Chelsea v City post match discussion

[mcfcnorthstand]

Good day watching City,"your just a fat spanish waiter". My knees are f*cked after all that time on coach. Home now, night.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Meh

Played ok I suppose. Lots of industry from Milner, Barry, Zabaletta and Kolorov. But fuck all quality from any of those four as usual, I am afraid.

Still, bossed the game really and as long as we continue to boss games, we will win most and draw some... Which will mean we are champions come May.

A bit harsh on Zab perhaps, but for all his courageous efforts - which are to be applauded - there's not many goals coming from the right when he plays.

I hope I am reading you statement wrong, but I will always defend Gareth Barry to the hilt and what he brings to my team. He regularly produces lots of industry, which helps us to boss games...job done wouldn't you say??? Then its up to Yaya, Silva, Dzeko and Aguero to do their job wouldn't you then say?

Don't see much criticism of any of them in your post?

I dunno mate. It's not like I think any of our players are garbage. And I guess I can't expect 11 Messis either, which although wonderful is perhaps a bit unrealistic ;-)

But I sometimes think we confuse effort with quality. Full marks for effort from the above players today, but did we really see quality? I am not sure. Lots of industry and work rate - which is to be applauded - but if none of it ends up with a pass that opens up an opportunity, or a tackle or block that prevents us conceding, I am left wondering what was the point.

Zabaletta works like a Trojan and constantly gets up the pitch into threatening positions. Yet how many goals has he scored? Is it 2? I can't remember. Assists? A similarly small number. We forgive him because he's a soldier and gives his all. But Maicon in 5 minutes creates more chances that Zabaletta gives us in 5 games.

I agree our strikers should not be immune from criticism either. But in their defence, they had little to feed off.

 

[Yaya_Tony]

And I guess I can't expect 11 Messis either, which although wonderful is perhaps a bit unrealistic ;-)

5 Messis', 4 Zabas', 3 subs to play and a Silva and a Joe Hart?

Winning formula.

 

[Golden Balls]

Both teams seemed somewhat apathetic today. Our boys performed well without really carving out match-winning opportunities (much like United at Carrow road).

Benitez set up the team "not to lose". As such, they provided us with a tough ask to break them down and they offered meaningless counter attacks and too many long passes attemtping to release a frustrated and a really poor Torres.

Mancini should have committed more men forward in an attempt to take home 3 points. Nasri should have came on for Yaya Toure when Tevez came on. A double substitution like that would have sparked our creativity.

But it wasn't to be. Let's bag the point, secure it away in our memory bank and focus on the tricky fixture that is Wigan.

CTID

 

[lancs blue]

I thought both Dzeko and Aguero were poor today.

For a big lad Dzeko is a bit too easily bullied by defenders, Luiz is hardly Schwarzenegger but he had no problem knocking Edin off the ball today, he really needs to be a bit more imposing with opponents.

Aguero seems to have lost a bit of "zip" compared to last season, he can still beat a man for skill but this season the opponent is finding it too easy to get back at Sergio and dispossess him. Last season he would have been away and gone in the same situation.

I was happy with the point but we were so comfortable in the other areas of the pitch I was a bit frustrated we couldn't find a goal to finish them off.

 

[tommyhair]

Yaya was busy thinking about his bro Francois today I think

 

[lionheart]

Here are the player ratings off Yahoo Eurosport. Other than Zabaleta and Milner being under-rated, they are not far off the mark. Yaya needs resting for sure.

MAN CITY: Hart 6, Zabaleta 7, Nastasic 7, Kompany 8, Kolarov 7, Toure 5, Barry 6, Milner 6, Silva 7, Aguero 5, Dzeko 5. Subs: Tevez 6, Balotelli N/A.

 

[Dzeko & Hyde]

We had a lot of corners, and the service was quite poor.

 

[cyprustavern]

Luckily their crowd wasnt behind them and they were without Terry and Lampard . Certainly wasnt a Champions standard performance from us.

Zabba has to be the best rightback in the league at the moment , Nasty is impressive both in temperament and ability for one so young and Vinny was solid (even carrying a knock) .

Silvas workrate was good again and this coupled with his technique should see him universally recognised as one of the truly great European footballers of his generation before long.

The rest were either average or below par.

Six points from Wigan and Everton will set us up nicely for the derby but things need to start clicking better to beat Everton and the Rag wearers .

 

[hertsblue]

Thought it was a good performance on the whole.
Looked very comfortable on the ball, dominated possession but just lacking the killer touch. Too many 1-2's and poor final ball when at times you scream shoot.
Ref did okay, though Kompany could have had a penalty for clear shirt pulling at a corner and Torres was allowed to use his hands more than Crouch.

But wasted alot of corners, though Chelsea defended well but just too slow up front. If only Silva was 25% better at finishing, if only Milner has 25% of Silva's creativity. The guilt edge chances were few and far between but we had 2 clear chances, both headers which we have to do better. Its been our weakness this season, poor finishing and not killing off teams.