maqroll Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I'm struggling to understand how Manchester City have let in so many goals this season, and how Vincent Kompany in particular looks a TOTALLY different player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudevillaisnice Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 **** awesome performance by Dortmund tonight. Pressed, harassed, and really wanted to win the game. Real were poor, but Dortmund absolutely deserved the three points. I'm delighted - top of the group at the half way stage is better than I hoped for. Heja BVB! Was a good game and they were the better team, Madrid's poor record in Germany continues. The Bernabeu will be a different game though no doubt about it. Also City should be beating Ajax with Aguero etc all starting.. it's down to mancini's tactic this defeat. Ajax is the easiest game in the group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I'm struggling to understand how Manchester City have let in so many goals this season, and how Vincent Kompany in particular looks a TOTALLY different player Yes it is quite bizarre. Kompany was the best defender in the league last season. What has changed to make him so poor this time round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Well it looks to me like the Ci£y players have lost a lot of desire and hunger. Must be difficult keeping it up when you've made more than enough £££ for life and have already won the PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Mancini has been undermined by Balotelli and particularly Tevez. Should have got rid and signed RVP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Gareth Barry looked so old and slow, I'm guessing we won't be seeing much more of him playing in a light blue shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Shamelessly nicked from another forum, the Ajax starting XI tonight: Vermeer - youth product Van Rhijn - youth product Alderweireld - youth product Moisander - 2.5m Blind - youth product Eriksen - youth product Poulsen - free Schone - free Sana - 250k De Jong - youth product Babel - free (originally a youth product) I haven't checked the accuracy of these figures. It would be nice if Ajax progressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 A team full of youngsters basically bossed a Man City side full of superstars...hopefully Paul Lambert was watching that match and taking notes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Mancini has been undermined by Balotelli and particularly Tevez. Should have got rid and signed RVP. Micah Richards questioned the 3 at the back when prompted saying the players preferred 442 I sense the knives are out for RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Shamelessly nicked from another forum, the Ajax starting XI tonight: Vermeer - youth product Van Rhijn - youth product Alderweireld - youth product Moisander - 2.5m Blind - youth product Eriksen - youth product Poulsen - free Schone - free Sana - 250k De Jong - youth product Babel - free (originally a youth product) I haven't checked the accuracy of these figures. It would be nice if Ajax progressed. I think it was last season that Ajax had the highest percentage of players brought up through the academy system in the Champions League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 A team full of youngsters basically bossed a Man City side full of superstars...hopefully Paul Lambert was watching that match and taking notes... Or perhaps the Ajax manager was taking notes at our league cup clash? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 25, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2012 Or perhaps the Ajax manager was taking notes at our league cup clash? Was about to say this myself. Lambert doesn't have to take any notes, he's been there and done that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Nigel De Jong is what is missing for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 On the other hand, any club board who sacks their manager for failing to win the Champions League is moronic frankly. Lord Ferg would have been sacked long ago if the Man U board had taken that attitude and Mourinho got the boot at Chelsea for failing in Europe which set the club back years, not to mention Arsenal's faith in Wenger despite him never winning that cup. It is a comp that requires a lot of luck to win, you shouldn't sack a manager for not succeeding in it. I dont think it is as black and white as you make it sound. It's not that Mancini isn't winning it, it's that he is woefully under performing in it. It took Chelsea ten years to finally win the thing despite Man City levels of investment in transfer fees and wages, but even in the years they failed to lift the trophy they looked like contenders. Wenger regularly reaches the latter stages of the competition, he has reached semi finals and a final. Has Mancini ever looked like a contender in any of his Champions League campaigns? This season is his sixth (or seventh?) crack at the competition, and I think a 5-0 aggregate defeat to AC Milan in the quarter finals is his best performance to date. At what point do you decide to look elsewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Mancini has never been good in the Champions League. What he needs to do is go back to using a 4-2-3-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 The youth system in Holland is much better than the one in England is though, and has been for ages. Ajax can of course pick from the top shelf, just like Barcelona can around the world because of their setup. Lambert wants the same approach and that is admirable, but one has to remember that Holland is a much better footballing nation than England and their talent setup and academies are world class. However, I would not mind if Lambert started to fetch top youth from the Dutch teams, and they are usually very cheap too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I've been through what Mancini is going through. Once in football manager I had a game with Barca, and I just bought too many brilliant players (I justified it as competition for places, but I just didn't want Madrid getting them), but before long (aside from a few standout players) the difficulty in picking an 11 became too much, and I tried to play new systems in order to cram them all the better players in, most of which were in midfield. Once I went completely insane and played 2-6-2 for a few games. I didn't know what to do, it was such a strong squad and we won everything, but it became too much and I jumped ship, went to Villa and the squad was so thin and weak - oh the joy on my face! Back to a simple 4-4-2 and no squad rotation. It was good to be home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Mancini was awful at Inter in Europe with his pass to Zlatan tactic was found out, only won Serie A as Juve and MIlan were in chaos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted October 25, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 25, 2012 I'm struggling to understand how Manchester City have let in so many goals this season, and how Vincent Kompany in particular looks a TOTALLY different player I'm too busy laughing to give it any serious thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted October 25, 2012 Moderator Share Posted October 25, 2012 Mancini reckons Citeh need a miracle. Is miracle Italian for better manager? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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