FA Cup Final Post Match thread

[OB1]

Mancini goes to 3-5-2 when a team is pressing us high up the pitch, they nick the ball during our loathesome backpassing and negative shit football, and it leads to our defeat.

This was 100% Mancini, and I'm pretty sure he did it intentionally. That, or he's fucking insane. We made Wigan Fucking Athletic look like Dortmund today, and ironically it ended almost the same.

He has only made the switch during important matches, and it has fucked us every single time, except for a brief spell against Tottenham at home. It is his patented "alright, boys, we're going to lose this one goooooood" move.

The only good that can come from today is the guarantee of a new Manager. If Mancini doesn't go, then today has no silver lining (and it really couldn't anyways).

At one point I thought we reverted to 3-5-2 ...........but did we?

Well, Zab appeared to be playing centre half at one point.

 

[Dethred]

Formation didn't come into it. We lost because our passing game was slow, and couldn't penetrate their back 4. We needed a player like AJ who could beat a man one on one.

I rest my case.

It wasn't the formation change that led to a loss or draw in 90% of the times it was used.

It was because we sold Adam Johnson in the summer. Please excuse me while I laugh and cry at the same time, both from utter bemusement.

 

[Heart.net]

Can anyone still say, with 100% confidence, that the Tevez Munich saga was all Tevez's fault?

I can't. Mancini treats him like shit.

Tevez's version of events where he had already warmed up for ten minutes, sounds quite realistic to me.

I think Tevez was made out to be a scapegoat. Zabaleta's recount of the situation said as much.

 

[rastus]

Just back and it was a good day apart from the match itself. Really annoyed with our performance as Wigan played exactly the same as they did a couple of weeks ago and we did nothing to stop them. Milner should have started, as should Pantilimon. The former gives more protection when we have to defend against wingers and Hart seems to have lost the plot completely the last few weeks. They have the worst defence in the PL and we couldn't trouble it at all, even with over £100m worth of strikers on the pitch at various times. Barry was utter dogshit and Yaya was only marginally better. Silva did OK and Tevez never stopped working but Aguero was woeful.

I don't accept the answer is simply to spend more money as most of the money Mancini wants to spend is to replace players he's bought.

It seems like 'Typical City' is like a super-bug that's resistant to antibiotics and I'm even beginning to doubt the ability of the owners now.

I just hope the owners and Spaniards realize (and the bookies seem to think they do) that the players aren't the problem. These are the players that won the fucking league, and the last FA Cup (actually a weaker squad then).

I am pretty sure the next few days will be possibly the most pivotal for our club in the past decade or more. If Mancini stays, the plot is lost, if he is replaced with quality today has a silver lining.

Whats the problem?

 

[kawkav]

One word sums it all up really. Pace or lack of it to be precise.

Wigan played 9 at the back, so I don't think pace would have done it....tho I know what you mean

A player who will beat a man and whip in a cross is needed tho

We play a style where we need several intricate passes and flicks to come off around the boss to create chances. Great when all are on song, but today....

Not really, Wigan are not Stoke, they are very vulnerable to a wide game with wingers that can attack the back 3. Play slow and through the middle though and they will give any team fits.

Their goal differential is -23 and they give up loads on the counter, but Mancini doesn't play that way. He was waiting for a moment of magic from Toure, Silva, or Aguero.

they showed him magic allright.

 

[Dethred]

At one point I thought we reverted to 3-5-2 ...........but did we?

Yes, for the final 1/3rd of the match. It would have been a carbon copy of the Dortmund match except for two things: Zabba got sent off instead of their player directly scoring from the interception, and Mancini never really changed the formation back immediately afterwards (something he at least did in the CL matches he blew).

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

HAHAHA. You're so precious.

Or are we going to really all start this horseshit about all the players having another off day? Clever how they all decide to put in a shit performance when we play against teams that press, and Mancini uses 3-5-2. etc.

It takes a certain amount of retardation to blame the players collectively when the manager who signed them (or at least didn't replace them) sends them out in with the tactics they used.

Only Mancini's tactics could let a multi hundred-million pound squad make Wigan soon-to-be-relegated Athletic make us look like total shit.

It was nothing to do with tactics

We lost because Zabaleta got himself stupidly sent off and players like Yaya and Silva had very quiet games. Martinez played the same game plan he usually employs, but City didn't have the ability in the team to break through their back line.

We win, you say nothing. We lose, you blame the manager.

With the sale of AJ, we lack a single player who can beat a player one on one with the possible exception of Aguero

Marvin,

It did have a lot to do with tactics today. The level of the individual performances of the players today was poor and you can debate how much of that was down to tactics but Wigan were tactically superior to us today. They have caused us problems before this season and Martinez has seen what works against us and used it; Mancini relied on picking his best team and standard tactics, rather than the best team and tactics for the occasion.

Wigan were superior because they had five midfielders in a 4-5-1 or a 3-5-2 and we were overrun there. In hindsight would have been better starting with Milner instead of Nasri and Rodwell as the extra man in midfield, with Aguero or Tevez as a lone striker but with Yaya just behind.

 

[Marvin]

So you don't see a pattern? You don't see that when teams press us, Mancini's football philosophy falls to pieces? You didn't fucking see us change to the ultimate shit formation 3-5-2, attempt a shitty under-pressure square pass, WHICH IS WHAT LED TO ZABBA GETTING INTO TROUBLE????

Jesus Fuck. Some of you have the worst fucking football understanding I could have imagined, you really fucking do. I think someone, before the board collapsed echoed the same "completely lack football intelligence" sentiment.

I rest my case with the fact that you even mentioned Adam "Benchwarmer" Johnson as a possible reason for our defeat. We win, I give an honest (and complimentary assessment), and dolts like you don't fucking notice. Then when we lose spectacularly, you notice the criticisms.

How can I respond to a stream of F words. You can't express your views

Formation didn't come into it. We lost because our passing game was slow, and couldn't penetrate their back 4. We needed a player like AJ who could beat a man one on one. Instead we had to bring on Milner and play him wide and he isn't really a winger

Fact is we have very few players in our squad who can beat a man one on one with pace or skill. Yaya can. But he was injured. And Aguero can, but he wasn't on his game.

pace and width

still

And we compounded the problem in the Summer by selling AJ who was a decent wide player for us. Would have won us the game today for a start or give us a very good option.

Should have gone for Hazard. He is the best player in the Premiership at what he does. Absolutely priceless

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Just back and it was a good day apart from the match itself. Really annoyed with our performance as Wigan played exactly the same as they did a couple of weeks ago and we did nothing to stop them. Milner should have started, as should Pantilimon. The former gives more protection when we have to defend against wingers and Hart seems to have lost the plot completely the last few weeks. They have the worst defence in the PL and we couldn't trouble it at all, even with over £100m worth of strikers on the pitch at various times. Barry was utter dogshit and Yaya was only marginally better. Silva did OK and Tevez never stopped working but Aguero was woeful.

I don't accept the answer is simply to spend more money as most of the money Mancini wants to spend is to replace players he's bought.

It seems like 'Typical City' is like a super-bug that's resistant to antibiotics and I'm even beginning to doubt the ability of the owners now.

Woooah, hey there calm down, we were shit and mcmnnmn tore us apart. Weve spent 3 trillion and our owners will soon drop us, just like Malaga. So everyones happy. That apart I feel for ya fella

I think our owners are too decent & honourable and don't understand that occasionally they need to be more ruthless or play dirty.

 

[OB1]

Wigan pressed us high and when Joe had the ball their attackers marked our defenders so we could not play out through our defenders. We had to play longer balls from the back that does not suit Kun and Tevez.

We gave them far too much time when they were taking throws. We should have closed down and put them under pressure and forced them in to mistakes. Martinez had his tactics right and fair play to Wigan, they wanted it more.

All true.

Annoys me that we don't have a solution to Hart being closed down.

When we did press them, it caused them problems; we frequently sit too deep and make it too easy for our opponents. We need a faster, more mobile and, possibly, fitter squad.