"A wake up call"

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I agree a great read. Somehow over the next 10 games we have to rediscover the early season swagger that we had. Beat United at home, draw at Arsenal and win the rest and the title is ours!! (on goal difference maybe)

 

[BillCarlisle]

A well written & pragmatic piece. Did any of seriously believe that City would make this easy for us ? No way on earth.
This will go right down to the wire.

 

[KPXBLN]

There's still more than a quarter of the season to go. For all we know, the lead could change a couple of times between now and the end, leaving us in the end first by some margin, or second by the same distance. We just don't know and there's no point adding up all the points we think we'll get and all the ones we think they'll get. United couldn't beat West Ham at home to win the title in 95, we beat Gillingham from 2-0 at 90 minutes in 99. You just don't know.

And the bullshit the rags talk just shows they're stressed too. The other day Young reckoned that with us being second the pressure was on us. Funny that, given that while we were top for 5 months they all claimed that being top meant the pressure was on us too. It's almost as if they're talking fucking shit to convince themselves and their loyal stenographers in the press stick it down like it's actually news.

Obviously it would have been better to win against Swansea, and not to drop other stupid points in the last few weeks, but even so we're still left with our destiny in our hands. A game at a time blues, a game at a time.

 

[TueartsOHK]

If United fans act and their team plays like they have already won the league, then they will lose it. But if City fans act and our team plays like United have already won the league, then we have already lost.

The key here is complacency. Being top for a long time is a double edged sword ; complacency creeps into the team while at the same time every team plays you like it's their cup final. We need to approach every game (especially the away games) with a belief that we can win but with an understanding that we have to fight hard to do so.

 

[Funk]

Good piece but cannot believe we are in this situation. United are playing people like Phil Jones in midfield because they have got such a weak squad and now they are ahead of us! Shame on us if we don't win the league. We should have wrapped it up weeks ago. CTID.

 

[Any1aBlue]

WAKE UP CALL ????!!!!! Jesus H.......................didn't the f'ing alarm go off some time ago?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what's the matter with you people?

Some home truths needed yet again - and yet again there will be those sticking their heads in the sand as usual and shying away from truth. THIS TEAM ARE UNDERPERFORMING.

Even IF (AND ITS A BLOODY BIG IF) we (yes WE) win the League it shows we were the best in probably the weakest ever Premier League, but nowhere near good enough to challenge in the Champ League. The Prem should have been won by the time the scum visit - now we'll be lucky for it to go to the last game.

We underperformed last year when we should have won the League - and we are doing it again. Question is - why? I believe I know, but I get called 'rag' and 'disloyal' for repeating the same reasons over and over again - just as I did from January last year.

I've given my reasons why I think its happening and now they're coming home to roost.

Until folks start waking up, and not settling for second best, and making up excuses for repeated; lack-a-daysical,lacklustre,technically deficient performances, then we can't move forward.

 

[Funk]

Agree with above. We are the best side in the league and should win it, but it's the weakest Premier League in ages. Scum, Arse and Chelsea all on the decline....and we are still in second. How much money do we have to spend????

 

[paulchapo]

A good read and obviously it isn't all over,actually it is still in our own hands,difficult as that looks on paper.

I think the anguish and rage expressed on this boards and others is because we are so close,the closest we have been since 1977 when we were runners up and have suddenly chosen this period to hit our worst form,individually and collectively.To slip up so close to the finishing post now would really hurt.

The really annoying thing is lessons don't seem to have been learnt.We are still meandering through away games playing the same slow tempo style even when we aren't getting anywhere with it.We have no obvious plan B and if we have we don't appear to want to use it.Just recently the opposition seem to need only one chance to score and take it,while marginal decisions,penalty calls etcetera seem to all be going against us, all adding to the fear and anguish.

The whole club now needs to sit down and take a deep breath.Mancini has to tell them there are ten games left.Win every game and we are champions.Take each game as it comes and go for it from the off.Let the opposition worry about us,not us them.Show some balls,some daring,some guts.If there is a God up there surely we will prevail over the snidey twittering mocking scumbags from over the road!

 

[Monksie]

Certainly is a good read BUT I can't help but feel we have given away 7 clear points and a very good goal difference to be 1 point behind and only 2 goals in front of the leaders, what's happened.

Seven points??? - we never led by that much at any stage, so I assume you mean certain away games. The ones where we dropped points:
Fulham - late equaliser from them with a wild deflection off Vinny's knee.
Liveprool - well, where do you start? Even wilder deflection off Lescott from the gnome, worked their bollocks off to intimidate us and get Mario sent off by Skeletor holding his face when Mario made contact with the side of his neck.
Chelsea - two ridiculously biased penalty decisions for the hoem side as Silva is chopped in half in their area but Bentenberg gives nothing, then Lescott is peanalised for a handball as the ball bounces under his elabow (he can't even see the ball but the most corrupt ref in England still thinks he should have avoided it)
West Brom - another one chalked off and the bloody thing just would not go in
Sunderland - again, the bloody thing just would not go in and they nick it in the dying seconds with a blatantly offisde goal
Everton - another clear handball by the home side completely ignored, a week after Micah Richards is supposed to stop a shot at point-blank range and coming off his shin from hitting his hand
Swansea - dodgy offside decision robs us of the point that would have kept us top, even if only on goal difference

These are the margins, kids. You could always argue that Sergio should put his early sitter away against Chelsea and got us at least a point here, and that we looked out of sorts at Swansea but had the equaliser stood how many for and against us would have agreed that "United have been doing that for nearly twenty years"?

 

[DTeacher]

Certainly is a good read BUT I can't help but feel we have given away 7 clear points and a very good goal difference to be 1 point behind and only 2 goals in front of the leaders, what's happened.

2 goals in front?

Actually, it's 8.

Which is why a draw would have been okay against Swansea, despite us expecting a win.

Nevertheless, as David Mooney's sensible article suggests, we are still in this race and are breathing down the rags' necks. A few more twists and turns yet, methinks.

I still honestly believe that CITY will be crowned Champions this season.