Lack of Real Quality

[Lindowman]

Yes I concede we definately need a creative CM player. But last night was about work rate, against a physical Wigan side that set their stall out to waste time and try and hit us on the break.

We were unlucky not to go 1 -0 up in the first half due to a (lucky) good save from their keeper, and I thought we were definately in the ascendancy in the second half until the sending off, when we then pushed on our advantage. Teams like Wigan don't com to Eastlands to play football they come to spoil, and try and nick something.

Yes we may look poor in these games but it's the result that counts, and we made the extra man count last night, when in other games that can prove tricky as the remaining ten up their game.

Job done last night - well done lads I say.

 

[lozza]

was impressed with Mancini last night, particuarly second half.

obviously we were getting over run in midfield, partly down to resting barry accepted, but he brought bellamy on to operate as a link between midfield and attack as that's what we were really lacking in the first half.

you'll notice he wasnt running at Melchiot all half, played a different role.

very smart move

we're really struggling to get the ball back though, will hurt us in the big games remaining

 

[Neil McNab]

I'll concede that after a three nil win, this may come across as a tad negative, but the one thing that struck me tonight is the lack of real quality and class throughout our side, considering the amount of money we've spent.

The argument that rome wasn't built in a day is absolutely valid, but for the outlay I think we perhaps could have done better. With the exception of Tevez and Adebayor (not tonight, but on his day), I don't think we've got too many players that would interest your top European clubs. I'd say Bellamy is real quality too, but I couldn't imagine the top sides clamoring for him.

de Jong to me looks more and more like a one trick pony. I love him and I think we can certainly afford to have a player like that in there, but I think that type has to be surrounded by genuine competency. The likes of Toure, SWP and Kompany are fine, good players, but in my view never going to be world class (certainly those on the wrong side of 25). Barry, again, is a good player, a very good player maybe, but not a great player. Our defence can look solid at times and for that I'm thankful to the likes of Lescott and Zabaleta, but I'm not sure they strike fear into the hearts of Premier League strikers.

Once again, I know this might seem a negative post but I wish we'd have taken a few more chances with the players we bought in the first year or so with our new owners. I can understand the softly softly catchy monkey approach of building a team first capable of finishing top four, but I do wonder where we'd be right now if we had been less conservative in how we spent the big bucks. A new South Amercian here, a relatively unknown young French/African player there. I don't know. I certainly couldn't give you names of people we definitely missed out on, but I think if we had had someone like Eriksson in charge we'd have two or three more players in there of real quality.

But then again, maybe we would and maybe we'd be lying eighth. Just a thought I had tonight...

We have some great players and some absolute shit. Players like Kompany, Johnson & Tevez will serve us for a long time and canbe as good as anyone.
Bellers, Bridge, Zabaleta, Given, Barry are top quality premiership players that perform consistently.
SWP, Adebayor, Toure, De Jong are shit and drag the team backwards.

 

[Fanzone Danny]

I'll concede that after a three nil win, this may come across as a tad negative, but the one thing that struck me tonight is the lack of real quality and class throughout our side, considering the amount of money we've spent.

The argument that rome wasn't built in a day is absolutely valid, but for the outlay I think we perhaps could have done better. With the exception of Tevez and Adebayor (not tonight, but on his day), I don't think we've got too many players that would interest your top European clubs. I'd say Bellamy is real quality too, but I couldn't imagine the top sides clamoring for him.

de Jong to me looks more and more like a one trick pony. I love him and I think we can certainly afford to have a player like that in there, but I think that type has to be surrounded by genuine competency. The likes of Toure, SWP and Kompany are fine, good players, but in my view never going to be world class (certainly those on the wrong side of 25). Barry, again, is a good player, a very good player maybe, but not a great player. Our defence can look solid at times and for that I'm thankful to the likes of Lescott and Zabaleta, but I'm not sure they strike fear into the hearts of Premier League strikers.

Once again, I know this might seem a negative post but I wish we'd have taken a few more chances with the players we bought in the first year or so with our new owners. I can understand the softly softly catchy monkey approach of building a team first capable of finishing top four, but I do wonder where we'd be right now if we had been less conservative in how we spent the big bucks. A new South Amercian here, a relatively unknown young French/African player there. I don't know. I certainly couldn't give you names of people we definitely missed out on, but I think if we had had someone like Eriksson in charge we'd have two or three more players in there of real quality.

But then again, maybe we would and maybe we'd be lying eighth. Just a thought I had tonight...

I agree

swp is awful and I hope we can find another club to take him asap
zabaletta had a poor game and looks a liability at times
viera has lost it
de jong is one dimensional and should only be used in away game where we are fighting for a draw

we are desperate for a play maker and a box to box cm
we need two quality fullbacks and a tall dominating cb
we could do with another finisher to play alond side tevez and ade

but I am happy to keep vinny as cover for cb and dm
tevez and a fit ade adam jonhson and bellers

barry drives me mad sometimes I think he is great whilst doing a thankless job but other games I think he looks slow and too negative

given needs to up his game for me he needs to comand his six yard box if not we need a replacement and hart is not the answer as he has the same faults as given imho

but whilst I am being honest and it may be a little negative I really am happy that we won and play truely rubbish and we are still in the fight for CL place and we have amassed our highest ever total

we now need to beat Burnley and they are another side who will make us look awful

Agree with pretty much all this except for me Vinnie with the right centre half partner (ie Lescott) is one of the best around IMO. Did anyone else see him have a real pop at Toure a couple of times last night! ...... Future City captain if you ask me!

 

[Project]

I think it's evident we have to go back to 451/433 for the remainder of the season and play to our strengths. De Jong, Barry, Ireland in CM. Bellamy, Tevez, Johnson the front three.

Unfortunately that means dropping Adebayor but its in the interests of the team. We can't play 442 with the central midfielders we have. We can't afford to be conceding the midfield at home in our remaining games. 4th place is just too critical for it.

 

[hgblue]

I think it's evident we have to go back to 451/433 for the remainder of the season and play to our strengths. De Jong, Barry, Ireland in CM. Bellamy, Tevez, Johnson the front three.

Unfortunately that means dropping Adebayor but its in the interests of the team. We can't play 442 with the central midfielders we have. We can't afford to be conceding the midfield at home in our remaining games. 4th place is just too critical for it.

My guess is that he may well do this for the Arsenal, United and Tottenham games.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Don't agree that we don't have class. Some of the play this season and some of the goals from Bellers, Ade, and Gatito ooze class. And Adam J's t'other day was a beauty. If you mean that we a short of a world or even nationally class player pulling all the strings in the middle, I would agree.

Plenty of class but it seems all individually based and no one could call us a 'classy' team. Much of the play is fragmented and incohesive.

There is a slowness to the build up. Last season and the beginning of this we attacked teams with a greater urgency - whether that has been sacrificed for Italian methodicality (just coined that word, I think) who's to say?

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Our problem is that at no point this season have we been able to consistently put out a top notch 1st XI. Every game we are having to tweak this and tweak that due to injuries and/or suspensions. We are having to carry a couple of passengers every single game whether it be Toure, Garrido, at least 1 of our central midfielders and usually a winger (more often than not SWP). Most games we are effectively playing with 8 or 9 men, when you consider this us challenging for a Champions League place is nothing short of a miracle!

If we sign 2 new full backs and 2 more CMs in the Summer we will look a much stronger outfit next season.

 

[Blue Tooth]

You also need to factor in the fact that for most of this squad a battle for the rareified heights of the champions league is a brand new experience and they will be feeling the pressure...over and underhit passing is a sign of tension in my opinion...that's only going to build from here on in and to expect a team that is in its infancy with regards to qualification of the CL, to come out and play fabulous footbal is a little naieve...we're going to have to battle our way through every remaining game, starting at Burnley, and it might not always be pretty but i'd settle for another 7 performances like last night if we win em all 3-0.
Making the top 4 will open us up to a whole new level of player...If we don't get there this year then Mancinin will need to use his knowledge of the market to buy the right players to ensure we make it next time around.
Fasten your seat belts boys and girls...This is a whole new ride for us too.

 

[hbruz80]

I'll concede that after a three nil win, this may come across as a tad negative, but the one thing that struck me tonight is the lack of real quality and class throughout our side, considering the amount of money we've spent.

The argument that rome wasn't built in a day is absolutely valid, but for the outlay I think we perhaps could have done better. With the exception of Tevez and Adebayor (not tonight, but on his day), I don't think we've got too many players that would interest your top European clubs. I'd say Bellamy is real quality too, but I couldn't imagine the top sides clamoring for him.

de Jong to me looks more and more like a one trick pony. I love him and I think we can certainly afford to have a player like that in there, but I think that type has to be surrounded by genuine competency. The likes of Toure, SWP and Kompany are fine, good players, but in my view never going to be world class (certainly those on the wrong side of 25). Barry, again, is a good player, a very good player maybe, but not a great player. Our defence can look solid at times and for that I'm thankful to the likes of Lescott and Zabaleta, but I'm not sure they strike fear into the hearts of Premier League strikers.

Once again, I know this might seem a negative post but I wish we'd have taken a few more chances with the players we bought in the first year or so with our new owners. I can understand the softly softly catchy monkey approach of building a team first capable of finishing top four, but I do wonder where we'd be right now if we had been less conservative in how we spent the big bucks. A new South Amercian here, a relatively unknown young French/African player there. I don't know. I certainly couldn't give you names of people we definitely missed out on, but I think if we had had someone like Eriksson in charge we'd have two or three more players in there of real quality.

But then again, maybe we would and maybe we'd be lying eighth. Just a thought I had tonight...

I could. Half the Real Madrid squad were transfer listed last summer to help fund Galacticos 2.0. That included Robben, Van der Vart, Sneijder, Higuain, RVN, and Gago to name just a few. I would have gone for Robben, Higuain and Sneijder but Hughes insisted upon buying only Premiership proven players so instead we got Santa Cruz, Barry, Adebayor (although hardly value for money (59m), not bad players, but not great either and certainly not as good as the aforementioned Madrid players).

Also, upon the takeover the City hierarchy (basically Khaldoon Al-Mubarak speaking for Sheikh Mansour) said they thought that Chelsea made a mistake (basically wasted time and money) in buying a lot of decent/average players at the start of the Abromovich era to help them consolidate their position which resulted in them having to replace these players a year later to really compete with the top teams in the world and that they did not want to make the same mistake (they wanted the top quality players from the outset, hence the bids for Kaka, Eto'o, etc). For whatever reasons (I am not going to discuss these now) these players did not come, but there are plenty of top quality players (I named the 3 ex/current Real Madrid players) who are not yet (may never be) Messi-esque superstars but would still be mentioned when trying to determine a World XI. We should have gone for such players when the superstars did not come but like I mentioned before Mark Hughes only wanted to buy Premiership proven players and despite Sheikh Mansour's reservations Hughes was able to convince him that this would be the best way to reach their new target of top 4 (N.B: the top 4 target was made clear to Hughes before the start of the season).