Pellegrini is the new manager (Malaga Newspaper reports) 3.

[Bodicoteblue]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'd be worried if the semi literate filth peddlers weren't sneering at us in that head in the sand manner!

 

[Rammy Blue]

Chelsea should be big favourites on the proviso that they bring in a forward.

Kills me that I keep reading crap like this, no offence Marv.

We've had the upper hand on them for the last couple of seasons yet just with the addition of a forward they will become big favourites?

Bizarre.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I am not in a position to comment what the rest of Barnes said so I - er- didn't. The clue was my statement 'didn't get much further than..."3 at the back its an Italian thing..."'

I did comment on what I did hear and what he said was puerile, lazy and added nothing to the argument. If he said that playing 3 at the back was a mistake as we didn't have the personnel for it or hadn't practised the formation enough or whatever I may have continued listening. He didn't so I didn't.

As an aside the Yaya playing further forward bit always amuses the hell out of me since it was pundits like Barnes who slated Mancini for playing Yaya further forward early on in his City career as proof that Mancini didn't have a clue. Tickles me every time

I know you didn't comment on it, which is why I explained to you what he said .Saying 3 at the back was 'Italian' was the way he framed his further comments about the formation and how it didn't work in Europe, and that our players didn't play it well. And he was right. The fact that he mentioned the word 'Italian' was actually totally irrelevant to the points he made. A red herring. If you 'turned off' at that point then there's not much point debating further with you, as it was one of the first things he said.

I have never in my life heard a single pundit slate Mancini for playing yaya in the advanced role. Maybe there was one, somewhere, but it certainly wasn't anything like a majority opinion. Most people can see Barnes's point, that he's more effective Driving into the box at the point of the 4231.

Seeing as you turned off, I'll tell you more of what Barnes said. That we missed de Jong. I agree. That Sinclair was a bad signing. I agree. That we haven't got the best from the strikers this year. I agree on that too. Oh, and he said he didn't rate Mancini particularly highly, and he doesn't seem to know his best team. I agree on that too.

When you turned off you missed a pundit giving a sensible appraisal of the season that's gone. One that's been vindicated by the actions of the men running the club. You might just have learned something...

I did turn it off and no there is no point in debating further...

...except for the fact that you keep on debating so I'm getting mixed signals here.

Ian Ridley. To name but one. Guffawing like an unpleasant hyena on 'Yaya as an AM when everyone with any football sense knows hes only a DM' on 'Lifes A Pitch' or something similar. Classic. And you seriously don't remember the endless slagging we got for playing 3 DM's with Yaya being one of them even when he didn't play as a DM? I miss those days now. Perspective has given them a golden comedy sheen.

What else. De Jong. Meh. Given that defensively we ended up okay and offensively we had a problem not sure the presence or otherwise of De Jong would have made a difference. Sinclair. My dog knows that was a rubbish buy so no brownie points there. Doesn't rate Mancini. Probably because he was too Italian. Doesn't know his best team...christ its like listening to Hanson or Shearer on MoTD.

Well if listening to Barnes has taught you something I'm delighted for you. Keep me updated on what he has to say as it saves me the bother of listening to him. Its the holistic way of doing things. You know it makes sense.

I totally and utterly believe you turned it off. No, I do.

Listening to Barnes hasn't taught me anything. There's not a point he made that I haven't made myself on here many times. And not one that wasn't vindicated by the actions and words of soriano, txiki and khaldoon.

Good to see you still playing to the cheap seats with silly talk instead of debate, though. Except those cheap seats are largely empty now. There's just loads of old bunting lying around the theatre and a strong smell of middle eastern napalm.

I think you probably know how that smells to me ;-)

 

[BringBackSwales]

I am not in a position to comment what the rest of Barnes said so I - er- didn't. The clue was my statement 'didn't get much further than..."3 at the back its an Italian thing..."'

I did comment on what I did hear and what he said was puerile, lazy and added nothing to the argument. If he said that playing 3 at the back was a mistake as we didn't have the personnel for it or hadn't practised the formation enough or whatever I may have continued listening. He didn't so I didn't.

As an aside the Yaya playing further forward bit always amuses the hell out of me since it was pundits like Barnes who slated Mancini for playing Yaya further forward early on in his City career as proof that Mancini didn't have a clue. Tickles me every time

I know you didn't comment on it, which is why I explained to you what he said .Saying 3 at the back was 'Italian' was the way he framed his further comments about the formation and how it didn't work in Europe, and that our players didn't play it well. And he was right. The fact that he mentioned the word 'Italian' was actually totally irrelevant to the points he made. A red herring. If you 'turned off' at that point then there's not much point debating further with you, as it was one of the first things he said.

I have never in my life heard a single pundit slate Mancini for playing yaya in the advanced role. Maybe there was one, somewhere, but it certainly wasn't anything like a majority opinion. Most people can see Barnes's point, that he's more effective Driving into the box at the point of the 4231.

Seeing as you turned off, I'll tell you more of what Barnes said. That we missed de Jong. I agree. That Sinclair was a bad signing. I agree. That we haven't got the best from the strikers this year. I agree on that too. Oh, and he said he didn't rate Mancini particularly highly, and he doesn't seem to know his best team. I agree on that too.

When you turned off you missed a pundit giving a sensible appraisal of the season that's gone. One that's been vindicated by the actions of the men running the club. You might just have learned something...

I did turn it off and no there is no point in debating further...

...except for the fact that you keep on debating so I'm getting mixed signals here.

Ian Ridley. To name but one. Guffawing like an unpleasant hyena on 'Yaya as an AM when everyone with any football sense knows hes only a DM' on 'Lifes A Pitch' or something similar. Classic. And you seriously don't remember the endless slagging we got for playing 3 DM's with Yaya being one of them even when he didn't play as a DM? I miss those days now. Perspective has given them a golden comedy sheen.

What else. De Jong. Meh. Given that defensively we ended up okay and offensively we had a problem not sure the presence or otherwise of De Jong would have made a difference. Sinclair. My dog knows that was a rubbish buy so no brownie points there. Doesn't rate Mancini. Probably because he was too Italian. Doesn't know his best team...christ its like listening to Hanson or Shearer on MoTD.

Well if listening to Barnes has taught you something I'm delighted for you. Keep me updated on what he has to say as it saves me the bother of listening to him. Its the holistic way of doing things. You know it makes sense.

Not followed your whole argument, but you are right when you say that the majority of pundits used to say we played with 2 or 3 DM's with regularity, and always included Yaya as 1 of them

 

[Marvin]

Chelsea should be big favourites on the proviso that they bring in a forward.

Kills me that I keep reading crap like this, no offence Marv.

We've had the upper hand on them for the last couple of seasons yet just with the addition of a forward they will become big favourites?

Bizarre.

Because they will resolve their managerial problem, and surely buy a striker. That's a lot of points.

Utd have lost Ferguson and the motivation they got from the Agueroooo goal will have faded by August. I don't see them being involved at all. City v Chelsea

 

[cibaman]

Chelsea should be big favourites on the proviso that they bring in a forward.

Kills me that I keep reading crap like this, no offence Marv.

We've had the upper hand on them for the last couple of seasons yet just with the addition of a forward they will become big favourites?

Bizarre.

Because they will resolve their managerial problem, and surely buy a striker. That's a lot of points.

Utd have lost Ferguson and the motivation they got from the Agueroooo goal will have faded by August. I don't see them being involved at all. City v Chelsea

If United buy Fabregas or Modric they'll be better than last season.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Chelsea should be big favourites on the proviso that they bring in a forward.

Kills me that I keep reading crap like this, no offence Marv.

We've had the upper hand on them for the last couple of seasons yet just with the addition of a forward they will become big favourites?

Bizarre.

Because they will resolve their managerial problem, and surely buy a striker. That's a lot of points.

Utd have lost Ferguson and the motivation they got from the Agueroooo goal will have faded by August. I don't see them being involved at all. City v Chelsea

Unless there are earth shattering moves by united and Chelsea this summer in the transfer market, then the sensible money will be on city for the title next year, because we have the best players. As it stands now, we have the best players, united second and Chelsea third. United have that team ethos which i think moyes will keep, mourinho will work on Chelsea's devensive weaknesses, but I think we will rebalance our squad with a couple of signings and pellegrini will get the best from that squad.

If I had to bet, I'd bet on us for the title.

 

[hgblue]

Kills me that I keep reading crap like this, no offence Marv.

We've had the upper hand on them for the last couple of seasons yet just with the addition of a forward they will become big favourites?

Bizarre.

Because they will resolve their managerial problem, and surely buy a striker. That's a lot of points.

Utd have lost Ferguson and the motivation they got from the Agueroooo goal will have faded by August. I don't see them being involved at all. City v Chelsea

Unless there are earth shattering moves by united and Chelsea this summer in the transfer market, then the sensible money will be on city for the title next year, because we have the best players. As it stands now, we have the best players, united second and Chelsea third. United have that team ethos which i think moyes will keep, mourinho will work on Chelsea's devensive weaknesses, but I think we will rebalance our squad with a couple of signings and pellegrini will get the best from that squad.

If I had to bet, I'd bet on us for the title.

If we get Cavani, I'm going to chance a few quid of my own money on City for the title, and I never bet. The squad is going to feel like a giant weight has been lifted off their shoulders, and if you throw a top quality striker into the mix, I think we'll piss it.

 

[Ardwick Green Blue]

There seems to be a fair bit of giddiness from various posters regarding our chances of winning the league next season. With the current squad we won't as we have an almost complete lack of pace and width plus we do not have a prolific striker unless Kun gets over his current wastefulness.

I am hopeful that these weaknesses will be rectified over the summer but until we know which players we have then predictions are pointless.

 

[Ducado]

There seems to be a fair bit of giddiness from various posters regarding our chances of winning the league next season. With the current squad we won't as we have an almost complete lack of pace and width plus we do not have a prolific striker unless Kun gets over his current wastefulness.

I am hopeful that these weaknesses will be rectified over the summer but until we know which players we have then predictions are pointless.