Tomo

Maybe, however some of the comments directed at the club and even Jose when Juan left were pathetic, ranging from Jose has a personal agenda and is on an ego trip like he was with Cassilas (another decision that he was vindicated for) to he played him on the right wing to make him look stupid, smh.

Mou is always open to change if it benefits the team, Luis will be in soon it's only a matter of time for me, guess we will know truly in a month or so. Pepe was one of his favorites, yet as soon as Varane deserved selection at the Portuguese expense, he was dropped. Zouma will have to get to and maintain a very high level to get a sniff, but if he does im sure he will play.

With the way our defence has been dus far, he has a serious chance to win his place if he shows a good level of maturity and application. I ain't seen much of him but does any one know what he is like playing high line?

@cosmin Before I carry on Ill add that comment made about your country was wrong and should never be said on this forum. Now regarding Mourinho, he has a connection to the fans and a club now we dont have to agree with everything he says or does, what baffles me is some posts (not yours) clearly demonstrate a lack of respect for the best manager in the clubs history, that's what I don't like, criticism is fine, deep ran agendas not so much.

I want us to bomb forward and neglect defending, may mean a couple of hammerings but as long as we play a few neat one twos that's good enough for me.

Off the top if my headMan.City away 10-11 and 11-12. Barca away 2008. Liverpool away 11-12 and 05-06 Chelsea away 08-09 I could think of a lot more if I think hard enough. What I find funny is the United game last season they were cautious as much as us, left attacking options on the bench yet we were "parking the bus". Re the last part did you see our first 4 games?

Did you see Uniteds semi at the Nou Camp? that's one if Fergies parked buses games that conveniently gets ignored.

Funny you mention that as Barca dominated possession and a Bayern team in the peak off there powers punished them on the break, was similar to how we played at Ethiad last season just Bayern were more clinical. Carlo "always plays sexy football" Ancelotti parked the jumbo jet at home to Bayern last season, Fergie done it so many times in big games away from home, if you don't believe me watch that title decider vs City in 2012, they done nothing in forward play, it happens.

But like I have said so many times Fergie has used the same approach in big games so many times yet that's allowed, Mou does it and hes some better Allardyce. Infact yesterday makes me feel better about the season, because we have showed we can attack and play goid stuff when need be, but also defend aswell.

There's a club not far north from us in Islington that have a manager who does just that, some people here are probably better off checking them out going by some comments here.

Controlling or dominant game like the reverse fixture last season? Liverpool and Arsenal at home? Everton away were we were dominant and desperately unlucky to lose?

It really grates my geers that some people here went AWOL when we were winning and playing great stuff, two draws in a week one away to the champions ffs and they are all over the forum like a rash. As for some of the comments here since the match yesterday, sweet jesus, I don't like going down the agenda line but sometimes you have to wonder.......

For me it depends on the oppo and the circumstance, yesterday was understandable because our defence has been shaky so far and if we expose them it would have been a long day. Against Arsenal we should press them high because they simply cannot cope with it, against Madrid we should sit back and counter when we can.

We did at The Ethiad in his second season, we even did it at home vs Arsenal when Didier got two, under Rafa we "parked the bus" (I hate that phrase) at Eastlands aswell as the home game vs City the game at Anfield also. It's a legitimate tactic that a lot of managers use and will continue to especially away to title rivals.

Fair enough and I can't say I enjoy it but can understand it, well if not all most. Fergie, Rafa, Carlo, Wenger pre 2005 I could think of a page full of games those lot played similar tactics to us yesterday in PL games alone if I racked my brains together, I have already given some examples above.

It was no different to how Carlo approached the game at Eastlands in 10/11 or Fergie did that season or the year after at the same place. All the top managers are partial to defensive games when need must but when Jose does it he's the second coming off Kim Jong Un.

It wasn't nice but we were heading to the home of the mist in form team in Europe and had half a team out, if we tried to fight fire with fire we would have had our backsides tanned and quite frankly we would deserved it.

Ferguson had players like Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney avalible to him yet almost always wentoto Highbury, Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Ethiad with similar tactics to what we did yesterday, even pre 2005 Wenger played these type of games when needed and that was with Henry, Bergkamp and Pires at his disposal. Being cautious in big games isn't anti football, it's common sense, or do you want to lose 5-1 at Anfield in November?

His use of the ball is average at best horrible at worst, however we need the balance he offers in big games, especially if Cesc plays.

http://gifdistrict.tumblr.com/post/15597009342/the-grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side

Actually I disagree, if we decline big style then yes probably but if we are still maintaining a high level what will be the point?Now in the era of FFP, remaining in the CL ia crucial (as funny as Wengers top 4 is as a good as a trophy comment is for banter purposes, he's not wrong, is he?) and with competition as high as it's ever been before having a competent manager is crucial. We sack Jose and make another Scolari type error, we could be in big big trouble. Furthermore if you think outside the box re the managers Roman has sacked they run deeper than mere results. With Jose last time he kept him until the situation became untenable, to get away with such bickering and power battles with Roman, you have to be considered in high regard, if RDM for example as much as breathed in Romans direction he would have been sacked on the spot. Speaking of RDM, it was a common myth for years that he judged gaffers on CL success, yet the one who delivered it was sacked at the first opportunity the following season.

Those two and Cudicini were the bright lights in a terribly frustrating season, I felt we were going backwards after that campaign.

Citys defence weren't bad, Liverpool is an anonomly, no defence that bad will challenge for the title again in a long long time and even then you could say there shite defence caught up with them in terms of there title bid.It's easier to win 1-0 and 2-1 consistently than 4-3, im not saying go back the post new year approach of last season but a bit more balance will be needed at some point.

We can't play the way we have so far until we get some proactive CBs in, luckily we have a manager who isn't a idiotic purist so he will sort it sooner rather than later. Im not saying go all out defensive, however playing the way we have been so far will catch up with us if it carries on.

Atletico look a shadow of their former selves defensively this season, they looked like conceding every time they didn't have the ball in Greece.Furthermore Courtois showed in Genk that he can flourish without a protective system, he made many saves in the closing minutes in the title decider when if he let as much as one in, title was gone. I can understand the argument for Cech being better, but Tibo has well and truly earned the status he has.