Mourinho

[Danamy]

Defensive frailties only matter if you score less than your opponents. They've conceded 2 or more in a game nine times for eight wins and a loss.

Not much we can do about that, expect the one at our place.

All that does is highlights to me the superior mentality they have over us, when you compare squads we have the edge with talent in every position bar two (in my opinion)

When you see average players punching above there weight for them each week and some of our world class players are currently playing within themselves, something's not right?

I think their mentality has been their biggest asset for over a decade now, it's ingrained into them and anyone who joins must have the same mentality or they won't last long.

I remember a few years ago having a rant about how they approached the last 10 minutes of games, with relentless pressure and more often than not getting a result out of it. Sometimes we seemed to coast through the last minutes of a game without urgency or any desperation to get a result.

But that has changed now for me, and we are also capable of turning around results and scoring last minute goals. I suspect their record won't last, either they will need to sort their defence or they will start dropping points.

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.<br /><br />-- 28 Dec 2012 13:25 --<br /><br />

Defensive frailties only matter if you score less than your opponents. They've conceded 2 or more in a game nine times for eight wins and a loss.

Not much we can do about that, expect the one at our place.

All that does is highlights to me the superior mentality they have over us, when you compare squads we have the edge with talent in every position bar two (in my opinion)

When you see average players punching above there weight for them each week and some of our world class players are currently playing within themselves, something's not right?

It's just the urgency between the 2 clubs the rags tempo is a lot more we stay patient and pass

I agree but if it's not working then change it ffs, you never know it might surprise the opposotion rather than being read like a book?

 

[OB1]

The question is who do we go for in 2/3 year's time when Jose walks?

What do we do in 2-3 years time when some of our top players walk/move/are sold?

We move on and replace.

This is football, not a factory where carriage clocks are given out after 50 years service!

City fans have become terrified of managerial change and obsessed with stability as a means to an end. It's a combination of our past and our obsession with united. The truth is, if we manage to recruit a world class manager and he takes us to the next level, then we do everything in our power to keep him.

The thing is about modern day city is that the future will look after itself because we are richer than god. It's all about the present now. It's all about domestic domination and European strides. Adug have invested enough to reasonably expect that in the short term. That's why I still believe mourinho to fit city's needs like a glove. And vice versa.

What Jose may or may not do in the future regarding his employment is not a good reason to pass up the opportunity now to employ him. I happen to think that if he joined City, he would stay for several years. Anyone who think he has lost his magic or would not be an upgrade on Bobby is mistaken, IMO.

Mou would not be my first choice to replace Bobby but he would be my second choice.

 

[Marvin]

All that does is highlights to me the superior mentality they have over us, when you compare squads we have the edge with talent in every position bar two (in my opinion)

When you see average players punching above there weight for them each week and some of our world class players are currently playing within themselves, something's not right?

I think their mentality has been their biggest asset for over a decade now, it's ingrained into them and anyone who joins must have the same mentality or they won't last long.

I remember a few years ago having a rant about how they approached the last 10 minutes of games, with relentless pressure and more often than not getting a result out of it. Sometimes we seemed to coast through the last minutes of a game without urgency or any desperation to get a result.

But that has changed now for me, and we are also capable of turning around results and scoring last minute goals. I suspect their record won't last, either they will need to sort their defence or they will start dropping points.

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

That's not really true. They were a shambles against Newcastle

Passes going astray right left and centre, no intensity to their game. They won at the death, but they were very poor for much of it.

 

[moomba]

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

I'm not sure that's the case, if they were running through brick walls Newcastle might not have managed three goals on the weekend. And they probably would have run through brick walls in the last six games last year to win the title.<br /><br />-- Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:29 pm --<br /><br />

I agree but if it's not working then change it ffs, you never know it might surprise the opposotion rather than being read like a book?

I'm not sure it's not working. We got a last minute winner against Reading only a week ago. From memory we have more goals in the last 5 minutes of games than anyone. By some distance too.

 

[Danamy]

I think their mentality has been their biggest asset for over a decade now, it's ingrained into them and anyone who joins must have the same mentality or they won't last long.

I remember a few years ago having a rant about how they approached the last 10 minutes of games, with relentless pressure and more often than not getting a result out of it. Sometimes we seemed to coast through the last minutes of a game without urgency or any desperation to get a result.

But that has changed now for me, and we are also capable of turning around results and scoring last minute goals. I suspect their record won't last, either they will need to sort their defence or they will start dropping points.

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

That's not really true. They were a shambles against Newcastle

Passes going astray right left and centre, no intensity to their game. They won at the death, but they were very poor for much of it.

A shambles that won the game says it all really Marvin

We're playing some good stuff but not winning, like i say going through the motions, i'd take shambles and three points every time please!

 

[jimharri]

I think their mentality has been their biggest asset for over a decade now, it's ingrained into them and anyone who joins must have the same mentality or they won't last long.

I remember a few years ago having a rant about how they approached the last 10 minutes of games, with relentless pressure and more often than not getting a result out of it. Sometimes we seemed to coast through the last minutes of a game without urgency or any desperation to get a result.

But that has changed now for me, and we are also capable of turning around results and scoring last minute goals. I suspect their record won't last, either they will need to sort their defence or they will start dropping points.

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

That's not really true. They were a shambles against Newcastle

Passes going astray right left and centre, no intensity to their game. They won at the death, but they were very poor for much of it.

And there's the problem. They're playing poorly, yet still win the majority of their games (15 out of 19, a fair number of them from losing positions). We're also playing poorly (at least in comparison to last season), and we've only won 11 out of 19. The one thing they have going for them is the manager, as their squad is no better than ours. Ferguson gets the maximum out of the players at his disposal. Has Mancini done that this season?

 

[Danamy]

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

I'm not sure that's the case, if they were running through brick walls Newcastle might not have managed three goals on the weekend. And they probably would have run through brick walls in the last six games last year to win the title.

-- Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:29 pm --

I agree but if it's not working then change it ffs, you never know it might surprise the opposotion rather than being read like a book?

I'm not sure it's not working. We got a last minute winner against Reading only a week ago. From memory we have more goals in the last 5 minutes of games than anyone. By some distance too.

Like i said on another thread the other day, they've shipped three goals against a weakened Barcodes side and three away to rock bottom Reading and they're still seven points clear?.......that's not class, that's a strong mentality that's got them there.

 

[moomba]

When we were beating Sunderland 4-3 under Les I must admit strong mentality wasn't the first thought that came to my mind.

They beat Reading and Newcastle because they played better than them and they took their opportunities. It's a shame, but I don't think it's down to anything more than that.

 

[MSP]

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

That's not really true. They were a shambles against Newcastle

Passes going astray right left and centre, no intensity to their game. They won at the death, but they were very poor for much of it.

And there's the problem. They're playing poorly, yet still win the majority of their games (15 out of 19, a fair number of them from losing positions). We're also playing poorly (at least in comparison to last season), and we've only won 11 out of 19. The one thing they have going for them is the manager, as their squad is no better than ours. Ferguson gets the maximum out of the players at his disposal. Has Mancini done that this season?

They were very bad in all departments in first half, bad in defense but frightening good in attack in 2nd half. They'll win most of their games when they produce such attacking football for one half-time, they won few of them already while playing it for 15-20 minutes only (Aston Villa, Southampton)

 

[OB1]

You can see they're willing to run through brick walls for their manager at the moment, you can't see that with our players, it looks like some are just going through the motions.

I'm not sure that's the case, if they were running through brick walls Newcastle might not have managed three goals on the weekend. And they probably would have run through brick walls in the last six games last year to win the title.

-- Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:29 pm --

I agree but if it's not working then change it ffs, you never know it might surprise the opposotion rather than being read like a book?

I'm not sure it's not working. We got a last minute winner against Reading only a week ago. From memory we have more goals in the last 5 minutes of games than anyone. By some distance too.

Like i said on another thread the other day, they've shipped three goals against a weakened Barcodes side and three away to rock bottom Reading and they're still seven points clear?.......that's not class, that's a strong mentality that's got them there.

And Mancini would tell you that it takes years to build that sort of mentality but one can't help wondering if Jose could instil it quite quickly in our squad?