First game I've seen Mancini's vision fully realized

[Blue Haze]

People always used to talk about Mancini's tactics of using strikers instead of wingers, of using central midfielders who can play defensively, and getting width from fullbacks.

Watching all of last season, it was rare to find that vision. Even in our best games like at Fulham, we got a lot through the middle. I don't remember a match where we fully utilized wide areas, maybe Liverpool at home???

But today, I saw both Richards and Kolarov getting forward. Kolarov in particular was creating space in the middle by staying wide and putting in dangerous crosses. Silva even dropped to the wing and wreaked havoc. We actually looked consistently dangerous from wide positions. And unlike the beginning of last year, we're pressing up the middle, winning the ball back quickly while not exposing the other defenders.

It's just a friendly, sure. But I remember our friendlies last year, and how our clueless lack of cohesion against Inter and Dortmund carried in to the season at White Hart Lane and against Timisoara. We look together this year, on the same page right at the start. Love it.

 

[BL2blue]

This post pretty much echoes my feelings.

We are way ahead of where we were at this point last pre-season, and we ended up 3rd and FA Cup winners!

Never, ever felt so optimistic about our club.

 

[Braggster]

Pretty much agree with that. One change I've definitely noticed is that we are more prepared to press energetically when we lose the ball - rather than immediately falling back into defensive shape. Even if we employ that tactic selectively, it will make a very big difference to our overall play. Should help us up our goal count significantly over the course of the season if we can get the balance right and execute it properly.

 

[Blue-man chu]

People always used to talk about Mancini's tactics of using strikers instead of wingers, of using central midfielders who can play defensively, and getting width from fullbacks.

Watching all of last season, it was rare to find that vision. Even in our best games like at Fulham, we got a lot through the middle. I don't remember a match where we fully utilized wide areas, maybe Liverpool at home???

But today, I saw both Richards and Kolarov getting forward. Kolarov in particular was creating space in the middle by staying wide and putting in dangerous crosses. Silva even dropped to the wing and wreaked havoc. We actually looked consistently dangerous from wide positions. And unlike the beginning of last year, we're pressing up the middle, winning the ball back quickly while not exposing the other defenders.

It's just a friendly, sure. But I remember our friendlies last year, and how our clueless lack of cohesion against Inter and Dortmund carried in to the season at White Hart Lane and against Timisoara. We look together this year, on the same page right at the start. Love it.[/quote

think yr right.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

We started to see it during the semi-final and really saw it in the final itself I think. People say Stoke didn't turn up and Inter were poor but we're making teams look poor as they can't get hold of the ball.

 

[Bluemoon115]

As much as I enjoyed the performance, and I reckon it could be the start of some greatest football we've ever seen at City, I'm going to repeat what I said when they beat us 3-0 last year.

It's pre-season. Only the real season counts.

 

[cibaman]

We're still develping as a team. The most noticeable thing from pre season seems to be that Mancini is tweaking the team to get more from Yaya and Silva. Yaya's starting deeper and Silva is playing more central.

Last season I dont think that Yaya was fit enough or used to PL pace to play box to box, hence the "half way line to box" role. This year I think he'll be expected to cover more ground. Might be difficult for Barry to stay in the starting line up.

Similarly I think we'll see a lot less of Silva in wide positions much more as an attacking central midfielder.

It made sense last year to ease Silva and Yaya into the PL and they both did very well in slightly restricted roles, but I think they'll be even more prominent this year.

 

[Damanino]

Then we were very lucky because of Inter. Their new coach is trying the 3 central defender tactics with to wingbacks are higher up the pitch leaving a lot of space there. (3-4-3, or 3-5-2)

So our wide players were lucky, thats why Kolarov could be great he only had to beat that young inexperienced Bianchetti guy who found it hard to run back to defend. They had no right defender so there was a lot of space there.

No team in the PL plays with 3 central defender.

This Inter match was nice, but our season kicks off two weeks later and we played nearly our strongest team. Inter didnt. (Maicon, Cambiasso, Motta, Milito etc. +strated trainings later)

I think this match is getting to be way overrated. Nice display, good goals. We had to win becasue of the circumstances.
I can't imagine what would go here if we lose...

MU won against Barcelona last week. Will they get battered when they meet next time? Yes, Barca will take them to the cleaners.

 

[jay_mcfc]

We started to see it during the semi-final and really saw it in the final itself I think. People say Stoke didn't turn up and Inter were poor but we're making teams look poor as they can't get hold of the ball.

Bang on the money. Don't know how people can say 'only just seeing things now' after the last dozen games of last season. Also, with only a couple of new signings and no world cup plus Bobby and his methods another year old we are bound to have progressed further.

We'll win the league if not this year then the next. Nothing and no-one can stop us imo.

 

[Anonymous]

Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so!

It said time and again last season, that the players brought in needed time to adjust, shake off any injuries and get a full pre-season under their belts. They had that adjustment time and delivered us the FA Cup and joint 2nd place!

He's added to the squad and very quietly hoovered up some of the best young talent available. Then the icing on the cake - Sergio Aguero. Who knows what this lad will do, but he will need some time to adjust too don't forget. Now for the cherry on that icing - Nasri hopefully (though I can fully envisage him staying at Arsenal and either being sold in January to realise some return or walking away at the end of the season)?

Everyone bangs on "you need a good manager to gel a squad together and all the money in the world doesn't buy success" and they are right. But we have got an exceptionally talented manager and not enough people realise it.

 

[Bill]

People always used to talk about Mancini's tactics of using strikers instead of wingers, of using central midfielders who can play defensively, and getting width from fullbacks.

Watching all of last season, it was rare to find that vision. Even in our best games like at Fulham, we got a lot through the middle. I don't remember a match where we fully utilized wide areas, maybe Liverpool at home???

But today, I saw both Richards and Kolarov getting forward. Kolarov in particular was creating space in the middle by staying wide and putting in dangerous crosses. Silva even dropped to the wing and wreaked havoc. We actually looked consistently dangerous from wide positions. And unlike the beginning of last year, we're pressing up the middle, winning the ball back quickly while not exposing the other defenders.

It's just a friendly, sure. But I remember our friendlies last year, and how our clueless lack of cohesion against Inter and Dortmund carried in to the season at White Hart Lane and against Timisoara. We look together this year, on the same page right at the start. Love it.

totally agree, refreshing and exciting to see.

 

[zangatangring]

This is how we often played.... The full backs supply the maximum width. It's just that with inter deploying wing backs (one of them inexperienced), it just showed why you can't play 3 central defenders against a premier league team. Despite this, we shouldn't have dominated them the way we did. We were a threat centrally as well! We probably would've beat an inter team fielded purposefully for a match against us rather than an experimental friendly.