Manchester City Match Thread

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,424]

2 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Modern football really is awful when it comes to the gap between the top and bottom teams. Really really is getting wider and wider every season. Soon spending 100 million on top players will just be the norm for all top ten teams while everyone else has to just try and grab whatever they can for peanuts

Agree there is an enormous gap. But Let’s see how many other Prem Teams lose 8 nil to Liverpool and Man City this season . 

Edited August 21, 2021 by Graham Paddons Beard

[Herman 9,717]

2 hours ago, Herman said:

What time will Keith Scott start his first thread?

5.25. A bit late.

[Midlands Yellow 3,946]

6 minutes ago, PurpleCanary said:

It wasn't a guess.

Well if it’s a fact please accept my apologies. 

 

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

5 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Never mind, Simon Charlton or fill in nicely at centre back, or we could always move Russell Martin.🤔

How many promotions do we have to get before we make defence a necessary priority. Without Skipp the central defence is exposed. This should have been the priority to the exclusion of everything else.

You either didn’t read my posts or just want to continue to try and belittle me. Also interesting you’re not actually replying to me but ridiculing my opinion (which you’ve got wrong) to others.

Ill say it again. 2 years ago is important as it’s the way we play football and it’s a way that has got results. We play out from the back, always have under Farke. It has worked against all manner of oppositions, it has also been a failure. Today was the absolute worst display of it as Man City were on us immediately and out passing through them simply wasn’t good enough.

Do you not think we will improve in our passing play and understanding of each other as time progresses and the new signings get to know each others games??

[Mello Yello 2,281]

14 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

But at least it's good to see so many people watch illegal streams.

Mine was more of a babbling brook.....Probably because my laptop was covered in my frustrated saliva and spittle.....

[Mello Yello 2,281]

23 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

And the main moderator let’s rip. 

Rattled.....

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

2 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

Well if it’s a fact please accept my apologies. 

 

I do, and that's very sweet of you, but frankly if you apologise every time I'm right and you're wrong you simply won't have time for a life, now will you? Best for you if I just take it as read from now on.

[Midlands Yellow 3,946]

Just now, PurpleCanary said:

I do, and that's very sweet of you, but frankly if you apologise every time I'm right and you're wrong you simply won't have time for a life, now will you? Best for you if I just take it as read from now on.

Even though I was correct that sounds fair enough. 

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

12 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Never mind, Simon Charlton or fill in nicely at centre back, or we could always move Russell Martin.🤔

How many promotions do we have to get before we make defence a necessary priority. Without Skipp the central defence is exposed. This should have been the priority to the exclusion of everything else.

Also how do you know we haven’t made defence a priority with the window still open?

As Webber has tried to spell out to fans, it’s isn’t going to be as simple as ‘we need a defender, let’s get him’. Deals will take time and, again, patience is needed. Clearly he didn’t spell it out enough for some.

’To the exclusion of everything else’ - I would like to react to that one sentence with a laugh emoji because that is hilarious 😂. So a deal to sign players that were monitored by top European clubs last season comes up and we should tell Bremen/PAOK “no sorry, can’t sign them until we’ve sorted our defence out. We’ll be back in a few weeks if you haven’t sold them”

[Crafty Canary 495]

34 minutes ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

Well why didn't you use your new-found powers to predict a Norwich win you absolute imbecile?

There's blood on your hands now!

Because I live in the real world and don’t wear yellow and green spectacles. If anyone is an imbecile it’s you - read your last sentence again.

[CDMullins 436]

32 minutes ago, kirku said:

So, did the fans' attitude change when they were promoted as opposed to the years of abject failure and mediocrity following their fall from grace?

 

No, not at all.

They always demand the most.

They've had some truly shocking owners.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

15 minutes ago, chicken said:

It's two games in, we don't know who we'll be competing with at the foot of the table yet. And they are not comparable teams. One of them was against a side we'd hope to get points off.

Liverpool and Man City will have eyes on the title and the champions league title this season. 

We will not be competing with anyone unless we can learn to mark players from crosses, make some tackles, commit cynical fouls when needed and show some proper fight. 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Just now, Crafty Canary said:

Because I live in the real world and don’t wear yellow and green spectacles. If anyone is an imbecile it’s you - read your last sentence again.

Oh **** off Paul the Octopus you have just cursed us for the Leicester game now. All you had to do was predict a Norwich win and it would've happened but you blew it!!!

[ricardo 7,349]

1 minute ago, Fiery Zac said:

You either didn’t read my posts or just want to continue to try and belittle me. Also interesting you’re not actually replying to me but ridiculing my opinion (which you’ve got wrong) to others.

Ill say it again. 2 years ago is important as it’s the way we play football and it’s a way that has got results. We play out from the back, always have under Farke. It has worked against all manner of oppositions, it has also been a failure. Today was the absolute worst display of it as Man City were on us immediately and out passing through them simply wasn’t good enough.

Do you not think we will improve in our passing play and understanding of each other as time progresses and the new signings get to know each others games??

I am not replying to you nor have I answered any of your posts other than obliquely through KG. My comments are that prorities do not seem to be addressed. You can go back to any of the several recent promotions and see how this played out. I am sure we will play better against lower class opposition but I remain convinced that a more pragmatic approach is required against the top sides. I doubt any team has ever lost 5 nil and only committed 7 fouls. Either we couldnt get near them or we aren't trying.

Without a Skipp type replacement this season is going to go the way of all the other recent examples.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

3 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I am not replying to you nor have I answered any of your posts other than obliquely through KG. My comments are that prorities do not seem to be addressed. You can go back to any of the several recent promotions and see how this played out. I am sure we will play better against lower class opposition but I remain convinced that a more pragmatic approach is required against the top sides. I doubt any team has ever lost 5 nil and only committed 7 fouls. Either we couldnt get near them or we aren't trying.

Without a Skipp type replacement this season is going to go the way of all the other recent examples.

Agreed. This is the big concern. We are wide open because we have no midfielders (and not many defenders) who can defend. 

[Badger 2,405]

23 minutes ago, Midlands Yellow said:

People are letting emotions out after a thrashing, it’s allowed you know. 

Of course it is. It was a very disappointing performance.

However, some have been "letting their emotions out" ever since we got promoted, predicting tales of woe and inevitable relegation.

In addition, there is a difference between supporters who are genuinely disappointed and those that are professional miserabilists, who never seem to take any pleasure from what we do and mainly post when things go wrong.

I am reasonably confident that we can stay up but it is a long season and this won't be the last time we are defeated and play badly. I think a small minority of our most miserable fans need to toughen up a bit - it's no good for them to throw a "hissy fit" every time we play badly.

[Mello Yello 2,281]

I wasn't expecting a win and it's not the defeat I find disappointing and frustrating.....it's the abject manner and magnitude of the defeat....I find disappointing and frustrating.....

[Jim Smith 2,314]

Just now, Badger said:

Of course it is. It was a very disappointing performance.

However, some have been "letting their emotions out" ever since we got promoted, predicting tales of woe and inevitable relegation.

In addition, there is a difference between supporters who are genuinely disappointed and those that are professional miserabilists, who never seem to take any pleasure from what we do and mainly post when things go wrong.

I am reasonably confident that we can stay up but it is a long season and this won't be the last time we are defeated and play badly. I think a small minority of our most miserable fans need to toughen up a bit - it's no good for them to throw a "hissy fit" every time we play badly.

Would you say though Badger, that those who have been saying we need a defensive midfielder and that we haven’t addressed the lack of physicality have been proven right or wrong by the first two games. 

[Midlands Yellow 3,946]

1 minute ago, Badger said:

Of course it is. It was a very disappointing performance.

However, some have been "letting their emotions out" ever since we got promoted, predicting tales of woe and inevitable relegation.

In addition, there is a difference between supporters who are genuinely disappointed and those that are professional miserabilists, who never seem to take any pleasure from what we do and mainly post when things go wrong.

I am reasonably confident that we can stay up but it is a long season and this won't be the last time we are defeated and play badly. I think a small minority of our most miserable fans need to toughen up a bit - it's no good for them to throw a "hissy fit" every time we play badly.

Fair comments all round there. 

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

2 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I am not replying to you nor have I answered any of your posts other than obliquely through KG. My comments are that prorities do not seem to be addressed. You can go back to any of the several recent promotions and see how this played out. I am sure we will play better against lower class opposition but I remain convinced that a more pragmatic approach is required against the top sides. I doubt any team has ever lost 5 nil and only committed 7 fouls. Either we couldnt get near them or we aren't trying.

Without a Skipp type replacement this season is going to go the way of all the other recent examples.

Fair enough.

I believe it’s far far too early to write anything off after 2 games, which you seem to have done earlier in the thread. I have no idea if defensive reinforcements have been a priority or not, and neither do you. All we can say for certainty is we haven’t got them in time for the start of the season.

In terms of style of play, we were very very poor today but again (and it is relevant), we have played well in the PL with this style. I agree we should have adjusted once we knew it wasn’t working today but the alternative is lumping it up and feeding off scraps, which didn’t work either when tried. A balance was needed and we didn’t find it.

[ricardo 7,349]

1 minute ago, Mello Yello said:

I wasn't expecting a win and it's not the defeat I find disappointing and frustrating.....it's the abject manner and magnitude of the defeat....I find disappointing and frustrating.....

Its certainly at the most disappointing end of my expectations. I was hoping for more resilience but it hasnt happened.

[Canario 204]

Rupp wasnt great but does seem that Gilmour gets an easy ride. None of rhe midfield three covered themselves in glory, far roo passive.  We know gilmour is not a dm in the mould of skipp but if hes asked to play at the base of midfield youd expect him to do more in front of the back four.  Have to say Cantwell never stopped running and trting to get into space. Pukki looks like he missed an entire preseason and needs to get ip to speed. Been done to death on here but we urgentlt need a disciplined dm. Someone tactically aware who civers when needed but basically sits in front of the defence.

[Baracouda 47]

2 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Its certainly at the most disappointing end of my expectations. I was hoping for more resilience but it hasnt happened.

exactly this, at times it looked like a training exercise where we are standing off marking space, and they playing comfortable passes around the pitch. We all know that Man City have enormous amount of talent but how non-combative the team was very disappointing. 

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,251]

Such a predictable, compliant, display from us. 

Anyone seeking solace from the two opponents played needs to wake up. It's exactly the same as our last EPL attempt, and many more before that. We'd get spanked by Southampton, Watford, Brighton, and dare I say Brentford right now.

We haven't got any muscle in midfield. Lees-Melou isn't the answer, Kenny Mclean coming back in isn't either. I don't think we're one CDM short, I think we're at least two. We shouldn't be building a side around Gilmour either. Too young and raw, and quite frankly no better than the Leinter that started our last EPL campaign. Which highlights to me at least,  the team is no stronger. 

Yes Liverpool & Man City, but look how easy and one sided it was. It's not good enough to simply get rolled over like that. Man City are hardly in rip roaring form either, they we're under pressure! Any other EPL team makes it harder for them, no question in my mind. 

A couple more points. Games like this show how ineffective Cantwell is when we need our supposedly 'big' players to stand up. Decent player, sure, but no where near as good as some believe. There will be many more no shows from him, particularly away from home.

We've come into this season with no bounce, not at all helped with losing our two star performers in Emi and Skipp. But surely keep as much else as consistent as possible? Why isn't Dowell starting, considering the way he finished last season? Keep the formation too, we've always been far better with a 4-2-3-1 under Farke. 

We're a million miles off. And I can't see us being able to do the business required before the window closes.  

How depressingly predictable. 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2021 by Creedence Clearwater Couto

[WD40 720]

On Man City, I didn’t think Grealish looked like a £100m player (even in a guardiola system) but we knew that already that. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

41 minutes ago, Fiery Zac said:

Of course it’s relevant - directly relevant to the point I’m making and what others are arguing about!

And stop misquoting me - absolutely nowhere did I say we should expect to lose as other teams are better.

That’s the way we play, it’s the way we beat Man City two years ago, and it’s part of the reason we lost so heavily today. But to dismiss it and infer it’s the reason we’ll get relegated this season is just too inpatient in my opinion with the transfer window open etc etc…

 

Not misquoting you at all. Just your opinion that its more about who you play. Mine is about how we play whoever the opposition.

Its only a portion of Norwich supporters who don't think we will be relegated.

And who are we getting in the transfer window? A reserve full back?

[Canario 204]

Its a curious one. I dont think we can play 4-2-3-1 if its gilmour and a dm. Are we now trying to play 3 cm in order to accomadate billy? We sacrifice a 10 and yet are no more solid in the centre. It could work but will take time. Im guessing the idea is lees melou breaks forward to make the 10. A slightly deeper lying stiepi? 

[Badger 2,405]

10 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Would you say though Badger, that those who have been saying we need a defensive midfielder and that we haven’t addressed the lack of physicality have been proven right or wrong by the first two games. 

I don't think that there has been any argument over this, has there? I think everybody has wanted a more physical and defensively minded midfielder. Many of us hoped that it would be Oliver Skipp, but that ship seems to have sailed, but according to the rumours we have been tracking a number of others.

My guess is that we have some targets and don't want to move too far down the list (which they admit they did last time - they bought "early" rather than risk not getting anybody, and as we know it did not work out - thinking of Amadou in particular). This time, I think from what they have said that they are being more ambitious, which obviously has its own risks.

I don't think there's any fan that will be pleased if we don't buy a physical midfielder, but as the situation with Amadou showed, physicality on its own is not enough - he has to be technically proficient as well.

[Nuff Said 5,092]

19 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Would you say though Badger, that those who have been saying we need a defensive midfielder and that we haven’t addressed the lack of physicality have been proven right or wrong by the first two games. 

Do you honestly believe that the result in the first two games would have been different if Skipp was playing for us?

[Mello Yello 2,281]

3 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Its certainly at the most disappointing end of my expectations. I was hoping for more resilience but it hasn't happened.

Yep....I wholly concur.....If you continue to put inferior chicken wire up instead of just spending a few pennies more on solid chain link fencing to protect your hen stock from that  premiership sly & wily old fox, he will continually keep forcing his way into attack your hens.....