The mancityfans.net football forum

City64 wrote:Fernandinho for me . His work rate was phenomenal in the absence of Yaya,s presence , Kompany was pure class again and Demichelis had a very good game capped with a brilliant headed equaliser.

Went for Kompany myself, but the DeMichelis header was very nice and coming at a timely point in the game.

Kompany for me, although a lot of players did well today. And good to see Milner reminding us of how good a player he is.

Kompany for me. I thought Clattenberg had a great game for the opposition. He is always very influential against us.

Captain Vinnie for me! But Clattenburg too was so impressive ...

Dhino was very good made us very solid for a lot of the game. Milner excellent too and navas a great outlet all the time.

Thought Ferna was like a cat on a hot tin roof for the first half, jumpy, loose in possession, dodgy touch. He looked shot of confidence. He was much better second half, no doubt aided by having Jimmy alongside him, and played very well.
I thought our two centre backs kept us in the game at times and with MDMs goal then he's a massive candidate for man of match. I went for Silva though, just because he's a genius.

Fernandinho and Milner both great but gone for Vincenzo; he was phenomenal

Kompany was outstanding and after some average performances was back to his bossy self.

A few have mentioned Fernandinho but I thought he was very average overall, compared to his usual self. Yes, he got his foot in but I thought his first 20 minutes led to the amount of pressure we had to take, continually passing the ball straight to the oppo who had planned to go full guns from the start.

I thought he looked very rusty and didn't produce his normal game.

Milner for me to come in and be driving us forward in the last 10 mins was great to see, plus 2nd half we did not look weaker without Yaya or Fernando, continues like this he has to get more games, don't know he will.

Milner, the new Barry?

Beefymcfc wrote:Milner, the new Barry?

He hasn't slowed to snail's pace over the summer has he?

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:

Beefymcfc wrote:Milner, the new Barry?

He hasn't slowed to snail's pace over the summer has he?

No, I mean he'll be gone by the end of the season ;-)

I went for Kompany. Simply brill yesterday.

I'm torn re Ferna. On the one hand he has an amazing pace and he seemingly never tires unless played almost every game over an entire season. On the other hand he's fucking clumsy and I don't agree that he's amazing because he snuffed out danger on several occasions, because that's his role. He's supposed to do that. Javi Garcia snuffed out a lot of dangerous attacks as well and so will any other player we put in that position do, unless we put someone seriously inept in that position but that can't be what we're comparing Ferna to. In that role, he's a gamble. Sometimes efficient, sometimes clumsy. I don't know if I think he's great though. In a three man midfield where he can go forward more and someone else gets to do the basic defensive work, he'll come more ot his right IMO but I still don't know if he's better than Milner. I just don't.

Cocacolajojo wrote:I went for Kompany. Simply brill yesterday.

I'm torn re Ferna. On the one hand he has an amazing pace and he seemingly never tires unless played almost every game over an entire season. On the other hand he's fucking clumsy and I don't agree that he's amazing because he snuffed out danger on several occasions, because that's his role. He's supposed to do that. Javi Garcia snuffed out a lot of dangerous attacks as well and so will any other player we put in that position do, unless we put someone seriously inept in that position but that can't be what we're comparing Ferna to. In that role, he's a gamble. Sometimes efficient, sometimes clumsy. I don't know if I think he's great though. In a three man midfield where he can go forward more and someone else gets to do the basic defensive work, he'll come more ot his right IMO but I still don't know if he's better than Milner. I just don't.

To be fair, I didn't see what all the hype was about in his first few games last season. He did show real class after that though and grew on me as the games went on, cutting out the silly mistakes and getting the ball to our players feet. I'd suggest that he's the same this season and we'll see the best of him the more he plays.

Yesterday I thought he was gash in the first 20 but grew into the game as it went along. MotM, not for me, but he did well to at least avert some of the danger once that first period was over.

Understandable why he was subbed.

Just thought Kompany had one of those days where he was 'head and shoulders' above the rest

To be fair, I didn't see what all the hype was about in his first few games last season. He did show real class after that though and grew on me as the games went on, cutting out the silly mistakes and getting the ball to our players feet. I'd suggest that he's the same this season and we'll see the best of him the more he plays.

Yesterday I thought he was gash in the first 20 but grew into the game as it went along. MotM, not for me, but he did well to at least avert some of the danger once that first period was over.

Understandable why he was subbed.

Agree. The first 20-25 were very bad but on the other hand they could also be blamed on a lack ofmatch fitness etc, and then he caught up with the speed of things.

Where I disagree with you is that I think his performances last season became worse as the season progressed, starting somewhere last early spring. My bet was that he was overworked and was tiring from playing so many games. However, after his first sub appearance in the World Cup he very much picked up where he left off with City and IMO he contributed to the result in that dismal Semi against Germany, albeit not as much as some others did (LUIZ LUIZ LUIZ LUIZ). Again yesterday, we saw that Fernandinho in the beginning of the first half. If we rarely see that Ferna again, no problem. If he keeps popping up, it's a problem.

I wish I had a strong opinion on this, like Ferna is shite or the best thing since Marmite, but I just don't. I'm torn.

Fernandinho wasn't fit at the end of last season, & wasn't fit for the World Cup. He probably wasn't 100% after that Chelsea game, which he missed. So far this season, he doesn't look up to full pace/fitness, but that Arse game probably did him the world of good & maybe now he will get there.

It's interesting though that he is being compared unfavourably to Milner, who did run about & do some good stuff, but also got caught in dangerous areas & was involved in the awful spell of careless football which overcame the team & eventually resulted in Aguero stupidly giving the ball away for Arsenal's goal (fouled or not, he should have passed it out of trouble to Zabba ? immediately). Milner was equally guilty of mistakes in possession as Fern was at his worst.

Fernandinho has nothing to prove ability wise though, he has already proved himself vs the best teams before he came to City. He completely outclassed Chelsea's midfield in the Champs league two seasons ago for example He is one of the best midfield players around, but only when fully fit. He needs the pace & athleticism to play his game, although the game City make him play, is not the one which made him a top player. He is not a great defensive mid. Fernando is though it seems.

By the way; if I was voting now, Vince would get my motm not Navas. I have just taken him for granted but he was easily better than everyone else.

I still think our best bet is to play Fernando Fernandinho and Yaya together in central midfield, at least against the top teams. Then you either play Aguero up front on his own which is fine if we don't play silly high balls or you play two up top, leave out Nasri and let Silva float around freely in the space between the opposition midfield and defence. For Bayern I would play Milner Fernandinho and Yaya and Aguero on his own up front. That would allow Yaya to get forward and support with Silva and Nasri doing the same. We simply can't play against Bayern with two in central midfield. It's madness.

blues2win wrote:I still think our best bet is to play Fernando Fernandinho and Yaya together in central midfield, at least against the top teams. Then you either play Aguero up front on his own which is fine if we don't play silly high balls or you play two up top, leave out Nasri and let Silva float around freely in the space between the opposition midfield and defence. For Bayern I would play Milner Fernandinho and Yaya and Aguero on his own up front. That would allow Yaya to get forward and support with Silva and Nasri doing the same. We simply can't play against Bayern with two in central midfield. It's madness.

We have to stop Xabi Alonzo and we win the game, fail to stop him and it is tough.