Magic Lamps

As in your sig, I think RDM made mistake setting the team up offensively in the 2nd half. . We should have brought in cahill and bertrand at the interval and parked the bus, but we conceded twice when trying for goal. Suicidal to give such an opponent the space.

If nothing changes, we simply should get used to playing against the ref.IMO we should bring as much technology as useful. NO matter if it disrupts play, the sense of a judging system is to be just, referees simply can't warrant that. I watch football very much i can tell u aout 13-17% of all games played on the highest level (top 5 leagues and major, cl, cl international tournaments(olypmics, continental championships, wc) are starkly affected by referee decisions.

screw the community shield. Most superfluous trophy in history. City simply had luck, crowd and referee on their side. One can simply bash the referee, as he was 90% at fault for our defeat but we won't get better without making up our own errors. Our whole midfield 5 was simply shocking. Besides Hazard, Mata was the worst player on the pitch today. Everything he contributed were some back passes to cech. As some have predicted, he simply does not stand a chance against opponents who are bigger, stronger and above all faster than him. About every player at City is bigger, stronger and faster than Mata. We had literally no playmaker, as he got bullied all the time once again. In those sorts of games he is simply a waste of the place he gets in the line-up. Mata is no player who can shine a whole game, as he is not a combat player, mata lives for moments. He is overly useful in games where the opponent parks the bus or he gets behind the midfield with some space, can put in a decent cross, corner or freekick sometimes, but he is no player we can rely on in every game. Hazard got a rather cold welcome to english football and he will surely need some months to adapt. The same goes for oscar. Studge and Bertrand got some pace in our play again, but u cannot blame our attack for anything, torres was decent, too. Lamps and mikel completely lacked accuracy, it looked sluggish, they surely are not in it already. Lamps gets old, Mikel lacks the class. I agree, both should not be our double pivot. Lamps might still be important as leader, tactician and goalscorer, but his days of him leading our midfield and deciding game per game on his own are over. Mikel's is simply too limited, has too many weaknesses. he is good at holding a ball up and make short-range passes, but that's it. All in all he is not complete enough, both defensively and offensively. Ivanovic is (besides friend oc) the main culprit. Even if not anybody gives him a red there, he should not go in the challenge with such risk.Terry had some blunders once again in a big game, but luiz and maybe even cahill have done so, too, so i would not read that much into it. city are a world class team and they scored some world class goals today. We simply are not that good.

what a bad corner, such a waste

we simply get bullied all over the pitch. We lack structure. City imply had luck and the ref on their side all the time

incredible. wasnt't aware of the blistering pace bertrand possesses

luck goal by bertrand. all in now

mata simply got to go. As I said he only got bullied, turned and passed back all the time

We can do nothign about it. we are inferior to Ctiy even with 11 men, but 12 against 10 is a joke. AFter the lead Savic simply HAD to be sent off, but the ref robbed us.

thank u kevin friend

the ref is such a disgrace. When c.cole commits the exact same foul as agüero, he gets yellow. if our player gets fouled its wave on

what a finish by yaya toure. it was not coming, but deserved somehow. our fault was to play too much football, we should have park the bus. now we will lose

ref has lost it. he must have sent savic off before ivanovic, when he failed his tackle against torres. So he made two crucially wrong decisions. Screw refs, humans are too slow to judge in modern football without technical help.

wonder why we always rather sky a shot than passing to the players in the box? Even though we have spend around 100m € we are a worse side than last season since we lost drogba

There's effort but we are inferior in terms o comination play and individual class in midifled and attack

Don't get your points. I think i have often observed Mata being bullied off the ball by physically stronger opponents. Kroos and Schweinsteiger are as weakish as Mata, so I don't know what that has to do with that, dunno why they should be a benchmark, their defensive abilites are average. I think wigan is enough of a test before the season. Anyhow I don't argue, Mata shouldn't play. But I would not play him for more than one half and probably wouldn't start him for the reasons elucidated above

Considering that India has about one billion consumers, Arthur Cordazo would be great signing if we were to build our fan base at the subcontinent which could be a great coup econimically. In case we were to improve our strike force, I would actually rather consider Oscar Cardozo. Out: Either Malouda OR Benayoun. As seen last season when we badly missed Benayoun as an experienced back up as a consequence of loaning him to a direct rival, which actually was the dumbest move ever since the invention of waterproof teabags. Essien or Meireles. Both are by now quite mediocre as u surely know already, meanwhile on rather inflated wages. In: Azpi or Debuchy, who is actually far more experienced. A buy of a right back makes most sense if he is used regularly. I see Debuchy slicking in better. Hulk. Fuck the price, we need s.o like him with power and versatility, who moves adequately to and with the ball, can force a goal and hit freekicks. He's quality and just made for the EPL.

I never doubted Mata had an astonishing contribution last season, u could argue if he really was our best player last season but he is truly a great player. I also remember when he completely humilated Kompany. Though, 1. this was on the wings so he had more space to execute his skill, 2. he was overturned and stopped by Kompany, who is a distinctly faster player and got overturend and tackled. Okay we got a freekick, but that is what i am aiming at. He might have brought the ball some metres (or " yards " ) into the oppositon's half, but here is why that exact action indicates, why he is NOT and automatic choice for the City game. Mata went to the wing ( in a sort of counter attack try ) because he got bullied in the center. We need to counter attack city over the wings, which is one of the most effective ways to beat them. As u say Mata is not suited for a counter attacking game. On the wings he is to slow and not effectively tracking back, in the centre he will get bullied by City. In addition one reason because his form sunk a bit in the latter stages of te season was because he was so tired of playing all the time, he lacked sharpness. Now he comes back from the Olympics. I would not want to play a not completely refreshed Mata against some of the most physical defensive players of the EPL.

I also remember the exact same words from the wigan spirtng director

For what? Mata will get bullied off the ball all the time as he is always against physically much stronger opponents or whenhe is not fresh. Against yaya toure and de jong he will not hold on to one single ball

GEt your point. But what is Arjen Robben, Ribery, e.g. then? Players who can play on both wings but prefer to play on the flank they can cut in on theri strong foot but can also go wide?

A new striker should provide us with sth extra. Sturridge and Torres are rather finishers, who rely on their acceleration and good service from the team mates. A stirker who is just physical would solve nothing. Physicality only is useful if u have the cleverness and the moves to gain advantage through strength. What we need IMO is a clever, complete, experienced striker. Drogba was so special, not only because he was so powerful but because he could create as well as score a goal out of nothing. He gets a long ball at the edge of the box and BOOM makes a goal ot of it. He goes out wide and crosses inch perfectly, he goes deep into midfield, carries the ball 30 yards forward and gets a freekick. No striker will ever replace him but everything I expect is a striker who can actually participate in the play, gets in the right spaces, has a good decision making and gets not too frustrated about lack of service can simply force a goal with in any legal way, score with his knee, chin or shoulder, wait for the error, puts his effort in the danger zone, does not let his confidence be impeded by lack of scoring so much and simply does, what he does best, nothing extraordinary but reliable. Torres problem often is he tries too hard but acts not clever enough. He tries to participate in the play, but is simply not natural with it. He tries to work himself a goal but then is missing in the box.

Firstly this match is by no means unimportant. If we are to challenge for the title, City will be our biggest rivals. Beating them would just send a strong message to English Football. Additionally it would maintain RDMs perfect record in finals, boost our confidence and could accelerate the development of the squad in its new structure. Parking the bus as against barca and bayern is simply not possible as we lack a striker who can effectively play as left back AND score decisive goals. without Bertrand or Kalou we are also missing a relatively fast winger who can counter AND defend. Nonetheless trying to force our non-existent attack play on City is equally futile... Silva has never really performed against us, but I have also never been excited about Nasri. At any rate, we probably have to cede the midfiel to City anyway. With an Essien in decent form, we completely dominated City in 2011 at the Bridge and comprehensively beat them, This time, Yaya and de jong will absolutely bully Ramires or mata off the ball fi deployed there. Richards, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Clichy like to attack excessively. That is where were we will catch them, when their fullbcks are off position we have to win the ball deep in midfield and lamps can send out his inch-perfect diagonals for ramires to run after, storm forward and play a simple flat cross to the striker or finishing himself. Rambo mihgt be a CM esp a RCM, perfect for a diamond or 4-3-3 but in a defensive, counter oriented 4-2-3-1 he is the perfect weapon for the RW, as he tracks the fullback back, deep in our half and then is in the position to sprint forward when we got the ball back, can't think how often we scored because he was able to overturn the fullback. The problem is, we don't have s.o. like him for the other flank. Don't get me wrong, I strongly advise against using him regularly wide out there instead of signing a proper RW, but for the next game we need him there To control Agüero (who I still feel should be here instead of Torres), we need our fastest and most mobile defender. In this particular game, I'd also rather have Malouda or even Benayoun ahead of Marin from beginning. Marin is a good player, but anyone can skin a MLS-defender. In games as these, experience is more important. At last, Lamps and Mikel are an automatic choice for the double pivot. Mikel and Lampard are most comfortable when they seldom have to move more than 10m in a faster tempo. ACtually, Mikel and Lamps conduct themselves to footballs as Cats do to water. They don't really like to stay in contact with the ball longer or even move with it even though they are able to do so, but they like to have it for a few touches once in a while, but swiftly get rid of it. Playing rather defensively will surely enable them to get the space in front of the box clean and lamps to build up play from the deep or start the counter

Moses is a fast, strong, very athletic player, a natural winger, almost completely two footed. He is a decent finisher. His technique is good but not great. In terms of playing style, Valencia is probably who he comes cloesest to. His weaknesses are his lack of vision and his rather average passing. As of now he would probably fit in and compete with Marin for the RW spot. In case we ahve to wait for mata and oscar of who i dunno how they would do in RW, I would say he would be first11 RW, as he is better than ramires there Reportedly we have agreed a bid of 8m to sign him. Don't know how reputable the source is http://www.myfootballresults.co.uk/chelsea-agree-fee-for-wigan-youngster/15627

Lewa is called the "Polish Torres" but he is a far more intelligent player, not relying only on his instincts as torres does but haivng a great football brain, too. Could work on his general conversion rate, anyhow his ability to score in the big games at crucial moments ( 4 goals against bayern in the 2 games deciding dfb-pokal and deutsche meisterschaft all goals to brilliant points of time) are poised to reach drogba-esque extents, its unbelievable how clinical he was in these games, converting literally every shot. Would love him here next season, Torres has 2 good years in him maximum and maybe we should not rely on studge or lukaku to become worldclass.