[Archived] Man City Preview

[RibbleValleyRover]

Overall i was happy with the performance, on another day we would have won that game if we had our finishing boots on.

Positives:

N'zonzi- Looks like he has some decent potential. Plays a simple game by putting in tackles winning headers and playing simple short passes. I could see him playing a sitting role with someone more attacking alongside him. Dunny, Reidy and Emerton could play a role there (if they are fit) by giving them the freedom to bomb forward.

Pedersen- Best performance i've seen from him for a long time. Still not anywhere near the quality he has 3 seasons ago but hopefully he's back on track.

Givet and Samba- Pretty solid as a pairing, thought Samba was partly at fault for the first goal when he lost possession in midfield and didn't track Adebayor back. Givet was rock solid as usual.

Diouf- Thought he put some decent crosses in, worked hard as usual.

Jacobsen- Thought he had a decent enough debut, put in some decent crosses from deep and thought he did a good job marking Robinho when he was on the left.

Robinson- Thought he made some decent saves when he had to, couldn't really do too much for the goals.

Negatives:

Finishing- Struggled in pre-season to score goals and still have a problem putting the ball back into the net. In most games with the players we have we are only going to create a handful of chances per game, so when they come we have to capitalise on them. Roberts in particular shouldn't be starting games imo, i'd use him more as an impact sub.

Andrews- Thought he had a poor game, put pressure on the defence and his midfield partner.

Roberts- Shouldn't be a starter for me, if we create a few chances per game we need to put them away and Roberts can't be relied on to do that. I'd drop him for the next game and play Di Santo, bring Roberts on as an impact sub.

I wouldn't be worrying yet, though if we continue to not put the ball in the net then we will worry. Still got a lot of players to come back (basically our first choice central midfield) and enough positives to take into our next game.

[roversmum]

Robinson didn't even 'hoof' a few of the times he got the ball. I guess in the end folks see what they want to see. I went hoping to enjoy the match and I did. I was sorry we weren't able to put away several of the chances we created, which would have resulted in game, set and match. However, if we play like that for the season we will win a fair few matches and as someone said, we have a few strong players to come back from injury yet.

Could someone send Big Jase round to Rovers Nest please? I've got a few maps he might benefit from, including one showing where the net is...

Hughesey, Eddie Nedwhateverhisnameis and Bowen got up my nose a bit when they celebrated the second goal. I'm not a violent woman but I felt a strong urge to smack them

[bob fleming]

take away our set pieces today, and we had nothing. IF some fans enjoy that and want that sort of football, thats certainly their choice, but i will never accept such an approach. ITS BORING AS HELL. As said in a previous post, i know its unrealistic to play like spain or barca, but its certainly possible to mix it up a bit. To totally rely upon a long ball into the oppositions area, and then cross your fingers that somethings comes out of it, isnt my kind of football.

You're right, get it down on the deck and play through the middle every time. The only instruction should be to "Give it to Keith". Barry and Ireland would have been powerless to stop us.

Hoofball?!? FFS. You're utterly clueless.

Are we going to have this "Hoofball" / "Anti Football" bolloks continually spouted on here whilst Sam is our manager? It's a tedious media cliche and a shame that some of you are unable to tell the difference. Sure Stoke away last season was dreadful, but there's a world of difference between that and yesterdays performance (although we only lost 1-0 at Stoke).

Oh by the way, I don't suppose Morten ever took a long throw whilst Hughes was our manager did he? We never played a long ball ever? Remember this last season? A ball was hoofed up field (Hoofball), much yardage, to Torres who took one touch before finishing Sheareresque past Robinson. Dreadful stuff it was. Far too direct.

[Wolverine]

I am glad quite a few of you watched the same game as me yesterday - Rovers put up a good effort against a team of very good individuals. Man for man we were outclassed on paper, and should have expected a drubbing, but the players showed some fight. Let's not forget, though, first game of the season. Everton fans will probably be hanging themselves after yesterday, but will any of us bet against a top half finish for them?

The result was disappointing for us and in my opinion the difference between defeat and a draw at least was down to one man - Shay Given. He looked very sharp as far as shot stopping went yesterday and is still City's best signing so far. The fact we had several shots on goal may indicate poor finishing but don't take anything away from Shay, he was very good for them. As for the rest of City, as expected not exactly gelling yet and individuals seem more interested in trying to be the hero, but it will likely come together for them. The scally contingent of the City fans were more annoying than ever yesterday - they really have no sense ofperspective at all do they?

I was impressed with Jacobson in that he played like he has been with us for a few seasons already. No-one yesterday had a shocker, despite several cock-ups. All in all I am cautiously optimistic about the season, and for all the doubting and praising I have seen on here I think I will wait a couple more games for the players to settle before I get caught up in the playing style debate.

[bob fleming]

my point, while exaggerated was, that we relied too much upon set pieces and long passes aimed at their area. While crossing our fingers, that the odd ball would land at a rovers player feet.

if thats the way you like the game, feel free to defend the percentage style as much as you want. Its a style ill never be a fan of.

The mind boggles, honestly. Are you actually a Rovers fan? What do you think other teams do? What will Man U do today from a set piece? Hope it lands on one of their players heads or feet I would imagine - with fingers crossed.

[roversmum]

Bouncing off a head into the net will do for me.

[Big Fat Sam]

Why not put the ball in at any oppurtunity, we have several in the squad who are giants we'll get a few across the season from those. Then we play a bit when we've got possesion, its nice to see that Sam has managed to put his stat's part together with a playing part as lots of us feared he wouldn't.

But sorry Jaccobsen didn't fill me confidence at all but it could well have been debut nerves, I can see why Sam wants Salgado. Just not convinced.

We do need a better regular central player but since we can only afford one, I wonder if Sam would consider this (after he squeezes some blood out of the stone)

-----------------------Robbo------------------------

Salgado------Samba-------Givet---------Warnock

Hoillet-------N'zonzi---------Gamst--------Diouf

---------------Benni----------Di Santo------------

Bit of a re-shuffle but I reckon its adds a lot more to the team attacking wise.

[Amo]

It could be worth moving Pedersen in-field, particularly at home. Let's face it, he'd offer us a darn sight more than Andrews did yesterday. We could then give Olsson a run on the left flank, someone with a little bit of pace and enthusiasm.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Having come back from the game and having sat with a Citeh fan (my girlfriend couldn't make it, so I gave her ticket to a Citeh supporting mate). All my mate could say is how bad our long ball approach was. I tried to play it down saying we had injuries etc, but it really was bad. I've no idea how Pedersen got MOM. What did he or any of our midfielders actually do? Maybe playing in a totally @#/? midfield makes him look above average, but all I saw was his usual inability to cross,pass or shoot.

Roberts is useless. full stop. He can't score. if he were a horse, he'd have been sent to the glue factory before we even signed him. Benni, shows flashes of skill, but not much. Still seems to be offside every time the ball gets played to him

The midfield was a non entity. Andrews neither seemed to defend or attack for most the game, I reckon an under 15 would be more effective in midfield.

Diouf is past it, though he did a bit better than usual. I don't remeber seeing Nzonzi winning a header since he was jumping half an hour too early for EVERY single header. Maybe gravity is different in murder central south africa?

We'll stay up, but my £38 was well wasted today on seeing us become the new Bolton, except without the class upfront. I'll probably get slated for this post, but what the heck

. Not only are we ######, we are a long ball, boring boring ###### team.

The defence played well I though, though their long balls up to 'strikers' weren't so good.

Citeh didn't get out of second gear. It is very annoying to see Sam make out that we were unlucky. We could have played our aimless balls into the box all day and we'd have never have scored. It was ###### awful to watch, all we did was play hopefull(hopeless) balls into the 'mixer' in hope something would fall to our useless """"strike force"""". Poor old Franco, I can't see him getting much usefull experience with us, unless Chelsea are going to resort to hit and hope football. We made Wimbledon look like Sexy football today.

Think you've been spending too much time listening to City fans. We were very good for most part yesterday.

[greco]

You're right, get it down on the deck and play through the middle every time. The only instruction should be to "Give it to Keith". Barry and Ireland would have been powerless to stop us.

Hoofball?!? FFS. You're utterly clueless.

Are we going to have this "Hoofball" / "Anti Football" bolloks continually spouted on here whilst Sam is our manager? It's a tedious media cliche and a shame that some of you are unable to tell the difference. Sure Stoke away last season was dreadful, but there's a world of difference between that and yesterdays performance (although we only lost 1-0 at Stoke).

Oh by the way, I don't suppose Morten ever took a long throw whilst Hughes was our manager did he? We never played a long ball ever? Remember this last season? A ball was hoofed up field (Hoofball), much yardage, to Torres who took one touch before finishing Sheareresque past Robinson. Dreadful stuff it was. Far too direct.

first of all mighty bob, ill state my opinion on whatever i feel like. Just because the mighty bob, doesnt feel like hearing other peoples opinion, just because he is tired of it, couldnt mean less to me.

ahh i see, so whenever someone questions the tactics, we are hypnoitized by the media, we are utterly clueless and cant tell the difference.. im really glad the mighty bob, is here so he can set the record straight.

what im asking for, if your mental capacity can cope with it, is that we mix it more.

[Big Fat Sam]

It could be worth moving Pedersen in-field, particularly at home. Let's face it, he'd offer us a darn sight more than Andrews did yesterday. We could then give Olsson a run on the left flank, someone with a little bit of pace and enthusiasm.

Olssons an option for sure, I just thought that with Salgado's game experience he would be able to guide him through and with Holliet being probably our quickest player he should be one the pitch, if andrews is the benchmark.

Di Santo won quite a few in the air as well once he came on, knock downs for Benni and Gamst diouf could even curl them in with his right foot from the left flank. Holliet can't cross to well so have benni on the cut back he'd get a few from there with his finishing.

I really do have to say that N'zonzi looked good yesterday lets hope he keeps that level of performanace.

You can play so many more different types of passes with left footers in the centre, two right footers and two left footers in there would give us a complete range of forward passing and if we're focusing down the flanks then thats esential. Dioufy's tricky enough to get on his right foot most of the time and his lefts not all bad either. Gamst could probably still win the london marathon after a agme he must eat duracell's, so put him the middle since he can pass the ball around with the possibility of finding a team mate or space.

I have just had a thought perhaps keiths colourblind and got the shirts mixed up yesterday??????

Looking forward to Sunderland and keen to see what Sam changes when we're away from home!!

[greco]

The mind boggles, honestly. Are you actually a Rovers fan? What do you think other teams do? What will Man U do today from a set piece? Hope it lands on one of their players heads or feet I would imagine - with fingers crossed.

so now yoyur questioning if im a rovers fan, well as im clueless, cant tell the difference, you might help me uot with answering such a question, after all the mighty bob is the queen of knowing-it-all.

nah what i meant was and is, that the hoof and hope tactics could be expandeed, with abit of variety. perhaps it wasnt as well articulated, but i apologise, as i thought the mighty bob, would/could still understand.

[philipl]

so now yoyur questioning if im a rovers fan, well as im clueless, cant tell the difference, you might help me uot with answering such a question, after all the mighty bob is the queen of knowing-it-all.

nah what i meant was and is, that the hoof and hope tactics could be expandeed, with abit of variety. perhaps it wasnt as well articulated, but i apologise, as i thought the mighty bob, would/could still understand.

Of course you are entitled to your opinion but it is still bobbins.

Rovers were not particularly effective but that wasn't hoofball yesterday by any stretch of the imagination.

[JAL]

It could be worth moving Pedersen in-field, particularly at home. Let's face it, he'd offer us a darn sight more than Andrews did yesterday. We could then give Olsson a run on the left flank, someone with a little bit of pace and enthusiasm.

Olsson scares me as a premiership full back, for me big Sam needs to carefully select Olsson against teams that suits his strengths. I think Olsson should be playing at Championship level for several years, gain the experience, see how he's performed and then make a judgement on wether he should be playing premiership football.

[cletus]

I think 2-0 flattered Citeh yesterday.

Rovers (in my view) didn`t harrass them enough.

With the team we have, i`m not expecting many points this season from teams like Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea & City (probably zero points tbh+......but i do think we`ll get points off the other teams. We are far from bad

Rovers forward line looked weak today, but Pedersen was my MoM.....

[Amo]

Olsson scares me as a premiership full back, for me big Sam needs to carefully select Olsson against teams that suits his strengths. I think Olsson should be playing at Championship level for several years, gain the experience, see how he's performed and then make a judgement on wether he should be playing premiership football.

I never said play him as a full-back. Put Olsson on the left wing to take the pressure off him, and see what he can do.

[thenodrog]

For what is is worth I agree( see above post) I was embarrassed today. We are really awfull. If todays match was a sign of thibgs to come, then I think I'd rather not bother. Paying good money to watch hoofball, no thanks.

Good thats that now go away in short jerky movements and buy a ST at Eastlands.

Mark Hughes song fits you well.........

Pimp for the Arabs,

You're just a pimp for the Arabs,

Pimp for the Arabs

You're just a pimp for the Arabs

[Ste B]

P.S. Not sure what Ste B is on about, I saw the game from start to finish today. Even the three minutes we were level.

But you certainly wasn't there.

[thenodrog]

People may take more notice of your posts, if you at least attended the game or delayed your derogatory remarks until after the watershed.

Good spot but no they wouldn't.

I sat there yesterday listening to the Rovers fans singing "There's only one Jack Walker" and I wondered if those City fans enjoying their new-found wealth would be chanting "There's only one Sheikh Al-Maktoud*" nearly 10 years after he's gone. I somehow doubt it.

Likely as not there won't be a Man City when the money pulls out.

[trs]

Mate of mine from work came with me today, asking my son who his favourite player was, his reply Diouf!

That's my boy.

[JAL]

I never said play him as a full-back. Put Olsson on the left wing to take the pressure off him, and see what he can do.

Olsson could have played left back yesterday for Man City, such was our weakness down our right flank. Its this sort of opposition that you have to judge, in order to allow Olsson to play and not expose him as a weakness to his team.

[thenodrog]

If you mean the last ditch challenge on him just as he was about to shoot with his left peg, he got the ball. Had Benni not had his half time pie he would probably have got his shot away. Had it been Jason, at least he would have hit the Blackburn End.

It was highlighted by Sky Sports I think. The commentator said that he delayed his shot too long. Also the tackle was clean.

[bob fleming]

ill state my opinion on whatever i feel like.

Look, sorry if I was a tad harsh earlier. Of course you can state your opinion, it's a messageboard, but don't take umbridge if you get shot at for talking, in my opinion, absolute drivel. Drivel that quite frankly is peddled out far too easily by many without our own doing it.

[thenodrog]

The result was disappointing for us and in my opinion the difference between defeat and a draw at least was down to one man - Shay Given. He looked very sharp as far as shot stopping went yesterday and is still City's best signing so far.

imo NUFC would still be in the prem but for the baffling decision to sell him in Jan when they were on the edge of a relegation dogfight.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I watched the match on a poor quality big screen so picking out exactly who had the ball wasn't easy some of the time.Having said that overall I was impressed with the effort on show especially after going behind to such an early goal. The defence by and large was solid and because Nzonzi played a disciplined game in the defensive midfield role City very rarely got at our throats. I'm not bothered if he only passes it 10 yards as long as it goes to a blue and white shirt, how far did Makalele pass it ?

It's when we come to attacking play I have worries. We have nobody who can do what Ireland did at the death, run beyond the forwards and overload the opposition back four. Our wingers never get to the dead ball line, consequently all the crosses coming in are relatively easy to defend against. Our front two are not mobile enough to pull decent centre halves around, Roberts in particular is just not sharp enough, he needs six chances before he'll put one away and won't make six chances for him most games. Most of the time Toure simply ran along side him and just waited for the inevitable miscontrol of the ball. We do play the ball long too often, most of the time we're hoping for a kind bounce of the ball which yesterday we never got. In a sentence our attacking play is too obvious and predictable.

Until we can find a Berkovic, Bohinen even a Sherwood type player who can ask questions in midfield our style of play won't change.

Scores

Robbo 6 Did O.K., one great save, boo boo for the 2nd goal.

Jacobson 6 O.K. for a debut, not the answer though, I'd prefer a fit Emmerton.

Samba 6 Looked less than fully fit to me, usual Samba though, gave 100%.

Givet 7 Top defender, smells danger and usually snuffs it out.

Warnock 6 Not at his best, got skinned a couple of times by SWP.

Diouf 6 Quiet, especially after Adebayor gave him a stiffener in the first half.

Andrews 5 Not good enough for what is a key rolein modern football, he can't run at teams.

Nzonzi 7 Impressive debut, keeps it simple.

Pedersen 6 Bit better than usual, MOTM ? you're having a laugh.

Roberts 4 Just a blunt instrument.

McCarthy 5 Not mobile enough.

Subs

De Santo Looked willing , got no service at all.

Gallagher O.K. but not mobile enough either.

Hoilett, not on long enough to judge, looked a bit over awed.