Absolutely pal - seeding rules changed after we won the Premier League. And if you look at the groups chelsea and united have drawn, at is an unfair comparison.
Like many on here, I didnt come away last night as negative as I've felt in previous years when I did feel - on occasions - we were embarrassed at home by superior opposition. This time I felt we were more than a match for Juve, and I can see us getting a point out there, if not winning; they are certainly not to be feared in any way.
We need to get Sterling doing some extra finishing practice in training, that's the key outcome from last night. He seems to struggle to be able to lift the ball over the keeper.
Yes I think we will be ok , I still confident we will get points off Seville and Gladbach, even Juve away they will have to come at us more at their place and we can win their just like we did at Roma last season.
As for the Chelsea score ha ha even Liverpool would beat Tel aviv and that's saying something
I haven't read a single paper today because the reports will have been written in outline long before the game. Instead I've tried to make sense of what I saw. Firstly, I underestimated Juventus massively because of the players they'd sold: I hadn't looked at the players they brought in to supplement the quality still in their team. They were good, even excellent and would certainly be challenging us for the title in the PL. They were well organised and their priority was to avoid defeat. Against this I thought City did well enough and for the first 70 odd minutes they created nothing, in contrast to City. To those bemoaning the "tempo" at which City played I would point out that the tempo was high enough in the first minute when Sterling and Silva had good chances and again after our goa when the same duo could have (should have?) put us two up, but we have seen what happens to English teams who rush at high tempo into well organised foreign defences. I'm not sure they had the pace to take us on the counter but you still get nowhere running at pace into two banks of four! Where I was annoyed was with their goals; Mandzukic found too big a gap between Mangala and Lolorov for the first and Otamendi had got too close to Kolorov and so couldn't cover the rebound. Two good finishes but bad chances to concede.
In conclusion, I reject the idea that this was yet another case of City letting themselves and the PL down. If there is an English problem it is a Pl problem - when did an English team last beat, let alone eliminate, a top foreign team of genuine European pedigree? Chelsea in 2012? United in 2008? Juventus drew 2-2 and beat Chelsea 3-0 in 2013! Take out City's wins against Munich....
I haven't read a single paper today because the reports will have been written in outline long before the game. Instead I've tried to make sense of what I saw. Firstly, I underestimated Juventus massively because of the players they'd sold: I hadn't looked at the players they brought in to supplement the quality still in their team. They were good, even excellent and would certainly be challenging us for the title in the PL. They were well organised and their priority was to avoid defeat. Against this I thought City did well enough and for the first 70 odd minutes they created nothing, in contrast to City. To those bemoaning the "tempo" at which City played I would point out that the tempo was high enough in the first minute when Sterling and Silva had good chances and again after our goa when the same duo could have (should have?) put us two up, but we have seen what happens to English teams who rush at high tempo into well organised foreign defences. I'm not sure they had the pace to take us on the counter but you still get nowhere running at pace into two banks of four! Where I was annoyed was with their goals; Mandzukic found too big a gap between Mangala and Lolorov for the first and Otamendi had got too close to Kolorov and so couldn't cover the rebound. Two good finishes but bad chances to concede.
In conclusion, I reject the idea that this was yet another case of City letting themselves and the PL down. If there is an English problem it is a Pl problem - when did an English team last beat, let alone eliminate, a top foreign team of genuine European pedigree? Chelsea in 2012? United in 2008? Juventus drew 2-2 and beat Chelsea 3-0 in 2013! Take out City's wins against Munich....
Couldn't agree more, thought he was excellent and what strikers should look to do in Europe. Don't think bony is physically capable of doing it.Thought Mandzukic showed exactly how a lone front man should work, away from home in CL game.
His closing down at the front was excellent and ran his bollacks off for his team. None of this
half hearted running round from the side, looking as if you're trying to close down.
Plus he had time to score aswell. The bastard ;-)
Thought Mandzukic showed exactly how a lone front man should work, away from home in CL game.
His closing down at the front was excellent and ran his bollacks off for his team. None of this
half hearted running round from the side, looking as if you're trying to close down.
Plus he had time to score aswell. The bastard ;-)
Absolutely pal - seeding rules changed after we won the Premier League. And if you look at the groups chelsea and united have drawn, at is an unfair comparison.
Like many on here, I didnt come away last night as negative as I've felt in previous years when I did feel - on occasions - we were embarrassed at home by superior opposition. This time I felt we were more than a match for Juve, and I can see us getting a point out there, if not winning; they are certainly not to be feared in any way.
We need to get Sterling doing some extra finishing practice in training, that's the key outcome from last night. He seems to struggle to be able to lift the ball over the keeper.
Agreed. Titles are won by those wins.I think you're so wrong, the win against Palace was fantastic. You can't be banging in 3 goals a match so the hard fought wins like that are incredibly important and all good teams need to win some games like that.
Mandzukic is a seriously under-rated player. Our own Edin is on a par, but got hounded out of the club unfortunately.Absolutely. My uncle and me were saying the same last night - he put in an incredible shift as a lone striker - the only one who compares would be Tevez at his best. It is always always useful for a team, but on a euro away night it was invaluable
Don't recall Dzeko ever putting a shift in like thatMandzukic is a seriously under-rated player. Our own Edin is on a par, but got hounded out of the club unfortunately.
He didn't get hounded out of the club at all. Him leaving was beneficial to both parties. As much as I appreciate his time here he was far too inconsistent. Great goal scorer but his all round game didn't suit the way we are evolving. His close control and passing wasn't good enough and his hold up play was hit and miss. Too many moves up the pitch broke down when Edin got involved.Mandzukic is a seriously under-rated player. Our own Edin is on a par, but got hounded out of the club unfortunately.
Don't recall Dzeko ever putting a shift in like that
Funny that, he was part of a Roma team that drew with Barcelona last night and this from a player who doesn't put a shift in....
Maybe he found it harder to put a shift in for fans that seemingly couldn't wait to slag him.
I take it you didn't watch the gameFunny that, he was part of a Roma team that drew with Barcelona last night and this from a player who doesn't put a shift in....
Maybe he found it harder to put a shift in for fans that seemingly couldn't wait to slag him.