Was it wrong to feel a little bored yesterday?

Maybe I was just tired from the drive over from France and under the weather from a cold, but I felt a little bored yesterday. Yes, we eventually won at a canter and we played some great quick attacking football, but I didn't think it was as fantastic a performance as the pundits would have us believe.

The early goal, and a poor Spurs team, helped us. But I felt we were flat after the goal as if the hard work was already done. Until we scored the 2nd, I felt that whoever scored next would win the game. I couldn't easily see us stepping up a gear if Spurs had scored and they would have had the wind in their sails if they had scored.

Our defence wasn't really tested and Clichy looked vulnerable, again, especially early doors.

We could, and should, have scored more. Bringing on the rather underwhelming Garcia, rather than Guidetti, was puzzling. 

I don't buy all the gushing in the media. We got the same after the Norwich game and I didn't think we played top notch there either. The proof was in the following match against Sunderland.

I think we should have a good week ahead of us with what should be an easy win against Plzen and a home match against Swansea that ought to see us getting 3 points so long as we aren't too arrogant and complacent. I think Swansea will put up a better fight than Tottenham did.

Our tough run in December will show us how good we really are.

Im continually amazed by the tactics of opposition coaches coming to the Etihad.There are so many examples of how to get at City,we dont like being pressed and given no time on the ball.
No idea what,if any,tactics AVB had in mind yesterday

Yes it is wrong....

...to feel bored in a game where there was an average of a goal every 15 minutes.

Paulpowersleftfoot wrote:Im continually amazed by the tactics of opposition coaches coming to the Etihad.There are so many examples of how to get at City,we dont like being pressed and given no time on the ball.
No idea what,if any,tactics AVB had in mind yesterday

Tell me about it!  AVB was as clueless as Houghton when it came to playing us here.  Even Moyes had a better plan (although he still got a caning  )  I don't get how he could leave Townsend on the bench for the entire game and yet bring on Adebayor who, by now, must surely be in the "I don't give a crap" phase of his tenure.

I thought Spurs gave up on playing football way too quickly.  They resorted to niggly challenges and moves better served to WWE far too often, which really only served to show us just how tough Aguero is.  In the end, their display was so inept and bad tempered that I was glad we thrashed them.  Serves them right for winning all those games from the penalty spot.

I've not much love for the spuds, but I've always had respect for them for coming to us and playing football.  Yesterday, they didn't even do that.  In many ways, beating them by such a high score would've been a hell of a lot more satisfying if they'd have made more of an effort.

Jordan wrote:Yes it is wrong....

...to feel bored in a game where there was an average of a goal every 15 minutes.

It's not just about scoring goals, though I'll never say no to more and more goals, but some players weren't good enough for me. Maybe I'm asking for too much, but top players should be performing week in week out.

When teams are in our face, we can't afford for players to take it easy like they do too often for my liking.

Maybe bored was the wrong word to use, but I wasn't thoroughly entertained.

Apart from a worrying 30 minutes after we scored the first goal i was thoroughly entertained. It wasn't perfect, we can and have played better but if you did not find that entertaining then you must be mad. Do you forget how we used to play 5 or 6 years ago?

some of our passing & quick movement was great to watch especially after the dross & disappointment of last season and the slow slow build up. I was more than entertained yesterday but still after the 1st goal had the usual feeling that only 3 would see me in a decent comfort zone.

It was mainly that period between the first and 2nd goals and after the 5th. Between the 1st and 2nd, some players weren't 'bothered'.

After the 5th, the manager wasn't 'bothered'.

I think that's always going to be a problem, Dawg.  When a team gets five up with half an hour to go and the opponents look like they've no chance, a manager is going to tell his players to sit back, not do anything stupid like picking up a needless injury, and try to hold out for the points.  After all, a win's a win whether it's 5-0 or 5-4.

Of course, he could tell the team to keep pushing which could potentially lead to, oh, I don't know, let's say your talismanic centre half who also happens to be captain, overstretching for a needless tackle when you're already three up against a side without a solitary clue how to beat you, leaving him pretty much out with injury for four months or so, aside from one game where he seems fit, but ends up going off because the injury was worse than originally thought, leaving you with a defensive headache that leads to the boss stupidly putting the worst player in the squad in a key position where any mistake is costly.  I'd see that as a pretty major blow and half an hour of dull football to avoid it might seem like a good idea in the long term.

Which leads to one thought:  Maybe he put Garcia on so he'd get injured and not be available for selection?

leopold wrote:I think that's always going to be a problem, Dawg.  When a team gets five up with half an hour to go and the opponents look like they've no chance, a manager is going to tell his players to sit back, not do anything stupid like picking up a needless injury, and try to hold out for the points.  After all, a win's a win whether it's 5-0 or 5-4.

Of course, he could tell the team to keep pushing which could potentially lead to, oh, I don't know, let's say your talismanic centre half who also happens to be captain, overstretching for a needless tackle when you're already three up against a side without a solitary clue how to beat you, leaving him pretty much out with injury for four months or so, aside from one game where he seems fit, but ends up going off because the injury was worse than originally thought, leaving you with a defensive headache that leads to the boss stupidly putting the worst player in the squad in a key position where any mistake is costly.  I'd see that as a pretty major blow and half an hour of dull football to avoid it might seem like a good idea in the long term.

Which leads to one thought:  Maybe he put Garcia on so he'd get injured and not be available for selection?

Which leads to one thought:  Maybe he put Garcia on so he'd get injured and not be available for selection?
...........................................................................................

I don't think he touched the ball or got anywhere near a Spurs player to get injured - did he?

Ok, have half an hour of dull footy, but at least change the personnel to provide something useful for the players that are coming back or need some game time.

All he had to do was make some proper substitutions and leave Garcia well away from the pitch.

blueboy wrote:I don't think he touched the ball or got anywhere near a Spurs player to get injured - did he?

Not as far as I could tell, no.

Topdawg wrote:Ok, have half an hour of dull footy, but at least change the personnel to provide something useful for the players that are coming back or need some game time.

All he had to do was make some proper substitutions and leave Garcia well away from the pitch.

You know what?  I can't argue with that logic.  If we have to suffer some dull football, we have to, but you're right, at least give a run-out to some of the other lads.  We learn nothing from Garcia playing because, as Bluey pointed out, it may as well have been me on the pitch for all the difference it made.

leopold wrote:

blueboy wrote:I don't think he touched the ball or got anywhere near a Spurs player to get injured - did he?

Not as far as I could tell, no.

Topdawg wrote:Ok, have half an hour of dull footy, but at least change the personnel to provide something useful for the players that are coming back or need some game time.

All he had to do was make some proper substitutions and leave Garcia well away from the pitch.

You know what?  I can't argue with that logic.  If we have to suffer some dull football, we have to, but you're right, at least give a run-out to some of the other lads.  We learn nothing from Garcia playing because, as Bluey pointed out, it may as well have been me on the pitch for all the difference it made.

and I'm sure you would have at least got some studs in on WWE Sandro!!

Dude, if he'd tried to grab my arm like he did to Serge, I'd have decked him!