Neville: City have not progressed

[freshie]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/property/138-bed-hotel-football-near-manchester-6483814

Just for doubters where rag cunt ratboys loyalties lie . His Sky slot must be paying for this ^^^^^^^^^^^

Why would anyone expect his loyalties to lie anywhere else?

[Slim]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/property/138-bed-hotel-football-near-manchester-6483814

Just for doubters where rag cunt ratboys loyalties lie . His Sky slot must be paying for this ^^^^^^^^^^^

Why would anyone expect his loyalties to lie anywhere else?

It would turn my stomach if he bought a hotel near the Etihad for out of town City supporters.

He has been very even handed in his approach since he took to the mic and I was very surprised. His analysis of the game makes Carragher look like a simpleton eating a box of crayons and his commentary has been professional in every sense of the word.

So he has an opinion that City haven't progressed? I think we play boring as shit football where we hold onto the ball and make safe pass after safe pass until we bore the opposition into an error. Everyone else including Neville seems to think this is an exceptional style of attractive football. Maybe I'm wrong, but if I was paid for my opinion, that'd be a thread on this forum with you all trying in vain to prove me wrong.

[Ted Hughes]

You'd be proved wrong immediately by the Navas whinge thread on here re the very last game, which said he hit 18 failed crosses & add the various people who whinge about Jovetic trying stuff & losing the ball.

That pretty much rules out the 'safe pass' argument.

[john68]

You'd be proved wrong immediately by the Navas whinge thread on here re the very last game, which said he hit 18 failed crosses & add the various people who whinge about Jovetic trying stuff & losing the ball.

That pretty much rules out the 'safe pass' argument.

I think Slim has a valid point Ted and the stats don't tell all the story. What has to be considered is "when" Navas and/or any other player usually crosses the ball.

Teams that have used wide men with great success,usually get the ball wide as soon as possible and crucially do most of their damage before a defence has has chance to set itself. Think Summerbee/ Coleman, Tueart/Barnes. Ball out wide, crack on down the wing, get players in the box and voila.

The safe pass/possession option is a strategy used after a defence is set, to pull a team out of shape, try to create a defensive gaps and capitalise. Too late mate. Crossing into a set/packed defence is usually a lottery that we don't win (as on Saturday).

Time and high tempo are of the essence against a team parking the bus. Opportunities to get at them are limited and if we are to be successful, getting the ball wide and up the field quickly are important..Too often, as Slim suggests, we safe pass,giving defences time to get back and organise.

I often wonder how successful Barca would have been with their Tikka Takka had they not had Messi's genius, who took responsibility by doing unsafe stuff and getting many crucial goals.