I'm not being funny and certainly not getting carried away BUT its ok talking about our summer spending spree and winning the first 4 games but not in the same breath surely.
Only one of our summer signings has played in any role in those first 4 games and he's done very well but the other 10 players are all established first team players. Surely that's were the credit should be given. They are hurting from last season and it shows.

I think domestically, you are nailed on winners. However, your manager has shown a lack of intelligence in Europe year after year. This year, you've avoided the big teams so your passage to the next round is guaranteed but you will fail as soon as you face a half decent European team.

As opposed to those teams in our group that aren't decent or European?! If you have a point it's lost on me.

Lee, perhaps City's summer signings, which for once have not been a secret to anyone, have served as a kick up the aris salonika for those who've realised they're competing for their place once more x

Bleacher Report and Noel Gallagher...give City the big cup now.

comment by xiuxiuejar (U6109)
posted 9 minutes ago
I think domestically, you are nailed on winners. However, your manager has shown a lack of intelligence in Europe year after year. This year, you've avoided the big teams so your passage to the next round is guaranteed but you will fail as soon as you face a half decent European team.
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I take it you are talking about on the evidence of last seasons CL exploits?

Beating Roma and Bayern in their own back yards.

Facing a Barcelona team that most were saying "are the best team in years" and getting beat over two legs - to the eventual CL Champions.

Guess that's enough evidence to claim we'll get through the group and then be beaten by whoever we face next.

Interesting that Juve apparently aren't a counted as a big team. Also the nailed on winners thing is carp. A few weeks ago 'pundits' were saying we wouldn't even make top four. Dunno wtf went wrong in some games last year, but I think it's sorted.

I think the key will be keeping the full backs 100% focussed and being able to have that 'defend first' attitude. We were desperately exposed in the full back areas in the CL last season.

However, so far, they both look to be much more solid, which massively assists the 2 CB's being able to cover their own areas and opposition players, rather than being forced out of position to cover the full back.

I don't think your full backs were the only problem. Pellegrini prefers playing with two forwards and that means that the midfield has to work really very hard to cover the spaces. When your midfield four contain SIlva and Navas - who don't defend and Yaya who does not always come back, you leave yourself open to attacking teams or teams with mobile forwards. Then of course, add to the mix the disappearing full backs and it's a recipe for disaster. Maybe the best business you did this season was selling Dzeko which means there will be less attraction to play 4-4-2.

Navas does defend. Silva gets back.

We played with one striker against Roma and Bayern.

We won the PL playing with a 4-4-2.

I get your point to a degree, but I think the fact that many players have had a proper rest for once has helped.

As mentioned, the team is pretty much the same as last season, with the addition of Sterling. Sterling has seriously made our team more balanced and allowed Silva to play in behind Aguero - which is his best position, rather than playing wide.

I'm got getting carried away lets calm down!

Anything could happen between now and may.

Let's not get all Liverpool

comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 11 minutes ago
I'm got getting carried away lets calm down!

Anything could happen between now and may.

Let's not get all Liverpool
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Neither am I LQ.

Kiss of death from the monobrowed one?

TBF. Whenever I've listened to him, he's generally been spot on with what he says.

"But if we don’t win that group with that squad of players then there’s something fundamentally wrong."

I tend agree. There can be no excuses this season in the CL with this group of players.

Once it gets too the knockout stage then that's where upsets happen but what constitutes an upset. If we top the group and RM or Barca or BM only manage second we could easily draw one of them. Would losing to and of these 3 clubs be seen as a shoe in? No, its the manner in which we play these games that count which hopefully we can give any team a run for there money but if we did lose in the knockout stage against one of the top 4 or 5 teams in Europe then that's the way it goes.

You certainly won't get Bayern if you win your group Lee

We should be concentrating on beating Palace ratber than worrying about the CL.

and Pardew's comments should be part of the team talk Boris

comment by Boris 'Inky' Gibson (U5901)
posted 1 hour, 8 minutes ago
We should be concentrating on beating Palace ratber than worrying about the CL.

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Do you mean us, the fans Boris?

The players are away on International duty, so I guess they are concentrating on winning their International matches, but I get your sentiment.

I find it odd that were in the best shape for the UCL ever. Have our key players all gotten younger over the summer or something?

Just rested, bollocked and embarrassed from lasts seasons performances.

Toughest group, yet again out of the PL clubs so why are people expecting us to walk it?

The others can field B squads for half their games so they can
concentrate on making up ground in the Prem.

grated - I hated that average age squad statistic, grr it was soo flawed!
I can't believe Chelsea fans, of all people, were quoting it; not noticing that, despite having a young squad age, they had key players whom were past their prime, and young players who weren't good enough to replace them.
But now here we are with Terry and Ivanovich on the slide and no one good enough to replace them x

'City are stronger and better-equipped to challenge Europe's top team than ever before claim the Bleacher Report'

'Bleacher Report'