Mr Mancini. You are a liar.

[DD]

What the OP seems to have completely missed is yes in years gone by we threw everything at them and won some 3-1, 4-1 or whatever. But we also finished 9th or 14th or whatever in those seasons. Gung ho football will only get you so far in the modern game. Even United in the 90s played 4-4-2 with attacking wingers in the big games, and that's one of the reasons they under achieved in Europe because against a more tactically astute manager you will get exposed.

We should take it as a compliment the way United were set up against us, the same way as if they were playing Barcelona or Chelsea or Real Madrid. They came to contain and play on the break, they changed their system because they were showing US too much respect! We have played that system for most of the season, I'm sure you weren't complaining with the performances and results against Chelsea and Liverpool, but we were set up in much the same way, it's just we can up against a team that pretty much "parked the bus".

The derby wasn't a great spectacle, it was a very tight, cagey game. Both teams wanted to play on the break and cancelled each other out because neither wanted to attack and leave themselves vulnerable. It's like watching two defensive boxers, it often makes for a boring fight. But as much as I love him, fighting like Ricky Hatton will only get you so far. Flloyd Mayweather Jnr has often been criticised for being too defensive and boring, will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

Beautifully explained and I hope that the logic of this reasoned argument will encourage those of weaker faith to look at the big picture and give thanks to the club and the manager for putting us where we are now. . . would they reakly want to wind back the clock and take us back to mid-table obscurity (with a wild tilt at the rags twice a year)?
Bugger that for a game of soldiers - this is where we're at and we should be proud and grateful - unlike the rag fans who whimper constantly.

So are we saying that it is impossible to be in the top four unless we play boring football?

 

[schfc6]

Beautifully explained and I hope that the logic of this reasoned argument will encourage those of weaker faith to look at the big picture and give thanks to the club and the manager for putting us where we are now. . . would they reakly want to wind back the clock and take us back to mid-table obscurity (with a wild tilt at the rags twice a year)?
Bugger that for a game of soldiers - this is where we're at and we should be proud and grateful - unlike the rag fans who whimper constantly.

So are we saying that it is impossible to be in the top four unless we play boring football?

NO!!! It's not boring, it's tactical, no team in the top 4 goes out gungho against each other or they end up getting spanked like Arsenal do each year.

The side the tactics he put out were the same that no doubt had you jumping out of your seat against Liverpool and Chelsea.
The derby doesn't mean anymore to Mancini than the games vs Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool. It's just another big game. Only 3 points are on offer, the top managers take each game as it comes, perhaps it's time to learn from United. Fergie has said the derby is not United's biggest game, likewise I'm sure Benitez(when at Liverpool), Wenger and Anchelotti don't consider their Derbies to be the biggest game. Are we aiming to be an Everton, Fulham or Spurs OR a Arsenal, United or Chelsea? The Derby should no longer be our priority but winning things should, I have never been a blue who loves winning the Derby yet going on to watch United lift trophies. I'd prefer an indifferent Derby record with a good record of winning trophies. Obviously a good derby win is enjoyable but I'm only 30 so I assume the joy of winning a trophy is much more rewarding.
Mancini has only one played his 1st choice attacking 3 once and we looked very very good.
Why can we not give a proven winner a year or two to see if he can turn proven losers into winners?
I agree if after 3 years we're still in 4th, and stumbling along start to consider Mancini's tenure, but please give him chance.<br /><br />-- Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:34 pm --<br /><br />Besides I think it was Billy Hoyal that once siad, " I'd prefer to look bad and win, than look good and lose!"

Hopefully given time Mancini will combine defensive strength with the attacking talents of Tevez, Silva & Balotelli and sometimes we'll entertain and win, and sometinme we'll ground out results, this will bring trophies, not blind faith and passion.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Chelsea under Mourinho is a good example of the model we are following. Make yourself solid and very difficul to beat and eventually trophies will follow. Once we've won a few trophies, then we can worry about entertaining and 'putting on a show'. After so many years of under achievement I just want us to lift some silverware, and if it bores people to death on the way there I really don't care! We played really exciting and attacking football under Keegan and Horton but were never going to win anything.

 

[uwe282828]

What the OP seems to have completely missed is yes in years gone by we threw everything at them and won some 3-1, 4-1 or whatever. But we also finished 9th or 14th or whatever in those seasons. Gung ho football will only get you so far in the modern game. Even United in the 90s played 4-4-2 with attacking wingers in the big games, and that's one of the reasons they under achieved in Europe because against a more tactically astute manager you will get exposed.

We should take it as a compliment the way United were set up against us, the same way as if they were playing Barcelona or Chelsea or Real Madrid. They came to contain and play on the break, they changed their system because they were showing US too much respect! We have played that system for most of the season, I'm sure you weren't complaining with the performances and results against Chelsea and Liverpool, but we were set up in much the same way, it's just we can up against a team that pretty much "parked the bus".

The derby wasn't a great spectacle, it was a very tight, cagey game. Both teams wanted to play on the break and cancelled each other out because neither wanted to attack and leave themselves vulnerable. It's like watching two defensive boxers, it often makes for a boring fight. But as much as I love him, fighting like Ricky Hatton will only get you so far. Flloyd Mayweather Jnr has often been criticised for being too defensive and boring, will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

my faith in city fans restored!

 

[DD]

NO!!! It's not boring, it's tactical, no team in the top 4 goes out gungho against each other or they end up getting spanked like Arsenal do each year.
.

I'm not Italian. It's boring.

Well if we win the 3 Championships and numerous domestic cups Arsene Wenger's Arsenal has done, then I think we'll all be rather happy don't you? They also achieve Champions League football every year without fail.

 

[schfc6]

NO!!! It's not boring, it's tactical, no team in the top 4 goes out gungho against each other or they end up getting spanked like Arsenal do each year.
.

I'm not Italian. It's boring.

Well if we win the 3 Championships and numerous domestic cups Arsene Wenger's Arsenal has done, then I think we'll all be rather happy don't you? They also achieve Champions League football every year without fail.

I doubt your IQ would qualify you as human, let alone Italian.
Remind me again about the strengths of Arsenal's successful sides? Pace, power, strength, and an ability not to loose big games grind out results. Does this remind you of any current Premiership sides? The season they went all season unbeaten do you honestly think there we're no defensive draws?
What was the chant for a successful Arsenal side? Oh that's right 1-0 to the Arsenal!!!
Arsenal have won nothing in coming on 6 seasons since a change in mentality and tactics, we will qualify for the CL league this year, that gives Mancini a 100% recorded of achieving CL Football in a full season.
Are you the type of idiot that puts a roof on a house before you build foundations?
Quick fixes have failed time and time again, everyone will tell you that, any entity that succeeds builds from the bottom up.
Where do all the top managers start, making a side hard to beat, sign a good solid base, Wenger had, Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bould, Winterburn, Fergie bought Big Pete. Irwin, Bruce, Pallister and Parker Mourinho brought Carvalho, Ferrera with him quickly adding A Cole and Cech, are you noticing a pattern? Get your foundations then you add your Cantona's, Cole's & Henry's.
You are asking Mancini to put out an established premier league side without giving him time to establish his squad, how does that work? If you'd bothered to go to WBA you would have seen a great attacking side, the side that Mancini clearly wants to play.
I apologise for the name calling but your inability to see a bigger picture, and blind pessimism are exactly what MCFC do not need.

 

[mrksdawn19]

The first priority in any game is not to concede
If you dont concede, you dont lose, simple as that.
Whilst I agree that the football we are playing is not the most exciting, I actually enjoy the tactics behind it
It's like a game of chess
If one player goes all out to try and get check mate, the other player will just pick off the pieces one by one, and you'll end up not only losing, but looking stupid at the same time.
It really pisses me off that there is so much negativity about. If you dont like it, go and support Blackpool. They will give you exciting football, but will probably be relegated
Give me tactical football and the possibility of a champions league place and I'd accept it over exciting football that results in relegation
Chill out everyone, and be a proper City fan, get behind the manager, support him to the hilt, and if he decided to go to Chelsea and play a 6-4-0 formation and get a point then be happy for the point,
Rant over, reaches for tin hat

 

[lloydie]

I'll just add the Liverpool example when Ray Clemence had the ball more than any other player, granted we now have the back pass law but it was as dull as ditchwater and very successful. Let's bake the cake before we put the icing and cherries on it.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

If you'd bothered to go to WBA you would have seen a great attacking side, the side that Mancini clearly wants to play.

Correct. The west brom game was exactly what Mancini is trying get us to play like I think. We kept possession, controlled the game, but the intricate play between Balo, Silva, Tevez and Yaya completely sliced them open at times. Their forward play with our solid defence was/is a match made in heaven. All the whingers seem to have forgotten about that game already and that the so called incredibly negative Mancini played Balo, Silva and Tevez with an advanced Yaya in the same side away from home

 

[AntonDonJuan]

WBA was a joy to watch, if that's how he wants us playing each week then we're in for a treat