf do you think Woy thought of it?
If the aim is to have a whole host of different players all able to slot into the 'machine' and all able to move around, this gives a serious headache to opposition teams to know what to train for leading into games and what to do during games. The old time honoured advantage of surprise.
Seems to me already that we are just as capable of playing without a recognised striker as we are of playing with two. Mancini i think we know is a tactician, so i would imagine he could well ignore all 'norms' of what is the best 11 and go for an individual strategy for each game based on the opposition. So in that sense Adebayor is as likely to start as often as anyone else.

The next 3 PL games are going to be interesting.. as they are slightly weaker man for man than Spurs and Pool and i wouldn't be surprised if Bobby tries out some completely different set ups. As the foundation of the midfield is so fucxlin solid it allows a lot of leeway to mess around with the heads of the opposition.

[Im_Spartacus]

im gonna keep banging on about this until im proven wrong... and i should say i have no more idea than anyone else about Mancini. But my take is that the aim of the Club is to become a European force, as ive said before that means as good as if not better than Milan, Barca, Chelsea.. Real etc etc. Thats what the Club intends to be, so for them to take on Mancini and back him means he must have a plan to be able to get a team to that level.. both in quality of players, organisation and strategically.
The strategy bit for me means not just having a best 11.
WTF do i know, but it seems to me a good strategy, over and above what we would say is normal top 4 quality, is the capacity to be able to surprise the opposition with selection and tactics. The team sheet last night surprised virtually all our fans, so wtf do you think Woy thought of it?
If the aim is to have a whole host of different players all able to slot into the 'machine' and all able to move around, this gives a serious headache to opposition teams to know what to train for leading into games and what to do during games. The old time honoured advantage of surprise.
Seems to me already that we are just as capable of playing without a recognised striker as we are of playing with two. Mancini i think we know is a tactician, so i would imagine he could well ignore all 'norms' of what is the best 11 and go for an individual strategy for each game based on the opposition. So in that sense Adebayor is as likely to start as often as anyone else.

The next 3 PL games are going to be interesting.. as they are slightly weaker man for man than Spurs and Pool and i wouldn't be surprised if Bobby tries out some completely different set ups. As the foundation of the midfield is so fucxlin solid it allows a lot of leeway to mess around with the heads of the opposition.

So what is it that you are saying, in summary?

[Kladze]

im gonna keep banging on about this until im proven wrong... and i should say i have no more idea than anyone else about Mancini. But my take is that the aim of the Club is to become a European force, as ive said before that means as good as if not better than Milan, Barca, Chelsea.. Real etc etc. Thats what the Club intends to be, so for them to take on Mancini and back him means he must have a plan to be able to get a team to that level.. both in quality of players, organisation and strategically.
The strategy bit for me means not just having a best 11.
WTF do i know, but it seems to me a good strategy, over and above what we would say is normal top 4 quality, is the capacity to be able to surprise the opposition with selection and tactics. The team sheet last night surprised virtually all our fans, so wtf do you think Woy thought of it?
If the aim is to have a whole host of different players all able to slot into the 'machine' and all able to move around, this gives a serious headache to opposition teams to know what to train for leading into games and what to do during games. The old time honoured advantage of surprise.
Seems to me already that we are just as capable of playing without a recognised striker as we are of playing with two. Mancini i think we know is a tactician, so i would imagine he could well ignore all 'norms' of what is the best 11 and go for an individual strategy for each game based on the opposition. So in that sense Adebayor is as likely to start as often as anyone else.

The next 3 PL games are going to be interesting.. as they are slightly weaker man for man than Spurs and Pool and i wouldn't be surprised if Bobby tries out some completely different set ups. As the foundation of the midfield is so fucxlin solid it allows a lot of leeway to mess around with the heads of the opposition.

So what is it that you are saying, in summary?

I think it's summit to do with the squad going round in circles ;-)

[lets all have a disco]

im gonna keep banging on about this until im proven wrong... and i should say i have no more idea than anyone else about Mancini. But my take is that the aim of the Club is to become a European force, as ive said before that means as good as if not better than Milan, Barca, Chelsea.. Real etc etc. Thats what the Club intends to be, so for them to take on Mancini and back him means he must have a plan to be able to get a team to that level.. both in quality of players, organisation and strategically.
The strategy bit for me means not just having a best 11.
WTF do i know, but it seems to me a good strategy, over and above what we would say is normal top 4 quality, is the capacity to be able to surprise the opposition with selection and tactics. The team sheet last night surprised virtually all our fans, so wtf do you think Woy thought of it?
If the aim is to have a whole host of different players all able to slot into the 'machine' and all able to move around, this gives a serious headache to opposition teams to know what to train for leading into games and what to do during games. The old time honoured advantage of surprise.
Seems to me already that we are just as capable of playing without a recognised striker as we are of playing with two. Mancini i think we know is a tactician, so i would imagine he could well ignore all 'norms' of what is the best 11 and go for an individual strategy for each game based on the opposition. So in that sense Adebayor is as likely to start as often as anyone else.

The next 3 PL games are going to be interesting.. as they are slightly weaker man for man than Spurs and Pool and i wouldn't be surprised if Bobby tries out some completely different set ups. As the foundation of the midfield is so fucxlin solid it allows a lot of leeway to mess around with the heads of the opposition.

So what is it that you are saying, in summary?

Basically,anything can happen in the next nine months.

Safe.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Are you really sure Yaya is a defensive midfielder, Doug? I believe Mancio doesn't think so, and you?

No not all. When I said "The press haven't woken up yet to the fact that Yaya isn't there to play a defensive midfield role but that will come."
I was eluding to the fast that he isn't playing as a defensive mid but the press and media haven't realised yet.They will soon


But of course if Mancini wanted him to play that role he could easily.

[Rammyblue]

Followed city too long to get carried away on the back of one performance, but sometimes stats don't lie and it has taken us 73 years to beat them by that goal margin we clocked up last night.

I rely on your training reports to seperate fact from fiction so please long may they continue. We are definitely following the Inter Milan tactics of 433 but what I am looking forward too more than anything else is Boetang and Kolorov being not only defensive fullbacks but also providing those runs and crosses, no disrespect to Lescott he did a fine defensive job or Micah but until we see the real deal, fully gelled and fit, it will be difficult to judge just how good we really are. But optimistic for the season.

[Original Dub]

I didn't have much belief after the first 45 mins of football this season, but I kind of expected it.

What I didn't expect was the last 90 mins. Not in the first few games.

If we win convincingly in the next two games, I'm gonna get carried away whether I want to or not!