totally underwhelmed

[Joycee Banercheck]

A key moment was that injury time freekick - spurs, Chelsea or the rags would have launched that into the box looking for a late winner, whereas we were content to play it short and keep possession.

We played it short and backwards, can anyone explain that !! Yes i understand we wanted to hold on to the ball, but come on last couple of minutes and a chance to lob it into there box. This does seem to be a common practice with our free kicks, why the fek are we so shy of putting the ball into the danger area, it was the same last season. Would any tactical genius like to explain. It is the one part of our game that is so easy to change.

If it isn't in the 'tactics' thread with all the other genius remarks then no fucker is the wiser. What we really need to do is get the archive footage out of Inter Milan under MAnicin and see if a free-kick was ever passed forward.

 

[Anonymous]

To the OP - I think you should get used to that way of playing...if it's effective and we win something Mancini will be seen as a genius - if it falls flat on it's face, he'll be shown the door. Either way, he's not about to change his footballing philosophy to satisfy the watching public...

 

[EalingBlue2]

Even in the first half we had 60% posession but we did not use it well and we still lack the big dominant technical striker who you need if you play like this. If we had an Ibra type player hanging around up front with that possession we would be greatly improved.

I think we will get hugely better as we gel, as we get fit and based on our record at WHL that was our hardest game of the season so 1 points is it.

Also sick of Spurs fans and the media saying we were lucky, we weren't Hart is our player, one of 11 and part of the team and those saves were great keeping and not luck. They didn't score, there were not many bad decisions against them, there were no lucky saves or deflections, it was a fair result.

I think as we actually learn to play, when we have another attacker on helping Tevez and when we establish the team that is best (ie Boateng in and Johnson for Sweep) we will be a very good side.

Getting a point at spurs is something we have failed to do in the league since Sommeil did the business there what must have been about 6 or 7 seasons ago.

 

[dadnlad]

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.

bloody hell didn't stan collymore was a member on here

 

[City Raider]

know what you mean about not getting enough players forward but when he went for it at the end of the derby last season they picked us off. It's a balancing act, that will take time but he should get right.

 

[Trigger]

I agree with a lot of what the OP says, we are going to have to adopt a different approach if we are looking to WIN the league, you don't see Chelsea, Scum or Arsenal going into any game trying to sit back and hit teams on the break. City need to go at teams with a "we will score more than you mentallity".

To be fair, I don't know any blue who would not have been happy coming away with a point, but we could quite easily have lost by 3 or 4, but the important thing is we didn't, we will play better than that in some games and lose.

We have got to remember this team have had no time whatsoever to gel and when we do that is when we should be judging Mancini and his tactics.

The signing of Ballotelli & Milner will obviously add further attacking options, the full backs both tried to get forward when they could yesterday, but Bale was a constant threat and Richards was not helped by SWP enough.

Lets stay positive, it is going to be a tricky month ahead and lets reaccess when the team is settled and shape taken. If we start having a whinge and moan like "spoilt brats" this project can only implode.

 

[masterwig]

I went into the game with a very low opinion of Mancini and expected to get comfortably beaten. But we went and got a point and I left the pub delighted with that and some of the performances.

But since then, every report I have read, heard or watched has been slagging us off saying how poor we were! We got a point at Spurs who had an excited home crowd behind them. It was about as hard an opening fixture we could have had and we looked solid in the second half.

I'm desperately hoping that next week against Liverpool we do create some chances. If we don't and play negatively again my opinion on Mancini won't change. If we do though, then for me yesterday was a turning point. I could see where he wants to take the team. I could see that we are very close to having an excellent team. I finally get it (if that kind of performance is reserved for the toughest away games).

 

[Northern3]

The way I see it is that we are meant to have a team with top 4 aspirations,and yet we go to Spurs,and in my opinion the team was set up tactically to play for a draw.You can argue that we had new players on the pitch,and they have yet to gel.But to play with just Tevez up front was wrong.

And Mancini style of football seems to be to negative for my liking,And I'm sorry to have to say it but you wouldn't see Chelsea or United go there and play those tactics,they would at least have a go,win or not.Top teams have no fear in the EPL and try to win the game.And if wasn't for Joe Hart we could easily have taking a battering,the shots on goal they had prove we were lucky to get away with a draw.

And I hope we don't continue to play the tactics we played yesterday,I sincerly hope I'm proven wrong.

 

[bluevengence]

These are tactics that wiil be used for away games against the top 5 or 6 teams...at home and for the mid and bottom half teams away it will be a different kettle of fish


CHILL BLUES

 

[Crabbers]

Whilst I'm happy with the point- I do share some concerns about the "balls" that we don't show in big games.

We won't win anything playing so slowly and negatively. We need mire impetus, more guile, more balls.