Samir Nasri

[Zabbasbeard]

I've seen enouigh of Nasri. He has the quality but he doesn't have the application. Two succesful managers in Wenger and Mancini have not been able to conjure consistency and enough effort from him, so the onus falls on the player. Time to cut our losses in the Summer and bring in someone who will try. Yes we messed up not getting Mata. Santi Czorla would also have beena better bet.<br /><br />-- Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:49 pm --<br /><br />

Very different personalities but echoes of the Balotelli situation for me.

I'm not naive enough to expect allegiance. But for £24m (ish) and £150k a week (ish) I do expect top quality and 100% application. Otherwise fuck off whoever you are.

Exactly!

+1

 

[OB1]

A new manager might especially if off the ball movement is heavily encouraged. As is, we're too static most of the time hoping the player with the ball will create something.

Nail on the head. Most of our problems come down to lack of work rate of one kind or another. Work rate at stopping the opposition play and then movement off the ball. During that wonderful spell last season we had such incredible intensity. We were Barca-esque at pressing the ball and winning it back and movement off the ball was immense. All the attack minded players seemed to never stop moving, all interchanging and always people in space. Now I know that teams may approach games against us differently now but that is no excuse for lacking movement, in fact it probably means we need that movement even more. Where did it go and why did it go? Does Mancini want them to stay static to retain shape or can the players not be arsed. I find the latter fairly unlikely given that the players have shown time and again in the past that they have a tremendous will to win and even when the chips are down have dug games out with sheer spirit. I find it baffling.

I put it on the manager as either he wants them to hold their shape for defensive solidity or he isn't effectively communicating the need for movement. Either way, he has to do a better job either tactically or via communication. I think a Nasri-type player would do better in a movement-based attack. I also think all three of our strikers would do better that way as well.

The movement does seem to have changed and it is hard to understand why we would change. Mancini clearly does worry about us getting hit on the counter attack but more movement in our forward play and attempting to move the ball more quickly are essential. If that means risking losing it a bit more, so be it.

 

[Any1aBlue]

Nasri is a tosser - it's official.............

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Nasri is a tosser - it's official.............

Do you ever have anything positive to say about City?

 

[Seosa]

Nasri is a tosser - it's official.............

Do you ever have anything positive to say about City?

Very rarely, though he's right on this occasion.

 

[Impeccable]

We should have bought Mata.

Without a doubt

I'm sure we made an offer for mata shortly after we signed silva. But he said he wasn't ready to leave spain. Lying bastard left a few months later.

Have you ever told a lie?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Nasri is a tosser - it's official.............

Do you ever have anything positive to say about City?

Very rarely, though he's right on this occasion.

Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.

 

[Seosa]

Do you ever have anything positive to say about City?

Very rarely, though he's right on this occasion.

Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.

*applauds*

 

[taconinja]

We should have bought Mata.

Probably but he's really flourishing with Oscar and Hazard and their constant, interchanging movement. Having Mata with the ball and everyone standing still... well, we would just need to change the name of this discussion and we'd be in the same place.

Well if that really is the case and whoever we bring in and no matter how good they are, the same problems will occur, then there is only one conclusion to come to really.

Precisely, and it does tie into the theory of the manager having lost the dressing room unfortunately. Hopefully this mess causes a rethink and we shift back to a movement-based attack. This standing around hoping the one guy with the ball makes something happen is infuriating to watch.