Mentality

[shevtheblue]

So where does everyone stand on this? I had an argument at work (quite heated as I was still pissed off from last night) with a fellow blue who thought we did OK because we only lost 1-0 over two legs against Real, who supposedly have a good goal-to-game ratio. He mentioned how I should stop for a second and think how lucky we are to get to watch City in the Champions League semi final, when in our lifetime we have also had to watch us in Division 2.

On a personal level, this really fucks me off.

IMO, and I understand not everyone shares is, this is one of THE biggest things that needs to change, fan mentality. Now I'm not saying we should moan after every loss, or go to the training ground (like Ahsan from CWP said they do on the continent) and chuck rocks at the players. We should however expect more from these guys, we're not in division 2 anymore and we don't have division 2 players anymore.
IMHO our squad can match up to Real's if even 8 of our players showed up last night to win the game, or indeed were set out in that way.
Too many times in recent years, and I will include when we won the league the first time, the season that Bobby was sacked and also every season under Pellegrini, our players have literally thrown games with their inept performances. Everyone is due a poor performance, but showing some mentality and getting through it to win the game (or lose with effort) is what tells the difference. And at times I feel like we as fans don't push these fuckers on either, almost resigned to 'oh well, it's typical City'.

Pep won't be used to that and it may be the first thing he has to put across, failure is acceptable but inept failure and self destruction is not something that managers, players or fans should accept, no matter what your history is. Last night was a roll over and be happy with what you got job, no team or fans should be OK with that.

 

[mancityscot]

yup dont get all the '20 years ago we were relegated' pish. times have changed drastically and the financial injection into our club means those days are really no longer relevant. this mentality needs to change. it would be the same for any team. with the money spent and players we've got we should expect every season to be fighting and challenging at the very highest level. no city fan should be happy with how last night went

 

[bugsyblue]

It's human nature to respond to your surroundings and there's a weak mentality and nonchalant attitude currently ingrained in this team. That's partly because of the players themselves, partly failing on the manager to motivate and drive them and also slightly on us fans too. So many times we have need to get behind the team at home to give them that life and we haven't. Other times I've been amazed we aren't shouting and voicing our dissatisfaction also. Too often we sit and wait to be entertained without either encouraging or berating the players.

Whether this comes down to mentality or expectations of the fans I don't know but it does impact I think on the players, even if it's just marginally.

Also, and it pains me to say this because I hate them, but look at Liverpool tonight. Up against, 1-0 from the first leg and the passion of the manager and fans definitely impacted on the players.

 

[hutton who blue]

Bayern went out the CL semis but went out fighting. Safe to say, judging Pep's previous we're going to be fighters under Pep's regime.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

It's human nature to respond to your surroundings and there's a weak mentality and nonchalant attitude currently ingrained in this team. That's partly because of the players themselves, partly failing on the manager to motivate and drive them and also slightly on us fans too. So many times we have need to get behind the team at home to give them that life and we haven't. Other times I've been amazed we aren't shouting and voicing our dissatisfaction also. Too often we sit and wait to be entertained without either encouraging or berating the players.

Whether this comes down to mentality or expectations of the fans I don't know but it does impact I think on the players, even if it's just marginally.

Also, and it pains me to say this because I hate them, but look at Liverpool tonight. Up against, 1-0 from the first leg and the passion of the manager and fans definitely impacted on the players.

Maybe that is an unfair comparison , the Dippers had a massive advantage of having the 2nd leg at home , if we had lost our 1st leg in Bernabeu 1-0 , it would have been considered an excellent result and our home crowd for the 2nd leg would have been even more vociferous , and would have pushed us over the line , just like the dippers fans did tonight , and dont forget they were playing Villareal hardly the cream of europe . As for our players weak mentality and nonchalant attitude , this was allowed by what has turned out to be a "nice" manager who has virtually no control over our players who have massive ego's , he is a charming man , but he is not a winner , he won the first title with Mancini's team and the two league Cups victories are not relative to the amount of investment our owner have contributed. Not 100% sure Pep is the solution , but he will install tactics,effort and pride back into our team play , (because it has been non existent this season) and this will in turn create a better atmosphere in the stadium

 

[mancity1]

The players are not prepared to do the hard things anymore or at least when things get tough are not prepared to fight for the cause and last night typified this.

Also we have to realise that we have installed a manager over the past three years who is not inspirational and not a motivator of people.

You would hardly pay money to see him give an after dinner speech unless you wanted someone to put you to sleep to be perfectly fair.

This combined with ageing players who are well past their best and or players who just are not good enough to be in a team to challenge for the domestic least of all the European title who again are flat track specialists and naturally you expect and often get what we have got over the past couple of seasons.

How many of the players we have bought into the club will still be with us in two seasons time if in fact one seasons time.

More than likely two of the five players we bought in over the past three windows will be gone and players you pay good money for have to contribute positively on a regular basis for at least 5 years for you to be able to improve.

When your captain goes down every couple of games time and again through injury you know things have to change drastically especially if you rely on your captain for motivation and inspiration.

City needed changes and big changes in personnel on and off the field in scouting , recruiting , medical science , condiitioning , training methods after the RM era and the club didn't address any of these critical areas properly in any way shape or form.

It started with hiring a stop gap manager and his uninspiring support team.

We never played as a team a complete unit under him because he is not capable at the top level of doing so as has been clearly demonstrated and although I disagree that we have/had the best team in the premiership under MP if he actually thinks we have and he has said many times we have then his failure to get the team to produce performances time and time again to demonstrate this is further evidence of why this manager is not equipped to manage in the premiership at the top level.

 

[shevtheblue]

Maybe that is an unfair comparison , the Dippers had a massive advantage of having the 2nd leg at home , if we had lost our 1st leg in Bernabeu 1-0 , it would have been considered an excellent result and our home crowd for the 2nd leg would have been even more vociferous , and would have pushed us over the line , just like the dippers fans did tonight , and dont forget they were playing Villareal hardly the cream of europe . As for our players weak mentality and nonchalant attitude , this was allowed by what has turned out to be a "nice" manager who has virtually no control over our players who have massive ego's , he is a charming man , but he is not a winner , he won the first title with Mancini's team and the two league Cups victories are not relative to the amount of investment our owner have contributed. Not 100% sure Pep is the solution , but he will install tactics,effort and pride back into our team play , (because it has been non existent this season) and this will in turn create a better atmosphere in the stadium

Agreed, but i'm not sure we would have pushed them over the line. I have heard it many a time from our own fans that they don't really care about Europe and the league is the priority and in my opinion that is flawed. We should want to win everything equally, but not wanting to win the Champions League is distinctly small time, it is undoubtedly the biggest club competition in the world and winning it would surely catapult us into another tier much like our league win did. The home game was special for atmosphere, if we can recreate that in Europe a lot more you can only hope it will drum into the players as well.

 

[hutton who blue]

Good points but you must feel optimistic about our new man in charge don't you? I do and I think all Man City fans do manCity1.

 

[beermusic]

I miss this word. Mancini used it in every interview - "we have a good mentality in this moment"

I also miss the spirit we had at times then. The whole atmosphere at the club is complacent, this season and last.

Is it too late to get Bellamy back and fit?

 

[shevtheblue]

Good points but you must feel optimistic about our new man in charge don't you? I do and I think all Man City fans do.

It's the only thing that's got me through the last few months to be honest, when it comes to City anyway. After the Rags game, I actually said I wouldn't watch another City Prem game until next season, but alas the sucked me back in and then punched me in the dick with that Southampton performance. I have faith in Pep though, it can't get any worse, right? ;)