The Football Thread 2011/12

[Glowy69]

Vincent Kompany

David Silva

So yes

[Peter Crisp]

I just had a look and it was Kerlon I was thinking of and he's at Inter Milan.

[Mommy Christmas]

:lol:

All your forwards, and every other teams best midfielders. And you're light?

That's what I mean, Forwards and Midfielders we are okay for (maybe another striker when Tevez strawberry floats off) but it's central defence that needs looking at. Savic has the makings of a good centre half but he's naive. They're arent many options there at the moment, which has been shown up with Vinnie K out and Kolo Toure off in Africa.

Relying on forwards and midfielders might work at Villa but it clearly doesn't at City.

[DML]

:lol:

All your forwards, and every other teams best midfielders. And you're light?

That's what I mean, Forwards and Midfielders we are okay for (maybe another striker when Tevez strawberry floats off) but it's central defence that needs looking at. Savic has the makings of a good centre half but he's naive. They're arent many options there at the moment, which has been shown up with Vinnie K out and Kolo Toure off in Africa.

Relying on forwards and midfielders might work at Villa but it clearly doesn't at City.

Then they should be spending more wisely. Imagine if City didn't win the league now - it would be an utter disaster!

[degoose]

:lol:

All your forwards, and every other teams best midfielders. And you're light?

That's what I mean, Forwards and Midfielders we are okay for (maybe another striker when Tevez strawberry floats off) but it's central defence that needs looking at. Savic has the makings of a good centre half but he's naive. They're arent many options there at the moment, which has been shown up with Vinnie K out and Kolo Toure off in Africa.

Relying on forwards and midfielders might work at Villa but it clearly doesn't at City.

wait a sec city have toure,kompany,savic,lescott and i would say richards as well who can play there. Maybe city should think about using youth players and reserves who could step up, its not always about the first 11 it's a squad game.

[Mommy Christmas]

:lol:

All your forwards, and every other teams best midfielders. And you're light?

That's what I mean, Forwards and Midfielders we are okay for (maybe another striker when Tevez strawberry floats off) but it's central defence that needs looking at. Savic has the makings of a good centre half but he's naive. They're arent many options there at the moment, which has been shown up with Vinnie K out and Kolo Toure off in Africa.

Relying on forwards and midfielders might work at Villa but it clearly doesn't at City.

wait a sec city have toure,kompany,savic,lescott and i would say richards as well who can play there. Maybe city should think about using youth players and reserves who could step up, its not always about the first 11 it's a squad game.

I did say squad, not team.

[Glowy69]

:lol:

All your forwards, and every other teams best midfielders. And you're light?

That's what I mean, Forwards and Midfielders we are okay for (maybe another striker when Tevez strawberry floats off) but it's central defence that needs looking at. Savic has the makings of a good centre half but he's naive. They're arent many options there at the moment, which has been shown up with Vinnie K out and Kolo Toure off in Africa.

Relying on forwards and midfielders might work at Villa but it clearly doesn't at City.

You're diggng yourself a bigger hole dude, first you blase attitude to winning last night, no saying your team needs a few more players. We dont rely on anyone, we have a squad that we have to manage with, we dont have the money to just go out and buy someone new, we have had to bring the youth lads through. Something maybe city should try.

You've got a bottomless pit of money, you have 2/3 players for nearly every position and its still not quite good enough.

Do me a favour. I'd love to be in your position

[PuppetBoy]

They should have played Nedum Onuoha then rather than sell him. He's a good squad player, quick and can play along the back four.

[Minto]

Liverpool

The Kop was amazing last night! Couldn't hear the city fans all game.

Craig Bellamy is a machine, we need to clone him.

[rudderless]

I can't help but feel that City are still a player or two light in the squad.

Biggest budget in football history = we're a bit light.

Doesn't matter when you have injuries, ACN absentees, unwarranted suspensions and anomalies like Tevez. Regardless of how much we've spent, our squad size is the same as everybody else's, and unlike any other team that has come into some money, we've had to build basically from scratch. What goes unmentioned is the money we've recouped, which seemingly doesn't ever apply to City like it does to other clubs, and the fact that we've changed managers is never taken into consideration. Fact is, Mancini's still trying to build the squad he wants. The other issue is that we've been forced to pay over the odds for several players, which obviously artificially inflates the total figure. Forget the money for a second, if any other team had those circumstances, they'd be well within their rights to say they're a bit light. In fact, there'd be sympathy for it. UEFA regs have basically stopped us buying anyone else so we are left a bit light. It's an entirely fair thing to say.

On another note, there's a school of thought that says anyone could take us to the Premier League title and that Mancini doesn't deserve any credit. But given the situations above, and the difficulty of building an entirely new team and then getting them all to gel (not to mention the "mercenaries" accusations), it's quite something to witness the kind of fighting spirit that has got us through some difficult situations this season, and the fact that we're three points clear when United have one of their best points tallies at this stage of a season ever speaks volumes.

Yeah, we spent a lot of money, and I can understand some of the mockery, even if people seem to entirely forget how it used to be for City fans (35,000 attendances in the third tier - glory fans, eh, Kyle Walker?). I'm just pointing out the things that a lot of people all too readily ignore when it comes to City.

[DML]

I can't help but feel that City are still a player or two light in the squad.

Biggest budget in football history = we're a bit light.

Doesn't matter when you have injuries, ACN absentees, unwarranted suspensions and anomalies like Tevez. Regardless of how much we've spent, our squad size is the same as everybody else's, and unlike any other team that has come into some money, we've had to build basically from scratch. What goes unmentioned is the money we've recouped, which seemingly doesn't ever apply to City like it does to other clubs, and the fact that we've changed managers is never taken into consideration. Fact is, Mancini's still trying to build the squad he wants. The other issue is that we've been forced to pay over the odds for several players, which obviously artificially inflates the total figure. Forget the money for a second, if any other team had those circumstances, they'd be well within their rights to say they're a bit light. In fact, there'd be sympathy for it. UEFA regs have basically stopped us buying anyone else so we are left a bit light. It's an entirely fair thing to say.

On another note, there's a school of thought that says anyone could take us to the Premier League title and that Mancini doesn't deserve any credit. But given the situations above, and the difficulty of building an entirely new team and then getting them all to gel (not to mention the "mercenaries" accusations), it's quite something to witness the kind of fighting spirit that has got us through some difficult situations this season, and the fact that we're three points clear when United have one of their best points tallies at this stage of a season ever speaks volumes.

Yeah, we spent a lot of money, and I can understand some of the mockery, even if people seem to entirely forget how it used to be for City fans (35,000 attendances in the third tier - glory fans, eh, Kyle Walker?). I'm just pointing out the things that a lot of people all too readily ignore when it comes to City.

They're not ignoring those things, they don't necessarily agree with you though. The reasons the guidelines are in place is just SO teams cannot unfairly spend and buy players beyond the call of duty. City have failed to keep a settled camp for what ever reason, and that is no-ones fault but Citys, as is an apparent over-reliance on Toure. If the team doesnt win trophies, there can be no excuse - they have spent so much that success is the absolute minimum requirement. City are now one of the biggest clubs in the world and what they were before doesn't come into it whatsoever. City were already an established Prem side when the Sheikh came in, so although it was a rebuild towards success, its not a total one in my eyes. Its also a bit distasteful to ask for more when you have already been given more then anyone ever before!

Also, on a second note, how do City fans feel about not being in Europe in two years time due to the Uefa rules coming in? Because there is no chance of them now complying with them?

[Minto]

[Finiarél]

gooseberry fool, Imagine Beller and Ballotelli on the same pitch?

[Glowy69]

DML hits the nail on the head

[Mini E]

My southampton supporting lecturer going on about Portsmouth's "impending liquidation" as an example of what happens when company management goes wrong for 2 1/2 hours

[Dark Ritual]

Anyone know of any good football sites that take on writers who aren't trained journalists?

[Tomous]

Doesn't matter when you have injuries, ACN absentees, unwarranted suspensions and anomalies like Tevez.

For me, injuries is the only valid excuse there-and then, everyone has injuries. It's up to you to plan for it, and build depth in your squad. And City have had the opportunity to do that more than most the past few years.

As for the other points:

- You knew last summer when you'd have ACN absentees, it's hardly been unexpected and you should have planned for it.

- If you sign players with the character and integrity of Tevez you should know full well of the risk you're taking, it's not like it isn't well documented. I don't think you can use it as an excuse when it goes wrong.

- I don't think the Kompany and Balotelli punishments were unwarranted but I accept both are very debatable.

[Dark Ritual]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26012012/ ... fires.html



How did anyone think that was going to end well?

(TLDR; Bayern Munich announced they'd signed a big name striker, asked fans to tune into FB for the announcement, turns out it was PR Stunt for an App.)

[Codename 47]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26012012/58/bundesliga-bayern-new-striker-stunt-backfires.html



How did anyone think that was going to end well?

(TLDR; Bayern Munich announced they'd signed a big name striker, asked fans to tune into FB for the announcement, turns out it was PR Stunt for an App.)

Yeah I heard about this Bayern fans were thinking it could be a Tevez or a Hazard, someone of that class. Only at FC Hollywood would they pull a stunt like this. Can you imagine the outrage from the fans if Arsenal pulled a 'prank' like this?

Speaking of Tevez, the City chairman isn't too please with the conduct of AC Milan's Adriano Galliani during negotiations for Carlos Tevez. He praised PSG's and Inter's approach but thing is, both teams have said they're no longer interested and even though he said he won't be joining AC, Galliani was quoted today as saying they'll decide on Friday whether they'll sign him or Maxi Lopez . I don't know how much he cares about if he plays, but if i was Tevez i'd be planning my social calendar between now and summer because i don't see any teams paying the sort of fee City want for him.

[rudderless]

The reasons the guidelines are in place is just SO teams cannot unfairly spend and buy players beyond the call of duty.

Exactly. Therefore we have equal rights with everyone else, and that's as it should be. In which case, doesn't it follow that we can complain just as much as anyone when we're light for whatever reason - particularly when in many cases, it's beyond our control?

City have failed to keep a settled camp for what ever reason

BELM. Tevez aside, team spirit is good. It's nothing to do with being 'unsettled'.

If the team doesnt win trophies, there can be no excuse

Well, yeah, there can. Every game we've lost this season has had a major refereeing decision go against us - often controversially. About the only game we've won where we were lucky to was the Spurs game. So we can point to poor officiating as the reason we're not still in the FA Cup and Carling Cup and why we're not further ahead in the Premier League. As well as the fact that we're still a work-in-progress. Last season we won the cup and finished fourth, which was beyond most expectations when many pundits still acknowledged we weren't the finished article. That we've been on top of the Premier League for much of this season is a big step up from top four, particularly when you haven't come anywhere near close before. We're not a club that is used to this kind of scenario. Over the years, the likes of United have gained experience and a mentality that can help them over the finishing line. We don't have that. If we lose the title, it'll be disappointing, but "disaster" is overstating it.

Also, on a second note, how do City fans feel about not being in Europe in two years time due to the Uefa rules coming in? Because there is no chance of them now complying with them?

That's not true. There's every chance of us complying with them. Why do you think we haven't bought anyone in this transfer window? We're preparing for two years' time.