Top to bottom!

So it's bottom of the league and we set up in the same formation as the Derby and pretty much Sevilla, give or take Navas, and once again I am unfortunately proved right! In that all the pundits after Sevilla were raving about City turning a corner with: Pellegrini's new formation (which it wasn't I reiterate it was the flat Derby team!), Pellegrini's tactical abilities (of which he has none!!), and I warned it was a false dawn!

The reason for the correct warning is we have some players who raise their game for the world stage, everything pretty much just went our way against Sevilla and finally and most importantly Pellegrini is dog shit! For I don't believe he has that dressing room in his pocket and why would he for you just wouldn't respect his decisions or tactics! So let's not focus on the dull game itself at Villa park against a load of bottom of the league has beens, misfits and nobody's who rode their luck for 90 minutes, rather pull apart the decisions that made it happen!

So Pellegrini goes home from Sevilla inflated by the swooning press, who seem to have no memory, and sits in bed patting himself on the back in his Spider-Man pyjamas. Then he comes up with the tactical brainwave of barely change it, genius!!! Even when we are now playing bottom of the league who just dug in, we stuck with two defensive centre mids?? Even when one knows Yaya lifted his game for the world stage and isn't great at two games in the week at the best of times?? As is also the case with Bony (and low and behold Bony get's injured!).

The team was there for all to see to be picked! For the defence due to injuries picks itself at the moment, with Clichy still probably not match fit, Zaba still out and the centre backs a given at the moment. Then you look to the midfield and it should have been Fernadinho, de Bruyne, with Yaya pushed forward, brought off for Fernando as soon as he stops running and if silva had been fit rested completely. Leaving the wingers as is with Sterling and Navas for it's starting to really work. Finally rest Bony for you can see he gets really tired playing too regularly and start Iheanacho.

If these tactics had been employed we simply would have won! With more penetration, more energy, just more! But no that wasn't to be Manuel probably more concerned with watching an episode of coronation street with his hot chocolate chose to pretty much do nothing, and top of the league couldn't beat bottom of the league! Thank you Manuel I really appreciate your input! Finally adding insult to proceedings Manuel's tactics were the deciding factor in the publisher of this blog not getting his 7 game accumulator bet, sorry Adam I apologies on Manuel's behalf!

Anyway it's the international break so here's hoping Manuel has a personality transplant before the Liverpool game!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier

Flattered and a bit lucky, Awful but lucky and Bloody Brilliant!

So a lot has happened in a week on nearly all fronts! Firstly last Wednesday night comes and brings with it the league cup a competition I am every year always astounded when it is already the final and it seems like the season has only just started! For this game my view was changed as we were bumped from the third tier for a different perspective on the first! I wasn't best pleased with my new temporary seat though as I was randomly selected the Devils chair 666!!!

Anyway the game started and we were set up in the dreaded formation! We rode out a few early scares with the majority of the first half pretty even, until bony scored a thunder bolt of a header and then (easily man of the match in the end) Iheanacho burst down the wing and with great composure unselfishly squared the ball to De bruyne who slotted it in easily. This pretty much killed palace off and put pay to any first half dogged performances, but not before both sides missed chances once more! Indeed if at any stage Palace could have nicked one it might have been a different game, such was the nights nature. However they didn't and with help of Iheanacho's clinical finishing we were soon away from them in the 2nd half and never looked back as Toure and then another youth player Manu Garcia chipped in with a couple. Which was great for the kid, I just hope the young lad doesn't pronounce his name Man U!!!!!!!! The only bad news of the night being Zaba being stretchered off with a knee injury, gutted for the guy and he was just starting to look like he was getting his match fitness back as well! Once again he will be missed.

Next it was the arrival of the Canaries at the weekend in one of those games you just expect to win, but one of those games over the past year or so we seem to be making a meal of and can actually often now lose! The game started off so flat it was awful, as they seemed to play with 5 at the back and a sweeper as we struggled to unlock them. I remember looking up at the big screen expecting to see 40 odd minutes on the clock and only 23 had gone it was the slowest half of football I think I have ever seen at the Etihad. The team sheet in this game I actually completely agreed with Manuel on, but this was when I assumed we would play 4,5,1 with De Bruyne in the middle however it looked distinctly like 4,4,2 with Yaya again, and De Bruyne on the wing, something I don't agree with. Then all of his substitutions I completely disagreed with, Iheanacho for Sterling I thought was a stupid move as once again Pellegrini seems unable to understand how to build confidence.

However then Otamendi somewhat steadied the ship with a great header, the guys like a salmon for a central defender who is barely 6 foot, he's like a monster in the air both at the back and going forward. I already like this guy a lot and think him and Kompany look like being formidable.

Then soon after one is reminded that if you don't take your earlier chances what can happen as Hart who had made some great safes earlier in the day made a school boy error letting Norwich back into the game. Hart thus far is having a much better season than last season and coincidentally I don't see him on as many adverts! (especially now his hairline is receding!!), however he still has too many mistakes in him for truly world class, especially in smaller games where he seems to have lapses in concentration. On a big stage he seems to rise to the occasion, for let's face it he craves the attention! Also invariably on a large stage the team is good so he is constantly in the action, but put him in a small pond against a team where he has little to do and his mind wanders, and probably starts plotting his next advertising campaign rather than focusing on the incoming cross!!

So with about 10 minutes to go we wake up to ourselves and actually start playing like we want to win this game with the subsequent pressure resulting in their captain purposefully acting like a second keeper to prevent a certain goal resulting in an early shower! To be fair I would have done it, why not! However it was to no avail as Yaya slotted it home to steady the ship! Then within minutes we had another penalty as we rose from our slumber but with Yaya now subbed off the pitch, players began to bitch about who was taking it, with it eventually falling to Kolarov as he first had a senior moment in putting all the young upstarts in their place, then had a senior moment with his pathetic penalty kick that looked like someone with a hip replacement had taken it and thank god it didn't prove to be vital for then he would have looked like a proper idiot! Anyway the final whistle went and it was so City! Yes we won, but my god it was a bloody awful performance it was painful right to the end, for a leopard doesn't change it's spots too much. Again I blame Pellegrini for his in play tactics, substitutions and general motivation.

Then comes Sevilla, and God know's what to expect! So I arrive at Pablo's a few minutes late as he is the only one who has the 'extortionate!' BT Sport and we'd just ourselves finished a game of 5 aside. Entering the room I find out that already Sterling has scored and we are now playing like world beaters! I look to my already present brother and he has the excitement of a kid at Christmas we are playing that well. God it was good that game hey! I loved it to watch. We turned up. We wanted it. It was a joy to watch and highlighted what potential sits in our grasps waiting to be more regularly unlocked.

Why did it work this night I hear you cry?! Well it worked because our wingers turned up and for varying reasons took it to the next level. Navas with a point to prove at his old club and Sterling with Iheanacho snapping at his heals, pushed on to another level both finding that final ball whether it was a shot or a cross. It made us dynamic, exciting and dangerous. Yaya turned up for once probably excited by the world stage shop window to impress. Fernadhino was amazing as he has been all season, he is my player of the season already (yes I am calling it before Christmas) and even Fernando looked like a world class midfielder. Kompany coming back has definitely steadied the ship bringing one of our talisman back to the table and flooding confidence back into the team. Himself and Otamendi I again reiterate look gorgeous together! So much so they can even carry a useless but slightly loveable Kolarov, who is only lovable when we are winning! Hart was great again his ego desperate to impress in front of such an audience and his concentration never questioned for his mind had no chance to wander to anything else. With Sagna and Bony solid performers who did what they needed to do.

So we win rightfully so and I here in the press conferences the pundits swooning over Pellegrini like they have no short term memory! With the potential we have such performances shouldn't be surprising yet they are at the moment. I heard the press saying about his new formation?? That was the side he put out against 'Them lot!' Barring De Bruyne instead of Navas it wasn't some new master stroke and we didn't look like world beaters in the Derby! Like I said earlier in a previous post what we will win this year we will win despite Manuel not because of him and don't forget Norwich it was only 3 days earlier! But let's not take anything away from the fact that it was one of the most enjoyable city games I have ever seen, well done lads, please keep it up.

Colin bell stand, third tier.

HOW DID THEY NOT GET HAMMERED?!

What a weird game that was hey! We only just made kick off after being stuck in awful traffic, due to the ongoing sink hole on the mancunian way and the students returning to south Manchester! Sat there we discussed the team sheet on Forza and for the first time, in god knows how long, I was in agreement with him! However retrospectively and based on performance I think there was one fundamental mistake, but we will get to that later!

Jim was the only one at the ground early, after his Chelsea game sink hole disaster! So he made a few bets for us in there that I conveyed from the traffic. They were what you would expect for such a game 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, with the only bet left in play at half time being West Ham winning at half time and us at full time! Something five minutes into the 2nd half I was convinced would come in at a 100 quid!

Anyway the teams come out and no Silva! (who was present on the forz app) He had been replaced by Navas due to injury. No Silva is never good these days and somewhat deflating as a fan! However we do have De Bruyne now for such occasions so you were still left with hope and anticipation for that midfield, and at least thank god he hadn't just put bony on instead like at Palace! That in itself shows the guy has no continuity in his tactics as he plays 4,4,2 away against 2nd in the league, yet doesn't at home! But thank god he didn't or it would have been worse!

The game starts and the hammers come out punching and look much better than those recent embarrassing crumbles at the Etihad under 'Fat Sam'!! (I assume he has once again reverted to 'fat' from 'big'!!!). We then have patches of good play, De Bruyne already looks class, but Yaya looks a bit out of sorts  as does Aguero, uncharacteristically missing a few relatively easy chances and you wonder is he actually fully fit or still carrying a bit of an injury!

Then our somewhat makeshift defence starts to highlight it's true colours and I figure something out retrospectively! Now from mid-week we already know our full backs aren't dynamic enough at top level, but you may think they could shine with a mid-table team, they did not! However the main problem was at centre back! Now in isolation Otamendi looked really good, I already like him, he looks tough, he looks clever, he looks like I could love him like Zaba! But the alleged reassurance of this partnership working because the pair had played together as a partnership at Porto didn't materialise. They didn't communicate well with more of the blame going on Mangala resulting in some soft defending and goals, and touching on the goals again I always have this deep down feeling that somehow Hart could have done a little better with those in between ones that aren't a mistake, but neither a great goal either! Now back to the centre backs it is somewhat weird that the other option was another seasoned partnership! That of the Argentinian national team with the inclusion of Demichelis, and retrospectively this is what should have been in place from kick off! As Demichelis came on and looked like everything Mangala is not, with composure, good positioning and intelligent calm play. It straight away highlighted that such a young immature head like Mangala's can only play with an older calmer head who knows him like Kompany or in fact Demichelis! That is not to say over time Otamendi couldn't play with him and marshal him, but Otamendi is the new guy and probably requires a bit more game time to do that. Indeed Demichelis looked really good and you immediately began to feel sorry for him as the forgotten man! Especially with the empathy of age with myself about to turn 38 this year and refusing to say it is over (No way is it, it's only just begun!!). So looking back when Kompany came off against Juve Demichelis should have come on and the only two parings that should have started this game were Demichelis/Mangala or Demichelis/Otamendi, with the latter more likely the better option. Now for those of you who are regular readers I have stood by Mangala calling for patience. Something I still do believe, even with his inconsistency, but for god sake Pellegrini manage your partnerships correctly and learn quicker about personalities you are with them nearly every day!

So we come out bullish in the 2nd half and although nervous I feel really entertained and excited, it was a really weird feeling this game highlighting we should have never have put ourselves in this position Pellegrini. Fernandinho still looks great, I already love De Bruyne as he looks mercurial! However the major frustration on this day was that unlike Juve we penetrated but once we were in we fluffed final ball after final ball with the two main culprits again bring Navas and Sterling. Bloody hell they are frustrating at the moment because they are both getting into the positions and penetrating something we have needed for years but again highlight both their composures with the final ball is appalling! With almost their assets enabling them to regularly highlight their shortcomings! This needs to be addressed on the training ground and mentally with the composure of these two potentially great wingers! Hopefully things will improve with fit better fullbacks!

So with Aguero out of sorts we fail to score in a second half, a second half we completely dominated with 85% possession! I leave the ground with a weird feeling of adrenalin and excitement co-existing with disbelief and frustration and I continue to hate Pellegrini for it. Looking at those interesting stats they put up around the ground now, with De Bruyne scoring he is the TENTH city player to score this season! Which on one hand is good but on the other hand highlights are strike force isn't scoring many and as highlighted above I put this down to poor supply!

Finally, and off football for a minute I hope you like the new platform! As Pablo's contract is ended early season and he is thrown to the lower leagues of blogs to be forgotten and probably bitterly turn to the drink, in favour of the new big talent that everyone's talking about in my good mate Adam who's day job specialises in such technology, has been reading my blog from his new home in Australia and very kindly offered to update it and drag myself (who is literally Fred Flintstone where technology is concerned!) into the future!!! Being serious Pabs is really happy for me that it looks like the profile of the blog can now rise and more people can read it! Or so he says!! No he generally is, as he knows I.T wiz trumps a high school teacher (with a bit more knowledge than me!) where blogs are concerned!!! The only down side to this new move at present is Adam is a West Ham fan! He bloody had to be didn't he! So inevitably I haven't heard the end of it and no doubt he would focus on different things if he was writing this! But he is not!!

Anyway onwards and upwards I guess and at least it's only Sunderland tonight!!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier.

MISMANAGEMENT.

Well I worried it would happen didn't I, the international break would come and the momentum would go! This in my mind was totally avoidable though! So Pabs is driving me to my bro's to watch some dodgy feed of the Saturday 3 o'clock kick off with Palace (why they don't just grow up, get with the times and make that pay per view as we would between us have paid a tenner at least maybe more for: more clarity, no buffering and not having to switch feed with 20 minutes to go to French commentary, with my obviously fluent GCSE level French struggling to pick a word up!!!!)

Anyway I look on my Forza app and began to swear like fuck, and Pabs by now know's exactly what that means, as he turned to me stating: "seriously 4,4,2 with Yaya". At this point all my hatred for the tactical fool returns like a rush of blood to the head! Why, why, why ,why, why? With Silva and Sterling injured didn't he play Fernandinhio, De Bruyne, Yaya, Navas and Nasri in the midfield and then with Juventus on Tuesday rest Aguero and just play Bony up front?????!! Now this is not some retrospective analysis this I stated as soon as we arrived at my bro's. The fool hasn't got a clue how to squad rotate and adapt to his local environment! Play Bony, show him you want him and he is part of your plans, and in doing so play what looks like a rugby league player against a classic dogged premiership defence. Protecting your jewel who wouldn't begrudge such a move knowing he is being rested for Tuesday night, and finally resulting most importantly in playing 4,5,1 with Yaya.

However none of the above happens for the tactical fool hasn't changed has he! With his decisions and ability to rotate a team leaving us going around in circles! So what a 'huge surprise' Palace push us for most of the first half sapping us of our new found belief. Then something happens with actual short term benefits but ultimately would impact upon Tuesday night as Aguero somewhat predictably gets hacked down! His subsequent injury forcing the tactical fool to change the team to the one he should have started with and in my mind and those around me the switch saving us those 3 points, with eventually our exciting young talent Iheanacho securing them, just! Now how often can you say Aguero getting injured and being taken off actually gains you three points! However there is a huge down side to that as the tough little maestro's name is unable to be placed in the team for Tuesday night, and this is what drives my hatred towards Pellegrini and why I still whilst sat at the top of the league chose to highlight it and rightly so I believe for what we are achieving we are achieving despite Pellegrini, and what we are not quite fulfilling in our potential is because of him and that is my point!

So Tuesday night arrives and no Aguero, Bony somewhat out of sorts at this level with his touch and composure letting him down a bit. However I like him and believe he can deliver, his confidence just needs to be managed by targeting the games (such as Palace) to play him in and make him feel included in a team that by it's very nature has to be mainly set up in 4,5,1, and has one of the best strikers in the world at present with his talent alone demanding that he must play most of the time. So you pay Bony well, but you have to include him, you have to keep his confidence up, and you do this by knowing how to manage a squad which alas Pellegrini does not!

Also, as there has been with every team sheet he has ever put out, there's a tactical error even in the 4,5,1 set up, in that why start Nasri who at present looks slow and fat, instead of Navas? Now I know Navas missed that sitter at the weekend which my Mrs could have put in without her glasses on and in heels, but in general he's made a good start to the season and is ahead of Nasri at present in my mind. Also Navas would have offered penetration down that right side for by the 2nd half we looked like that impotent team from three seasons ago with all the possession but no penetration just loads of dead ends!

Which brings me on to the fact that both our fullbacks were dead ends at this level, as I have suggested would be the case in previous posts, with Kolarov often resorting to his old tactic of falling over to gain a free kick when he has run out of ideas and Sagna doing little if anything dynamic going forward. This is where you notice there is no Zaba as he overlaps so well going forward and can deliver that at the highest of levels. As well as the forgotten man Cliche who has more attacking options in his footballing brain at this unforgiving level than the choice of either smash it or fall over! Again in the pursuit of good squad rotation these two blockers are great for mid table premiership games and cover for bigger ones and should be used as such. With the latter being the case in this ill-fated night, but then your wingers have to penetrate which Navas would have done better and I think sterling shouldn't have been subbed because he did offer some penetration if not the final composure. Indeed this is the worry for both these wingers for they are dynamic but lack composure with their delivery of either a shot or cross.

So what do you need when things aren't going your way you need a manger who can stir you through passion and a belief in him to another level, obviously you know by now this I don't believe is the case! Also you need the ground to feel the importance of the occasion lifting the players to another level something I don't think we are managing successfully as a club and need to address. Yes due to tactical shortcomings Europe has become quite painful for us over the past few years but we need to somehow stop feeling sorry for ourselves and nervous. Yes I was happy to see us pretty much fill our increased capacity, which 10 minutes before kick off didn't look good as many were delayed by the pot hole collapsing again!! (With the first collapse resulting in my mate Jim getting stuck in traffic and missing the Chelsea game, how gutted was he! Which like I said in a previous post might have been my favourite game at the Etihad, something I remind him constantly!!!) However even with a full ground it was still a bit nervously flat! They didn't bring many and we should have given the top tier allocation of the south stand away to school kids or something for free. That won't solve it though I think it requires a plan from club management and to some degree the fans to make a bigger occasion of European games starting earlier and working around the drinking ban. Myself I now finish work early eat in town and meet everyone to make a bigger occasion of it, I'll have started drinking as soon as I get home and then continue in town and obviously always take my hip flask to lace two bottles of coke!! This time with vodka!! I know it can be easier said than done but I think there is too many people simply soberly rushing straight from work to their seat.

Indeed I think more needs to be done around the ground to encourage more of a big night party atmosphere on European nights. Myself I am not a fan of city square it feels like you are drinking in a bus stop or something and would always chose town or Mary D's over it pre-match. Indeed they need more design thought around the stadium and it doesn't have to morf into the modern look of the stadium it could be more cozy, cool and inviting in how it looks. If rumours are to be believed and Asda is going to be levelled and changed into an area of entertainment I hope they take that into account when they do it and don't just create something that looks like a shopping centre or bowling alley with loads of shit chain restaurants! Also you need to have good entertainment on early to get people finishing earlier and congregating around the ground earlier having a good time. If they can achieve this, this would help tremendously for we have gone backwards in atmosphere from the hope of the lights being lowered and the blue moon effect of a few seasons ago to the blue moon pre-match song petering out even before the sped up second verse, something that never happens in the premiership!

Anyway time to go for now, but plenty to think on and let's hope we bounce back against those East end wide boys!!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier.