City v Liverpool Post Match

[Didsbury Dave]

After we scored the 3rd, the game was finished and we eased off the gas. I think had we needed 5 or 6 to win the league on GD yesterday, we would have gone and got them.

I think both yesterday and Newcastle you could see that the players are still working towards full fitness and the manager is playing them accordingly. There's an efficiency there.

Much more to come as the next few games progress. We are going to come on stronger and stronger and really let the world know we are the main men now.

 

[WickyWain]

Re: Dipper Support

They're always quiet when they come to our ground.

 

[Marvin]

I think City are beginning to look like world beaters. We have progressed so so much under Pellegrini. This is a side with a core of players having missed most of pre-season because of the World Cup. This is a side who won the league last season and played about 60games in all competitions. It is a side who everyone else wants to beat. Despite all of that we went to Newcastle and a new £12m signing just completely covered the centre backs who were completely shot come 80mins. It was a professional performance and showed just how strong we are. The movement of Jovetic to allow others time and space, it is pure class. I thought our formation might be our downfall last night, but Pellegrini got it spot on by telling the team to drop deep. I don't think I have come across a manager that I struggle to find fault with. We played into Liverpool's hands at Anfield last season by allowing them to drag us out of position and exploit space in behind.

This time we said, there's the ball, come and get past us. We dropped a bit deeper and they were clueless. Instead, we picked them off as they made the costly mistake. Just like Chelsea did at Anfield last season. From then on we just kept the ball and then within one or two quick passes we found the space in behind and scored two goals that they would have been expecting to score. It was a shame we conceded but yet again it was so professional. We have a squad that can break teams down, can be patient with the ball and can be quick and direct. We have so many options and are looking excellent under a manager who made a few mistakes last season but already from the two games we have played so far, learns from them and knows how to get the 3 points. We didn't sit back and hope for a goal, we stopped Liverpool from playing their game and picked them off.

I also believe this team is on the verge of something very special indeed. Not only do I think we are the best side in England, I also think we are the best side the premier league has produced in the last ten years.

With regards to your point about the manager, and the way he's learnt how to face Liverpool: when Pellegrini joined he was asked what his biggest challenge was that season. He basically said that in Spain he knew every team, every manager and every player, but in England that would take some time. I think we are starting to see that experience come through and it only makes us stronger.

I think the champions league is there for the taking with this generation of players and this management team.

I was well impressed with City last night.

We had more to come but we walked the ball around them at walking pace in the 2nd half.

Liverpool will improve and are still coming to terms with losing Suarez and making significant changes. We had a similar experience at the start of last season with Pellegrini and new signings.

Very happy with the starts made by Fernando and Jovetic, and Demichelis has started last season as he finished the last.

 

[dave_blue12]

Strange that so many think that Liverpool were the better team in the first half. To me it looked very much like we toyed with a little in it. They didn't really get close to Hart whilst playing their best football. We on the other hand were quite happy to keep them out and almost toy with them at times with our passing. They wanted to play on the break and we didn't let them because to a man everyone in our side did their defensive duty with real gusto. Everytime we went forward we had Liverpool on the rack and it was only our own decision making at times in the final third rather than Liverpool's defending which kept us out.

So yeah, for me we were the better team first half and second. We bullied them without really getting into 4th gear (we were definitely in 3rd gear though!).

Good post.
Agree about us being in 3rd gear, just don't tell anyone we've had one of those new 9 speed auto gearboxes fitted !!

 

[nobody can eat fifty eggs]

Re: Dipper Support

I was very disappointed with the Liverpudlians last night, the only song I remember them singing was the "we saw you crying when we sent you down" very amusing that, up there with Ken Dodd's diddymen I thought.

 

[Marvin]

(Polite) Congratulations Man City on a good win. Liverpool fan here and season ticket holder. After the match last night this forum seemed to give us some credit but this morning it seems to be more stick (understandable and I've learnt to not look at the opposite forum again after the match). Just a few points I'd like to make....

1). We were the better side 1st half especially until Moreno's mistake. Then your cutting edge which we lacked came to the for (good pressing and finish from Jovetic though) but still Moreno's mistake.

2). After the 1st goal there was a sense of bloody hell were not going to get anything from this now which only a few sides manage to make me feel. Even Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich would probably accept a 1-0 loss at the etihad. That's the level of team you have got now....Even the bookies gave us a +1 handicap which rarely happens.

3). To most Liverpool fans this season a top four finish (if we play well like we did last season it will turn into a title challenge), and getting out of the champions league group (were in the 3rd tear) or past the second round will be acceptable this season.....Whereas Man City not finishing in the top 2 or not getting to the semi finals of the champions league will probably be seen as a disapointment.

4). In the end you were the favourites to win and you DESERVED to win but we did play well in the first half but lacked a cutting edge. After the Sunderland win I was worried but strangely after yesterday loss I'm not worried at all.

Good Luck and if we don't go on a good run again. I hope its you or Arsenal that win the league.

I think the stick is because of Rodgers comments that LFC were the better team for a good part of the game. I understand why he tries to stress the positives in what could be a morale-sapping and significant defeat for Liverpool. Despite Liverpool's good start to the game, it could have ended up 4 or 5 nil and that's Jamie Carragher's assessment too. You can find it online easily enough if you haven't already seen it.

Despite being rivals for the title last season, there's only one team that City fans really hate to do well, and you know who they are.

I'm expecting City to improve on last season, and compete with Chelsea and Arsenal for the title.

I thought Spurs would improve on last season, and they've made a good start. I think Everton will struggle to match what the did last season purely because Barkley is injured. Liverpool's chances depend on how soon the new players get to grips with defensive organisation and the impact Mario makes. No one knows how he will do though everyone has an opinion on him.

I hope you finish above Utd. Big game for you against Spurs. You need to win that to keep morale high. Confidence is key in football, and will have taken a knock from the manner of that defeat - which is why Rodgers is talking you up.

 

[spacecadet]

After we scored the 3rd, the game was finished and we eased off the gas. I think had we needed 5 or 6 to win the league on GD yesterday, we would have gone and got them.

I think both yesterday and Newcastle you could see that the players are still working towards full fitness and the manager is playing them accordingly. There's an efficiency there.

Much more to come as the next few games progress. We are going to come on stronger and stronger and really let the world know we are the main men now.

Spot on- We are really starting to move in the right direction as a club, from top to bottom.

 

[Bilboblue]

My only disappointment last night was Demichelis, the amount of times he lost the ball, or was panicked into a daft clearance/attempted clearance. To be fair, it wasn't only him, but seemed to be him did it most often.

Hugely impressed with Fernando, a few fantastic tackles, blocks and interceptions last night, looks like a (much) higher class De Jong.

Silva, relatively quiet but still magical on the ball last night, some great darting runs and always makes himself available for the ball.

Nasri had a good game too and Yaya was getting somewhere near back to last seasons form int he 2nd half.

Jovetic, great finishing, Dzeko held the ball up well, was surprised to notice it was him getting back a bit to help the midfield rather than Jovetic but he did his job well last night, should have done better with his chance however.

Both full backs did very well, Clichy especially and Kompany did well without needing to do a lot though I do wish he wouldn't make those runs out of defence to chase a player.

Overall a very comfortable 3-1 win, should have been more. Was surprised how little fight the scousers had, doesn't bode well for them, 4th at best IMHO behind Chelsea, Arsenal and us.

 

[Bozzie]

It's only natural that Liverpool fans will look to the possession they had in the first half to soften the blow of what was a pretty comprehensive defeat. The reality was that regardless of whatever possession they had they created little of any substance with it and we rarely looked under any real pressure. The frightening aspect of last night was that we looked like we were hardly out of second gear and could have stepped it up had it been needed. Excellent performances from Yaya and Nasri and both Jovetic and Sergio took their goals brilliantly.

One a separate note, just watched the pre match build up from last nights Sky coverage. What the hell did Rodgers have on his ears during his interview? He looked a right tit.

 

[Juan King]

Can we agree what gear the team is currently playing in?

I have seen some people say we never gout out of first gear, some saying second & some saying third?

How many gears are there & what is top gear?