The Mak

I'm very grateful for all the important goals, thanks Demba. The best of luck. At the same time though I can't help but feel happy to see the back of him, especially since we got our money back. He never suited us or the team as a whole, even as 3rd striker.

19 if Ba is actually on his way (probably what they're waiting for). His number at Atletico.

Pics or it didn't happen.

I said similar, not the same. Yes, where Isco would lack vision compared to Mata he would make up in speed and dribbling ability, but that's it. I think they would hit similar numbers if he was given a free role as Mata was given here because that's the type of role they need to thrive, but Mourinho doesn't want CAMs to act as traditional no. 10s. In Mourinho's team there seems to be only 1 player allowed, not even a free role, but a less restrictive one and that position is currently occupied by Hazard (who still gets shit for not tracking his man).

Currently offensively better than both Oscar and Willian (combined probably!). But we know that offense isn't really a number one priority for Mourinho's AMs...he's similar to Mata and that's why I can't see it happening.

André! The difference maker and my money maker! You beauty! Wooohooooo!

I'm just happy Luiz won't be gifting the ball back to the opposition anymore. But God help us all if Ivanovic decides to take over long distance free kicks, he tried a few last season and it was dreadful.

I don't actually have a son, but I know my Dad is a massive disappointment... P.S. My Dad is Hulk.

Probably the most disappointing thing since my son.

I'm nearly 100% sure that he kicked the ball too far ahead of himself and purposefully put his leg into whoever it was and fell over. I don't blame him though (especially after the pen that wasn't given). It seemed like he was the only one who was giving it his all throughout the game in spite of the scoreline. I'll be excited to see him back in the team if he performs like that for us. He wanted to be involved in absolutely everything.

More of a chance of Josh going there than Pogba coming here at the moment!

Yeah, he's definitely waiting for Roman's yacht to come around the corner.

My last posts already answered this, but I'll say again: Yes, their team is great, and that's the only thing that has barely won them the league those two times. All those wages and millions spent over the past number of years and it has equated to two very unconvincing league wins, good for them. Looking beyond that though, it's all very hollow. When you can question their drive and motivation because they can make Cardiff and Villa away look like world beaters, something is amiss. Couple that with the fact that we outplayed them home and away with an much inferior squad, their past 'success' is hardly an accurate yardstick to compare the upcoming season to when our squad has improved significantly by comparison. Another thing is that City's squad is so good that it's hard to imagine that Mangala making a 'massive' impact on the squad's dimensions. Did Jovetic? I mean, will his impact be as big as Fabregas/Costa for us? I severely doubt it. Again, I'm not saying they're shit, but I hate this fake air of invincibility put around them just because they're signing more players to an already brilliant squad who have hardly walked the league in the past.

And they have been convincing title wins have they? Desperately trying to score in added time at home to QPR to win the league on goal difference and having two rivals throw it away in the last 3 games? Liverpool, with their one-man team and us without a striker and other glaring holes in our squad? Hardly convincing. A 'winning pedigree' is winning the title with a record number of points or with games to spare. A 'winning pedigree' is constantly getting into the last 8-4 of the CL. A 'winning pedigree' is having confidence and consistency. A 'winning pedigree' is us in 04-06 or 09/10. It's more than simply having a fantasy team, it's a mentality and City do not have it yet. There is always an air of doubt which City will turn up: the team that blows other away or the bunch on individual who look like they couldn't be bothered (epitomised by Yaya). Until that air of doubt is gone I don't think anyone is thoroughly convinced by them.

If City sign him or not, we'll still be the strongest defensively. It won't matter. There's enough potential brain farts between Hart, Kompany and Pellegrini for the coming season. Not to mention Aguero who has become a sicknote; and Yaya who will never best the previous season and is more concerned with money and that massive chip on his shoulder. I'm not saying we'll walk the league, but City aren't as impressive as some would make it. They relied on others like us and Liverpool handing it to them last season rather than winning it on their own brilliance. Anyway, I never saw what the hype was about Mangala. I sometimes imagine that Porto & Benfica have their own hype-machines to help with inflating transfer fees. But we'll see how good he actually is when he's in a top league.

You've got to love the TC members who suddenly turn into Sherlock Holmes when we're simply mentioned alongside one of their favourite players or current 'flavour of the month'; trying to desperately piece together 0 + 0 to get 2!

I don't understand why people are getting themselves so worked up over such a non-story. It's never happening. We currently have Mikel, Ramires, Matic, Fabregas and a player a lot seem to have totally forgotten about, Van Ginkel. None of them seem to be going anywhere so we're not signing Pogba as far as I can see. And don't even get me started on the transfer fee...

Yeah, and the work around his neck lines is fucking terrible!

Hardly a knee-jerk reaction when some people like myself have been saying the similar things about him since he was dropped in place of Mata last September...and that was when he was in form! (Edit) Example: etc.

Looks like he's staying so, fantastic! As I said the other year, I would rather have a young kid with massive potential playing for us (like Kurt) and making mistakes instead of a 25yrs+ Luiz who we were still waiting on to become this WC defender...I was criticised for my suggestion back then! Now look!

Yeah, he English good.

It will happen, the same way Oscar was replaced at the end of such games with Mata in the first half of the season. I'd put money on it if I could!

Sure, but when Fabregas is moved to no. 10 in the last 10-20mins of these sorts of games there will be a reason behind it... When did I say our inability to break teams down was solely his fault? Stop polorising my view. I am saying his much lauded his defensive abilities and inability to create chances certainly does not help such situations (which he is supposed to do as no. 10).

This is my view exactly. Thank you. Some people may confuse me for an 'Oscar hater' or whatever but I'm just saying what I see. I see that his offensive deficiencies really hinder our inability to break down the smaller teams. I always said he deserves one more season before passing complete judgement on him and I really hope he improves in the coming season; both for him and for the good of the team.

I only say these thing because of the needs of the team. Chelsea's needs are different to Barcelona's etc. What was most troubling last season was our inability to break-down defences of smaller teams who sit back. What good is a no. 10 who's 'good at winning the ball in advanced position' when a lot of the teams who face hardly attack us? Shouldn't he have something else in his locker? He is a no. 10 after all?! But even when we faced the big teams, Mourinho preferred Willian as 10! So he is ineffective at breaking down smaller teams yet when we face a team who attack us he isn't used?! Why is that? These are the difficult questions at the moment... Overall, yes; Mourinho has asked him to perform a certain job but that does not mean he is exempt from creating hardly anything when we need it against defensive opposition.