I said he had 8 games to prove me wrong, I'm sorry but....

[Damocles]

Good post danamy. A lot of this comes from self-belief amongst the players, mainly stemming from the semi final victory . Throw into the
Mix kolo's absence and the partnership between kompany and lescott, which has stopped teams playing against us on the air and scaring us from setpieces. The re-emergence of Richards and aj has helped too and given us width all of a sudden. Yaya has learnt how to play in the hole and has stopped passing backwards and that's given us fluidity. And the biggest blight on the season so far, defending too deep and pedestrian build up play, has nearly gone. Boateng's put the picture and Milner is suddenly not wasting possession in wide areas any more. Hopefully kolorov has been found out at last too.

Very unusually, and very luckily, we emerged into the business end of the season with a full strength squad competing with faltering competitors. That, and the great cup draw, made it something of a perfect storm.

I've loved it, I really have, and credit has to go to the entire squad and management team. Ive said all season on here we are as good as anyone in the division. For the last half dozen games we've started to play to that potential .

Mancini deserves big praise for this because 2 months ago he looked like he'd run out of ideas. There was that weird week where we changed formation, the chairman got involved and dark rumours flew around. We won 5-0 then lost 3-0 and there was a big swing against Mancini in popularity. And then suddenly after half an hour against united it all started to click.

Ill always be grateful to mancini and the lads for this seasons success. But he's still got to maintain this progress next season to convince me he's the man for us in the future.

What I really hope is that this season's success ups his credibility level across the staff and enables him to continue to impose himself on the club. Because I want more trophies ......!!!!!

Fucking hell Dave, I find myself in total agreement with that post, especially the beginning of it. I'm off to seek help from a mental health professional

 

[johnny crossan]

My opinion for what it's worth:

You can look at formations, graphs, diagrams and stats all day long but the one thing that's happened over the last month and made us look better as a team is our mentality in the last third.

We seem to be pressing the ball further up the field (dare i say like Barca) rather than dropping off and letting the opposition have it until they get in our last third.

We also seem to be breaking with pace and switching the ball quicker from flank to flank, instead of taking 3/4 passes to switch flank it's taking 1/2.

This maybe down to us getting a second wind after our Europa exit i don't know but it's something that is certainly making us tick.

Good post danamy. A lot of this comes from self-belief amongst the players, mainly stemming from the semi final victory . Throw into the
Mix kolo's absence and the partnership between kompany and lescott, which has stopped teams playing against us on the air and scaring us from setpieces. The re-emergence of Richards and aj has helped too and given us width all of a sudden. Yaya has learnt how to play in the hole and has stopped passing backwards and that's given us fluidity. And the biggest blight on the season so far, defending too deep and pedestrian build up play, has nearly gone. Boateng's put the picture and Milner is suddenly not wasting possession in wide areas any more. Hopefully kolorov has been found out at last too.

Very unusually, and very luckily, we emerged into the business end of the season with a full strength squad competing with faltering competitors. That, and the great cup draw, made it something of a perfect storm.

I've loved it, I really have, and credit has to go to the entire squad and management team. Ive said all season on here we are as good as anyone in the division. For the last half dozen games we've started to play to that potential .

Mancini deserves big praise for this because 2 months ago he looked like he'd run out of ideas. There was that weird week where we changed formation, the chairman got involved and dark rumours flew around. We won 5-0 then lost 3-0 and there was a big swing against Mancini in popularity. And then suddenly after half an hour against united it all started to click.

Ill always be grateful to mancini and the lads for this seasons success. But he's still got to maintain this progress next season to convince me he's the man for us in the future.

What I really hope is that this season's success ups his credibility level across the staff and enables him to continue to impose himself on the club. Because I want more trophies ......!!!!!

 

[Skashion]

Dave hasn't changed his mind. Mancini has.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Wonderful - we're all on the same page at last. Whether we're doing things completely differently or doing the same things in a different way, we all agree that we suddenly seem to have clicked and look much better for it.

The players suddenly have a belief and swagger that they've been missing and the doubt from the stands that used to be palpable from the fans after we inevitably stopped playing has also gone. Carry on like this next season and I don't see why we can't win the title.

The only note of caution I'd introduce is that we've done it twice against a Stoke team that isn't very good away from the Britannia Stadium and a Spurs side that is currently a pale shadow of the one that took 4th place last season. We also failed to respond to Everton upping their game in the second half at Goodison, after completely bossing the first half. Bolton will be a more interesting test on Sunday but theit open style will suit us.

 

[Bill]

Dave hasn't changed his mind. Mancini has.

correct.

good on him.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Dave hasn't changed his mind. Mancini has.

correct.

good on him.

I think plenty on here owe you a debt of gratitude for getting Bob to change.

 

[Bill]

Dave hasn't changed his mind. Mancini has.

correct.

good on him.

I think plenty on here owe you a debt of gratitude for getting Bob to change.

i'm a blue, it needed doing, no thanks needed :)

 

[Skashion]

Wonderful - we're all on the same page at last. Whether we're doing things completely differently or doing the same things in a different way, we all agree that we suddenly seem to have clicked and look much better for it.

The players suddenly have a belief and swagger that they've been missing and the doubt from the stands that used to be palpable from the fans after we inevitably stopped playing has also gone. Carry on like this next season and I don't see why we can't win the title.

The only note of caution I'd introduce is that we've done it twice against a Stoke team that isn't very good away from the Britannia Stadium and a Spurs side that is currently a pale shadow of the one that took 4th place last season. We also failed to respond to Everton upping their game in the second half at Goodison, after completely bossing the first half. Bolton will be a more interesting test on Sunday but theit open style will suit us.

I was being sarcastic I'm afraid. Aside from Richards bringing some width and pace to the side and Richards and Lescott making us much stronger in the air, there's not been much improvement over the course of the season in my book, and nothing of note over the past half a dozen games. We've been stronger in the air since Lescott came in for Kolo a good few months ago and Richards has been out injured but prior to that had been adding width and pace anyway i.e. Notts County away.

You're right to introduce a cautious appraisal as far as I'm concerned. We've been winning at home fairly consistently all season and we've been beating bottom of the table sides consistently all season. We've been keeping plenty of clean sheets all season too. What's changed? A 1-0 win against Spurs courtesy of an own goal, and a very good showing against the rags at Wembley (and we gave them a good go at Old Trafford in February too). Not seeing this coming of age yet. I think there's a long way to go.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Wonderful - we're all on the same page at last. Whether we're doing things completely differently or doing the same things in a different way, we all agree that we suddenly seem to have clicked and look much better for it.

The players suddenly have a belief and swagger that they've been missing and the doubt from the stands that used to be palpable from the fans after we inevitably stopped playing has also gone. Carry on like this next season and I don't see why we can't win the title.

The only note of caution I'd introduce is that we've done it twice against a Stoke team that isn't very good away from the Britannia Stadium and a Spurs side that is currently a pale shadow of the one that took 4th place last season. We also failed to respond to Everton upping their game in the second half at Goodison, after completely bossing the first half. Bolton will be a more interesting test on Sunday but theit open style will suit us.

I was being sarcastic I'm afraid. Aside from Richards bringing some width and pace to the side and Richards and Lescott making us much stronger in the air, there's not been much improvement over the course of the season in my book, and nothing of note over the past half a dozen games. We've been stronger in the air since Lescott came in for Kolo a good few months ago and Richards has been out injured but prior to that had been adding width and pace anyway i.e. Notts County away.

You're right to introduce a cautious appraisal as far as I'm concerned. We've been winning at home fairly consistently all season and we've been beating bottom of the table sides consistently all season. We've been keeping plenty of clean sheets all season too. What's changed? A 1-0 win against Spurs courtesy of an own goal, and a very good showing against the rags at Wembley (and we gave them a good go at Old Trafford in February too). Not seeing this coming of age yet. I think there's a long way to go.

I agree with this post too. A lot of this comes from that Utd semi. Mancini hasn't suddenly become a genius and we aren't suddenly the finished article. Having appeared to have rotten luck for most of the season, that all suddenly changed. But we have a base to build next season on as long as the manager looks at the last few games and ensures that the problems we have had all season are not allowed back. No more midfielders on the edge of our own box. No more slow build up play. No more knocking it back to the centre half from the attackers. No more Milner on the wing. No more Kolorov or Boateng.

I can't wait for next season but I totally agree there is a long way to go.

 

[fbloke]

Wonderful - we're all on the same page at last. Whether we're doing things completely differently or doing the same things in a different way, we all agree that we suddenly seem to have clicked and look much better for it.

The players suddenly have a belief and swagger that they've been missing and the doubt from the stands that used to be palpable from the fans after we inevitably stopped playing has also gone. Carry on like this next season and I don't see why we can't win the title.

The only note of caution I'd introduce is that we've done it twice against a Stoke team that isn't very good away from the Britannia Stadium and a Spurs side that is currently a pale shadow of the one that took 4th place last season. We also failed to respond to Everton upping their game in the second half at Goodison, after completely bossing the first half. Bolton will be a more interesting test on Sunday but theit open style will suit us.

I was being sarcastic I'm afraid. Aside from Richards bringing some width and pace to the side and Richards and Lescott making us much stronger in the air, there's not been much improvement over the course of the season in my book, and nothing of note over the past half a dozen games. We've been stronger in the air since Lescott came in for Kolo a good few months ago and Richards has been out injured but prior to that had been adding width and pace anyway i.e. Notts County away.

You're right to introduce a cautious appraisal as far as I'm concerned. We've been winning at home fairly consistently all season and we've been beating bottom of the table sides consistently all season. We've been keeping plenty of clean sheets all season too. What's changed? A 1-0 win against Spurs courtesy of an own goal, and a very good showing against the rags at Wembley (and we gave them a good go at Old Trafford in February too). Not seeing this coming of age yet. I think there's a long way to go.

I agree with this post too. A lot of this comes from that Utd semi. Mancini hasn't suddenly become a genius and we aren't suddenly the finished article. Having appeared to have rotten luck for most of the season, that all suddenly changed. But we have a base to build next season on as long as the manager looks at the last few games and ensures that the problems we have had all season are not allowed back. No more midfielders on the edge of our own box. No more slow build up play. No more knocking it back to the centre half from the attackers. No more Milner on the wing. No more Kolorov or Boateng.

I can't wait for next season but I totally agree there is a long way to go.

Its interesting that the importance of being on the 'front foot' - playing 10 yards further forward if you will - has such an impact on 'luck' as well.

Now I see City being inches away from the pass for a goal rather than the last ditch tackle needed to stop others tearing us apart on a counter.

And it is noteworthy that very few of Lescott and Kompany's tackles post LIverpool (as a generalisation) have been in the box - earlier in the season they were very much more common in there.

IN the coming season I think we will also see Cuy buy players with more pace which, for me is important to make the most of being more positive.