Stoke Vs City Post Match thread

[remember arthur mann]

Great result last night showing grit and determination and why we are the Champions bar a few mistakes in the first half...
Think the handball by Aguero was a two fingers up gesture towards his father in law? That's what i'm going with...

My MOTM Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Nasri

Mine too, quietly efficient.

 

[Gabriel]

Thought the second half performance last night was rather similar to the recent game at home to Arsenal, albeit with a more pleasing result. It would seem that in both games Pellegrini has sent them out with the intention of immediately opening the game up and challenging the opposition to play end-to-end football. Arsenal rode their luck and took the points, whereas Stoke were sucked in and just could not cope. Hughes quickly realised that he'd been trumped- little you can really do as manager to change it- and sat down.

 

[TueartsOHK]

A big thanks yet again to Shady's blog site for providing links to streams.

I had a decent stream for 90 minutes (only breaking up a bit in the last 5 minutes). I always seem to get Trevor Francis as co-commentator and I honestly think he fucking hates us - even my young son could see that some of his comments were out of order. I know he didn't have a great time at City and I don't think he did much for us either (injuries etc.) and he was mates with Mancini but I was tempted to swirch to a stream with foreign commentary.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Is it just a coincidence that recently when we have more than 50% of the ball the opposition,irrespective of their league position or even league, seem to draw or beat us. Conversely with less than 50% of the ball we win ?

As Stokes manager puts it they chased the game in the second half and we (ie Stoke) paid the penalty.

You can't counter attack if the other team doesn't attack. This unfortunately happens all the time at home as team after team park the bus and defend with their lives.

Another factor is for whatever reason our back 5 as a collective has been dogshit this year, we can't keep a clean sheet if our lives depended on it.

 

[jollylescott]

The second half last night showed that we are starting to grind towards top gear. Much of that depends upon Kun, and how Bony quickly Bony integrates into the team. If we can keep them both fit and healthy we are going to inflict a lot of damage on other teams towards the end of the season. Whether we can catch Chelsea relies upon their results. We just need to take care of our own business starting with Newcastle.

The beauty of the game last night is that it will have restored the confidence of the squad. We had been playing without confidence, and for me the turning point was the return to top form of the mighty Kun.

Kudos also to Merlin, Nasri and Milner. They fought hard and with pride last night, and it was wonderful to watch.

And for those on this forum that were predicting a loss last night, you always have to remind yourself that this City team is at it's best when it's back is to the wall.

Only two teams in the history of the league have won back to back titles. That shows how hard the task really is. So if we don't catch Chelsea, and finish second, it will still be an honourable achievement.

 

[Gabriel]

The second half last night showed that we are starting to grind towards top gear. Much of that depends upon Kun, and how Bony quickly Bony integrates into the team. If we can keep them both fit and healthy we are going to inflict a lot of damage on other teams towards the end of the season. Whether we can catch Chelsea relies upon their results. We just need to take care of our own business starting with Newcastle.

The beauty of the game last night is that it will have restored the confidence of the squad. We had been playing without confidence, and for me the turning point was the return to top form of the mighty Kun.

Kudos also to Merlin, Nasri and Milner. They fought hard and with pride last night, and it was wonderful to watch.

And for those on this forum that were predicting a loss last night, you always have to remind yourself that this City team is at it's best when it's back is to the wall.

Only two teams in the history of the league have won back to back titles. That shows how hard the task really is. So if we don't catch Chelsea, and finish second, it will still be an honourable achievement.

Agree with your main points, but for those of us whose memory isn't receding as fast as our hairlines, that is just patently not true. It has been done by many clubs before the lauded 'Premiership' came into being, and even since then, the other lot have won it back-to-back four times. It's difficult, granted, but not as much as the media might suggest.

 

[waspish]

The second half last night showed that we are starting to grind towards top gear. Much of that depends upon Kun, and how Bony quickly Bony integrates into the team. If we can keep them both fit and healthy we are going to inflict a lot of damage on other teams towards the end of the season. Whether we can catch Chelsea relies upon their results. We just need to take care of our own business starting with Newcastle.

The beauty of the game last night is that it will have restored the confidence of the squad. We had been playing without confidence, and for me the turning point was the return to top form of the mighty Kun.

Kudos also to Merlin, Nasri and Milner. They fought hard and with pride last night, and it was wonderful to watch.

And for those on this forum that were predicting a loss last night, you always have to remind yourself that this City team is at it's best when it's back is to the wall.

Only two teams in the history of the league have won back to back titles. That shows how hard the task really is. So if we don't catch Chelsea, and finish second, it will still be an honourable achievement.

Agree with your main points, but for those of us whose memory isn't receding as fast as our hairlines, that is just patently not true. It has been done by many clubs before the lauded 'Premiership' came into being, and even since then, the other lot have won it back-to-back four times. It's difficult, granted, but not as much as the media might suggest.

True didn't Huddersfield win it 3 times in a row?

 

[Bozzie]

The second half last night showed that we are starting to grind towards top gear. Much of that depends upon Kun, and how Bony quickly Bony integrates into the team. If we can keep them both fit and healthy we are going to inflict a lot of damage on other teams towards the end of the season. Whether we can catch Chelsea relies upon their results. We just need to take care of our own business starting with Newcastle.

The beauty of the game last night is that it will have restored the confidence of the squad. We had been playing without confidence, and for me the turning point was the return to top form of the mighty Kun.

Kudos also to Merlin, Nasri and Milner. They fought hard and with pride last night, and it was wonderful to watch.

And for those on this forum that were predicting a loss last night, you always have to remind yourself that this City team is at it's best when it's back is to the wall.

Only two teams in the history of the league have won back to back titles. That shows how hard the task really is. So if we don't catch Chelsea, and finish second, it will still be an honourable achievement.

Agree with your main points, but for those of us whose memory isn't receding as fast as our hairlines, that is just patently not true. It has been done by many clubs before the lauded 'Premiership' came into being, and even since then, the other lot have won it back-to-back four times. It's difficult, granted, but not as much as the media might suggest.

The old first division was a very different animal to the Premiership particularly prior to the period where Liverpool dominated it for several years. Clubs would suddenly 'find' a title winning team almost from nowhere, they'd enjoy a brief purple patch and then quietly fade away, no one club dominated the league in the way Man U have dominated the Premiership. Even in an era where only 5 clubs have won the title since 1992 only 2 clubs have successfully defended it. The "you're not worthy champions until you've won it by 10 points/defended it" is just the latest stick being used to beat us with by people who now realise we're not Blackburn Rovers.

 

[jollylescott]

The second half last night showed that we are starting to grind towards top gear. Much of that depends upon Kun, and how Bony quickly Bony integrates into the team. If we can keep them both fit and healthy we are going to inflict a lot of damage on other teams towards the end of the season. Whether we can catch Chelsea relies upon their results. We just need to take care of our own business starting with Newcastle.

The beauty of the game last night is that it will have restored the confidence of the squad. We had been playing without confidence, and for me the turning point was the return to top form of the mighty Kun.

Kudos also to Merlin, Nasri and Milner. They fought hard and with pride last night, and it was wonderful to watch.

And for those on this forum that were predicting a loss last night, you always have to remind yourself that this City team is at it's best when it's back is to the wall.

Only two teams in the history of the league have won back to back titles. That shows how hard the task really is. So if we don't catch Chelsea, and finish second, it will still be an honourable achievement.

The old first division was far more open than the Premiership has ever been, historically more clubs competed for the title and so more clubs won it and defended it. Clubs would get together a good side, have a purple patch for two or three seasons, then drift away again, that has never happened in the Premiership. In the Premiership era the only club who have really dominated the league are Man U and that's why they're one if only two to defend it and the only team that has defended it consistently. The only other club who, over the last 20 seasons, has consistently challenged for the top four is Arsenal.

Agree with your main points, but for those of us whose memory isn't receding as fast as our hairlines, that is just patently not true. It has been done by many clubs before the lauded 'Premiership' came into being, and even since then, the other lot have won it back-to-back four times. It's difficult, granted, but not as much as the media might suggest.

I stand corrected. I just got a haircut and I did notice my hairline is bidding a hasty retreat. Obviously the old grey matter is doing the same thing!

 

[Gabriel]

The second half last night showed that we are starting to grind towards top gear. Much of that depends upon Kun, and how Bony quickly Bony integrates into the team. If we can keep them both fit and healthy we are going to inflict a lot of damage on other teams towards the end of the season. Whether we can catch Chelsea relies upon their results. We just need to take care of our own business starting with Newcastle.

The beauty of the game last night is that it will have restored the confidence of the squad. We had been playing without confidence, and for me the turning point was the return to top form of the mighty Kun.

Kudos also to Merlin, Nasri and Milner. They fought hard and with pride last night, and it was wonderful to watch.

And for those on this forum that were predicting a loss last night, you always have to remind yourself that this City team is at it's best when it's back is to the wall.

Only two teams in the history of the league have won back to back titles. That shows how hard the task really is. So if we don't catch Chelsea, and finish second, it will still be an honourable achievement.

Agree with your main points, but for those of us whose memory isn't receding as fast as our hairlines, that is just patently not true. It has been done by many clubs before the lauded 'Premiership' came into being, and even since then, the other lot have won it back-to-back four times. It's difficult, granted, but not as much as the media might suggest.

True didn't Huddersfield win it 3 times in a row?

Yes, as did Herbert Chapman's Arsenal in the 1930s and the Liverpool team of the early 1980s.