totally underwhelmed

[Utter bobbins]

What i found most worring was the lack of passion to compete - Spuds were first to the ball - more determined to win the 50 / 5 0 tackels and closed us down - we did very little of that we looked lazy and lethargic.

Tatically playing Tevez as a lone striker dont work and Silva still not decided where his best position is.

All in all disappointing

great observations mate!

Im sure the last ditch tackles and throwing yourself in front of shots show a complete lack of commitment

 

[john@staustell]

Someone ought to point out that even if Spurs scored one it would not have meant the end of the world. Chelsea scored first after battering us, but then we picked them off - at their place.

A 0-0 draw at Spurs is a good result. End of story.

 

[ianw16]

I agree with a number of posters; it was a good result. But we should have been well and truly out of it by half-time. So no kudos for the tactical set up. Saved by Hart and the goalpost. That sort of luck will not save us every time we sit back and try to hang on for a 0 - 0 from minute 1. The problem as I see it is that 1) if you are going to play a lone striker, then he has to be able to hold up the ball while others join the attack. That is not something I think can happen with Tevez on his own. 2) The above relies on us actually clearing the ball from opposition attacks to one of our own players. As Hansen showed on MOTD (I know people don't like him, but his tactical appreciation is valid here), we often had nine outfield players behind the ball, so any clearance is almost certain to go to the opposition. More pressure, on and on until they score. Same happened at Hull last season. We either use a big, strong striker who holds up the ball, or we don't lump it clear in desperation, but attempt to play it out of defence calmly, and look to use pacy players to hit them on the break, a la Arsenal at home last season. Neither happened on Saturday, and we were bloody lucky.

 

[dctid]

What i found most worring was the lack of passion to compete - Spuds were first to the ball - more determined to win the 50 / 5 0 tackels and closed us down - we did very little of that we looked lazy and lethargic.

Tatically playing Tevez as a lone striker dont work and Silva still not decided where his best position is.

All in all disappointing

great observations mate!

Im sure the last ditch tackles and throwing yourself in front of shots show a complete lack of commitment

As a team we was poor dress it up as much as you wish - some individuals were outstanding Hart - Kompany - Toure BUT Spuds form the off were in our faces closing down and created lots and lots of chances

If you think that was a good performance and one that will catapult into top 4 and silverwear you are mles away - as i said good result poor poor performance at 300 plus million you would quite rightly expect.

 

[dref619]

regardless of the influx of new players, bonding etc, i cannot help but feel mancini again yesterday served up more of his anti football and without the brilliance of joe hart his negativity would once again have been exposed.

to my mind thats 7 games out of 8 against top sides under mancini tenure where we have barely mustered a shot. everton home and away last season, liverpool at home, arsenal away, utd at home. and now spurs at home and away. (the exception chelsea away)

in a sport that is results driven, it's just such a turn off, you work all week, spend a small fortune on tickets and travel and the manager cannot even be arsed to commit any players forward.

i suppose in the context of the league a 0-0 at spurs is a bloody good result, but the method and the style just doesn't appeal to me one bit.

i expect to get shot down in flames, but it's a forum and it's my view, and i want to see city trying to win games, not stifle the life out of them, and that has become a regular trend under mancini against the top sides.

not read any of the thread, but that is a crock of shit

 

[Jimbowickton]

Spurs murdered us in the first 30 mins, a combination of great goalkeeping and poor finishing meant it remained goaless.

Second half was alot better however despite dominating possesion I can only think of one time Gomes was forced to make a save, compare that to their chances and they still had the better of the half (we got lucky with Bales fluff)..

Tevez was our livliest player however he was left far too isolated, I would ave liked Mancini to have sacrificed a DM for Adebayor rather han like for like.

Overall a point was a great result however if we play with that in future games we will loose.

 

[dctid]

Spurs murdered us in the first 30 mins, a combination of great goalkeeping and poor finishing meant it remained goaless.

Second half was alot better however despite dominating possesion I can only think of one time Gomes was forced to make a save, compare that to their chances and they still had the better of the half (we got lucky with Bales fluff)..

Tevez was our livliest player however he was left far too isolated, I would ave liked Mancini to have sacrificed a DM for Adebayor rather han like for like.

Overall a point was a great result however if we play with that in future games we will loose.

He has to change the formation somehow - Tevez needs a striker partner and Silva needs to sit behind - personally would prefer to 4 2 3 1 - 3 midfield players seems a bit too negative

 

[fatbloke]

I thought after the initial 20 minutes when Spurs threw absolutely everything at us we were well in control. We dominated possession and kept the ball as well as I've seen from any Premier League side, we were just missing a clinical edge and maybe a bit of energy in an attacking sense. Some of the little inter-changing of passes between the midfield trio and back four were superb and frustrated Spurs. I think if Silva and Tevez had maybe a few more weeks fitness and sharpness that game could have been very different.

 

[scorer]

I thought after the initial 20 minutes when Spurs threw absolutely everything at us we were well in control. We dominated possession and kept the ball as well as I've seen from any Premier League side, we were just missing a clinical edge and maybe a bit of energy in an attacking sense. Some of the little inter-changing of passes between the midfield trio and back four were superb and frustrated Spurs. I think if Silva and Tevez had maybe a few more weeks fitness and sharpness that game could have been very different.

Absolutely spot on. 100% agree!

 

[simon23]

If we played this game like we did in October I would be concerned.

But given the lack of preparation, I'm happy enough with the point and don't really care how we got it.

This is what Im hoping.

I agree we need a few weeks to get the team gelling but the origional poster was right about last seasons performances against the better teams....we were far far too negative in all of them

Im hoping that once the squad have a few weeks together then our attacking side of the game will start to develop and improve (cause it really needs to).

RM set out to get a draw and thanks to Hart we did do.....Im hoping this is one of the few times that we will see this.

RM has NO excuses now he has his own players in place to play negative football that we witnessed against stronger teams last season.....IF he does he will be criticised and rightly so

IF we are to beserious top 4 contenders then regardless of opposition or whether home or away we must set out to win the game. The formationa nd players he played at spurs was for want of a better word baffling and so was the replacement of Kolorov with a right footed defender when he has Lescott sat on the bench (who is left footed and has played at left back)

I for one expect to see a varisation in tactics over the season and the ability to have a plan B or even C.....RM hasnt shown us he has this yet....but he now has the squad to do so....so lets see if he can

 

[Damocles]

As I've mentioned in the transfer forum, Mancini is making a carbon copy of his successful Inter tactic; the only thing we are missing is a Cambiasso type of player. Instead, we are playing an anchorman in there (De Jong) which means that we're a little limited when moving the ball between defence and midfield as he only tends to pass short, thus making the team bunch up.

Mancini although young, is not a manager who will sit there and experiment with brand new ideas, that have come out of the blue. He has set formations and tactics in his mind that he sticks to, rotating and tweaking them depending on his players and his opposition.
Mancini actually said in a lecture in 2008 that no new football styles will be found now, the only thing that will get better is the physical preparation of games.

People have said exactly this for hundreds of years in football and have been proved wrong time and time again.

The idea that he is playing negative football is, in my opinion, incorrect. He is playing a tactic that can evolve during the game from a 4-3-2-1 into a 4-4-2, or a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1. It's a variation of the old Zona Mista tactic, and it's roots are in the catenaccio football that the Italians invented. However, his version is a little different as he uses alternate wingers who cut in rather than go wide, so it does draw influences from Spanish football (or maybe even United a few seasons ago, especially using Silva and Tevez the way he did against Spurs).

 

[GStar]

Interesting... i hope it eventually begins to work.

I'm a bit worried if he is copying his Inter tactics, Italian league football will hardly transfer successfully into PL football.

 

[southstandblue27]

regardless of the influx of new players, bonding etc, i cannot help but feel mancini again yesterday served up more of his anti football and without the brilliance of joe hart his negativity would once again have been exposed.

to my mind thats 7 games out of 8 against top sides under mancini tenure where we have barely mustered a shot. everton home and away last season, liverpool at home, arsenal away, utd at home. and now spurs at home and away. (the exception chelsea away)

in a sport that is results driven, it's just such a turn off, you work all week, spend a small fortune on tickets and travel and the manager cannot even be arsed to commit any players forward.

i suppose in the context of the league a 0-0 at spurs is a bloody good result, but the method and the style just doesn't appeal to me one bit.

i expect to get shot down in flames, but it's a forum and it's my view, and i want to see city trying to win games, not stifle the life out of them, and that has become a regular trend under mancini against the top sides.

you my friend , should take the 'fathellens' off your name for making me negative :(

 

[zeven]

Interesting... i hope it eventually begins to work.

I'm a bit worried if he is copying his Inter tactics, Italian league football will hardly transfer successfully into PL football.

why not? so what is PL football? blackburn, fulham style? or Arsenal? maybe united style? Chelsea style can be the one?

 

[bobkiwi]

you have been reading the daily rags and believe what you read , quite remarkable , this is a relatively new group with little or no prep leading into the first game of the season away to spurs your expectations are up there when they should be lowered. in one months time with no injuries we will start to perform, be patient and stop reacting to the negative publicity , ive never read so much shite/misinformation about one club. oh and joe hart did his job and he would be the first to say it.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Outlaw]

As I've mentioned in the transfer forum, Mancini is making a carbon copy of his successful Inter tactic; the only thing we are missing is a Cambiasso type of player. Instead, we are playing an anchorman in there (De Jong) which means that we're a little limited when moving the ball between defence and midfield as he only tends to pass short, thus making the team bunch up.

Mancini although young, is not a manager who will sit there and experiment with brand new ideas, that have come out of the blue. He has set formations and tactics in his mind that he sticks to, rotating and tweaking them depending on his players and his opposition.
Mancini actually said in a lecture in 2008 that no new football styles will be found now, the only thing that will get better is the physical preparation of games.

People have said exactly this for hundreds of years in football and have been proved wrong time and time again.

The idea that he is playing negative football is, in my opinion, incorrect. He is playing a tactic that can evolve during the game from a 4-3-2-1 into a 4-4-2, or a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1. It's a variation of the old Zona Mista tactic, and it's roots are in the catenaccio football that the Italians invented. However, his version is a little different as he uses alternate wingers who cut in rather than go wide, so it does draw influences from Spanish football (or maybe even United a few seasons ago, especially using Silva and Tevez the way he did against Spurs).

Great and interesting post!!

I hope you can clarify my below question:

As I haven't followed Inter at all!; if you compare it to AC Milan's formation (during Kaka days), were they different? (Milan's Anceloti team used to play in a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation)

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

As I've mentioned in the transfer forum, Mancini is making a carbon copy of his successful Inter tactic; the only thing we are missing is a Cambiasso type of player. Instead, we are playing an anchorman in there (De Jong) which means that we're a little limited when moving the ball between defence and midfield as he only tends to pass short, thus making the team bunch up.

Mancini although young, is not a manager who will sit there and experiment with brand new ideas, that have come out of the blue. He has set formations and tactics in his mind that he sticks to, rotating and tweaking them depending on his players and his opposition.
Mancini actually said in a lecture in 2008 that no new football styles will be found now, the only thing that will get better is the physical preparation of games.

People have said exactly this for hundreds of years in football and have been proved wrong time and time again.

The idea that he is playing negative football is, in my opinion, incorrect. He is playing a tactic that can evolve during the game from a 4-3-2-1 into a 4-4-2, or a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1. It's a variation of the old Zona Mista tactic, and it's roots are in the catenaccio football that the Italians invented. However, his version is a little different as he uses alternate wingers who cut in rather than go wide, so it does draw influences from Spanish football (or maybe even United a few seasons ago, especially using Silva and Tevez the way he did against Spurs).

Great and interesting post!!

I hope you can clarify my below question:

As I haven't followed Inter at all!; if you compare it to AC Milan's formation (during Kaka days), were they different? (Milan's Anceloti team used to play in a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation)

To be fair Sir Alf did exactly the same in 1966. he had his system of playing and then picked his best 11 players to play it. Thus leaving out the likes of Jimmy Greaves and the introduction of Jack charlton. The policy now at England level is to pick the so called best 11 players and then find a system that they can all play in, hence Gerrard and Lampard playing in the same team and neither being any good for England compared to club level. Hopefully if Mancini has a system he thinks will be successful he'll be given time to make it work for us! Not a bad start 1 point better off than last season and Spuds 2 points worse off!

 

[Outlaw]

Great and interesting post!!

I hope you can clarify my below question:

As I haven't followed Inter at all!; if you compare it to AC Milan's formation (during Kaka days), were they different? (Milan's Anceloti team used to play in a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation)

To be fair Sir Alf did exactly the same in 1966. he had his system of playing and then picked his best 11 players to play it. Thus leaving out the likes of Jimmy Greaves and the introduction of Jack charlton. The policy now at England level is to pick the so called best 11 players and then find a system that they can all play in, hence Gerrard and Lampard playing in the same team and neither being any good for England compared to club level. Hopefully if Mancini has a system he thinks will be successful he'll be given time to make it work for us! Not a bad start 1 point better off than last season and Spuds 2 points worse off!

I agree with you on both the England squad part and Mancini's system.

Getting one point after the end of Tottenham's insane match (mostly first half!!), was a great result in my opinion. Hopefully, we will be able to see the real shape of our squad after the next 2-3 games (and getting all of our transfer targets!!).

 

[GStar]

Interesting... i hope it eventually begins to work.

I'm a bit worried if he is copying his Inter tactics, Italian league football will hardly transfer successfully into PL football.

why not? so what is PL football? blackburn, fulham style? or Arsenal? maybe united style? Chelsea style can be the one?

Watch Serie A, watch the Premier League. Its a different approach.

 

[samharris]

Interesting... i hope it eventually begins to work.

I'm a bit worried if he is copying his Inter tactics, Italian league football will hardly transfer successfully into PL football.

And the current European champions are ?? ;)

Why not bring a different style to the prem ? Prem teams are used to prem style football so sommat a bit different could give us an edge..