City v Napoli Post Match Discussion Thread

[ali benarbia's studs]

for the neutral it was a great game. i was happy for both clubs to get positives from champions league debut s.

was glad both sets of fans met before the game.... as long as folk enjoyed the experience!

wish napoli the best....

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

I thought the tactics were wrong for a team playing 5 across the back, we had no width but despite this being very evident no change until 75 mins played....poor imo....I guess the league is our number 1 priority.

Napoli were excellent on the counter and I felt the intensity of their football and speed of movement in the 2nd half suprised us a bit, hence mancini's comments regarding our naivety...

People expect napoli to finish toward the bottom of the group but on this showing i think they will give villareal and bayern a very good game.

As others have said, we need 3 wins and a draw to progress so its still very do-able. I expect us to get something at bayern, maybe even a win ;)

-- Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:20 am --

Had to laugh at the young boys on here confidently predicting an easy 5-0 victory. It was always going to be a tough game. Quite frankly, our style of football is better suited to away games where we can use our skill to counter-attack like we did at White Hart Lane. A draw may still prove to be a good result.

-- Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:38 am --

Here is a goodish article from the Guardian, although a little too critical of Bazza for my taste.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/sep/14/manchester-city-napoli-five-things-we-learned" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog ... we-learned</a>

I hold my hand up and admit I predicted 3-0 city. little was I to know they would set up like everton, otherwise...

How can you compare Dzeko, Aguero, Silva and Nasri to an Everton line up?

We tried to attack the game in the way we have been doing all season, but Napoli were better at defending than Swansea and Wigan. Surprise?

I thought Napoli set-up against us exactly how everton did last season...what did you think I meant ?

 

[bert38]

If you think Yaya was bad tonight then book yourself in at Specsavers tomorrow cos you're due an eye test.

i can see when he cant be arsed to get goal side of the opposition.

Really? Mate I dont wish to be rude but are you really saying that Yaya's performance was bad cos if you are then I despair I really do

I am saying he does not do the job needed of him when playing deeper. He does not work hard enough when we dont have the ball. To play with so many attacking players and fullbacks pushing so high up the pitch you need two central midfielders who will work their socks off. Yaya does not do that.

With the ball fantastic, without it lazy.

 

[Marvin]

I thought the tactics were wrong for a team playing 5 across the back, we had no width but despite this being very evident no change until 75 mins played....poor imo....I guess the league is our number 1 priority.

Napoli were excellent on the counter and I felt the intensity of their football and speed of movement in the 2nd half suprised us a bit, hence mancini's comments regarding our naivety...

People expect napoli to finish toward the bottom of the group but on this showing i think they will give villareal and bayern a very good game.

As others have said, we need 3 wins and a draw to progress so its still very do-able. I expect us to get something at bayern, maybe even a win ;)

-- Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:20 am --




I hold my hand up and admit I predicted 3-0 city. little was I to know they would set up like everton, otherwise...

How can you compare Dzeko, Aguero, Silva and Nasri to an Everton line up?

We tried to attack the game in the way we have been doing all season, but Napoli were better at defending than Swansea and Wigan. Surprise?

I thought Napoli set-up against us exactly how everton did last season...what did you think I meant ?

Sorry. Misread what you said. I thought you meant City had set up like an Everton team.

I knew Napoli would defend. I just didn't expect them to be so good at it, nor did I expect them to counter-attack so well.

If that game is any guide, Napoli are better than the 2 Milan clubs. But it was only 1 game

 

[BlakeTheBlue]

Last night was a clear message, "Welcome to the Champions League"

Napoli are a very good side as we all found out. Defensively rock solid and lightening quick on the counter with the quality (Levazzi, Cavani, Hamsik) to really hurt you. Napoli at home was supposedly our "easiest" group game, but this really is the group of death.

I'm as dissapointed with not winning as the rest of you but a point was a fair result probably and it's not the end of the world. We need to win our two remaining home fixtures. Tough, but not impossible. Win those two games and pick up a point at every away game and that's 10 points, I reckon that will see us through. Then the knockout stages are a lottery.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Last night was a clear message, "Welcome to the Champions League"

It was Napoli's "welcome to the Champions League" too don't forget! Yet they didn't look as nervous as us for some reason.

 

[Marvin]

Last night was a clear message, "Welcome to the Champions League"

It was Napoli's "welcome to the Champions League" too don't forget! Yet they didn't look as nervous as us for some reason.

The pressure was off them. Kolarov's goal puts it right back on them. They can't defend at home when they only have a point

 

[LoveCity]

Is this the most pathetic thing ever?

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/84547,sport,football,why-were-there-empty-seats-at-the-etihad-as-manchester-city-took-champions-league-bow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/84547,spo ... league-bow</a>

 

[Mancio]

Last night was a clear message, "Welcome to the Champions League"

It was Napoli's "welcome to the Champions League" too don't forget! Yet they didn't look as nervous as us for some reason.

the reason was that they had nothing to lose becouse everybody was saying they were coming to lose.

 

[EddieR]

In many respects we played Napoli into the game: we took the attack to them from the off and they managed to withstand the pressure, with some degree of good fortune it has to be said. Italian teams are excellent at sitting deep, defending in numbers and playing on the break.
Had we scored whilst we had the dominance of possession then the game would have taken a different course; we would have been more relaxed with the ball and less eager to push forward. It would also have encouraged Napoli to come at us, so exposing them defensively.
When we play against well regimented defences like this we have to learn patience, and a way to stretch them in order to create openings. Because we pursued a relentless pressuring it allowed Napoli to pack sit deep and play on the counter-attack.
What was extremely pleasing was the amount of possession we had and the half openings we created. Somebody posted that we need to be a bit more
ruthless. True. But all-in-all I thought we looked a class act last night, for most of the game at least, and I'm confident that we will witness many more great European nights for years to come.