Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini (2014/15)

[FanchesterCity]

I can only see the atmosphere at the Etihad as a negative and one that could easily make some players edgy.

As I said, supporters may not be able to negatively effect the players (although even that's debatable) but they can certainly influence them in a positive way. The drip drip of nonsense this season from our own has been pretty disgusting. I had a very long conversation with Lucky Toma about this just a couple of days ago. We've been badly let down by the MCFC social media 'personalities' and the various other City related pundits who have done nothing but reinforce the negativity. Still they've all had a season to grind those axes. Hopefully by next season they'll just get back to trying to support the club rather than undermine it out of some misplaced sense of entitlement.

Tension in the stadium undoubtedly transmits itself to the players, IMO.

Without a doubt, and it gets tense very quickly with us. There will always be extreme optimists and pessimists, alongside moderate optimists and pessimists, but I think as an entire matchgoing fanbase, we see a lot of possession and quickly work out what sort of game we're going to have. If a team parks the bus, and we struggle to break them down, then within the first 30 minutes, we are almost expecting the other team to break and 'do us'.
This season, that's precisely what's happened all too often.

I'm sure other managers know this too. "Keep City out, silence the crowd, and see what we can grab".
I've absolutely no doubt whatsoever the tension can be felt on the pitch (as can the relief when/if we score).
I'm sure I'll take some flak for this, but The Etihad leaves a lot to be desired for atmosphere sometimes. There's a whole load of reasons why that might be the case, and we can rival the best crowds too when it suits us, but on the whole we don't make the most of 'Fortress Etihad'.

 

[Ray78]

The players thrive on positive energy. The atmosphere under Mancini. especially in the title run in and in his last season in charge hasn't been great either. Through out our history there has been an invidiual player who had been singled out for fan vitriol.

 

[OB1]

The shit atmosphere at the stadium hasn't stopped us demolishing plenty of teams over the last few years

It really is a last resort when people are partially blaming the fans for the teams performance, especially coming from people that don't even go to the game

More word twisting.

No one is blaming the fans (for all the team's woes); just pointing out that they are most of the time, not much help...virtuous circles and vicious circles.

And as season ticket holder of some 42 consecutive seasons, I feel fully able to comment on the crowd.

 

[citymad]

For goodness sake surely intelligent people can agree that a poor atmosphere filled with groans can have a negative impact on how the players perform. Look at Palace can you imagine them doing as well if the atmosphere was like ours? Exactly. We're not fully to blame of course but it can play a small part in the result of the game.

 

[chris85mcfc]

The shit atmosphere at the stadium hasn't stopped us demolishing plenty of teams over the last few years

It really is a last resort when people are partially blaming the fans for the teams performance, especially coming from people that don't even go to the game

More word twisting.

No one is blaming the fans (for all the team's woes); just pointing out that they are most of the time, not much help...virtuous circles and vicious circles.

And as season ticket holder of some 42 consecutive seasons, I feel fully able to comment on the crowd.

It's not word twisting at all, and my post wasn't aimed at you.

I know the atmosphere is shit, but its been like that for years, and I didn't hear anyone blaming it in the seasons that we won our league titles and had the best home form in the league.

So im not sure why it is being used as a reason for this seasons failings...

 

[chris85mcfc]

For goodness sake surely intelligent people can agree that a poor atmosphere filled with groans can have a negative impact on how the players perform. Look at Palace can you imagine them doing as well if the atmosphere was like ours? Exactly. We're not fully to blame of course but it can play a small part in the result of the game.

Its been the same for years, the atmosphere has always been poor.

But it wasn't getting mentioned when we won our two league titles.

 

[FanchesterCity]

Nonsense mate. How on earth does this forum affect the players or club? Do you honestly take this that seriously? Also at games I rarely hear anything but support for players despite the performances. Same for the manager.

Can you not read? He said the fans haven't caused the slump.

and of course we haven't helped, not had a direct impact maybe, but there has been very little passion in the stands at the game, we have been stale for most of the season.

I think you're just trying to twist his words into something they are not.

How have the fans not helped? Stokes fans don't win games for them do they? Slump rests with manager he's paid to get us out of it not deeper into it. I think only kompany acknowledged the fans at palace Monday. As if social media has had an effect absolutely laughable excuse. Folk on here now talking about mentality being wrong are the same ones who wanted Mancini gone yet he was the first to question the mentality of some players! The idea that fan comments on here or anywhere else had affected anything is crap! If fans could have that impact pellergrini never would have been appointed based on most of us singing you can stick him where the sun don't shine at Wembley.

I think he as a valid point about the naturally pessimistic nature of City fans (not all, but a fair few, and I'm one of them). Not sure about the whole social media stuff, but certainly at the ground, yes, there's a lot of angst. In a way, it's been in our blood for a long time. A few years of success doesn't wipe it away. 'Typical City', 'always do things the hard way' etc are still very much phrases you'll hear.
When Dzeko makes a hash of something, you can literally hear the moans - and the players can too. It DOES transfer onto the pitch, without a doubt.

I don't think fans are anywhere near 'to blame' - but I do think we can be part of the atmosphere during games, and of late, we've added a lot more tension than we have of optimism.

 

[pudge]

Don't forget circle jerks.

 

[Phil1]

The last couple of pages have certainly been interesting. We're now passing the buck to the fans who have sat and endured a season where for the most part the football has been turgid, team selections baffling and players not giving a fuck. We've gone out of two domestic cups to teams we should be beating every day of the week and whilst doing enough in the end to qualify for the last 16 of CL we were soundly beaten in what could have been a cricket score had our Keeper not had the game of his life.

I appreciate the atmosphere isn't rocking but it's a fucking stretch to think that professional footballers look around the Etihad on a match day and let the fact we're not bouncing up and down affect their performance in any way shape or form. If they're doing their jobs in the first place they shouldn't hear the crowd, it should just be background noise.

Anyway isn't there already half a dozen threads having a go at match goers?

 

[FanchesterCity]

For goodness sake surely intelligent people can agree that a poor atmosphere filled with groans can have a negative impact on how the players perform. Look at Palace can you imagine them doing as well if the atmosphere was like ours? Exactly. We're not fully to blame of course but it can play a small part in the result of the game.

Its been the same for years, the atmosphere has always been poor.

But it wasn't getting mentioned when we won our two league titles.

Well it wouldn't would it? - we were winning.
Now that we are not, we are looking at factors that influence that. And we as fans are a factor.

Our expectations have risen incredibly in a few short years, and when we first won the title, we were just in awe that we MIGHT win it. Now we start a season with a solid belief we can and probably should win it. When we seemingly struggle against some teams, the fans revert to frustrated mode, and that perpetuates things.

A couple of years ago, we'd go one down and think 'no worries, we'll score two and win'.
Now we think 'uh oh, we're gonna struggle to get a draw here, let alone a win'.

The players performances feed the atmosphere, and in turn the atmosphere feeds the performances.... it's a cycle that can work upwards to build confidence, or downwards to drain it.

Right now, confidence is draining. I don't think that's in doubt is it?