Swansea....If we survive this season, I just hope that if DM is still our manager he can learn from his fellow Scot, the way to play the beautiful game. Watched them destroy Fulham on Match of the Day, the passing and movement was a joy to watch. I hope managers around England appriciate this type of football and try and duplicate their style as it's much better than watching the hoofball that a lot our clubs play. I remember last season when they destroyed us and I commented at the time what a great game they play. What a great job Brendon Rogers has done. It was interesting listening to him on MoD how he studied the style of Barcelona etc and adapted it to his own managerial style. Didn't spend that much on players either, showing what a very good manager he is turning out to be.
I echo this. Continual movement by every player, and totally unselfish in their play. Excellent 'keeper too.
well at the moment McInnes is trying to keep us up and the one bad thing about the type of football swansea, arsenal and west brom play is they are incredibly weak when the other team counter attack, and at the moment we need to play ugly to keep ourselves up. When he first took over you could see he had brought fancy football into the team, but after we got dragged back into the dog fight we've resorted to hoofball and ugly football (hence all these yellow and red cards)
I agrree with all the sentiments with regard to Swansea,they are a class act,Rogers walked into a pretty good set up following another good manager and has developed it well,Mcinnes on the other hand followed a catastrophe,a club in disarray,6 points out of a possible 30,bottom of the table,morale in the basement,hangers on in the squad,massive debt and financial cut backs,crowds dropping,he has revived us,although still struggling we are 4 points clear of the drop zone with 9 games to go,a very realistic chance of keeping our status. He is the right man at the right time for this club,I think he needs recognition for the sterling job he is doing for this club under continuing difficulties,keep it up Delboy,there is one fan here that thinks your fine.
He was brought in to save us from relegation, if he does, then he would have done the job, all be it with the help of Portsmouth.
Now make that four!! we must stay with Delboy, he has it in him to take us to the promised land. I still have the feeling though that good old GJ will come back to haunt us!!!
not 5! we should of bought in gianfranco zola.. just because he's a big name! we'd win every game 20-0 playing like barcelona
To be fair to Swansea, out of the 3 you've mentioned they're probably the strongest in defence. Says an awful lot about what can be done with a team that has smaller, technically gifted midfield players rather than the Elliot/Skuse mold that we currently have. I don't include Cisse in that as he is actually pretty composed in possession of the ball and is a class act IMO.
Sort of comment which should be ignored but... Are you saying our position could have been worse with him in charge? I think not! And he would not have reverted to Hooooof ball that's for sure. Ahhhh I should have ignored it......I must stop responding to idiots!!
Ten Swansea play short passes on the ground, between groups of players at speed. They dont go for Hollywood passes over 30 yards or more because that makes the attacking team predictable (ie the ball is in the air for a certain amount of time and everyone can see what will happen next), and they press tight to the opposition when they lose the ball (which does happen occasionally), and hound until they get it back, much like Barca. They were an exception, winning promotion by playing a passing game; most CCC sides do need to fight physical with physical to get there. That is not new; the old Leeds Utd won promotion in the 60s playing hoofball on the marshland that was the old Elland Rd. Liverpool were similar, and latter day there is Stoke although of course they haven't quite achieved the purist approach yet. Much as I would love to see City playing like Barca, I would gladly substitute that with City being successful in the short run. Dont forget, our supporters got dissatisfied with GJ because we were winning matches 1-0. If we had a youth system which could turn out players like Steven Caulker, DM would have more ammunition to work with. With the present squad, the most we can hope for is mid table CCC
What and we're not weak at the back then???? Can't say I agree with "we need to play ugly to keep ourselves up" Kick and hope/chance football is what I call it, doesn't feel me with confidence either. It's not fancy football it's how football should be played. It's Quite basic really, triangles, creating space, moving into space to receive the ball, closing down defenders early, being comforable on the ball, what's fancy about that? I thought Swansea's defending looked good to be honest, but the main point is, that if you have the ball, they can't do anything with it. Problem is, we are so used to watching the garbage at the gate for the last few years, it's hard to imagine anything different. By the way...we were getting there with GJ, that is until we purchased Adebola and then it all changed...those were the days!!
All that matters at the moment is results. However if on Tuesday night we win 4-0 playing exciting attacking football then it would give a lft to everyone, especially players confidence. But, we are in a dogfight, so let's settle for lots of workrate and battling spirit for now!
'were getting there with GJ, that is until we purchased Adebola and then it all changed' My memory remembers it slightly different. Before Adebola joined City GJ was always crying out for that 'other club in the bag'. He even played McCombe CF for the entire 2nd half at Forest in our promotion year from L1. And sure you can remember his last 20 minutes tactic of throwing the 'biguns' on up front. So I don't think it stared with Adebola it just ended with him. This tactic of GJ seemed successful in L1 (bar Forest) but is outdated and doesn't seem as successful in the Championship/Prem. Let's not demean GJ, he with the bounce factor, nearly got City to the Promised Land but his demise in the Championship was more about his overall team selection and set up - playing Sno left wing, playing Junior and dropping Hartley, playing 4 right footers in midfield etc etc. Swansea are an absolute credit - watching others in the Prem, especially Stoke just make me turn the TV off.
I think it's acceptable last 20 mins Redprint if you're chasing the game.....Can you remember the game against Southampton on a Tuesday night, Sproule I believe getting a winner in a 2-1 victory....The first half, was in fact like watching Barcelona!!!
Was that the Sproule goal where he ran the length of the field, if so I do remember and the very funny comments made by GJ after the game. To be honest 1For I don't remember us playing like Barcelona in the first half - wouldn't we have been out of sight if we had ?
Radical statement: Barcelona wouldn't be playing like Barcelona if it were not for one of the all time greats in his most exciting years. Sure they would still be a joy to watch, but they would not seem anywhere near as unbeatable as they do now