Mancini Protest

[Anonymous]

It was all about how the players performed. Against Chelsea away, Bellamy and Tevez were on fire, they weren't yesterday, it's a simple as that, the system and gameplan was the same.

I disagree with this bit, Tevez was poor because he was isolated, Bellamy was poor because he was instructed to play so deep.

Its not huge fluctuations in individual form that causes the differnet styles we play, its how were set out from the off imo.

How do you know he was instructed to play so deep? If he was instructed as you say so then he looked at times to disobey those orders as he wasn't playing deep alot of the time. Don't forget Arsenal have 60% of the possession against the majority of sides that go to the Emirates, if you are one of the wide men in a 4-3-3 then you will be asked to make it 4-5-1 when you haven't got the ball, it may look like he was playing deep.

 

[GStar]

Encounters between the big 4 are highly tactical affairs and full of 'negative' football. IMO.

Agreed, in fact most blockbuster matches between the Sky 4 are overhyped, over publicised and boring as fuck.

Its a good point... they generaly are.

Perhaps we underestimate our current squad... the big four, well three... still attack in numbers against each other, they just work so hard as a unit off the ball.

On the otherhand we don't come out of our shell unless forced, its not a major change but a bit more freedom in the later stages of the game, a superior work ethic as a unit and we've already shown we have the ability to match anyone.

 

[There is a Light]

What tactics should Mancini use against Villa then?

I would hate to see us come out too cagey but they are a classic counter attacking side.

Someone mentioned the Sunderland game. The second half of that game we created more chances than on any other game this season. The ball would just not go in the bloody net.

Mancini is scared to open up against the big teams though, which is odd when you consider he played for titles and cups in his career in Italy. Everything suggests he will be cautious again against Villa and Tottenham.

 

[Anonymous]

Jesus H Christ! What a load of fucking bollox.

Remind me Cheesy - why did you have to resign your post of Professor of Logic & Philosophy at Oxford University?

I was too highbrow.

 

[GStar]

How do you know he was instructed to play so deep? If he was instructed as you say so then he looked at times to disobey those orders as he wasn't playing deep alot of the time. Don't forget Arsenal have 60% of the possession against the majority of sides that go to the Emirates, if you are one of the wide men in a 4-3-3 then you will be asked to make it 4-5-1 when you haven't got the ball, it may look like he was playing deep.

Lets not get pedantic and nitpick... the whole team played extremely deep and extremely compact. Id guess they were instructed as its not characteristics we've seem from our team recently.

Tevez was generally the only player in arsenals half and bar Bellamy once, i don't remember with of our wingers getting to the byline, our full backs over lapping of us having a spell of possesion around our opponents area.

 

[Braggster]

Encounters between the big 4 are highly tactical affairs and full of 'negative' football. IMO.

Agreed, in fact most blockbuster matches between the Sky 4 are overhyped, over publicised and boring as fuck.

Absolutely correct. Being a football geek I actually quite enjoy the 'chess match' games as well as the end to end stuff but I can see why many don't.

I do find the idea that we should simply attack a team like Arsenal away from home somewhat naive. We played to our strengths yesterday - in the first half, the counter attacks didn't come off. Bellamy and Tevez couldn't quite make the right passes and runs. That can happen, and you have to give some credit to the opposition too for that.

In the second half we were much better until Arsenal's subs but due to 2 injuries didn't have the chance to respond to that.

Of course the whole game would have been different if Ade had started, which he no doubt would have done if he hadn't been injured.

 

[whp.blue]

How is that abusive and personal? Don't get so touchy.

It's personal in the sense that you have again implied that I can't post with any integrity about City because of my friendship with Stevie.

Back to the facts. City have failed to score under Mancini against Everton, Liverpool, United, and Arsenal. We had no more than a handful of shots in all those matches. Not sure how with the amount of money we've spent, and the talent we have, that can ever be classed as a good thing...

not being funny mate but the way you call him "STEVIE" has very gay conertations

 

[Bill]

I too have well documented doubts about Mancini and his seemingly one track plan of sitting back, and playing for the draw. What we all have to take into account though and possibly cut him some slack is the fact that this is not his team, he is obviously going to mistrust some players and doubt their abilities and until he has been given his own players, its possibly a tad harsh to overly criticise.

His record at Inter suggests thjat his teams are not just defensivly strong, they are also rather good going forward, thus eliminating this defensive stereotype.

He has made mistakes this season, we all know that but you cant argue that we are now a better side with him in charge.

He will get the summer i think and next season will be the one to judge.

I hope he does that as i like the guy, he just needs to realise that English football is different to Italian football and he must quickly realise the strengths of the team and allow them to play to them.

Let sides worry about us rather than the other way round.

bang on the money,especially the last line.

 

[squirtyflower]

so what you are saying is that our players aren't as good as the ones in spurs', villa's and liverpool's
now that really does beggar belief

what beggars belief is your astonishing arrogance that we are a better team than spurs, i would take their midfield over ours any day of the week

if you can quote me where i said we had a better team than spurs, i'll quite happily admit arrogance
my point, that you conveniently overlook, is that our players are better and should not be afraid to get wins against either spurs or villa
unfortunately i think we will be betrayed by another 'we must not lose' display and so, as a team, we will not perform

 

[@BluePhil8]

Moaners!!! Yeah sometimes we don't play attractive football but guess what, you'd all moan if we went full out against Arsenal and left our defense vurnerable! Without sounding patronising but most of the people who want Mancini out are either delusional, 5 years old, glory hunters or Mark Hughes!