*** Champions v Chelsea - Official Match Thread ***

[Goaters 103]

Much more like it today. We manned up and the whole lot of them showed up well.

Thought Rodwell did ok, Nastasic superb and Milner again played well. More please City.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

What's the news on Kompany?

Mancini said he is hopeful that Kompany will be back for Aston Villa game next week. He seemed to suggest that Kompany had had problems with his other calf in the last week rather than the one he originally injured.

Thanks.

[phips]

holy shit, we are being way too reckless with the ball and can't complete a fucking pass

Very raglike.

What match were you watching?

the match in which we started passing the ball out of play almost every time we passed midfield. which one were you watching?
clearly not this one..very raglike.

[Lev Bronstein]

We were good, but I hope to God that if Chelsea end up playing the rags in the Cup they make a better fist of it.

[Beefymcfc]

Another bonus from today was that Fat Frank didn't get his 2000th goal. That penalty miss saved us all a pummelling from the media.

[Goaters 103]

Another bonus from today was that Fat Frank didn't get his 2000th goal. That penalty miss saved us all a pummelling from the media.

Not the first pen Fat Frank has missed at The Etihad - same end, same result as the last one he took here.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Another bonus from today was that Fat Frank didn't get his 2000th goal. That penalty miss saved us all a pummelling from the media.

2000th? Jesus, that's 4 per game. And they won't give him a 2-year contract! But you're right, that would have been the story had it happened.

[Ted Hughes]

I want to know why Ted has not come on the site to tell us how well Nasty played and how right Mancini is to ALWAYS put him in ahead of Lescott.

I think he should comment....I will wait.

Because I was at the game you fucking lobster.

As I've just said elsewhere, he was great today as was Kolo, apart from v Ba, where he struggled but tbf partially down to bent, one sided reffing. If he plays every game as well as he did today, he will be comparable in standard with the usual level in such games of Lescott, Vinny & Richards who are all better than him in their careers so far. Kolo however, was better still.

Good lad - what I liked about him today wasnt just because he played very well in defence but because he did something useful with the ball nearly all the time , no kicking it into touch like Lescott or hoofing it upfield,he actually turned his man and got us back attacking , I never ever felt uneasy all the while he and Kolo had the ball.

More of the same please.

Well personally there was nothing whatsoever in his distribution that impressed me any more than any of our other defenders usually do, including Lescott. Our new, crowded, fit, central 3 plus Yaya/Silva midfield gave both Nasti & Kolo better cover than any cbs have had all season.

I was however impressed by the fact that when Kolo charged in, launched himself & won stuff, Nasi was there to pick up the loose ball & distribute it simply, or make the 2nd tackle & when he got bitched by Ba etc in the air, rather then just losing the ball, he at least tried to bring Ba down with him, like Lescott or Vinny would do. He is learning how to cope with something which will happen to him for the rest of his career. He will never be able to beat these blokes so he is learning a plan B. If his own attributes can then be added to that, we genuinely will have a player for the true tests in the future.

What he didn't do was win any of those kind of situations, or let the player win it & then take it off him or hand him over to a midfield player, like Vinny or Lescott would do, but I don't knock him for that, because he is a kid, & they are two of the best cbs in the Premier League, & both better than him. Also, he didn't dive in a risk a card like Vinny can do, or overstretch himself like Lescott can do; he let Kolo do that, which is something perhaps VK & Jl both get wrong sometimes.

He is definitely clever which is probably why we signed him.

Today was a very encouraging display by a young, potential Premier league cb who will never ever be able to do the same job Lescott/Vinny do for City, but perhaps one day play next to someone like them in a title wining side.

The best cb on either side though was a player who will be available, possibly for free, in a few months time & imo, a better partner etc to Nasti than either Vinny or JL, with whom he has no understanding whatsoever .

[Original Dub]

the holding pair of Rodwell-Garcia plus midfield motors of Milner and Yaya were immense. Everyone played fantastic...the strikers just a little less so.

So everyone played fantastic but the passing was complete shite?

You should do this professionally. You're a natural.

[phips]

the holding pair of Rodwell-Garcia plus midfield motors of Milner and Yaya were immense. Everyone played fantastic...the strikers just a little less so.

So everyone played fantastic but the passing was complete shite?

You should do this professionally. You're a natural.

you should read professionally. you're a natural.

[sheblue]

Missed it today, anybody know if a recording of the game can be seen on line?

Try here:

http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/viewt ... 1&t=278160

Cheers.

[Hazy2]

Add some better passing 20 mins from the end and that would and should have been 5-0 ,Zabba giving Yaya are bollocking last min was good to see. Yaya was fantastic but Pablo Zabbadooed him.

[Original Dub]

you should read professionally. you're a natural.

You said "we can't complete a fucking pass".
Followed by "everyone played great".

So what the fuck are you talking about?

[geepeetee]

You said "we can't complete a fucking pass".
Followed by "everyone played great".

So what the fuck are you talking about?

Seconds away round 3

[KippaxBlue]

Pics and comments on the Chelsea game are now online at
http://www.rtfract.com/citfeb13b.htm

[Mikhail Chigorin]

I want to know why Ted has not come on the site to tell us how well Nasty played and how right Mancini is to ALWAYS put him in ahead of Lescott.

I think he should comment....I will wait.

Because I was at the game you fucking lobster.

As I've just said elsewhere, he was great today as was Kolo, apart from v Ba, where he struggled but tbf partially down to bent, one sided reffing. If he plays every game as well as he did today, he will be comparable in standard with the usual level in such games of Lescott, Vinny & Richards who are all better than him in their careers so far. Kolo however, was better still.

Good lad - what I liked about him today wasnt just because he played very well in defence but because he did something useful with the ball nearly all the time , no kicking it into touch like Lescott or hoofing it upfield,he actually turned his man and got us back attacking , I never ever felt uneasy all the while he and Kolo had the ball.

More of the same please.

Well personally there was nothing whatsoever in his distribution that impressed me any more than any of our other defenders usually do, including Lescott. Our new, crowded, fit, central 3 plus Yaya/Silva midfield gave both Nasti & Kolo better cover than any cbs have had all season.

I was however impressed by the fact that when Kolo charged in, launched himself & won stuff, Nasi was there to pick up the loose ball & distribute it simply, or make the 2nd tackle & when he got bitched by Ba etc in the air, rather then just losing the ball, he at least tried to bring Ba down with him, like Lescott or Vinny would do. He is learning how to cope with something which will happen to him for the rest of his career. He will never be able to beat these blokes so he is learning a plan B. If his own attributes can then be added to that, we genuinely will have a player for the true tests in the future.

What he didn't do was win any of those kind of situations, or let the player win it & then take it off him or hand him over to a midfield player, like Vinny or Lescott would do, but I don't knock him for that, because he is a kid, & they are two of the best cbs in the Premier League, & both better than him. Also, he didn't dive in a risk a card like Vinny can do, or overstretch himself like Lescott can do; he let Kolo do that, which is something perhaps VK & Jl both get wrong sometimes.

He is definitely clever which is probably why we signed him.

Today was a very encouraging display by a young, potential Premier league cb who will never ever be able to do the same job Lescott/Vinny do for City, but perhaps one day play next to someone like them in a title wining side.

The best cb on either side though was a player who will be available, possibly for free, in a few months time & imo, a better partner etc to Nasti than either Vinny or JL, with whom he has no understanding whatsoever .

Ted,

This post is an objective, perceptive, knowledgeable and thoroughly fair minded assessment of Nasti's capabilities, as they stand at the moment.

At times, your recent and continued criticisms of this player might have seemed, to some, a little less than constructive and, in such circumstances, the suspicion might easily follow that you had some sort of agenda in which facts were being utilised and subverted to the argument being made.

I did wonder, myself, if this was a case in point but the post in question has completely belied that and reflects great credit on you and your analytical capabilities. On that basis, I can only apologise to you for harbouring such darker thoughts and doubts.

Once again, well done to you.

(PS...With regard to the Iberian striker Llorente, that's an argument we'll have to defer to another day and we'll probably have to end up by agreeing to differ.)

[MilnersJaw]

Great game. Kolo was great today to. Looks like rodwell took his last chance well. Played better than Barry.

He brought some much needed urgency to the midfield today. Along with a goal threat. Really impressed with him and only hope he can have an injury-free run of games from now till the end of the season.

even though rodwell was good; I'm still not convinced.

we bought him as a centre mid, yet the times he has played their, he was terrible and he is always injured.

he came back on sunday and played a defensive role which he seemed to do excel in. Which is great for him, but is another defensive/holding midfielder really want we need? we're crying out for some creativity.

anyway he took his last chance on the chin.

some great tempo as well, didn't see much tapping around the box sideways, was better with rodwell there than barry.

[Original Dub]

even though rodwell was good; I'm still not convinced.

we bought him as a centre mid, yet the times he has played their, he was terrible and he is always injured.

he came back on sunday and played a defensive role which he seemed to do excel in. Which is great for him, but is another defensive/holding midfielder really want we need? we're crying out for some creativity.

anyway he took his last chance on the chin.

some great tempo as well, didn't see much tapping around the box sideways, was better with rodwell there than barry.

I have have faith in Rodwell and have had since we bought him. Only injury can prevent him from becoming an all round quality midfielder imo.

As for the game yesterday, on the team sheet he may have looked like he was being used as a defensive mid, but he was probably our biggest threat going forward in the first half.

Everytime he got the ball he passed foward and ran for the one-two.

I've just watched the match in full for the second time. You should do the same.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Great game. Kolo was great today to. Looks like rodwell took his last chance well. Played better than Barry.

He brought some much needed urgency to the midfield today. Along with a goal threat. Really impressed with him and only hope he can have an injury-free run of games from now till the end of the season.

even though rodwell was good; I'm still not convinced.

we bought him as a centre mid, yet the times he has played their, he was terrible and he is always injured.

he came back on sunday and played a defensive role which he seemed to do excel in. Which is great for him, but is another defensive/holding midfielder really want we need? we're crying out for some creativity.

anyway he took his last chance on the chin.

some great tempo as well, didn't see much tapping around the box sideways, was better with rodwell there than barry.

Although they have different strengths, I feel he can take up the place Barry will leave in midfield, given he's heading towards both the last year of his contract and 33 years of age.

[Ted Hughes]

Great game. Kolo was great today to. Looks like rodwell took his last chance well. Played better than Barry.

He brought some much needed urgency to the midfield today. Along with a goal threat. Really impressed with him and only hope he can have an injury-free run of games from now till the end of the season.

even though rodwell was good; I'm still not convinced.

we bought him as a centre mid, yet the times he has played their, he was terrible and he is always injured.

he came back on sunday and played a defensive role which he seemed to do excel in. Which is great for him, but is another defensive/holding midfielder really want we need? we're crying out for some creativity.

anyway he took his last chance on the chin.

some great tempo as well, didn't see much tapping around the box sideways, was better with rodwell there than barry.

What on earth gives you the idea Rodwell played as a defensive midfielder ?

That was Garcia.

If what Rodwell did was a 'holding midfield' job then let's have 3 more I say.