City v Villa - post match

[George Hannah]

...We've slipped from being the best team in the country to the second best, and that ultimately is regression.

I'd prefer to call it the compression before the next surge

 

[kiam06]

Awful game both teams deserved to lose but I'll take any points at the moment as we just need to secure second spot.

Brilliant

Brilliant

 

[Bluemoon115]

Wins like today are only the "sign of a top team" if they are rare, and between a run of good performances.

But tonight was far too typical for that.

We opened up a relegation threatened side once.

Not good enough.

 

[sonnymancity]

I literally cannot believe what im reading! What do people expect from an away fixture at a side fighting against relegation??? I thought we were brilliant! We weren't flamboyant or exciting and we didnt play open, attacking, attractive football. BUT it was a really effective, professional, efficient performance. Zaba, Nasty and Kolo were perfect IMO. If it wasnt for Guzan making 3 outrageous saves, it could have been 3 or 4, and i was really satisfied with the work rate of every player.

Lots of 'fans' are going to be reeeeaaaallllly disappointed in the coming years if theyre expecting us to go away from home and create tons of chances, score loads of goals and entertain you in your armchairs.

We weren't really effective at all. We were too complacent and gave the ball away far too often, and apart for 10 minutes at the very end of the first half, we never really imposed ourselves on the game and set up camp in the Villa half. It's three points but, as usual, we made it harder than it needed to be by not being ruthless enough - see Arsenal away, Norwich away, Newcastle away. You are right in saying that it could have been three or four, and that we should be happy with a win, but a lack of clinical finishing has cost us all season and has us in second place. On another night, Dzeko could have stumbled and fallen like he usually does after winning the ball of Clark.

Also, don't ever do this:

'fans'

Having a negative view on a City performance does not make anyone less of a fan than you. Stop it.

weren't effective? restricting villa to 1 shot on target, is that not effective from a defensive point of view? remember defending is 50% of the game, we have looked very vulnerable to conceding on the counter attack at times this season, today we didnt, we were solid defensively....effective. Going forward, we started with 1 striker, it was never going to be an eye catching performance but im telling you every top manager in the world will tell you dont get much better than a 1 nil win and a clean sheet away from home. Not sure why you want us to 'set up camp', hasnt this season showed you that counter attacking football is effective and when we set up camp we get results like QPR, Sunderland etc. Of course we could have played better and been more clinical, we could have passed, moved, scored and recreated another Norwich away from last year. But realistically that cant always happen so I am more than happy with a solid, professional display like today.

And I am the 1st person to be negative about City when the performances are not up to scratch, but it only takes 5 mins on bluemoon to see the 'fans' that want glory glory glory every week and heap pointless, unnecessary criticism on the team because theyre not being entertained the way they like.

Fan: "A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular team".

Not a person who moans when they're not getting exactly what they want, when they want it, how they want it.

 

[johnny on the spot]

This fuckin guy...

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/muWvzXa.png[/bigimg]

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/Aaqfjio.png[/bigimg]

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/25vBsix.png[/bigimg]

 

[cleavers]

Wins like today are only the "sign of a top team" if they are rare, and between a run of good performances.

But tonight was far too typical for that.

We opened up a relegation threatened side once.

Not good enough.

I didn't think we were very good, but their keeper made 3 or 4 very good saves that prevented goals, 3-0 wouldn't have flattered us.

 

[burnagelane]

City's defence is playing well, thankfully. Clichy the quickest player in the team looks like he has been warned against venturing into the opposing half.
The midfield is giving very little drive, Garcia is not the answer. Do City only pass laterally because 'that's what Barca do'. Through passes should at least be tried.
If any one got a look at the Spurs/Arsenal game, it must have been so bloody obvious that diagonal running by Bale and Lennon with the assists being fully aware, split the Arsenal defence wide open. The question is, are the City forwards quick enough to play this diagonal running game?
Nobody wants to see City succeed more than me, but I can't see this City 'brains trust ' working it out.
City are losing more ground every game to United on Goal difference alone, with better tactics, the "goal difference" should have been reduced markedly, with games against the likes of Villa and co.

 

[Bluemoon115]

Wins like today are only the "sign of a top team" if they are rare, and between a run of good performances.

But tonight was far too typical for that.

We opened up a relegation threatened side once.

Not good enough.

I didn't think we were very good, but their keeper made 3 or 4 very good saves that prevented goals, 3-0 wouldn't have flattered us.

And 0-0 wouldn't have been unjust.

Our chances came from individuals trying things, rather than great build up play.

 

[Bluekiwi]

I was limited to listening to the radio commentary on the OS - they were at a completely different game from the one that some of the posters on this thread have expressed their negative comments.

We won, three points, lets move on to the next game

 

[Claytop]

I literally cannot believe what im reading! What do people expect from an away fixture at a side fighting against relegation??? I thought we were brilliant! We weren't flamboyant or exciting and we didnt play open, attacking, attractive football. BUT it was a really effective, professional, efficient performance. Zaba, Nasty and Kolo were perfect IMO. If it wasnt for Guzan making 3 outrageous saves, it could have been 3 or 4, and i was really satisfied with the work rate of every player.

Lots of 'fans' are going to be reeeeaaaallllly disappointed in the coming years if theyre expecting us to go away from home and create tons of chances, score loads of goals and entertain you in your armchairs.

We weren't really effective at all. We were too complacent and gave the ball away far too often, and apart for 10 minutes at the very end of the first half, we never really imposed ourselves on the game and set up camp in the Villa half. It's three points but, as usual, we made it harder than it needed to be by not being ruthless enough - see Arsenal away, Norwich away, Newcastle away. You are right in saying that it could have been three or four, and that we should be happy with a win, but a lack of clinical finishing has cost us all season and has us in second place. On another night, Dzeko could have stumbled and fallen like he usually does after winning the ball of Clark.

Also, don't ever do this:

'fans'

Having a negative view on a City performance does not make anyone less of a fan than you. Stop it.

Bullshit, we were good.

Bullshit. We played for about 15 mins at the end of the 1st half.

So frustrating watching how wasteful we are when on the break and how cheaply we give possession back from throw ins/free kicks/corners.

Let's watch Madrid tomorrow night, that's the level we want to be at.

We papered over the cracks at the start of the season with the winning 'ugly' sign of champions lark and look where we are.