Of course not. The linesmen were equally at fault! City were the better team, but we were constantly chasing the scoreline because of poor decisions from the officials. Their first was offside, their second was never a penalty and the third wasn't a sending off. That's three massive decisions in one game.
I think we need to concentrate on the performance rather than the scoreline. City are pretty amazing when attacking and can carve through any defence in the world which is pretty much as it should be considering their investment in top players. Aguero can change games on his own, as he did today, in the same way that Ronaldo, Messi and Bale can. We would be up against it even if we had a settled team and a long standing respected manager. We are a team in the early days of a new management period (again!) still coming to terms with a different way of playing from the last two incumbents. In other words we were on a hiding to nothing. Despite that and the not unsurprising result I thought we showed diefinite signs of improvement today with some really creative forward movement. I am pleased with Rose and the progress he has shown this season and Chadli, Lamella and Erikson with Soldado looked to have more potential than the same with Ade last game. Soldado (despite the knockers) played well I thought and was unlucky not to score with a great shot that Hart saved, everybody misses penalties. When people critisize players they often don't take into account the opposition, today I think you have to. I am more optimistic following this game than I was before it.
I agree with all but my patience with soldado has run out. I think he has not and will not give enough so think it'll be best for all concerned to simply part company asap. I don't wish him ill and wanted it to work out but I see nothing, today included, that leads me to think otherwise. As for the team...I see improvements so am generally happy
I saw a glimpse of the proper Soldado today - I think it was Rose crossed the ball in low and Soldado adjusted well and nearly scored. That was the only time he properly got service and he almost finished it. If we can start using width and crossing well then he'll start scoring.
Totally disagree. On another day it could've been Soldado making the plaudits, not Aguero. He got one assist and could've had another(Mason), yes he missed a penalty but he also forced the save of the game from Hart. It's not cause to get carried away but I thought Soldado worked much better than Ade has this season. They both drop deep or out of position at times but Soldado was far more effective, only really moving out of position in the final third which provided a good outball for the on rushing attackers. I still want to see him getting in the box more but he finally looked fully fit and provided the link up play that we saw in preseason.
Another good game ruined by farcically bad officiating. First goal: Lampard jumps to obstruct the keeper in an offside position. No goal. Second goal: and I quote the Guardian from memory: "Lamela brushes Lampard, who presses his nipples to the turf." Blatant dive, deserving of a yellow card. No pen, plus a yellow on Lampard for a blatant dive. Third penalty: Soldado outside the box. No pen. Also, I think Soldado dived, though I’d have to see replays to be sure. Probably a yellow for Soldado. Fourth penalty: looked like a blatant dive after a mnor tug. Probably should have been no pen, plus a yellow for the dive. Also, of the four pens, Fazio’s was the one that least clearly denied a clear goal scoring opportunity. The clearest was the one on Kaboul, then the one Soldado won, then the one Lamela gave, and Fazio’s bringing up the rear. The player he fouled (debatably) didn’t have the ball, and depended on a pass which had not yet been made, and could have been poor, so the goal scoring opportunity was not clear--not as clear as the other three, anyway. We should have had a handball as well, though this was debatable. The ball clearly hit the hand in the box, the only question was whether it was in a natural position. I would say no. The elbow was bent, the hand was raised and there was a gap of a foot or so between it and the body. I’m sure I’ve seen officials screw up more key decisions in a game, but I can’t think of where, offhand. Also, I thought they did a crap job of calling fouls, and missed a possession call or three. A particularly bad example came when someone hit Capoue’s ankle before hitting the ball. Having said all that, City were better and deserved to win. Our defending was appalling, just as their attacking was very good. Yet overall I think we played fairly well, in the sense that we played a very exciting game that we could have won with a little luck, which is a stark contrast to our efforts against the top four last year, or even this year’s Liverpool game. Our attacking four consistently created good chances with quick, intelligent movement and passing, and were unlucky not to get two or even three (though City could easily have gotten five or six.)The quality of the football under Pochettino continues to be much better. IMO.
You are so full of s**t! @#$% yourself and the rest of you suck ups...when will you ever see the truth???????????? Thats my impression of the gooner board... f** me...some on there need traqualising Tbh yv...I dont see it like you but hope youre right...will never stop hoping he comes good for us while he's here but just cant see it happening tbh
Seems to be two schools of thought today and I am in the positive one. It was a good game and we played some really nice football. They had 20 attempts and we had 19. Out of their 20 they scored one legit goal (IMO) and so did we. How many games last season (or this against WBA ) did we barely have an attempt?. To add my criticism of the ref: Lampard was clearly offside and he was definitely interfering with play which is why he jumped. Lampard pushed his way in front of Lamela and fell to the ground claiming a penalty-definitely a dive. Fazio pull back was a penalty BUT never red as it was not a goal scoring opportunity-the ball had not yet been passed and Kaboul was there. The last goal: Only Power has said this so far and it is also how I saw it- the free kick was taken from the wrong place and the ref should have called for a re-take. I agree with all those that have said that we didn't necessarily deserve to win but we played well against the champions. If we play like that every game we will win more than we lose.
traqualising! Is that where they push a tube through the neck into the wind pipe? In which case I agree it might reduce some of the piss and wind.
Forget 1 little "n" and out comes the smart arse or as they say on the gooner board...go #$%@ yourself you @#$% £!& %Ã+@ headed %^=÷ piece of ☆%&$
Milk chocolate,please! 8-0....when do we get to play the blind school.Mind you,we'd lose 0-8 to them!!!!!!
North Laine, you mean (a "laine" is an old word for a farming plot - it used to be orchards there before there were lanes). Anyway - I thought that was one of our best performances of the season. City deserved to win but the ref was really, really poor (on top of everything else anyone else notice the way the City players would move forward onto and over the vanishing spray line as soon as he put it down? Comical really). We should not focus on the score but the performance. We actually looked a threat going forward. I know it's still the same old story (Soldado looks neat on the ball but ends the game with, what? a single shot and a penalty? Lamela gets the ball and his 1st, 2nd, 3rd touches look skillful - just a shame about the inevitable 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th touches where he loses posession) but I definitely feel more optimistic about this team after that game than I did before. Most glaring disappointment for me is Pochettino not absolutely laying into the officiating after the game (from what I saw on BBC clip). We need to highlight these flaws and get refs to think twice - as we should have done the season when Bale was getting all those joke yellows. The big boys have no problem laying into the refs. I hate it but what you gonna do? Just allow our team to get walked over by terrible refs?
Thanks Lenny , I stand corrected , I was on the move and using my mobile and I find it hard to read my own text . My eyes are not as good as they were and I am a little vain for glasses . I did manage to find a lovely Harris tweed jacket , an excellent tailored fit , as you may be aware vintage is all the rage . The North Laines are a warren of individual , no chain , bohemian retailers unique to Brighton . Great clothes , book sellers , Cafés , and a buzz with many bands playing in the street on every corner. A sort of counter culture alive in a conservative Britain . Missed the game as my little family have many days out and a good way not to get to down as the match was a formality . Maybe 3 Years ago I may have engineered an excuse to watch it but it seems hardly worth it . The interest will be all ways there but sadly the passion is being sadly zapped . As REM proclaimed many of us are " Losing our religion " .
I'm not at all downhearted at today's result because of the manner of City's win, it was crap. I think we'll bounce back.
My father in law is a City fan. He was at the game. He said Joe Hart should have been man of the match, the ref was crap (full stop) and Aguero should have had six goals. Spurs looked a decent side, he said, but unlike Stoke, let City play and gave Aguero the freedom of the park - which ultimately was the difference. Fair comment?
