This time 2 years ago

[Prestwich_Blue]

I can't believe we had scored more at this point in the season two years ago. This season we have scored 6 twice, 7 once, four a couple of times. It's clearly our low scoring away form that is the issue.

People have very short memories! That first half of the title winning season was the best ever football played by a City team.
Why Mancini changed it and went more defensive will always be a mystery? We would have won the league by 12 points minimum
if he had carried on the way he started.

Agree. That was fantastic football. He tightened things up after that 3-2 win at QPR and after that we only managed away wins at Villa & Wigan (neither of which were desperately convincing). After the loss at Arsenal and the return of Tevez he let them off the leash again and we had the 6-1 at Norwich.

 

[CITYBOY1000]

As everyone has pointed out, we flew out of the traps with chances being created from all over. But, teams found our Achilles, a lack of width.

The 'rags' had it and so kept going through the season churning out results. We dried up against packed defences and congested midfield areas.

The return of Carlito gave everyone a lift which might well have been under-estimated in its impact. We started scoring again and taking the chances that were being missed which tended to force the opposition out of their shells and come forward. Also, getting Yaya back in February helped.

We nicked it in the end and deservedly so but the real problem, the lack of width, returned to haunt s the following season.

That was the reason for the purchase of Navas and the change in the shape of the team generally from the introduction of Negredo and Fernandinho. We have more options now.

 

[themachine]

I'll never forget how exciting we were early on in that season and it's amazing that with all the thrashings we've been giving teams at the etihad this season, we're still short of goals scored compared to this time 2 years ago. Stats won't agree but I think we're playing even better this season (well at least at home) with more attacking options and more proactive style under Pelle. Most players seem to be in outstanding form and our new signings have fit in well bar Jovetic. But I think that because we've made some noise, most other teams have been playing us with more caution, keeping things tight at the back and countering us with some effect, not to mention that all the teams have strengthened to a great extent since then so that also plays a factor.
Unlike that season however I don't see us dropping off the pace after Christmas, instead I see the contrary happening and we'll go on a great run.
We seem to show up at the big away games unlike what we saw at Cardiff, Villa and Sunderland (Chelsea doesn't count we played decent that game) so I'm optimistic for an even better second half of the season.