Tonight's games 18/03

Always a sense of relief when they go out which is a truly pleasurable sensation. A wonderful release of city being spanked endomorphins.

Would love to see them tumbling in the league but they went out easily last year and then grew in the strength in the league.

Apparently a load of Bert's were fighting amongst themselves over Messi's shirt at FT.

Small time £#%&!ing @#%&!s.

Originally Posted by My Name is Keith

Always a sense of relief when they go out which is a truly pleasurable sensation. A wonderful release of city being spanked endomorphins.

Would love to see them tumbling in the league but they went out easily last year and then grew in the strength in the league.

They look a bit jaded to me. I don't remember them being this poor at the back end of last season. Player like toure, nasri, Fernandinho and Sagna just don't look arsed.

Can enjoy the rest of the CL now.

Originally Posted by teflon_terry

Can enjoy the rest of the CL now.

This.

Hope you're right about City - they don't look as good as they should that's for certain. At home to west brom on Saturday - a slight chance of a banana skin but unlikely to trip them up.

You can stick your Pellegrini up your arse

Just heard Tyler's reaction to the Barca goal.

Jesus, you'd think Utd had scored.

Pathetic @#%&!.

must kill hart to be the 2nd best keeper in his own town

Originally Posted by puressence

must kill hart to be the 2nd best keeper in his own town

3rd

Originally Posted by puressence

must kill hart to be the 2nd best keeper in his own town

:shakehead:

Originally Posted by Jethro

:shakehead:

He means Rochdale.

Messi was a terrifying nonsense last night, there's not a player on the planet that can do what he does. Not just the goals (20 alone in 2015 ) but another 10 assists & his general mugging people off like total @#%&!s (3 nutmegs last night - the Milner one was greeted by Neville's "barbaric" commentary ).

I wonder if he'll ever leave Barca, it would be truly depressing if he were to go to any other club than United really.

Sublime little bastard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s53_k5vPQvc

City lost 3-1 on aggregate, yet had it been 10-2 I don't think many would have been raging at the injustice. The gulf was really that wide.

Does Toure encapsulate the issues with English football atm?

Dominates this league at times, but in the more sophisticated surroundings of European football he is so ineffective. Since City got into the Champions League, he's scored one goal per season in Europe over the last three years. They just play around him.

Gets played in defensive roles by Barca; scores 20 league goals in England

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Does Toure encapsulate the issues with English football atm?

Dominates this league at times, but in the more sophisticated surroundings of European football he is so ineffective. Since City got into the Champions League, he's scored one goal per season in Europe over the last three years. They just play around him.

Gets played in defensive roles by Barca; scores 20 league goals in England

Beyond mental playing him in a 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1 like they have done so often in central midfield. He's got no inclination to put in the shift needed to make that work now

City need a Carrick or Busquets type to sit & distribute (90%+) so he can be free to bomb on. Playing him in a midfield two is like playing Rooney... hang on.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Does Toure encapsulate the issues with English football atm?

Dominates this league at times, but in the more sophisticated surroundings of European football he is so ineffective. Since City got into the Champions League, he's scored one goal per season in Europe over the last three years. They just play around him.

Gets played in defensive roles by Barca; scores 20 league goals in England

Its not only toure though. Most of the players city have are suited to a gung ho attacking style and only perform well when opponents give them plenty of space & time.

Considering the stick Ozil, Di Maria, Mata and Sanchez get Silva gets an easy ride always. I have never seen a pundit criticize him. He is ineffective most of the times and only comes to life in premier league games when city are dominating matches. Same applies to Nasri, Toure, fernandinho, navas etc.

Aguero and to a certain extent Kompany (not this season) seem to be the only ones who can play at a higher level.

For the amount of money spent, city have a poor squad. But city's success in premier league also shows how poor the league is and how tactically stupid most managers are. And slowly it starts to affect most sides in the league.

Spurs, city and liverpool all use same tactics with little variety and are quite successful with it in many games in the league and get beaten quite easily as soon as they come up against a decent side in europe.