Match Thread Everton Vs Manchester City - Capital One Cup - Semi Final 1st Leg - Wednesday 6th January - 20:00 KO

[allezlesbleus]

Away goals only count after 90 mins at the Etihad....but I'm confident we will score anyway.

Yep. 1-0 after extra time and we are out? that is probably an unlikely outcome. I think there will be goals!!

 

[banno]

City fans can moan all they like but their goalie's view was clearly not obstructed by Lukaku. He saw the ball, dived to where it was going
and stopped it. Didn't hold it, but he saw it, end of.

and a very good save it was. The force of the shot would have mean't a certain goal if his view was obstructed. Clutching at straws are Man City.

 

[Manc]

I love the way you have adopted the United idea of singing a song for every single player.

Shows you have upped you game and got to the big time.

It really frustrates me that. We have this problem at City where someone starts a song off, then the tempo of the song is increased until it's almost like a race to finish the song, then, without time for a breather it's onto the next song and repeat. Added to that we have some really, really [Poor language removed] songs now. Joe Hart, I would argue is our second most iconic goalkeeper in our history (after Bert Trautmann who broke his neck - and carried on playing, in an FA cup final that we went on to win!) our song for him is to the tune of Achy Breaky heart. Awful.

 

[Manc]

Decent post that mate. I always had a soft spot for City and I think your last paragraph is definitely spot on, two working class cities who love football and music. There's no doubt I'm resentful and in honesty jealous that you got the takeover with money, it is only normal. However I'd have felt the same way towards anyone else and of all the teams that could have got it I can think of few who probably deserved it more than City for what you've had to deal with over the years.

Anyway to the game. In August you were absolutely flying, Toure was really up for it and Kompany is the main man for you guys. I get the feeling there's a soft underbelly to City after that. We were able to press you well and currently Lukaku is in better form than Ageuro and as we got him into the game you struggled. Mangala played him brilliantly in August (better than anyone in the last 12 months) but I suppose I have to disagree with your assessment, I thought he really struggled last night.

As for the refs decisions, too much has been made of them for me. Anyone would think you were the side who had 2 disallowed goals! While both were offside they were both only a yard or so. As for the first goal, Mori is stood about 4 yards onside mate. Lukaku is maybe a foot offside, it's close but either way in the current rule book he's not interfering so the right decision was made. As regards the penalty, what I can say is it was definitely not stone wall. There is minimal contact. A touch and go one, given the two disallowed goals I think we were probably due one to go in our favour. I'd have been annoyed had it been given but could see why it would have been. Real time though, it didn't look a pen.

I think you were hard done to though in terms of the 50/50 decisions. Osman just booted Sagna and should have been booked. Coleman pushed over one of your players and no free kick was given and Besic was lucky to escape without a booking.

I don't think the ref was the cause of your problems last night though. If you got the pen you'd have got to 1-1 you equalised later anyway and showed your soft underbelly and conceded. I imagine that's how it would have gone irrespective.

As for us, you don't need to tell us about rubbish stats mate! We have regularly won the possession game and lost the game. I thought we all played well tonight. In every area we matched for my money the best team in the country so well chuffed with that.

There's little doubt you guys could give us a hammering in January, especially if Kompany is back. You are very strong at home and have an 11 filled with great players offensively. I think it's in the balance though. We lost 2-1 at Arsenal earlier on and have not conceded many goals away this season. We seem to go back to basics and keep our shape better. We also have the ability (if Kompany isn't fit) to score at City possibly more than once.

I wouldn't like to be a betting man on it. A lot will depend on what City turns up. Sterling, Toure etc are all hot and cold and from what you say De Bruyne is inconsistent too. Silva hasn't hit his best yet. I still think you have to get all your players working to their optimum like you were back in August.

Good post that. Fair assessment of the game.

I don't disagree about the refereeing either, other than thinking it was a penalty (Sky blue tinted glasses...). My point was that I'd like to see our players put pressure on them which, naturally will make them more likely to give us decisions. Not very sporting, but if it gives us that extra bit of 'luck' then it's worth it IMO.

In regards to the next leg, there's still a lot of time for our better players to get injured. You're dead right about Kompany being the main man, when he plays, we don't concede! But he'll still be out until the start of Feb I reckon. The league game is going to be really interesting next week.

Good luck!

 

[ijjysmith]

If Lukaku was such a hindrance to Caballero how did he still save it?

Good goal for me.

 

[Yorkie]

Love watching your games this season yous don't do dull 0-0, 1-0's do yous

Come on you neutral pleasing blues!

 

[maccavennie]

Good post that. Fair assessment of the game.

I don't disagree about the refereeing either, other than thinking it was a penalty (Sky blue tinted glasses...). My point was that I'd like to see our players put pressure on them which, naturally will make them more likely to give us decisions. Not very sporting, but if it gives us that extra bit of 'luck' then it's worth it IMO.

In regards to the next leg, there's still a lot of time for our better players to get injured. You're dead right about Kompany being the main man, when he plays, we don't concede! But he'll still be out until the start of Feb I reckon. The league game is going to be really interesting next week.

Good luck!

We say that about our players all the time regarding being too nice. Sometimes you've got to get in the refs ear just to get a free kick these days.

I think you mentioned Toure before the match about him being non existent until around the 80 minute mark. I was shocked he was kept on for that amount of time and felt that's where we had the advantage as it's literally like you are carrying a player for such long periods of the game when he's in there.

He can still finish and was a quality player but I'm sure there must be a lot of City fans out there thinking that someone a bit more mobile and with more energy than a dying dog is required in that position. Or is it a case of he's important to how you play that the tracking back or closing down isn't really expected of him anymore?

 

[Stanley Parker]

City have the benefit of a large first team squad, and can afford to rest or replace Toure.

Roberto has a much more difficult task in picking his teams over the next month, and injuries make his job more difficult still. Lukaku, Barry and Barkley are all playing well, but cannot keep up this pace indefinitely.

In my view, he should rotate the squad, giving regular first teamers a much-needed rest. But I would like to see our strongest, fittest eleven facing City in the second leg.

 

[catcherintherye]

Good post that. Fair assessment of the game.

I don't disagree about the refereeing either, other than thinking it was a penalty (Sky blue tinted glasses...). My point was that I'd like to see our players put pressure on them which, naturally will make them more likely to give us decisions. Not very sporting, but if it gives us that extra bit of 'luck' then it's worth it IMO.

In regards to the next leg, there's still a lot of time for our better players to get injured. You're dead right about Kompany being the main man, when he plays, we don't concede! But he'll still be out until the start of Feb I reckon. The league game is going to be really interesting next week.

Good luck!

Yea I think we'd all like to see our sides doing it, it's a common moan of our fans. I do wonder if at times it's counter productive.

I have been as big a moaner as anyone about refs decisions. If you take our game against Stoke, at 3-3 we have a decent shout for a penalty turned down and one that wasn't a penalty given against us. In many ways it's the refs fault. However we were 3-2 ahead in the game, sometimes you have to blame yourselves.

Likewise it was certainly a decision that could have been given, but I think the question that has to be asked for City is, why when you got level did you give away such a soft goal 2 minutes later? If you want to be where you want to be (and really I'd say where you should be) that is the more prescient question.

Yes I don't think I've seen such a transformation with 1 player really. What do you make of Ottamendi? I'd be concerned of Kompany was back fit. I am well aware though City if they click will knock us out.

If they have a bit of an off day though, and Kompany doesn't play then we are dangerous on the break.

 

[Manc]

We say that about our players all the time regarding being too nice. Sometimes you've got to get in the refs ear just to get a free kick these days.

I think you mentioned Toure before the match about him being non existent until around the 80 minute mark. I was shocked he was kept on for that amount of time and felt that's where we had the advantage as it's literally like you are carrying a player for such long periods of the game when he's in there.

He can still finish and was a quality player but I'm sure there must be a lot of City fans out there thinking that someone a bit more mobile and with more energy than a dying dog is required in that position. Or is it a case of he's important to how you play that the tracking back or closing down isn't really expected of him anymore?

It's a weird one with Toure. For the past 5 years he's been instrumental to our game plans, he's the calm head who picks the ball up off the defense and dictates the pace of the game, he's experienced and knows when the slow down and when to speed up, when we're in possession he's undoubtedly the most comfortable player on the pitch, you'll rarely see him loose possession, but he's getting old. When we won the league in 2014 he scored 20 goals in 35 appearances, I'm sure you'll agree that's a world class statistic for a defensive midfielder, I'd argue he had the most influential role of ANY player since the inception of the Premier League, he was on fire. There were three games in particular that season, Crystal Palace away (the later game after the Gerrard slip) where he was a class above everyone else and scored a screamer for the opener. Aston Villa, the mid week game after we played you, we struggled to break them down and Sunderland in the League Cup final when he scored our equaliser which I'd argue is one of the best goals I've seen. Looking back historically he's had a key role in so many big games (only goal scorer when we beat united at wembley and stoke in the FA cup final, 2 at Newcastle away in the League the first time we won it etc) and I'm starting to think he get's in the squad just in case he can produce something like that again.

That's all when we have the ball.

When we've lost possession he is awful now. He struggles to track runs and is forever getting caught out of position. He's obviously told by Pellegrini to reserve his energy for 'key attacking moments'. He's looks disinterested if things aren't going his way and I'm sure you've all heard stories of 'cakegate' and other times when he feels 'unloved' shortly followed by rumors of transfer requests. I think culturally, African footballers behave in a manner most English football fans would find 'annoying', it's the complete opposite of someone like Lampard who's a battler, who keeps working hard and never acts as thought he's comfortable or established at a club.

I'd have loved us to buy Pogba (wouldn't we all) in the summer. It would have given us a long term replacement for Toure. Pogba could have learnt from arguably the best player in that position, win/win. But now I feel Toure's impact will decline and we'll have to replace him with the likes of Fernandihno, who, even though he's been exceptional this season, isn't in the same league as Toure was.

People will look back at his time here Fondly, but he's past his best and we're a club that should be forever improving now, I think he'll be gone this time next year.

 

[Khalekan]

Loved the match although I fear we have let them off the hook. Did enough for a 3 goal lead but are facing elimination with a 1-0 defeat. That said that performance will have given this side a bit more experience and belief that they can mix it at the top. We can certainly do this and it was always likely we would have to score away any way. Thought they were all excellent but like many was especially pleased Besic did well. I am convinced a bit more bite in midfield and more dominance between the sticks will see a massive upturn in our season.

I am pretty sure we won't go out due to a 1-0 defeat.

If we were 1-0 diwn at the end if the ninety then we would chuck the kitchen sink at them in extra time and either break them down or they will hit us on the break to score another goal or two themselves.

 

[Manc]

Yea I think we'd all like to see our sides doing it, it's a common moan of our fans. I do wonder if at times it's counter productive.

I have been as big a moaner as anyone about refs decisions. If you take our game against Stoke, at 3-3 we have a decent shout for a penalty turned down and one that wasn't a penalty given against us. In many ways it's the refs fault. However we were 3-2 ahead in the game, sometimes you have to blame yourselves.

Likewise it was certainly a decision that could have been given, but I think the question that has to be asked for City is, why when you got level did you give away such a soft goal 2 minutes later? If you want to be where you want to be (and really I'd say where you should be) that is the more prescient question.

Yes I don't think I've seen such a transformation with 1 player really. What do you make of Ottamendi? I'd be concerned of Kompany was back fit. I am well aware though City if they click will knock us out.

If they have a bit of an off day though, and Kompany doesn't play then we are dangerous on the break.

Ottamendi's a great player to watch if you're a neutral. In possession he plays like a winger, taking people on and attempting passes that wouldn't be out of place in a Barcelona game. When they come off it's great, but it's not what I'd like to see from a Center Back. He's got a calm head, but I've not and I've nearly Sh*t myself on a couple of occasions watching him.

His timing seems to be good, in spain they apparently called him 'the otter' ([Poor language removed] knows what an otter has to do with it) because he was great at intercepting passes.

My last critique on him is he's tiny. Probably got away with it in Spain because they're all midgets, and they play better (on the floor) football, but when he comes up against a team like West Brom who'll play hoof ball, he could come undone.

 

[Billy Dean]

All this positivity following our victory. We're so getting knocked out.,

 

[toffeejack]

The City fans don't agree - reading Bluemoon they seem to have as warm feelings for him as we do for Clattenburg, who btw they think is the best ref in the league!

http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/threads/media-bias-against-city.309957/page-730

why does every club feel there is a media bias against them?

pundits etc. have to be objective and critical at some point, that doesn't mean there's a media vendetta against you - just means you played crap.

i'm not reading the page, just the URL.

 

[Bluesoulrebel]

and a very good save it was. The force of the shot would have mean't a certain goal if his view was obstructed. Clutching at straws are Man City.

Yeah pretty sad....is that the best excuse they can come up with?