well at least we don't hold the illustrious record that ITFC can feel proud of. That 9-0 still stands.
Ok so man city were great and all, with some lovely finishing, but we looked pretty lethargic getting to 50/50 balls, and pretty weak when on it. Can't remember seeing norwich look so uninterested in a game by the end.
I hope this doesn't get the doubters out in force. We were right in the game at 1-2 and looked more likely to equalise at that point. Man City have some wonderful players and Mancini should be sacked if he doesn't win the league with the players he has. Aguero especially was awesome. My only real regret is that Tevez got a hat trick - spoilt, self-important **** that he is. We had the courage to take the game to City instead of parking the bus, and we paid for it. A hard lesson for Bennett, but if he was going to have to learn the hard way, that was the game to do it. A game that didn't really matter. Sounds a strange thing to say, but I saw enough there to be more than hopeful for the future. We need better quality strikers, though. We'll be fine next season, I'm sure. We've come a long way
Well, the scoreline may have not reflected the performance, but is was wrong place, wrong time from us. Man City were simply World Class today, and I mean that. Their defence didn't give us an inch, their tempo and accuracy of passing was the best I have seen all season and they were utterly ruthless with their finishing. That is why find ourselves on the wrong end of a battering by Man City again. Aguero was the best player I have seen all season, if not in my life today! For a moment it looked like we could get a draw, but we really fell apart at the end. Ruddy - 6 - Definitely didn't cover himself in glory. First goal, he probably should have saved, he seemed deceived by the ball to be honest. Other then that he maybe shouldn't have saved straight into Tevez's head. Made enough saves to redeem himself though, in a very tough game. R Martin - 6 - Most of the goals came from the centre of the pitch, Rusty didn't actually have much to do. R Bennett - 3 - He won't need telling he was poor today. Outjumped by Tevez, often out of position, gave away a goal with a weak pass and gave too much space to Man City players in general. A tough lesson for the youngster who was wholly out of his depth against some of the best players in the world. Ward - 4 - The senior defender. Aguero was just too much for him, but none of our defenders could have done much better I don't think. No real mistakes other than just giving too much space and being beaten alarmingly often. Drury - 4.5 - At sixes and sevens against Man City's quality. Beaten often, out of position often, perhaps a bit naive from the old head. E Bennett - 5.5 - Posed same danger, but not involved enough. Howson - 6 - Decent, but seemed to disappear when it fell apart for us at the end of the match. Johnson - 5.5 - Did ok I guess, got subbed at half-time and missed our best part of the game (And worst). Pilkington - 6.5 - I thought he was dangerous first half, but got subbed. Wasn't far off scoring an early goal. Wilbraham - 7 - His pressing made our only goal, didn't do alot wrong, but didn't have much to work with. Should he have set up Hoolahan? Holt - 6.5 - Should have scored late on for another consolation. Used his strength well, but Man City's defence didn't give an inch. Subs: Surman - 6.5 - Scored a neat goal, but should have offered the defence some protection later on. Morrison - n/a - Hardly involved. Hoolahan - 6.5 - Shame that we fell apart late on because I thought he was playing well, but I'd doubt he touched the ball later on, because we couldn't get it to him.
Agreed, this will sound real bitter, but I can't believe he is now Man City's hero again! First they disown him, and now they love him. Fickle plastics if you ask me. I'd never want a mercenary like Tevez to play for Norwich, and that's why I am glad we have Lambert.
Not worried, man city were a different class. How are the second End of the day, theyll be more gutted than we were today when they don't win **** all at the end of the season.
Calm down people. We played a highline against deep defence and got caught on the break. There were plenty of positives in the perfromance, not the least of which was that they kept attacking.
Yes, but they'd played their hearts out trying to get it back to 2-2. And remember that the same thing happened to Man Utd.
I think everyone is calm. I went into the game knowing that if Man City played well we'd get a heavy defeat. In fact for the better part of the game we were only narrowly second best, if the size of the capitulation at the end doesn't worry me too much because I know we will bounce back (Performance wise, weather we beat Blackburn is a different matter) and it is only in chasing the game that we lost it so badly ultimately.
For 73 minutes we were in it but bad mistakes against deadly finishing did for us. After the third goal our shape resembled a jelly. Its no good being bitter towards them either.
I'm not bitter towards them - they deserved it. I hate Tevez, though, and the fact that Man City fans are willing to accept such a piece of scum after how he has treated them.
IMO, there is one word why we lost so heavily and that is Yaya. Totally and utterly changed the game, because up to his arrival on the hour, we looked like we could get an equaliser.
Agreed. I think they're fickle to accept Tevez, but at the end of the day Aguero put in the best performance of a player I've seen this season. I'd say he was 10 out of 10 today, he really was frighteningly good! Aguero should be their hero, because he actually plays for his club not just to save his career!
Yaya was awesome, but isn't the reason for our capitulation - we just tried to hard to get back in and took too many risks. Looked like it could work for 10 mins after we pulled one back, but then it backfired spectacularly.
As one website I saw said, not a great day for what was left of morality in football. Tevez scores a hat trick and becomes a hero and Racist United get to the Cup Final.
Our lads gave it their bet shot against a superior team and got spanked trying. No shame in that and I rather have our squad whose hunger means they punch above their weight than a squad of overpaid under achievers.
