[Surrey Blue]

Hope you’re right on the remaining Silva, but he seems to be on pause and has a way to go before he contributes in the same way as David. Speaking of which,I also could never understand the stuff about Foden taking on the D Silva role, certainly in the near term.

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[Surrey Blue]

Brian, saying it’s like ‘old City’ was my attempt at irony. I clearly remember what it used to be like and comparisons are to no avail. The likelihood is that matters will improve short term as players return. Nevertheless, it appears that all has not gone well in the succession planning game with Kompany, David Silva and Aguero the prime examples.
cityboy54 – call me old fashioned but I think the absence of goals comes from the absence of a striker. I think that’s at least as big a problem as weakness at left back. As mentioned above, I know it’s difficult to realise plans in most businesses, but I occasionally wonder if all parts are not quite gelling as they might just now at City. Perhaps that’s to be expected as it deals with demanding expectations.

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[Surrey Blue]

Win,draw,lose – it’s a bit like the old City although draws were fairly rare against Leeds. Leeds played well, City need a striker – that’s about it.

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[Surrey Blue]

Sean – it’s precisely because of the virus that so much is being made of it. In other walks of life, it would have been gross misconduct and they’d have been sacked. I guess no such sanction operates within the dubious morality associated with Premier League football.

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[Surrey Blue]

We’ve had many football ‘documentaries’ over the years and in my opinion, if the first three episodes of the latest effort (on Spurs) is anything to go by, it’s going to be very much like the others – it’s a bit better than watching paint dry but only just. We learnt, for instance, that Jose doesn’t like to lose but likes to win, Son was really cheesed off after being sent off and Toby Alderweireld was chuffed to bits on extending his contract until 2023 for an extremely large amount of money. Perhaps it’s because footballers/managers are (in essence) no more or less interesting than anybody else that can lead to disappointment. After all, despite the ludicrous levels of hype surrounding the game, about 90% of time spent watching a ‘top level’ football match – with the occasional exception – is fairly tedious, so why should a film about a football club be any better? Not even watching Take the Ball Pass the Ball (about FCB) shortly after the latest episode of the Spurs series could raise the mood, so I’m obviously missing something when it comes to this type of film. I’d recommend watching Mortimer and Whitehouse on fishing instead, at least it has a few laughs…

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[Surrey Blue]

I’d like to suggest that the probability of Pep and Messi not being at City from season 2021/2 is massively greater than Pep extending his stay and Messi signing in calendar 2021.

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[Surrey Blue]

If the opportunity to sign Messi does appear next season, Pep will by then be on his way from City which presumably won’t be in the queue for his signature. Maybe that’s when the serious team rebuilding starts.

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[Surrey Blue]

Going briefly back to City/Messi, we can only hope that this is some sort of Messi/Barca psychodrama which will burn itself our shortly. City doesn’t need short term fixes like this. Its weaknesses are manifest and don’t involve not signing Messi.

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[Surrey Blue]

Hightown – I’m thinking along your lines. Sorry to hark on about it, but City has (sort of) been here before with the eminently forgettable Rodney Marsh Show and it concerns me that this isn’t the way to get the team going again after the relative struggle of last season.
All in all, a bit strange as I really can’t see Messi as the catalyst for progress – if it happens.

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[Surrey Blue]

Yes, I think it’s right to be sceptical about this happening and also about the potential effect. Faint shades of Rodney Marsh joining City in 1972 ( yes I know RM isn’t a fair comparison to Messi in terms of potential impact and ability) and City is undoubtedly a much more competent outfit now. But not entirely sure that Messi joining for a relatively short spell would be a game changer for the Club.

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[Surrey Blue]

There are stories that Messi ( or maybe it’s Nessi) wants to come to City and that the Club is working up a proposal. Putting aside the voracity of this stuff, would that be a good idea from a footballing point of view or is it a stunt that sells more shirts in the short term? Or maybe it’s too daft an idea that should be dismissed out of hand.

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[Surrey Blue]

And to think, if City had a manager capable of playing the right players in the right positions to get the right result, it might have been in the Final tonight – whoops, sorry, wrong thread…….

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[Surrey Blue]

I know I’m being hypocritical, but I think it’s more than a little depressing giving this subject publicity.

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[Surrey Blue]

Brian, there are those who might suggest that YT’s cheese fell off his cracker a while ago. I couldn’t possibly comment.

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[Surrey Blue]

Brian – I also didn’t expect City to win this season, and I suspect that the Club is still quite a distance from it. It’s just a few years into being a potential contender and getting the right parts in place remains a work in process.

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[Surrey Blue]

3×9 – of course there are elements of tactics/team selection involved in a poor result but, despite the perceived failings of Pep, I still contend that City had enough on the pitch to beat Lyon but was beaten by the footballing Gods.
Re the semi, we’re talking City now, and I would not have been at all surprised to see City win whatever the intensity of heat in hot favourite Bayern. Pointless speculation though so please don’t tell me how wrong I am!

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[Surrey Blue]

Re City v Lyon, what I’m trying to say is that City, having had its usual high level of possession (and just about every other metric – number of shots, etc), still didn’t convert enough chances (was Sterling’s miss a tactical issue?) and made stupid defensive mistakes (was Ederson’s cock up a tactical error?). I’d therefore respectfully suggest that that the loss wasn’t primarily down to tactics. The various teams that Guardiola has been sending out have been missing chances and also playing (relatively) poorly in defense in a number of games all season. I don’t understand why that’s primarily down to tactics, who played, who didn’t, etc – that’s all I’m trying to say. City probably had more than enough to take that match whatever the shape of the team. It didn’t because stuff happens – all opponents can make and take chances to win, and Lyon did. No conspiracy!

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[Surrey Blue]

Statues? I’d turn ALL of the 1968 league winning squad into brass and distribute them around the edge of the stadium roof, such was their positive impact on yours truly – and many others!! And then there’s Bert Trautmann, Bobby Johnstone, Roy Clarke……

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[Surrey Blue]

PS Briefly, I see Negelsmann of RB Liepzig is quoted as saying that PGs tactics were not behind City’s defeat to Lyon. Clearly just another opinion, but maybe there is something in the assertion that other factors might have had a hand in City losing the game….

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[Surrey Blue]

3×9 – I was mentioning in more general terms about the criticism of City in particular, not on here. Yes City probably did get it wrong and were favourites against Lyon, but it remains the case that upsets are what Cup ties are about and that’s just the way it is. I’ve been of the view that it will take quite a while for City to get into real contention for the European Cup and clearly there is more time needed – maybe United will get there before its near neighbours!

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