Last nights proceedings

Without doubt we all agree it was a fantastic set of results, which has ever so slightly puts us back in with a chance of catching the scummy Rags. I also wanted to mention the crowd support for Mancini, it actually rather suprised me and i'll have to agree.......the love for the lad's unquestionibly still there.

Regards performances and result: The early goal is what we crave and i think need to hurt teams, this ultimately killed West Broms game plan. Apart from the occassional venture into our half, West Brom offered very little and in all honesty it was one way traffic throughout the game.

The one thing that did concern me, especially in the 1st half was the lack of width from the midfield, Micah was virtually playing RW for the 1st 45minutes. His article yesterday mentioned Silva not tracking back when placed infront of him and this imo was the case last night, i hope this was noted by the management, as against better teams we may get exposed.

The other 3 in defence had an easy night (along with Joe) and did what was expected, but it was good to see Clichy getting forward at every opportunity......long may it continue.

Nasri, Tevez and Silva, played as we all hoped they would....industrious, creative and wanting the ball all night, trying to make something happen. Mancini, you've seen it work, don't for the love of god start resting these lads and fucking about with things now (ok, i know Yaya coming back may cause a problem).

NDJ was solid and reliable but imo Gareth Barry was absolutely superb and deserved MOM, this lad broke everything up West Brom tried, he covered every blade of grass and never once gave the ball away. Ok, so he gives the occassional foul away......that's what he does, but it slows the oppositions play down. Brilliant, nothing else to add.

Sergio is without doubt fuckin class, i honestly dread to think what sort of team we'd be like without him. Defenders must absolutely hate playing against him, he never stops running for his team, harasses the life out of all and sundry, never gets pushed off the ball and fully deserved his goals and assists last night. Again, brilliant effort, but i'm still giving MOM to Barry though .

We have to go into the Norwich game full of confidence and we must go there with the same intensity as last night. For the whole 90 minutes we have to attack and not let up, we CANNOT afford to drop any points whatsoever if we have any hope of catching the Rags. Sure it's going to be tough and it's all still stacked against us, but lets beat Norwich, put some kind of pressure on those lot in Red and see what happens.

ps. Where the frig was the Doves song last night.....i was not impressed:twisted:

Tevez was the key last night, playing in the advanced Yaya role, pushing and pulling the defence with quick ball, he has to start, infact, the same team should start, then if Yaya is fit, bring him on for Tevez 2nd half, AJ for Silva if he gets tired and give us width.
Barry was great I agree, Milner looked lost in that role on Sunday.
For once Mancini got it right, the performance was like chalk and cheese from Sunday, let's hope he doesn't start tinkering.
Pressures off us, it's on UTD now, lets see how they handle it, if we win at the weekend it's 2points difference, there may yet be a twist in the tail, as long as we finish strong, I will be happy

Barry and Tevez were immense last night.

I honestly think that is our best team, except I'd swap Yaya for Nasri. Barry was amazing breaking up the play, and whenever WBA got the ball he slowed it right down.

Tevez was MOM in my opinion. Everything seemed to go through him in some way. I think he is much better as an attacking playmaker than an out and out striker, especially since now we have Aguero.

They said on MOTD last night that Tevez played a 'Scholes' like role. I think that's what we have been missing lately.

Please Mancini, don't mess about.

Although next game it'll be Zab in, Kolarov in, Milner in, Yaya in. And maybe a surprise emergency loan for Jo.

And did my eye's deceive me last night? AJ actually crossing a ball from the left hand side !! Do you think Bobby is listening to us?

And a peach of a cross it was too blisterin.

i saw him put in two decent crosses. more than he's done all season...

AJ, my thoughts exactly! Like I said yesterday, my team selection was spot on, apart from Barry in for Milner If Bobby is listening... same again at Norwich OK?
and I'm available next season as a no.2!

I think we all had a debate yesterday, highlighting the need for change in tactics. Now, I know WBA were rubbish and we were at home, and yes, we still have to do it away from home........but what we saw last night were 2 play makers.....Silva and Tevez coming deep to collect the ball and starting off the attack from inside their final 3rd.

That's exactly what's been missing. I like Tevez in that deeper role as he can play one-two's and get forward or run at defences, which gives Aguero more options to find the space behind their defence.

Not only that - Tevez showed his class with that ball for Richards.

Come Saturday - Yaya may be back......I'd stick with what we had last night and keep him for the second half if Tevez needs a rest...but i can see him being brought in for Nasri, due to his height (even though he isn't the best header of a ball and looks like grass glue is on the soles of his boots at times).

Johnson looked good on the left as we all had been debating - 2 superb balls in the box.

Nasri looked a little more assured on the ball, Silva showed glimpses of his old self, Aguero....just sheer class - simple as that. Tevez gave us something different - and always a goal threat.

Defence did what they needed to do - thought Richards bombed forward better......and great to see Clichy chasing down their defenders for the 4th goal....showed real hunger and got forward as well.

Overall, great nights work.....back to something like our old self....but Norwich will be different altogether - but IF we can keep that little bit of momentum, get an early goal, silence their crowd.....what's to say we can't give them a good hiding?

United have got Villa - playing for their survival now. Has the luck finally run out for United? Playing poorly, but getting the odd decisions in their favour.

The only shit thing now is that if we both win - they can win the title at our now with only two games left after that.

Great to hear the fans chant Mancini's name again - the Poznan was back.....momentum & confidence is needed for the next 5 games......there is still hope.

"This is football...."
One minute were slagging Mancini off for a string of poor decisions, then, as if he's seen the light, he selects the correct team, get's them playing again like it was August-October....

Is it too late though?
Let's take it a game a t a time, for me, we lost it at Swansea, so I'm happy just to finish strongly, regroup, learn our mistakes and make sure we get the right players in for next season, I'll forgive Bobby if we finish strongly, and he learns from his cock-ups, if however we revert to our poor away form due to the wrong team selection, it means he's not learnt, and I'll be calling for his head.

The disappointing things is though Bewar3, it took him soooo long to realise where he went wrong.

We also have to take into account both Balotelli and Yaya weren't available, so would our formation and approach have been any different if they were. Was this really a blessing in disguise?

What's going to happen this weekend if Yaya's available? Will he stick with a winning team, if not, who does he drop and where does he play Yaya?

Will he stick with both Clichy and Micah, who have been underplayed?

I think this weekend we may well find out alot about Mr Mancinis approach to the last 5 games. It'd be the same set up for me, Yaya for Nasri/Tevez on the hour mark.

Who said Barry was too slow and "finished" last week? Thought Richards was fantastic too. Clichy deserved a medal. Nasri was industrious - but still a bit tippy-tappy. Very surprised to hear Mancini's name sung. Think it had to be the Wigan goal which fired up the crowd. What a difference a couple of days make. LOL

joemanton - Yaya in for Nasri?!

I thought Nasri was unplayable at times yesterday!

No need to tinker with the team at all, other than maybe Zab to start over Richards - Clichy isn't one of those players that needs a rest every other game.

Keep Yaya on the bench, and bring him on for the half hour when Tevez tires.

Silva looked better, but still not back to 100%.

They said on MOTD a week or so ago that United are virtually sticking with their best 11, they all know their roles, and their going for it, that's what we need to do, no need to swap 6 players around for Norwich at all.

Inky said on 606 last night, and I have to say he was spot on, that by the time we face United at our place we should be no more than 5 points behind them, if we drop points at Norwich or Wolves, then quite simply we don't deserve the league.

i like the idea of tevez, silva, nasri and aguero playing together.

quick interpassing can create the chances for us.

i agree, leave yaya on the bench unless things need to be changed. the big guy deserves a rest.

Bit of chat on 606 about this at the mo...

I've gone for;

Herman, Aguero
Milner, NDJ, Barry, Nasri
Clichy, Lezza, VK, Zab
Hart

Then we've got Kolarov, Silva, Yaya, AJ and Edin as options on the bench.

i prefer:

hart
richards, vk, lezza, clichy
NDJ, barry
silva, tevez,nasri
aguero

Wensdi wrote:Who said Barry was too slow and "finished" last week? Thought Richards was fantastic too. Clichy deserved a medal. Nasri was industrious - but still a bit tippy-tappy. Very surprised to hear Mancini's name sung. Think it had to be the Wigan goal which fired up the crowd. What a difference a couple of days make. LOL

I did.....thought he has been OK for most of the season, but slow and methodical lately. Last night he was playing against a very poor WBA team and did what he needed to do well. I still think that next season, we need to play with more play makers in MF rather than the usual 2 DFM positions - and last night doesn't change my mind one bit.

See if he can do it against Norwich, Wolves, United, Newcastle and QPR - as consistent and as good as he was last night. If so, I'll stand corrected - but as I said - for me, next season we don't need 2 DFM if we are to win the league, cup or any competition - as all it does is give the opposition a chance to push us back and slows our overall game down - unless...we play against the likes of WBA at home every week...or as we saw last night, Mancini deployed Tevez/Silva in a play makers role from deep.

I'm expecting him to swap Micah and Clichy for Zab and Kolarov as he usually does...

Tevez pretty much occupied Yaya's advanced role yesterday, and I'd like to see that again - bringing Yaya straight back in, playing Tevez, and putting De Jong and Barry covering the back four would congest our central midfield (not saying you did that Dawg as you didn't!) but that's one thing he needs to watch out for.

Barry has been consistently better than NDJ in my opinion this season.

I thought I'd been transported back to 2011, what a great all-round performance!

I thought Nasri was a touch of class. Still the odd tippy tappy going on, but way more industrious and a lot of quality passing. And an inch either way of scoring twice as well. Barry back to his best, Silva's best game in ages, Aguero hassling the defence, Clichy and Richards getting forward, Vinny, Lescott and Nige being very solid. Even Tevez was making his presence felt. All good stuff.

Well, almost all good. Dzeko looked clearly annoyed he'd lost his place to Tevez, but he's clearly not considering the fact that he hasn't been much good for weeks. And walking off the pitch and ignoring everybody was truly classless in my book.

dzeko couldn't be arsed and it showed. he is well and truly pissed off and who wouldn't be?

balotelli gets picked time and again over him and even fat boy got a start over him.

i'd play against norwich with 2 DMs and then our four attacking players can interchange. they can all play up front or in the middle so i'd let them be free to get on with it.

gratedbean wrote:Barry has been consistently better than NDJ in my opinion this season.

Totally agree. That wasn't my point Grated.

Topdawg wrote:dzeko couldn't be arsed and it showed. he is well and truly pissed off and who wouldn't be?

Yes, pissed off understandably at playing fourth fiddle to fatso and dopey. But it's hardly going to do him any favours behaving like that. He needs to take it up with the boss fella. And if he'd done that in a United team, he'd not even be on the bench for the next game. He needs to be making sure that Bobby notices him putting in a good game rather than lolling around dejectedly.

leopold wrote:

Topdawg wrote:dzeko couldn't be arsed and it showed. he is well and truly pissed off and who wouldn't be?

Yes, pissed off understandably at playing fourth fiddle to fatso and dopey. But it's hardly going to do him any favours behaving like that. He needs to take it up with the boss fella. And if he'd done that in a United team, he'd not even be on the bench for the next game. He needs to be making sure that Bobby notices him putting in a good game rather than lolling around dejectedly.

Think he knows he may be gone in the summer. TBF...he's every right to be pissed off, but still....it doesn't help the cause...maybe if he take a 2 week unpaid break he may get back in Mancini's good books?

Fully agree Leo:D Think Nasri will always be a bit tippy tappy - but with probably the odd blast at goal.

For me Barry is solid as a rock. He had a spat with RM - and he can be a bit reckless with his tackles at time - but he has certainly helped our cause more often than not this season.

The daft thing being, Blue, Dzeko stands a much higher chance of staying on at the club than either of the two plonkers that are currently nabbing his place. Which wouldn't be an issue if he took it on himself to prove the place is his instead of the slacking off.

Granted, Bob didn't help when he dropped him after such a great start, but he should be fighting for the place instead of sulking.

So... three new strikers in the summer then?

Maybe Leo...maybe. Tend to agree.

I wouldn't shed a tear if Edin, Mario and Carlos all left the club over summer.

Both Milan clubs are showing an interest in Balo......thank god. Imo if Tevez helps us to somehow win the PL then i'd actually keep him, if he wants to stay that is. Dzeko's not up to the job, but tbh we don't play to his strengths, so the obvious thing to do is get someone in who would suit our style of play.

grated, take it your post at 3.04pm was a piss take.

A piss take?! No why haha that's who I'd go for against The Canaries!

Come 3pm Satdi i think we'd still be 5pts behind the Rags if we played your team .

Richards has to play, so does Silva, i'll be so naffed if RM tinkers that much Ben. He shouldn't change a winning team, including leaving Yaya out.

Still think Yaya has some kind of clause that he plays every game... Dzeko for me isn't good enough, Tevez on his day would be wanted by any club in the world and if he wanted to stay i say keep him. Silva, Nasri Aguero and Tevez in the same team is as good as any combination i can think of so if Tevez stays fantastic if he goes then replace him! Balotelli can go, along with AJ Kolorov Dzeko and unless he changes his agent NDJ

Still not sure about Dzeko,the service he's had has been bloody awful so it's hard to judge as he was excellent early on until he was messed about

I want the same 11 to start vs Norwich too! But RM likes to swap our fullbacks when we have games in quick succession, and I still don't think Silva is 100%, that's why I put Milner in for him.

Pp, Edin got service vs Sunderland and did nowt, I like the guy but just can't see him making it with us.