Match Day Man City v Burnley, Monday 2nd January 15:00

[SALTIRE]

Match chat.

 

[TubularBells]

They don't like playing us at the Etihad. Drew 2-2 there the last season we played there and they are not a settled side.
Quite fancy us to get something there tomorrow.

 

[Dirk]

They don't like playing us at the Etihad. Drew 2-2 there the last season we played there and they are not a settled side.
Quite fancy us to get something there tomorrow.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for the Clarets, Tubular. Because every loss of points of Guardiolas Team(s) brings joy to my heart . Would be so great to see him winning nothing in his first PL season.

But I think they don't give anything away after losing 1-0 at Anfield they must win and especially Aguero, who hadn't had a single action in the penalty are for the whole match, will be "hot".

 

[TubularBells]

Undoubtedly it will be a tough ask Dirk. But we are finally starting to play well away. We were unfortunate at West Ham and gave Spurs a scare at WHL. Up until then we were awful away. This along with the fact we do tend to be a bit of a bogey side to them at their home ground. Gives me a bit of hope. If this fixture had come up a month or so ago I'd have dreaded the final score as it could have been another 4/5-0 but we seem to have found a system now that stems opposition attacks while still offering a threat of our own.
At this moment I'd settle for a draw.

Slightly off subject. According to Swedish press, this is second hand news via a Burnley forum. Burnley have apparently joined the race to sign Nabil Bahoui from you. Never even heard of him to be honest. Any truth in it? Or is he even any good?

 

[Dirk]

Slightly off subject. According to Swedish press, this is second hand news via a Burnley forum. Burnley have apparently joined the race to sign Nabil Bahoui from you. Never even heard of him to be honest. Any truth in it? Or is he even any good?

No wonder. He rarely plays for the HSV. 7 matches since he joined in February 2016, only 1 match in this season so I can't tell you anything positive about this guy
I haven't yet heard anything about a transfer but it wouldn't surprise me when he wants to leave.

 

[TubularBells]

No wonder. He rarely plays for the HSV. 7 matches since he joined in February 2016, only 1 match in this season so I can't tell you anything positive about this guy
I haven't yet heard anything about a transfer but it wouldn't surprise me when he wants to leave.

Thanks. Watched a YouTube video of him and can't say I'm impressed. Doesn't seem to like to take a man on very often.

 

[silkyman]

Either 5-0 or 0-1.

 

[smat]

Fernandinho sent off AGAIN.

 

[TubularBells]

Fernandinho sent off AGAIN.

Can't argue really, two feet scissor tackle. I think Ben Mee has forgot he no longer plays for City. He keeps passing to them

 

[TubularBells]

I don't understand our manager. City have quality players and can punish a team in an instant so to sit back and allow them to come on to us just asked for trouble. Got what we deserved. Nothing. Baffling substitutions again. Couldn't do anything about Aguero's winner. Stunning finish. Sagna will probably get retrospective punishment for what he did to Boyd. Disappointed as we played better against 11 than 10.

 

[Art Morte]

Who else saw Pep's post-match interview? The guy's either high on cocaine or it's just not all there for him.

 

[TubularBells]

Yeah I watched it. Methinks he thought he just had to turn up and his Man City side would walk the league. He is obviously not used to a league where any team can beat any other. He is obviously not happy teams don't just roll over and let his side win or referee's have the audacity to correctly book or send off his players. How very dare they?!

 

[Dirk]

Who else saw Pep's post-match interview? The guy's either high on cocaine or it's just not all there for him.

Nah, I don't watch pre or post match interviews with Pep Guardiola anymore. Since his first year at Bayern these are a waste of time for me. Blah, blah most of the time (and I don't mean his German)

TubularBells: I'm sorry that I was right here (even with Aguero, although I don't know if he was "hot" as predicted because I watched the Liverpool match at the same time, but in the end he made the 2-0)

 

[TubularBells]

TubularBells: I'm sorry that I was right here (even with Aguero, although I don't know if he was "hot" as predicted because I watched the Liverpool match at the same time, but in the end he made the 2-0)

Indeed Dirk. Aguero got the second. Arguably, in the build up the referee could have blown for simulation by Sterling who clearly dived. But that would be nit-picking as we just fell asleep for about ten minutes. Can't take anything away from Aguero. The finish was sublime.

 

[Boz]

What did Sagna do to Boyd?

 

[TubularBells]

What did Sagna do to Boyd?

In the aftermath of the Burnley goal. Sagna appeared to strike Boyd with his hands. Which is, by the letter of the law a red card. Not picked up by the referee or the assistant but certainly picked up by the camera's, eventually. In all the hullabaloo of what surrounded the incident where Gray had 'fouled' Bravo, which incidentally came after we had scored.

 

[silkyman]

I don't understand our manager. City have quality players and can punish a team in an instant so to sit back and allow them to come on to us just asked for trouble. Got what we deserved. Nothing. Baffling substitutions again. Couldn't do anything about Aguero's winner. Stunning finish. Sagna will probably get retrospective punishment for what he did to Boyd. Disappointed as we played better against 11 than 10.

That's how you beat City though. Sit back and frustrate and frustrate and wait for the inevitable fuck-up at the other end to get a goal. If you get it right, you manage to stop City getting anything/grab a draw. You got the fuck-up, but City managed to get two goals beforehand. Can't always rely on fullbacks drilling in from there, and strikers threading the needle though.

Didn't see what Sagna did properly, but he'll get punished for it. I hope City are in for a fullback or two in the window. Stupid fucking red-card too.

 

[silkyman]

Indeed Dirk. Aguero got the second. Arguably, in the build up the referee could have blown for simulation by Sterling who clearly dived. But that would be nit-picking as we just fell asleep for about ten minutes. Can't take anything away from Aguero. The finish was sublime.

I think he just tripped.

 

[silkyman]

Who else saw Pep's post-match interview? The guy's either high on cocaine or it's just not all there for him.

Or just sick of the pointless asinine shit he gets asked every time? I wouldn't give the football media the steam off my piss, to be brutally honest.

 

[AnimoEtFide]

First time Pep's really had to deal with pressure week-in week-out instead of a few six-pointer league games each season and CL games. Perhaps he's not cut out for it?

 

[Benji]

Yeah I watched it. Methinks he thought he just had to turn up and his Man City side would walk the league. He is obviously not used to a league where any team can beat any other. He is obviously not happy teams don't just roll over and let his side win or referee's have the audacity to correctly book or send off his players. How very dare they?!

Do people actually believe this? This notion that he thinks he's a self righteous enemy of English football has been entirely projected onto him as part of an agenda.

There is no evidence to suggest Pep thought he would win the league with ease. He's just a manager with some new ideas who has been very successful in his early career. For some reason, a bit of innovation has got up the noses of some journalists. And as a result, every question he gets posed has a subtext which attempts to subvert or embarrass him for views and ideas that he doesn't even have. It's no wonder he's a bit pissed off.

 

[Nilsson]

Do people actually believe this? This notion that he thinks he's a self righteous enemy of English football has been entirely projected onto him as part of an agenda.

There is no evidence to suggest Pep thought he would win the league with ease. He's just a manager with some new ideas who has been very successful in his early career. For some reason, a bit of innovation has got up the noses of some journalists. And as a result, every question he gets posed has a subtext which attempts to subvert or embarrass him for views and ideas that he doesn't even have. It's no wonder he's a bit pissed off.

 

[TubularBells]

That's how you beat City though. Sit back and frustrate and frustrate and wait for the inevitable fuck-up at the other end to get a goal. If you get it right, you manage to stop City getting anything/grab a draw. You got the fuck-up, but City managed to get two goals beforehand. Can't always rely on fullbacks drilling in from there, and strikers threading the needle though.

I take your point to a degree, but we do have a tendency, not just yesterday; to find ourselves falling deeper and deeper in games, usually when we are 2-0 up. In yesterday's case it was City being down to 10 men. We seem to have this psychological trigger that suggests we'll be ok, we are 2-0 up, or we have an extra man. I see it often with us. An inability to kill a team off or protect a lead.
It is annoying and a part of our game we need to iron out. We just totally lost our shape and sat far too deeply for a good ten minutes.
We went into a similar comfort zone against Sunderland at the weekend. 4-0 up and cruising. We did our usual and decided to stick with what we got. Made for a nerve wracking final 15 minutes or so as anyone knows Burnley, knows we can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[TubularBells]

Do people actually believe this? This notion that he thinks he's a self righteous enemy of English football has been entirely projected onto him as part of an agenda.

There is no evidence to suggest Pep thought he would win the league with ease. He's just a manager with some new ideas who has been very successful in his early career. For some reason, a bit of innovation has got up the noses of some journalists. And as a result, every question he gets posed has a subtext which attempts to subvert or embarrass him for views and ideas that he doesn't even have. It's no wonder he's a bit pissed off.

Not suggesting anything of the sort. The media has indeed bigged him up into some sort of Demi-God before he even started, Pep himself has suggested it will take time and this league is tougher than he thought.
Maybe the media have whipped this up more than it needed to be. He has been successful at two clubs, but let's face it, barring a few clubs in either of those leagues. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion Barca or Bayern would be around the top two every season. Here, there's the usual 'top five' plus a number of others in with a chance and no game is easy. This will be a bit if a shock to a manager used to winning everything.

 

[PDS]

Do people actually believe this? This notion that he thinks he's a self righteous enemy of English football has been entirely projected onto him as part of an agenda.

There is no evidence to suggest Pep thought he would win the league with ease. He's just a manager with some new ideas who has been very successful in his early career. For some reason, a bit of innovation has got up the noses of some journalists. And as a result, every question he gets posed has a subtext which attempts to subvert or embarrass him for views and ideas that he doesn't even have. It's no wonder he's a bit pissed off.

It's part of a wider 'build 'em up and knock 'em down' culture. We loved to hype individuals and talents up, but we love it even more when they come up short.
I thought Pep was an utter dick in his interview (He was similar at times at Bayern), but since day 1 people have been trying to catch him out 'underestimating' the Premier League.

 

[smat]

Best way of shutting people up? Winning games.

Thanks for reading.

 

[AnimoEtFide]

Do people actually believe this? This notion that he thinks he's a self righteous enemy of English football has been entirely projected onto him as part of an agenda.

There is no evidence to suggest Pep thought he would win the league with ease. He's just a manager with some new ideas who has been very successful in his early career. For some reason, a bit of innovation has got up the noses of some journalists. And as a result, every question he gets posed has a subtext which attempts to subvert or embarrass him for views and ideas that he doesn't even have. It's no wonder he's a bit pissed off.

Guardiola will get shit the same way every manager of an expensively assembled side will get shit when they go through a difficult patch. The idea he gets picked out because he is some 'innovator' challenging the traditions of English football is nonsense. Pundits and journalists will go for anyone irrespective of whether they are regarded as conservative or progressive coz they need something to talk about. Mourinho got it earlier in the season. Even Klopp got it when Liverpool went a bit stale last season. Wenger gets it during the annual Arsenal collapse every season.

Out of interest, what is this radical new approach that Guardiola is bringing to the Premier League? I've seen a few City games this year and all I've seen is a lot of passing it around the back until someone either loses it or just lumps it up like any other side does. Apart from that it doesn't look a lot different from the Pellegrini days. You lads on here seem to be a lot cleverer than me at this tactics stuff so maybe someone could explain it to me coz I don't get it?

 

[GodsGift]

Pep will obviously get it right eventually but he really needs to cut it out with his sneering attitude towards the Premier League. He does need to adapt though.

Oh, and stop fucking playing Kolarov at centre back too.

 

[Dirk]

Out of interest, what is this radical new approach that Guardiola is bringing to the Premier League? I've seen a few City games this year and all I've seen is a lot of passing it around the back until someone either loses it or just lumps it up like any other side does. Apart from that it doesn't look a lot different from the Pellegrini days. You lads on here seem to be a lot cleverer than me at this tactics stuff so maybe someone could explain it to me coz I don't get it?

Can't say what is so innovative because I don't watch enough ManCity Matches. Have seen his style for 3 years at Bayern, suddenly they became "tiki taka" like Barcelona. That wasn't innovative at all, sometimes interesting sometimes boring and sometimes utterly laughable (for example against Arsenal in London where they had approx. 66% ball possesion but lost 2-0 due to failings to score the "simple" goal (they reversed that in the 2nd leg impressively because they had to).

 

[Stevencc]

More conspiracies against City, it seems.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38498059

Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has been asked by the Football Association to explain the "10 against 12" Instagram post he made after his side's 2-1 win over Burnley on Monday.

City were reduced to 10 men in the 32nd minute when referee Lee Mason sent off midfielder Fernandinho.

Sagna has deleted the post in question, but the FA has contacted the full-back to ask for his observations.

The Frenchman has until 17:00 GMT on Friday to respond.