City v Napoli Post Match Discussion Thread

[Blue Tooth]

More of that please...loved my first taste of Champions League...Very good display from both teams...we were unlucky not to be in front by half time but hats off to Napoli for a well organised defensive effort and some very creative counter attack....Fantastic game of football...All good experience and part of our learning curve...can't wait for the next game.

 

[scenecreamer]

Clichy and AJ are both good off the bench though as they bring serious pace, might have been tactical to keep them off until Napoli was dragging.

 

[Andouble]

AJ was good tonight because he ran at defenders, lately when playing he hasn't done that as much. Could see him starting Sunday.

 

[Zonalmarking]

I was really surprised with the contrast in styles from the way Mancini set up his side last season and this season. He was criticised for parking the bus in many big games last year, but tonight with all of City's team in Napoli's half, they starting hitting on the counter attack with success, outnumbering the defence 3 to 2, 4 to 3. And there seemed to be no midfielders busting a gutt to get back and defend. The Napoli goal was like slow motion for me, you could see it happening from the moment Barry fluffed his back heel. They should have taken heed from the first few counter attacks and tried to be abit more cautious because by the time they scored it was deffo coming. Mancini needs to utilise both styles of last season and this. Especially in big games. Napoli are not Milan, but they aint Swansea either.

At home in Europe the formula for success is to go for the throat for the first half, get a few goals up, run the game down in the second half, take off your best players and give the bench a work out.

This seemed to be the tactics from the off, but when Napoli hit the crossbar on 18 mins it made a few arses twitch. I couldn't work out why Nasri plays on the left and constantly cuts inside to his right foot only to be crowded out or run into trouble. Dzeko is a target man center forward, but he doesn't get any crosses at all. Napoli deffo did their homework in flooding the midfield and breaking up the play. Adam Johnson and Tevez seem to be the plan B for this season, but even I can tell you that Dzeko is the man who needs Johnson, not wee Tevez.

I can see Mancini changing his approach away from home. These are the real tests in football. Interesting times ahead.

 

[tonygt123]

everyone take a step back. We've started the season flawlessly and tonight played against the best defence we will play all season. No need to start a ______ is shite thread.

May i take this chance to congratulate with you guys....your team has been very unlucky tonight,but overall i think that a point is fair for both teams....we are not in champion's for pure luck....you have shown us a good football skill altough i was not impressed with nasri tonight....Aguero is super and i sincerely think that you will go a long way in this competition....as i sayd a while ago....let's try and send Bayern in Europa league and Villareal at home....we will wait for you guys in Napoli.....thank you very much for your lovely hospitality....i mean it !!!!!!!!

your welcome

 

[ManCFC19]

Love how this game depends so much on other players to collectively make things work right. I think we can all agree on Nasri not having a good game but i think the reason for that is also because i never thought of him as an amazing 1 on 1 player (not that he's bad but), i just think his vision is his best asset and in this game where was that? This is exactly why Clichy and Richards were so missed. As Napoli clogged up the middle so well there were just not many choices and Zab and Kola looked pretty weak running from sides..I really hope this gets corrected because there was just that tiny bit left for us to get more goals in this game.

 

[Totadisco]

It was a good, entertaining game and this just shows that there are no weak teams in CL. Draw is alright considering how bad would it be if we lost. There are 5 more games to play and I think that it will be a different game when we meet again in Napoli.

Worst player today - Nasri as no.1 and Silva ( lost in 2nd half, completely cut of)
Best - Yaya was superior today. He didn't lost a single challenge. Dzeko and Aguero were good although Nasri and Silva had a poor game

Its not that Silva had a poor game. It is simply poor for his potential.

 

[bluetoo]

In a strange way I think this is just the start we needed. A lot of players looked shellshocked out there tonight....Nasri, Lescott,Barry, Joe Hart (looked the most shell shocked) and dare I say it Vinnie. Valuable lessons to be learned.

It was something like a team of foreigners playing their first game in the PL (maybe a little harsh). We got a result...could have been better but I hope Mancini takes the incentive and reinforces the wake up call that was dished out to us.

Well played Napoli btw...

How can Nasri be shellshocked? He's played at Arsenal in the Champions League for 3 years, in some of the biggest games in European football. Not least against Barcelona where they have won and lost.

Ask him not me...

 

[Maldeika]

never underestimate anyone, these sides are in the CL for a reason

Too true. Doesn't help that I dont have Sky, and have never really watched that much European football. That said, compared with what I have seen, they are a pretty handy side. Hope Villareall aren't much better!

Bayern should of scored 5 goals, i seen the highlights, Ribery was devastating

Villarreal is not that bad - it was their first loose in Europa League or Champions League for ages at home - at least in the last 6 or 7 years if ever somebody has won there before. They tried to play a little catenaccio style against us, trying to be good in defense and getting their attack with long balls. Their two attackers are pretty good and their defense line is good organisated so we ran in the offside a couple of times. Bayern should have played with more concentration and the game would have been done earlier.

Do not let anybody tell you that Bayern has won because Villarreal was such a bad team.

 

[king]

great counter attacking football from napoli always thought barrys lack of pace would be exploited buy there attack, playing kolarov and zaba took away a lot of pace and creativity from our wings and our forward players seemed to want to walk the ball into the net. missed de jong have u ever seen him try any thing as stupid as what barry did yaya and barry seem to not understand the concept of being a holding midfielder.