Yesterday we were abject at times. Poor at the back and the front and midfield might as well not have been there.... BUT... A small part of me isn't that disappointed. Mainly because it shows how much next weeks game means to our players. City played yesterday and had 3 players booked and Kompany probably should've been sent off from what I saw of it on footy first last night. Don't get me wrong, I'm really pissed off (as is Gus) with the way we played and the result but, IMO, it does show we care a lot about next weeks final.. Possibly the biggest game of most of these players careers to date. Let's hope they're fresh as there wasn't much sweat on them yesterday and the kit man will have an easy time washing most of their shirts
I know... It's only a small part of me that isn't as disappointed. I would be disappointed if they didn't care about next week but, to me, this shows that they do. I think Brown will come back in. Vergini isn't a bad player and really only made one mistake yesterday and from his angle he wouldn't have seen Guroud I don't think as he was "hiding" behind o'Shea! Although Le tosspot blamed Bardsley!! Cats will start definitely. He should've played yesterday. I think the deficit would've been less with him in the side as he imposes himself onto others much better than Bridcutt has so far
Next week we play a cup final against a top team. Yesterday we were given a lesson by a top team. If the players haven`t learnt from that there is something seriously wrong. Gus will have that`s for sure.
well if that was a dress rehearsal for city i fear the worst, i looked at the bench yesterday and saw no animation in the first half at all,sit back and we will get well beaten ,get amongst them and give yourselves a chance you cannot give the players that city have any time to do what arsenal did yesterday, in fact this applies to whoever we play ,when we play a high tempo game and press we look a good side ,stand off and it will be predictable about the outcome.
They showed me they care more about the league cup final then they do about premier league survival, Despite Poyet stating the premiership was his priority just this week. What a Mug they've made of Gus. There's gratitude for you.
Not sure it's as black and white as that (imo) but we'll never know. I hope he's kicked some arses. Hue interview On the BBC is insightful where he says he knew his team before yesterday but now he has zero (although Mannone didn't do anything wrong yesterday)! Part of me (and it's a small part) is glad that next week means a lot to our players. I know what Gus said but it is a lot to all of us. We lost yesterday against a very good Arsenal side who scored 2 and were given 2. We mostly had hope but little expectation. Better than us will play better and lose there. Just hope we actually Turn up next week! I'd expect a totally different, focussed performance. Far cry from yesterday
But it wasn't a dress rehearsal. This will be man city not arsenal, at a neutral ground not away in a cup final not a prem league game
So ****ing what, it's football, that match yesterday was a final for us. The lad was there yesterday and his giving his honest opinion, give the lad some credit ok..
well according to gus it was the perfect fixture to have before playing a very good like for like side in style and play.but thats his opinion and this is yours fair play
thanks joe ,this lad is 59 years old and has seen and played lot of football over the years ,i have said before i attend a lot of away games due to my location,its all about opinions of course and yesterday the team didnt look up for it at all,the body movement of some had no intent or conviction to them, as i have said previously the management sat unmoved as the half went on with no animation or actions to be seen from them ,unusual from gus as he normally struts the tech area with vigour. As i say the team could have been set up as the southamton one if they wanted to protect from injuries to certain players but what happened is what happens to any team who plays a team like arsenal and fails to compete you lose
And? It's a fact that the final and the arsenal matches are completely different occasions, even if Gus were to put out the same ****ing team. There was a lot of optimism, maybe not confidence but def optimism irt the final which the arsenal game, for at least some fans on here seems to have blown away. What I'm saying is don't let one **** performance condemn us to a ****ing hiding. We've been beaten by some **** teams this season in the league. Did that mean we couldn't Chelsea or Man U in the cup. **** no...
Does it not worry you that our 'strongest 11' won't have put any competitive effort in for 3 weeks? It was the perfect opportunity to condition ourselves against top opposition by playing top opposition. What's even more alarming, thanks to both the Brown sending off and our defence and midfield's spineless performance yesterday, that our first choice front three haven't had the chance to spread their attacking legs for a staggering 4 weeks. Not very helpful as they'll be expected to perform on limited chances in this final.
It does a little but I still stand by the fact that the final is an such a one off that my optimism for this isn't going to get changed so easily and tbh in some ways I'm so used to getting my hopes dashed if we skinned arsenal I'd be ****ting my self more. Think some people are getting me wrong, that I'm not bothered by the arsenal game and that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm as pissed off as anyone, but I'm also sick of reading all these comments that because we got a hammering off arsenal it means we're doomed in the final. I don't expect to win but I do believe we have a chance and if anything I think that now we won't be going into the game with any complacency.
Fair do's. I think our chances have been reduced significantly by a rusty front line. It's sapped all my optimism and made the occasion somewhat nervy for me now.
And it wasn't nervy before Not too bad at the moment but it's mounting. Think i'd be worse though if I'd managed to get tickets though.
I'm usually so thick skinned regarding Sunderland, Always the optimist, only taking gripe with commitment issues (and now technical issues). Yesterday knocked the stuffing right out of me. I fancied us to knick this. Now I don't know. My butterflies transfer from match to match and my hairs stand on end when ever I think of Sunderland. My butterflies have already developed to nausea. I bet I'm physically sick this week. If I'd got tickets the coach ride would have been a living hell for me.
