The Italian Benitez...

[Joycee Banercheck]

They played better than us, with worse players. I'm not sure how that can be classed as a victory or even a point gained. I'm reading the excuses in this thread, and the only two valid ones seem to be "look at the bigger picture - we're still comfortably 4th", and Carlos didn't seem fit...beyond that, we performed no better than we did in the corresponding fixture last season. What cost us last season wasn't just losing to Spurs, but it was the insipid display's against United, Arsenal, Liverpool, et al where we showed absolutely not enough desire nor enough guile to beat them. Just as we showed tonight.

I accept completely that it's good enough for the vast majority. I'm not asking you to join me in my opinions.

Tell me how many chances they created and then tell me how many chances we created and then tell me who was the side that attacked more. Neither side did (allthough we created more and had the better chances), it was 11 men behind the ball on both teams, a stalemate, a chess match, both teams were equally defensive and both had the same mission to come out of the game without a loss.

nill all. That's pretty shit. They attacked more. Espech after half time. Contest that if you want (you did, we never created more than they did and we never looked like we were gonna apart from the odd break). Put the blue-tinted glasses down. We may well do them at the swamp, but tonight, at our ground where we had the choice to, we let it go begging.

 

[WNRH]

Tell me how many chances they created and then tell me how many chances we created and then tell me who was the side that attacked more. Neither side did (allthough we created more and had the better chances), it was 11 men behind the ball on both teams, a stalemate, a chess match, both teams were equally defensive and both had the same mission to come out of the game without a loss.

nill all. That's pretty shit. They attacked more. Espech after half time. Contest that if you want (you did, we never created more than they did and we never looked like we were gonna apart from the odd break). Put the blue-tinted glasses down. We may well do them at the swamp, but tonight, at our ground where we had the choice to, we let it go begging.

I must of missed all those attacking chances from them then, unless you count keeping the ball without doing a thing attacking football?

 

[Anonymous]

They played better than us, with worse players. I'm not sure how that can be classed as a victory or even a point gained. I'm reading the excuses in this thread, and the only two valid ones seem to be "look at the bigger picture - we're still comfortably 4th", and Carlos didn't seem fit...beyond that, we performed no better than we did in the corresponding fixture last season. What cost us last season wasn't just losing to Spurs, but it was the insipid display's against United, Arsenal, Liverpool, et al where we showed absolutely not enough desire nor enough guile to beat them. Just as we showed tonight.

I accept completely that it's good enough for the vast majority. I'm not asking you to join me in my opinions.

Tell me how many chances they created and then tell me how many chances we created and then tell me who was the side that attacked more. Neither side did (allthough we created more and had the better chances), it was 11 men behind the ball on both teams, a stalemate, a chess match, both teams were equally defensive and both had the same mission to come out of the game without a loss.

Who had more possession, and who completed more passes over the 90 minutes. We can all find stats if we need to back up arguments. I'm purely talking about what I saw tonight. Which was an inferior rags team be made to look good because we as the home team, were coached to play with fear. CC refers to it earlier - we lost three times to them last season due to late goals. That tonight looked like a team that had been drilled to not lose. In my opinion, the manager played the safe percentages.

 

[Joycee Banercheck]

nill all. That's pretty shit. They attacked more. Espech after half time. Contest that if you want (you did, we never created more than they did and we never looked like we were gonna apart from the odd break). Put the blue-tinted glasses down. We may well do them at the swamp, but tonight, at our ground where we had the choice to, we let it go begging.

I must of missed all those attacking chances from them then, unless you count keeping the ball without doing a thing attacking football?

Tell me straight fella. What the fuck are you talking about?

 

[Balti]

oh shit the relentless moaning anti-Mancini whinger is back again

yawn

Give over...you can do better than that!

Tell me, did you enjoy watching the match tonight?

No Billy. I stated in advance that I thought we could win if we went for it but we set up for a draw and seemed happy with it. As did they. A highly frustrating bore draw.

But that does not make me think that we should sack the manager.

And nor does this:

1 Chelsea 12 6 0 0 17 0 3 1 2 11 5 23 28
2 Man Utd 12 5 1 0 15 5 1 5 0 9 8 11 24
3 Arsenal 12 4 0 2 15 6 3 2 1 9 5 13 23
4 Man City 12 3 2 1 7 5 3 1 2 8 5 5 21

He's here for the season and rightly so. I may not agree with his tactics but I am prepared to see where they take us by the seasons end. And maybe he will adapt.

 

[Anonymous]

He's been here less than a year, bacon face as been here over 20. A good chunk of our team were only playing in their first derby today, most of theirs have been playing for years. We're fourth in the league, stop behaving like a little baby, put your toys back in the pram and show a little patience.

So you need to be a manager for 20 years to beat an inferior team of players at home? Or to at least try to beat them...

Please, my toys are sat right next to me. I'm not calling him a filthy ****, or a rag bastard, or anything else. I'm not his biggest fan. I thought he showed tonight why I'm not his biggest fan. I'm frustrated because it was the derby. It was a poor rags team. We showed nothing more than we did in the same fixture last season...

Wouldn't be so bad if I were out here calling out every one who disagrees with me...but maybe someone should actually come with a few decent reasons for why we played for a draw tonight when we absolutely didn't have to...

 

[Joycee Banercheck]

I must of missed all those attacking chances from them then, unless you count keeping the ball without doing a thing attacking football?

Tell me straight fella. What the fuck are you talking about?

Aaaah I get you now WNRH. Sorry. Ive been going off at a tangent and you've been thinking I'm interested in your words.
I AM!!! (God that sounded arrogant, which I aint). Sorry pal!!

 

[WNRH]

Tell me how many chances they created and then tell me how many chances we created and then tell me who was the side that attacked more. Neither side did (allthough we created more and had the better chances), it was 11 men behind the ball on both teams, a stalemate, a chess match, both teams were equally defensive and both had the same mission to come out of the game without a loss.

Who had more possession, and who completed more passes over the 90 minutes. We can all find stats if we need to back up arguments. I'm purely talking about what I saw tonight. Which was an inferior rags team be made to look good because we as the home team, were coached to play with fear. CC refers to it earlier - we lost three times to them last season due to late goals. That tonight looked like a team that had been drilled to not lose. In my opinion, the manager played the safe percentages.

So did the other manager on the touchline tonight, the only difference between both sides was that they are better at keeping the ball and controlling the game than we are at the moment. I'm not denying it wasn't shite, i'm saying you have to look at the bigger picture instead of nitpicking individual results.

Someone made a great point earlier in that all three late goal defeats last season was followed by a wobble or confidence issue of some sorts that ruined our season. Tonight was a victory in some way that we mentally got one over on them and that will help us in the long run which is the important thing.

I don't know if i was alone but for 30 seconds after the final whistle i was so happy because i hadn't experienced another last minute goal which i was expecting. Then the dissapointment set in when looking at the game itself. Imagine what it was like for the players?

I am dissapointed in that i would of liked to have got at them abit more but then we could of been picked off and we would be sitting here now moaning about a defeat.

 

[Anonymous]

Give over...you can do better than that!

Tell me, did you enjoy watching the match tonight?

No Billy. I stated in advance that I thought we could win if we went for it but we set up for a draw and seemed happy with it. As did they. A highly frustrating bore draw.

But that does not make me think that we should sack the manager.

And nor does this:

1 Chelsea 12 6 0 0 17 0 3 1 2 11 5 23 28
2 Man Utd 12 5 1 0 15 5 1 5 0 9 8 11 24
3 Arsenal 12 4 0 2 15 6 3 2 1 9 5 13 23
4 Man City 12 3 2 1 7 5 3 1 2 8 5 5 21

He's here for the season and rightly so. I may not agree with his tactics but I am prepared to see where they take us by the seasons end. And maybe he will adapt.

I'm delighted we're fourth, i really am. But I don't see why you not having an opinion on the manager until the season's over means I should follow suit. I may well come across as a whinging bastard right now but shit happens. You've been around long enough to know not everyone loves everything about the club all the time...

And anyway, you don't like his tactics, which sort of means you agree with me...even though you're not passing any judgment on him...:- )

 

[fbloke]

No Billy. I stated in advance that I thought we could win if we went for it but we set up for a draw and seemed happy with it. As did they. A highly frustrating bore draw.

But that does not make me think that we should sack the manager.

And nor does this:

1 Chelsea 12 6 0 0 17 0 3 1 2 11 5 23 28
2 Man Utd 12 5 1 0 15 5 1 5 0 9 8 11 24
3 Arsenal 12 4 0 2 15 6 3 2 1 9 5 13 23
4 Man City 12 3 2 1 7 5 3 1 2 8 5 5 21

He's here for the season and rightly so. I may not agree with his tactics but I am prepared to see where they take us by the seasons end. And maybe he will adapt.

I'm delighted we're fourth, i really am. But I don't see why you not having an opinion on the manager until the season's over means I should follow suit. I may well come across as a whinging bastard right now but shit happens. You've been around long enough to know not everyone loves everything about the club all the time...

And anyway, you don't like his tactics, which sort of means you agree with me...even though you're not passing any judgment on him...:- )

I assume you missed my earlier question. But rather than badger you can I also assume that you are more likely to enjoy City at the end of the season being plucky losers in 5th rather than canny, professional Champions League qualifiers?