Is he for real or is he playing mind games? If he was serious at all I do not agree with him. United is only the third best team in the country. Spurs top, followed by City and then United.
When did he say that? All I've read today is that Mancini's upset that SAF said Spurs are playing better football than City right now. That, and his complaining that City only have two fit central midfielders, conveniently ignoring the fact that we currently only have one and a half fit CMs, and one of them had to play at CB against Blackburn. I wonder if this is the start of a Keegan-esque meltdown. Somehow I don't think so, but we can dream
Football | Ben Smith, James Ducker | Last updated January 7 2012 12:01AM Roberto Mancini has dismissed Sir Alex Ferguson’s claims that Manchester City are not playing the best football in the country as tensions rise before their eagerly awaited FA Cup third-round match. Manchester United and City meet at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow, when the Barclays Premier League champions will attempt to avert a third successive defeat and exact a measure of revenge on their bitter local rivals for the Cup semi-final defeat at Wembley last season and the 6-1 thrashing at Old Trafford in October. Ferguson claimed for the third time in the past fortnight yesterday that it is Tottenham Hotspur, not City, who deserve the plaudits for the football they are playing. But Mancini, whose team have scored 56 goals in 20 league games, said he was not surprised the United manager was finding it hard to credit City. “It’s difficult to say your neighbours play the best football,” the City manager said when asked for his view of Ferguson’s glowing assessments of Tottenham. “Until now we have played the best football in the Premier League. Over the next three or four months, I don’t know.” In a rather pointed remark, though, Ferguson reiterated his admiration for Tottenham, as well as adding that he would “not be mentioning” the 6-1 defeat in his address to the players tomorrow and that the Cup holders’ “advantage” did not extend beyond playing the game at home. “It is easy to write Tottenham off, but to my mind they are playing the best football,” he said. “Both of us, I think, are quite well aware that Tottenham are playing the best at the moment.” Mancini had no such problem complimenting United and believes they remain the team to beat, even though City lead the Premier League by three points from their rivals. “United at the moment is the best team in England,” Mancini said. “They are the best team because they have six or seven injuries to important players, but they have 24 top players. For me, now, they are top. In one or two years we can catch up.” - from the Times (subscription needed!)
Definitely the weakest area in United. I honestly have not seen United have poorer midfields than the midfields against Blackburn and Newcastle. Lightweight, toothless, slow, no penetration, no drive, no passion. Totally unrecognisable. If we play a midfield like this against City , United will be slaughtered on Sunday.
In previous years they were the best "team" with a good work ethic (and usually helpful referees admittedly) This season they look shaky.
Blimey...what a good judgement from mancini!! may be he knew something about his own team that we didn't? His team without Yaya toure and Balotelli was not very good. Without Kompany they will be in trouble.
We lost by one goal playing with 10 men from the eleventh minute with Hart and Clichy on the bench and no Dzeko, if we lose company i am sure we will be fine how can you sat we were "Not very good"
I thought you played excellenly, unlucky not to get a replay But its tough titties, doesnt matter about sendings off you lost and you are out
He didnt I was stating the facts. He did however grumble about being down to ten men from the 11th minute, I would consider that to him refferring to the sending off, wouldn t you ?
I thought after the sending off in the first half you looked as shell shocked as we did in the second half at OT, albeit managing to keep your shape a wee bit better. You did seem to lose composure tho' - can't believe Kolarov would have dived in like he did for the penalty in any other situation. But credit to you, you came out very strongly in the second half after the goal, and played ominously well for only having ten men Be interesting to see how you cope with Kompany against Liverpool in the CC and Spurs in the league, although I reckon there's a good chance he'll get his appeal rescinded.
The "pundits" seem to be divided on this, some are saying it doesn't matter that he took the ball and not the player he went in with both feet and that is against the rules, others are saying the opposite.
I personally thought it was harsh. The ball doesn't matter - the rules say if you lunge with two feet with excessive force and endanger the opponent you get a red card even if you get the ball. So I suppose you could say if Nani had committed to the challenge he could have been injured, like Stuart Holden was when Jonny Evans made a similar challenge last season. But the rules also say that if there's no contact between players then the worse that can happen is a yellow card if the ref things there's a risk of injury. Given how little contact there was, I don't think a red was right, yellow would've been fair.
I wouldn't have thought City would have any chance of having the red card rescinded, I recall the wolves player being sent off against Arsenal. His red card was more equivocal and dubious than this one. Wolves had a very good case but the FA turned it down. I would say the chances are less than 5%.
Of course United are the best team in England. They are the reigning champions. If another team wins the PL then that team will be the best team in England. It is purely mind/word games. Mancini is a master of them.
True, but then Rodwell's was rescinded, as was Sammon's. The FA does seem to be very inconsistent in this area, which gives any club a pretty good chance. It's not a high profile media incident as well, so that gives City a decent chance at getting it overturned.
Don't think it will be rescinded but it's a no brainer to appeal,it certainly won't be considered a frivolous appeal
