Swansea (a) Post Match Thread

[Healdplace]

As a team performance today, from a team trying to qualify for the CL, it was a f**king shambles. Yes we have probably done it, but the performance of many was very sub standard, despite the chances we managed to create. Luckily Swansea didn't give a shite either, if they had we'd have lost.

There is no I in team, and today every player out there had an I in them.

Pep has a huge job sorting that mess out, and I hope that many blues give him the time, though I doubt it.

Thanks Manuel, some good memories from that first season, but I'm very glad you've gone, good luck wherever you end up, I doubt it will be in England.

Knowing our luck it will be managing the team we are drawn against in the qualifier - where he will suddenly turn into an instant tactical genius.

 

[pardoeofftomexico]

If you think it isn't prove it! Put our current squad man for man against our 2012 version and prove it. I'll wait for you illuminating reply. Like I said there's an elephant in the room and you've totally missed him........ He's called Manuel Pellegrini and I would suggest the difference between he and Mancini is bigger than any difference you could pick over the two squads and even then I'm pretty confident this squad managed correctly will come out on top.

Like many you hopelessly overrate the squad that has been available for most of this year. Some used to be great but are now on a rapid decline whether due to age, injuries or both. The key players to me have been Hart, Kompany, Zabba, Silva, Toure and Aguero. Four of them are not a patch on what they were with Zabba and Toure possibly on their way out and Kompany's career in the balance. Will Silva ever reach the same heights again? Add to that the absence of Nasri and the seeming inability to buy players (other than KDB) who are better than those who have left. Oh and by the way, a proper world class player, Carlos Tevez, was never even remotely replaced. I could go on. This is a far weaker squad that needs substantial improvement.

 

[cleavers]

So it was a cock up at OT. A fake bomb used in a training exercise left there by mistake!

The cynic in me says it wasn't a cock up at all, that someone was trying to gain an advantage, ie delay kick off, not get it abandoned, so that they knew what they needed to qualify, well now they do, win 19-0 and its yours, oh and I hope its replayed on Thursday night.

 

[FanchesterCity]

Tbh, I would say they were all upgrades on Pellegrini including Mancini who has 4 league titles to Manuel's one which happened to be with Mancini's team. I hated seeing what was happening to us and was desperate for Pellegrini to succeed, but he just seemed to be his own worse enemy. Against Arsenal recently, myself, my brother our mates, many fans at the ground, the commentators and the pundits knew at 2-1 up we needed to reinforce our midfield EVERYONE could see this, so why couldn't Manuel?

There have been too many similar incidences to mention, but suffice to say it's all over now and will soon be consigned to history. We've just about scraped 4th and I hope it's a very long time before we have to endure an end to the season like this one. Here's hoping.......

It's only my opinion, but he strikes me as a man that believes in a certain way, and keeps going at it until it works. Often though, it doesn't work and he keep sticking at it doggedly. Very much like Wenger in that regard and arguably it was a statesman like figure akin to Wenger that the owners wanted after Mancini.

I hope we don't expect miracles from Pep. The British media will be all over him (negatively) right from the off - waiting for him to fail and we'll need to get right behind him from the off. There's going to be ups and downs along the way, but he's got to be better right?

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Now I can watch some cricket for a few weeks go on holiday and come back revived for next season.

 

[Dribble]

How on earth can anyone 'prove' something that is entirely subjective you balloon? You can't anymore than I can! And I haven't missed the elephant in the room at all. I first called for Pellegrini's head nearly 18 months ago. He's been pants for a long time, and there are several current PL managers, who would have made a better fist out of managing this squad. This squad though has numerous flaws and key injuries have not helped. The failure has been collective IMO, although I would apportion the majority share of the blame to the manager

Balloon? Lol

Iirc you were one of Pellegrini's most fervent and vocal supporters and were one of the posters who regularly attacked ANYONE who uttered a critical word against Pellegrini and you were as convinced you were right then as you are now. You didn't trust or show any interest in what I and many others said from the get go, but to your credit when the penny finally dropped at least you were honest enough to call it as you saw it when others you were associated with continued to dig their stiletto's in until the bitter end......

You didn't trust many people's judgement then, but I'm asking you to consider my judgement now. I read a blog a few months back where the author laid out the squad's of all the title favourites and included those of Leicester and WHU so it was easy to contrast and compare. Once the squads were all laid out in front of you, it was clear to see Manchester City had on paper the most desirable squad closely followed by Chelsea and Arsenal.

Imo the squad we have now is the best we've had overall in my lifetime and stronger than the one Mancini had to play with. I had the benefit of seeing the competing PL squads side by side and it was an eye opener. Try it, you'll be surprised with what you find and will be even more dismayed with the way this season has panned out. The thing that will hit you is the difference a good manager can make.

As for calling me a balloon, you can have that one for free as this must be an emotional day of closure for you. :-)

 

[gangerolv]

Poor game. Poor performance. Lot of players half arsed.

Players that need to leave: Sterling, Sagna, Clichy, Mangala, Navas.

 

[toneboneblue]

Glad to see the back of Pellogrini but not too sure Pep's the answer most of the premier leagues managers could've won something with Barca or Bayern I would've been a lot happier with Ancelotti

 

[Dribble]

Like many you hopelessly overrate the squad that has been available for most of this year. Some used to be great but are now on a rapid decline whether due to age, injuries or both. The key players to me have been Hart, Kompany, Zabba, Silva, Toure and Aguero. Four of them are not a patch on what they were with Zabba and Toure possibly on their way out and Kompany's career in the balance. Will Silva ever reach the same heights again? Add to that the absence of Nasri and the seeming inability to buy players (other than KDB) who are better than those who have left. Oh and by the way, a proper world class player, Carlos Tevez, was never even remotely replaced. I could go on. This is a far weaker squad that needs substantial improvement.

We'll have to disagree then mate. If you lay the both squads side by side, the only player I miss from 2012 would probably be Tevez. The biggest difference which many seem to be overlooking is the effect of the managers with the different squads. Would Pellegrini achieve what Mancini did at the same point in time and what would Mancini have done with this season's squad.

Having had time to see both, I've no doubt who I would prefer.

 

[Dribble]

It's only my opinion, but he strikes me as a man that believes in a certain way, and keeps going at it until it works. Often though, it doesn't work and he keep sticking at it doggedly. Very much like Wenger in that regard and arguably it was a statesman like figure akin to Wenger that the owners wanted after Mancini.

I hope we don't expect miracles from Pep. The British media will be all over him (negatively) right from the off - waiting for him to fail and we'll need to get right behind him from the off. There's going to be ups and downs along the way, but he's got to be better right?

Like all managers Pep has his faults. I simply adored his Barca side and the fact my company has offices in Barcelona explains why I have always had an affinity with the city and its people. However, in his final season Pep took his philosophy too far and seemed to be trying to create a team of Xavi's in every position which I just knew would go tits up and it did.

Pep says he's a better manager now than he was when at Barca and has said he's learned a lot from managing for 3 years in Germany. I may have high hopes for us under Pep, but I'm not foolish enough to think it will be as easy as ABC. Pep is no mug though, and he will be fully aware that the Premier League is the most competitive in the world and on their day, any team is capable of carving out a victory.

We need to rebuild to a degree and we need to refocus and rediscover our playing identity. What I can say though is that if I had a choice of any manager in the world to steer us through this next stage in our development, I would have chosen Pep above all others. I don't think it will be easy for him and I just hope the fans give him time to settle in and start our transformation to where we were 3 years ago in the first instance and then move us beyond that to the levels of Bayern and Barca.