Hello Boys!!

Well.....been out of this country and into lots over the past 4 months - 17 in fact!

Just watched the game online - woeful in the 2nd half.

Why he persisted with Sinclair, Balotelli and Nasri for so long is beyond me.

I think with all these players coming in - he will start to keep them happy, and fuck up the team formation. Maicon looked average in the first half...got better in the second - but better than Zab???

Sinclair better than Silva?

I'm worried he will rotate far too much to keep players happy - and on this showing.....we'll be lucky to be top 4..........early I know, but awful.

Garcia looks a good signing - but do we really need ANYBODY to play by his side?

Why he doesn't tell him to sit and tell Yaya - "if i see behind the half way line when we're in position - i lose the plot"!

Far too defensive today..............Mancini......sort it the fuck out.

Lescott - great last year.........but lokos like he needs an extra 20 seconds on the ball to think what he is going to do with it........

All of the defence were guilty of NOT playing to the whistle - Crouch clearly hand balled it - but 5 players stopped and put their hand up..........school boy stuff.

Oh well.................shit performances so far this season (awful in fact)...but can't wait for Tuesday night!

Hart

Zaba
Kompany
Garcia
Clichy

Barry

Silva
Yaya
Nasri

Aguero
Tevez

I presume Mancini was resting his best players for tuesday, and in the case of Maicon and Garcia, he had to play them today to see you they looked, in Garcia's case he might have played himself into the team for Tuesday.
We've not been at our best so far this season, post Euro and Olympic hangover IMO, still unbeaten, so can't complain too much. Very dif test Stoke and Madrid, so will be interesting how we do on tues

Agree.......but my concern is we will all get fixated on the glory of the CL games.....and all of a sudden we'll be 10 points behind Chelsea, United and Arsenal who have all strengthened to some degree - as we have, but suddenly going through this "bedding in process" again.

I don't get what Mancini did today..........Maicon and Garcia (who scored) have been training for 5 days.........why play them over Zaba and Rodwell?

Why change the whole team dynamics by leaving Silva out of the team and also playing Balotelli over Dzeko against a big team?

Tippy tappy bollocks again on the edge of the area today.

I guess we have to look at what is more important to the owner and the manager - and on today's performance - its the CL regardless of the whole bollocks Mancini spouted in the press conference.

If that is the case - fair enough......but we better get to the FINAL at least for all of the shite we saw today.

mancini said in his pre match interview that the players that didn't play this week (but trained instead) would be playing. i guess that's why we saw maicon, garcia, sinclair starting

Ah welcome back Blueboy ! I've missed your rants and raves this season. Good to have you back !
I agree piss poor selection. Why leave Dzeko out he's in good form at the moment. Mancini did this last season as well dropped Dzeko and then he was never the same again when he came back into the team !

We saw how physical Stoke are today, the way Mari to elbowed in the face, but that clown Clatenberg didn't see it, as it was Mario, he presumed it was play acting probably, 2 cases where the refs assistant should have flagged, for the handball by Crouch,mand Mario getting elbowed, you can bet if it'd been the other way round, Mario would be off, a case of reading the reputation instead of the game.
still, but for the keeper, we could have had a comfortable 3 points in the second half, Yaya is looking great again, and with Garcia settling in well, and looking a beast in the air, it should give Yaya more leave to go upfront now Barry is fit again, and Garcia seems very capable of defending and attacking...
Madrid will be a different prospect, on a bigger pitch, playing football, not the man ( well, apart from Pepe and what's the Brazilian full back called who likes a hack or 2?) Mancini will need to be at his tactical best, maybe mark Ronaldo out of the game with Yaya Garcia and Barry picking him up? With our aerial threat, we may have to get balls in the box at every dead ball and set piece, play to our strengths, will Sergio start? Or will Mario. or Dzêko? Will hugo 3 at the back and flood midfield ? We can't let Ronaldo have time on the ball that's for sure!

Yeah, welcome back Blue.

Mario. i'm sorry guys i just don't get him......complete and utter waste of space. Didn't get why Tevez came off (unless Tuesday was in RM thoughts) and Dzeko should have started.

Yaya always sits too deep and should be told to sod off further up field, but we said the same last season didn't we.

Garcia had a decent enough debut, more of the same me thinks.

Hopefully Silva's back Tuesday, think we missed that little bit of creativity he offers and surely he's got to thrive back in his homeland.

On our showings thus far this season, i have to say i'd be more than happy with a point in Madrid.

ps blue, Garcia at CB???? Can't see it mate.

All,

I think you're all maybe going a bit overboard with this. It's Stoke away, granted we maybe should be nicking these, but the way they play a point is a good result.

I'd quite happily take a point at Stoke away if we can get something at Madrid. I hear what you are saying about Dzeko though....he has 4 in 6 is it? So why start Mario instead...bit baffling but maybe Dzeko will play Madrid if Serg isn't fit.

Look at the bright side guys, no one is setting the league on fire so far....which is always the way after a summer competition (In our case, 2). Still unbeaten and I thought Garcia looked really good. Few games in and he'll be bossing it allowing Yaya to power up front.

This will never happen .but I would like Bobby to put out a 4-2-4

Hart

maicon Kompany Lescott Clichy

Silva Yaya

Tevez Dzeko Nasri Aguerro

That front 4 would keep anyone so occupied that we must stand a decent chance of a result:)

Hi ALL

Missed my rants??? Cheeky f...er!!

Shaken - Garcia can play at CB or in front of the 2 CB's. I just think Lescott has slowed our game out from the back.....and one's things for sure - Real will be going for us and committing players forward - we suddenly get the ball on the edge of the area, at Lescotts feet....and I guarantee you - by the time he has had a think what to do with it - they will have 8 players behind the ball.

Maybe I overacted a little, considering we are only 2 points off Chelsea with 2 difficult away games out of the way - but read the comments to my post - "maybe he was resting players for Tues - or we need to see how the new guys played for Tues"..it's all about tomorrow night and that's what worries me.

We have 3 domestic league champions in our group - is Mancini going to rest players prior to every game with the CL in mind? I think he will - and let's hope the others step up as for me - retaining the PL should be our priority and then have a crack at the CL at full speed.

One-hit wonders we'll be called if we bomb out of the CL this season - then have 10 points to make up on United Chelsea or Arsenal.

That's what worries me.

BUT CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW!!! Regardless of the result - this is where we all wanted to be!

I think we need Zab and Cliche as the fullbacks not sure who to play with Vinny at CB. Lescott tends to panic in big games and they don't come much bigger than RM at home, Garcia can play there but why did we not strengthen the CB position in the last window? OK it's too late for that discussion now. I think we have to play Lescott with Garcia sitting in front of that back four and YaYa pushed higher up the park with Silva and Nasri on the L/R respectivelyIs Barry match fit? I think in my heart if Aguero is fit he should start but my head says he should be on the bench as we don't want to rush him back and lose him for longer. Dzeko and Tevez should start.

I've just had a thought... Is Bob going to go with a back 3? Looking at the players rested, I can't help but wonder if he's going with this:

-------------- Hart
Clichy --- Kompany --- Zabaleta
Kolarov ---------------------Milner
------- Garcia --------- Yaya
--- Silva ---- Dzeko ---- Nasri


It's fairly safe to say JM won't be expecting it.

The only other option is we play Nastasic at CB, but that would be one hell of a risky move.