Milner

[blue wine]

I want the guy dropped from the first team! every time we were on the attack yesterday, i saying to myself, please dont give the ball to milner and every time he got it he fucked it up!! he's had one good game for us (liverpool) and i think its time for him be dropped. i mean its not like he needs to adapt to the PL like some of the other players...I just expected more from him.

[Sister of fu]

I want the guy dropped from the first team! every time we were on the attack yesterday, i saying to myself, please dont give the ball to millner and every time he got it he fucked it up!! he's had one good game for us (liverpool) and i think its time for him be dropped. i mean its not like he needs to adapt to the PL like some of the other players...I just expected more from him.

He only played yesterday due to Yaya having a headache. I'm sure he would have been on the bench otherwise. Saying that I would like to see him given a run in CM. Let's not right the kid off yet though, made a move up in class and has a large price tag on his head, I'm confident the lad will come good given time and patience.

[s1ty m]

he's been pretty dire, apart from an excellent debut.

my gripe is that when he plays, out flow disppears. against wba and fulham, when he did not start, we looked more balanced.

against birmingham, he was horrible. all he did was run into pointless areas and try to cross through a player. it was just thick football; balls csnnot travel through a player ffs. he can't beat a man with skill or pace, so not really sure wht he is doing in the side. i think jo is pretty crap, but the balance of the side looked better at fulham.

it's all a bit odd, given how superb he looked at villa. i think he had a different role there though. along with boateng, milner is our big disappointment this season.

[Original Dub]

He's been steady in every game since that brilliant debut.
Steady is a great platform to build upon I'm told quite regularly ;-)

Also, he's been played in positions/roles that I don't think particularly suit him best.

He'll be our "Fletcher" when we finally click on a consistant basis. Important if not spectacular.

[Beeks]

If you're gonna slag the guy off at least spell his name right

[Original Dub]

If you're gonna slag the guy off at least spell his name right

M-I-C-A-H R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S

How's that? :)

[Moonchesteri]

Give him time, don't judge him yet. But I think the bench is the place for him right now..

[Dubaimancityfan]

He's been steady in every game since that brilliant debut.
Steady is a great platform to build upon I'm told quite regularly ;-)

Also, he's been played in positions/roles that I don't think particularly suit him best.

He'll be our "Fletcher" when we finally click on a consistant basis. Important if not spectacular.

So what's his best (suits him) position. he's played on the left, he's played on the right and he's played in middle and the end result has been the same.

[Ted Hughes]

Milner was poor going forward & great defensively. He was fine at generally keeping possession but whenever he tried to do anything to create, he got it wrong. He'll get better going forward as he settles into the team & the club though, especially having Silva to learn from. Making career determining judgements about him now is a job for fucking idiots.

It was a mistake to take him off but an understandable one. Still a mistake though unless he was injured.

[johnnyondioline]

I mentioned in one of my occasional posts last week that I just cant see where he is supposed to fit.

There has to be a player in there somewhere. When he signed there may have been some dissenters about the pricetag but not about his potential. I forget whether he actually was the young player of the year last year but he certainly had a fine season & my Villa contacts were gutted. (Barry they were quite happy about)

Going off my own eyes I think he looks really heavy legged at present, as though he is mentally tired. He has been around a fair while now and i wonder how much of a break he has had over the last few years. World cup this year & I recall involvement in U21 tournaments possibly the summer before.

This is my own opinion but he seems to have a haunted expression which could well be down to his own concerns that being paid all this money to perform. He`s clearly not performing and maybe it concerns him that he is letting the side down, and has sort of lost half the battle before the game starts. Catch 22 type scenario.

Perhaps Mancini has benched him recently as he recognises that he needs time out of the spotlight to adjust to his new surroundings.

Pure speculation on my part, but from the evidence of my own eyes...I dont see where he fits.

Its an interesting debate until it resolves himself.

Out of interest, I wonder how many think of him as a Mancini or a Marewood signing. I would suspect the latter. Not sure it matters either but he doesnt strike me as a Mancini player (so far)

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Milner was poor going forward & great defensively. He was fine at generally keeping possession but whenever he tried to do anything to create, he got it wrong. He'll get better going forward as he settles into the team & the club though, especially having Silva to learn from. Making career determining judgements about him now is a job for fucking idiots.

It was a mistake to take him off but an understandable one. Still a mistake though unless he was injured.

That's about the way I saw it. Far from rubbish but unfortunately he is key forward contributions were his weakest parts. Workrate and defensively he was fine. He did get an assist though!

[Sister of fu]

Agree with you Johnny, the lad hasn't had a break in over 2 years and that can only take it's toll on anyone. I do get frustrated with fans who want to judge players after such short periods of time. I really do think he will come into his own in time but maybe a break would do him good.

[MaineRoadMemories]

Got another assist yesterday (4 in total) and I think he has the most assists from a city midfielder so he can't be doing that badly. He's the perfect professional.

Just because he doesn't have blisting pace and doesn't shoot ever times he gets the ball does not mean he has no influence the game. You have to view his game with your tactical head on and look at the space he marks up and the space he frees up.

Don't forget he also cleared the ball off the line yesterday too. Without Milner we would have lost by 2.

[Beefymcfc]

Got another assist yesterday (4 in total) and I think he has the most assists from a city midfielder so he can't be doing that badly. He's the perfect professional.

Just because he doesn't have blisting pace and doesn't shoot ever times he gets the ball does not mean he has no influence the game. You have to view his game with your tactical head on and look at the space he marks up and the space he frees up.

Don't forget he also cleared the ball off the line yesterday too. Without Milner we would have lost by 2.

And, if he'd have stayed on we'd have possibly won by 1 goal.

[Florida Blue]

Ireland all over again. Very competent player playing out of position and looks like shit. I think he should have been dropped in favor of AJ who would have been playing in his proper position. I just don't get the scarfman sometimes.

[zuricity]

Got another assist yesterday (4 in total) and I think he has the most assists from a city midfielder so he can't be doing that badly. He's the perfect professional.

Just because he doesn't have blisting pace and doesn't shoot ever times he gets the ball does not mean he has no influence the game. You have to view his game with your tactical head on and look at the space he marks up and the space he frees up.

Don't forget he also cleared the ball off the line yesterday too. Without Milner we would have lost by 2.

And, if he'd have stayed on we'd have possibly won by 1 goal.

We can't assume that we may have won this game if he'd stayed on. The many times that city's game broke down with milner, is a cause for concern. Milner is not playing well at all . He certainly should not be starting a game.

Although yesterday even de jong was pretty average.

[Beefymcfc]

Got another assist yesterday (4 in total) and I think he has the most assists from a city midfielder so he can't be doing that badly. He's the perfect professional.

Just because he doesn't have blisting pace and doesn't shoot ever times he gets the ball does not mean he has no influence the game. You have to view his game with your tactical head on and look at the space he marks up and the space he frees up.

Don't forget he also cleared the ball off the line yesterday too. Without Milner we would have lost by 2.

And, if he'd have stayed on we'd have possibly won by 1 goal.

We can't assume that we may have won this game if he'd stayed on. The many times that city's game broke down with milner, is a cause for concern. Milner is not playing well at all . He certainly should not be starting a game.

Although yesterday even de jong was pretty average.

Very true, we cannot assume anything, but we can theorise whether it was a better decision to bring on an attack minded player over a more defensive one, PV possibly, or leave a lad on who runs his heart out for the full 90?

[johnnyondioline]

Got another assist yesterday (4 in total) and I think he has the most assists from a city midfielder so he can't be doing that badly. He's the perfect professional.

Just because he doesn't have blisting pace and doesn't shoot ever times he gets the ball does not mean he has no influence the game. You have to view his game with your tactical head on and look at the space he marks up and the space he frees up.

Don't forget he also cleared the ball off the line yesterday too. Without Milner we would have lost by 2.

I think this is an interesting slant. I read he had 3 assists in first 7 games, so does yesterdays pass count as 1st in 7 or 4th in 14?. I think it would also be fair to say that when he passed to Micah yesterday that he didnt think he was playing an eye of the needle pass leading to a chance as oppose to trying to set up play to get a cross in from the right wing....Statistics!

To me Mancini`s system is the 2 fullbacks getting forward to provide width & options with the holding midfielders covering a la 1st half v fulham. Stoke have different strengths but we imposed our game in the second half but Milner often seemed to take posession in areas he was uncomfotable in where the flow seemed to break down or take the wrong option.

I believe the guy will prove an asset. I`ve just not quite seen the how just yet

[Pretty Boy Lee]

He has not been great thus far. I'm sure he'll come good as he has obvious potential. I think it's just easy to look at himm as an expensive player rayjer than a young lad in a team full of supertsars.

I'd be easing him in the way Mancini seems to be with AJ, that said I'd play AJ more tho.

[Nick]

Didn't see the game, but its funny how everyones slagging him off on here and the mirror gave him man of the match!

My personal view of him is that hes one of the ones that really wants to do well but he doesnt fit well on the left of the front 3. He was getting into some dangerous positions vs. Brum but nobody was using him. Theres also nobody in the box when he has the ball to cross.