We will win the title this season

[Lucky Toma]

I think we'll be up there challenging right to the 'business end' of the season.
My fear then though is that, although we have plenty of winners in the side...hell, even World Cup winners, they have never before gone through that tense Prem title fight together. This could be key and could mean we need another year yet before we have a title-winning side.

Having said that I firmly believe we'll do far better in the Champs League than many are predicting. So swings and roundabouts...

A good point mate, but I think we have the right experience not only within the squad but with the likes of Mancini, Kidd, Vieirra aswell who know what it takes, it's an issue no doubt, but I think we've prepared ourselves very well for this very thing, whether it works or not is another thing.

We'll come close either way though I think, right down to the wire.

Agreed DH, Mancini will definitely hold his nerve and it will be fantastic seeing the so-called master of mind-games Ferguson getting littel change out of him when the digs fly in around March/April.

Ferguson - 'The pressure will get to Mancini and his players. City arent used to being in this position'.
Reporter to Mancini - 'What do you make of Alex Ferguson's recent comments?'
Mancini - 'This is football'

A genuine concern of mine though is that it might be us lot - the fans - who crumble a bit from Easter onwards. Our nerves, if we havent taken the lead after the first sixty minutes in any of the concluding games, might really affect the lads.
We'll be fine for the derby of course - we'll all be revved up to f**k for that one - but for the West Brom and particularly the QPR games at home we need to have some campaign on here beforehand where everyone promises to not catcall or groan when a pass goes awry or a chance is missed. They're going to need us more than ever and we have to have the same belief - even arrogance - as the rags and Chelsea supporters should it go to the wire.

 

[southern muppet]

I think we'll be up there challenging right to the 'business end' of the season.
My fear then though is that, although we have plenty of winners in the side...hell, even World Cup winners, they have never before gone through that tense Prem title fight together. This could be key and could mean we need another year yet before we have a title-winning side.

Having said that I firmly believe we'll do far better in the Champs League than many are predicting. So swings and roundabouts...

A good point mate, but I think we have the right experience not only within the squad but with the likes of Mancini, Kidd, Vieirra aswell who know what it takes, it's an issue no doubt, but I think we've prepared ourselves very well for this very thing, whether it works or not is another thing.

We'll come close either way though I think, right down to the wire.

Agreed DH, Mancini will definitely hold his nerve and it will be fantastic seeing the so-called master of mind-games Ferguson getting littel change out of him when the digs fly in around March/April.

Ferguson - 'The pressure will get to Mancini and his players. City arent used to being in this position'.
Reporter to Mancini - 'What do you make of Alex Ferguson's recent comments?'
Mancini - 'This is football'

A genuine concern of mine though is that it might be us lot - the fans - who crumble a bit from Easter onwards. Our nerves, if we havent taken the lead after the first sixty minutes in any of the concluding games, might really affect the lads.
We'll be fine for the derby of course - we'll all be revved up to f**k for that one - but for the West Brom and particularly the QPR games at home we need to have some campaign on here beforehand where everyone promises to not catcall or groan when a pass goes awry or a chance is missed. They're going to need us more than ever and we have to have the same belief - even arrogance - as the rags and Chelsea supporters should it go to the wire.

Yeah I think Mancini is pretty unflappable with all that mind games shite, unlike the irascible Fat Spanish Waiter.

 

[SalfordCityBlue]

Odds on us being the new invincibles? ;-)

 

[jimharri]

Just got back in from Dublin about 10 minutes ago, and I have to say we were very impressive, albeit against a piss poor Inter side. We looked very comfortable at the back apart from a brief spell in the second half. And in the first half in particular we were very good going forward. Silva was excellent and Balotelli ran the show. We did seem to take our foot off the gas after we went two up but there was only going to be one winner today. Therefore, going on the assumption that we will steadily improve as the season goes on, and possibly with one or two more signings, there is no reason why we can't give the title chase a bloody good go!

 

[Balti]

Think we will go very close this season. Hopefully better.

But as far as the rags and the knockers are concerned I'll be happy with consolidation in the Champions League places and anything else will be a bonus.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I have been convinced since May 14th that we will win the league.

I am certain that Yaya, Milner, Balo, Kolarov and even Silva will have varyingly improved seasons.

I think there seems to be a real togetherness about the squad as well.

The cup win will have given Mancini an even stronger power base too.

I think we will win it and with the players we have I believe we will do it with considerable style.

I'm certain that we will win much over the coming years but the 2011/12 season could very well be the one we look back on with greatest fondness.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

Our faults last season were at left back; pace in midfield; creativity other than Silva (in fact we looked lost when he wasn't in the pitch!); lack of ambition to score goals (scored 18 fewer than United who had an average scoring season for them!); we didn't even try to score away against the top teams (P5 W0 D2 L3 F1 A7 Pts2/15 with quite literally about 5 shots on target from all five games); our centre forward dropped too deep to get the ball leaving nobody upfront; our centre forward was too greedy and didn't pass to players in better positions; nobody can cross a ball; we give far too many free kicks away around the box; we were average a hell of a lot of the time (rarely shite, but also rarely brillaint!); a little too often we were disjointed and lacked understanding of each other (this improved in the last 6 or 7 games!).

All this and we won the FA Cup and finsihed joint second in the league. This was because we had as many positives as I've listed faults above, I'm just concentrating on them for now.

We haven't, however, addressed all of the above points. We still haven't got pace in midfield or got another creative, forward thinking midfielder (GET NASRI SIGNED, CITY!!!). Will we have any more ambition to score more goals or to go for the top teams away from home? Well not one of us know the answer to that but at a guess I'd say yes, but not enough to score more than the average 78.4 goals the champions have scored in the Premier League since it became 20 teams (16 seasons) (we scored 60 last season) nor to come home with more wins than defeats at the other top teams. Will we stop giving free kicks away in dangerous positions? Will someone miraculously come up with the skill of being able to cross the ball into the box?

We will be better this season than last. I think we will win more games, draw and lose fewer and score more. We will have a lot more fluidity and understanding as for once we've not signed 7 players who all need time to gel, we've just got Clichy and Agüero so the gelling period for the team will be shorter than previous seasons and those who've all been here a while will be even more gelled than before. I think we'll have fewer average performances and a greater amount of brilliant as a result of this. But unless we address the areas from the paragraph before this I just don't think we will win the league title!

 

[1.618034]

I believe!

And I don't think the odds will get any longer than they are now...

 

[Bay Area Blue]

Great to see balotelli have so many chances and Dzeko not only hold up play but score as well. Add aguerro into the mix and things look promising indeed.

 

[GeorgeHeslop'sTackle.]

I know it was a friendly, but today was the first time i felt deep inside that we could make a real go of the title. Please do not bump this if we get beaten by Swansea ok ?

To be honest I've supported city for over 40 years, and as a result of experience, have always aired on the pessimistic side when it comes to expecting anything but a relegation battle, each season.

But, like you, today's display against Inter has even convinced me that we are on the verge of something really special.. Not sure if it will happen this year but I'm certain it will happen next year, once the new players have settled in