kp789 said:
I think this thread is starting to highlight those with football knowledge and those without much.
One single incident in an entire match does not make it a bad performance! Kompany made mistakes in that game, but was phenomenal. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta made mistakes in that game.
I have seen strikers score 4 goals in a game and miss a sitter, yet they still put in an amazing performance.
The reason that people are blaming MDM is for two reasons. Firstly, they cannot accept that City are not the greatest team in the world and were undone by a well drilled team with some of the greatest players of our generation. (Some are starting to sound like un*ted 'fans')
Secondly, certain fans already have a dislike for MDM and look for any excuse to use him as the scapegoat and blame him for anything which goes wrong.
Give your heads a wobble! He plays for City and therefore you should support him, not just wait for him to fail. It is sickening the treatment that this bloke gets of some moronic people. Applaud what he does well and encourage when he needs it.
I find it hard to think that this is the same fan base that was watching City play Crewe with me 13 years ago.
I dislike every single word of this. From the hackneyed 'starting to sound like United fans' to the yawnsome, entirely flawed comparison to our recent past (because hey we used to just accept everything and never used to complain once in the dark old days. I recall us applauding the winning side off after each defeat and saying a collective 'Hard lines City but you gave it your best')
But mostly it's the arrogance wrapped around ignorance. You say something entirely wrong then claim if someone differs from your incorrect viewpoint they must, by default, know nothing about the game.
MDM had a generally decent first half and made some important intuitive interceptions that were peppered by examples of poor distribution. Mainly though he played - as per - on the front foot and - for once - his timing was largely impressive.
But his mistake defined his performance. His mistake changed the entire narrative of the tie and our Champions League pursuit. His mistake was extremely costly.
In this instance one single incident DOES warrant criticism just as Hart's rush to the head justified rebuke after Chelsea away.
It was a mindless, incredibly stupid decision to commit to a challenge he could never hope to pull off. From the moment he chose to commit - and bear in mind this seasoned veteran at the highest level then had an extra few seconds to pull out - a sending off was inevitable.
Far worse than conceding - and whose to say Hart wouldnt have blocked Messi's effort - at that moment in the game was to lose a man. And MDM CHOSE this option.
So the reason I'm blaming him for our defeat is not because I consider us the greatest team in the world - as you state - but rather because he was to blame.