Boxing Day and Yaya comes out fighting!

I sit here putting one of my New Years resolution into force namely posting my reports earlier! This one I have actually started in stoppage time due to the eventual comfort we have ended this game with! Oh, and there's another!

So, Boxing Day it is and no home game which is always a shame when it happens, but not to get the next game at home well that's just bollocks, bah humbug! Anyway I sit in the warm comfort of my back room and wait for the line-up on Forza. A line up I am happy with only if King Kev is playing up front as neither Nolito or Sterling are good enough to do it! However what follows for the first half is no obvious striker playing up their and I guess if you had to call it Nolito, who I don't mind on his debut season but runs very strange and can't shoot for shit! So what a surprise loads of possession and no penetration and I ask the question why aren't we playing an actual striker in Iheanacho?? Now I know he hasn't delivered in the last couple of starts he had but surely here against bottom of the league is an opportunity to give the kid another chance, whilst giving us better shape and balance.

Other things from a frustrating first half were  Stones started which I agreed with (for as I have already stated when paired with Otamendi in a back 4 earlier in the season all looked good), but he was soon back on the bench after a seemingly superficial knee injury. Now what was interesting was the frosty passing of Pep on the touch line, maybe it's something and nothing but it didn't seem warm and Christmassy. Anyway I think he should come good and does help us play football, and besides Kolarov came on and did a job at his better position of centre back, who would have thought hey! Again a player much better with 4 at the back. Let's just stick to that for now!

So, the second half started and it inevitably started to open up a bit as Hull tired, however Hull had a couple of chances as well early on. Then Pep makes the right decision that I think should have been from the start and takes Nolito off replacing him with Iheanacho and unsurprisingly the game starts to change as De Bruyne starts to dictate properly and Silva delivers on the wing. Soon after Sterling makes them make a mistake with his new found form and Yaya keeps his nerve to sort it out and everything changes. Next the ginger prince, Silva and Iheanacho combine to create a proper football goal highlighting again players in the right position making good decisions, with Iheanacho's natural striker positions being an obvious change from the first half for all to see. Finally Sterling again twists and turns to create the 3rd and the score line eventually flatters somewhat, but with the team at the end actually starting the game it would have been more.

Other things of note being again Yaya solid, looking hungry and a real refreshing change from the past 2 years. The Pep effect, for your manager has to be bigger than your players!

Till next time!

The sofa, back room.

Back on track and guns firing!

So, I sit here writing this a bit late an hour before the Boxing Day game as unfortunately I wasn't one of those '3 weeker' Christmas holiday makers off from the Friday before, rather working up to the death! And who has time on Christmas Eve and day to write with family to please and feed!

So, I sat in my seat for the Arsenal game apprehensive, excited but you know what not that nervous! I wasn't that nervous because I know we are good and as already stated we just need some luck and to finish a few to show people we are actually 3 or 4 goals better than the lucky league leaders! However my nerves raised a little when I saw Sterling up front and turned to the kid next to me and stated that is a really bad idea! Don't get me wrong Sterling has improved a great deal this season from someone I stated last year I wouldn't even pay 50p for, but he has improved as a winger and as yet he is still not polished with his main shortcomings still being composure and finishing! So don't put him up front, almost immediately proved by his poor header that could have been an immediate response to their early counter attack goal.

Also, once again at the same time I beat the drum of don't marginalise Kev to the wing something I have been saying all year!

So, the first half finishes we have played ok in terms of possession taking the lions share but we are again behind with what really matters the score, and then low and behold he swaps Sterling to the wing and The Ginger Prince up front and what a surprise the 2nd half comes and everything changes! Who would have thought of that hey??!!

We now look more like Chelsea first half, Barcelona second half, showing glimpses of the Old Trafford game, as we responded immediately with Sane bursting through the middle after having a poor first half!

We then finish the victory with a great ball from the ginger prince, now even more in the thick of it and dictating play, to none other than Sterling on the wing! Who came inside to finish a great winner! Job done as we managed to see this one out and get ourselves back on track for we are the best team in the league by far this year, no matter how much the press looks to drag us down.

Other things of note were the new skinny enthused Yaya again, who played really well, which I am once again warming to, and is maybe shaping up for a great 'rising from the ashes' story and who doesn't like one of them.

Finally, Zaba injured which never makes me happy!

Colin bell stand, Third Tier.

Men against boys?!

So, it's a Wednesday night and it's Watford a team I don't really know that much about to be honest! I can barely name a player, so when they came out on the pitch I turned to Jim and stated: 'is it just me or are they fucking massive?!' Turns out it wasn't just me! Physically they were huge and this was the attribute they pushed to the forefront of their contribution to the spectacle of this mid-week game. Indeed I think they are the most physical side to come to the Etihad in the past couple of years, way tougher than Stoke! However the referee Kevin Friend proved to be no kind of Friend to us (like pretty much all the football establishment at the moment) as he let foul after foul go unpunished and when he did blow his card was out far too infrequently, Watford acting like it was open season chopping us down at will.

Eventually are class told and Watford were left looking like boys in terms of vision/skill with Sterling's tenacity, and king Kev's delightful little stood up cross for no one better for me than Zaba! Happy days!

From then on we applied the pressure, in terms of skill, as they did physically, with the ref just floating around like a member of the crowd! Taking his seat like most this season in the away end. However like all season we just didn't convert our chances and simply couldn't kill off another game we dominated. So this season as a city fan that makes you very nervous and inevitably as feared squeaky bum time arrived with a good save from our under pressure keeper and then a glaring miss from one of their players I don't know, who for the purposes of this I will call lump no. 11! Anyway thank god he missed, we rode it out, and eventually got the second to kill it off, even if it was a little late! With again good work from Sterling who had a solid game, and I am starting to like again as he set up Silva, another crowd favourite goal scorer.

So, job done with a reasonable day at the office - but you'd still say we aren't taking enough of our chances which is the story of our season this year. With other things of note being: There was 4 at the back, with the correct two full backs, and Yaya playing the whole game and not trotting for a change, which is finally good to see if a little late! Hopefully with Gundogan now out injured and Fernandhinio still out suspended he can show us what we have been missing! Now if rumours are true and he has lost 2 stone and is fitter than he has ever been then he can show us not just what we have been missing this season, but also what we have actually been missing from him his whole career at City! Me I am one to forgive and forget if it is still salvageable, and this is, besides wouldn't it be a great story if he could train himself into the player Pep actually always wanted! For no one has ever doubted his touch and vision rather his ego and laziness!

Well, with Watford done I am now writing this on Sunday morning as I get ready to go to the ground for Arsenal. What will that bring hey? Well, I hope we keep playing our football - take our chances this time, play 4 at the back and finally and most importantly catch a few breaks and a bit of luck!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier.

On my knees in a Belfast Garden!

So, I miss watching another game this time due to work as I fly to Belfast to install a Garden lighting scheme and only have Forza on my phone to keep me informed of the dreadful events that were unfolding the other side of the Irish Sea! I couldn't believe it as notification after notification came in, what the hell was happening I asked?!

Since looking at the team sheet and some of the reports it wasn't hard to understand!

1. I repeat again I don't rate Fernandho as a city player and never have. Yes Fernandhinio is suspended but why not play Gundogan holding, play Silva and Kev in the middle and start either Sane or Sterling on the other wing instead, keeping us exciting in the middle.

2. With Zaba roaming it seems like a 3 at the back again like Chelsea, don't play this at the moment after the Chelsea 2nd half crumble and our suspensions/injuries play a normal back 4 and stay solid and safe.

For life is about momentum and our media won't give any team a minutes rest-bite least of all us. I continue to beat the drum that we are the best team in the league, it was only a few weeks ago we tore Barcelona apart in that second half! But poor timing, not taking our chances, and bad luck are putting pay to us getting on a role. Again I emphasise fine lines and narrow margins between success and failure for we tore Chelsea a new one for 60 minutes of that game last week but we didn't take our chances and now there manager is a God in the medias eyes and ours can't cope with the premiership! Piss off you narrow minded pundits we are still the best team in the league and to date have played the best football we just can't get momentum because of a few questionable team sheets, loads of missed opportunities, and as a result a lack of consistency. Pep's still the man for me though, we just need to focus, ride it out and catch a break.

Finally. my prediction at this point in the season is no league, top 3, but we win the champions league. For we can beat anyone on our day and string together a couple of performances in a row and that title can be ours, but I fear missed opportunities and a lack of consistency will prevent the league being ours this year. Watch this space!

Muddy Belfast flower bed, on my knees!

Winter's coming!

So, Europe again and it means absolutely nothing, just no one told the jocks who turned up in their droves! Walking to the game from Ancoats after a lovely Pizza with Jim and Rudy's pizza, which I thoroughly recommend, it felt at times like we were the minority. Once in the ground in my section nothing changed which I found strange and begs the question of ticket allocation. The odd time I have gone in the wrong end you sit on your hands, but not these lot! They were all around us with there distinctive tones. Behind they must have brought a mini bus of kids and kids are kids, but in front of us was a group of pissed up pricks who were soon taken out after the first goal before they were going to cause an inevitable kick off! Indeed as I looked around the ground from our high vantage point I could see it kicking off everywhere as their goal highlighted those who had snuck in, and like I say if you have done that just sit on your hands.

Anyway the crowd was the only interesting bit of a very dull 1-1, as we put out a much changed B team and them, well they are just a pub side, enough said on the game itself!

At this point I want to highlight how much of a bitter failure prick Brendan Rodgers is, something I always knew, but was confirmed by his bullshit bitter dross in the pre-match press conference! I hope you rot for eternity in trumped up Scottish mediocracy Brendan! Yes Celtic do have a strong loyal support, but the Scottish league is a joke and they along with Rangers should really do a Cardiff and Swansea, but their biggest strength is also their biggest downfall as with the way they are there is no chance they could ever be let into the premiership, so the wildlings will have to stay north of the wall even if winter is coming!

Colin Bell stand, Third Tier, annoyingly surrounded by jocks!

Oh what could have been!

So, ticket given away to Jim to bring a friend, wife and other friends packed off up a mountain walk whilst me, Phil (another city fan) and Charlie the birthday boy (who's a Liverpool fan, but also a fan of a beer and the football in a pub) bombed around the Derbyshire countryside desperately trying to find a pub with sky sports! After the 5th try and a few pointers along the way on our treasure hunt we found 'The Shoulder of Mutton' and had thankfully only missed the first 5 minutes! For we hadn't computed that most countryside pubs don't get there footfall from whether they have the footy or not, with there abundance of a captive ramblers market, few interested in the most interesting game of the season!

Anyway, we settle down to watch it and it is so entertaining and I am loving it, wishing I was there! In that first half we played some beautiful football, but as we began to not take our chances it just felt like our demise was somewhat inevitable! However at this point I want to point out that Taylor the referee was absolutely disgraceful, he should be ashamed of himself! With his worst decision being bottling sending of David Luiz for that challenge on Sergio. On top of this bent referee we missed loads of chances ourselves and we could literally have easily been 5-0 up at half time such was our domination. Like I say though when we don't take our chances you just know what is going to happen it just seems somewhat fated that way for us. Nonetheless we catch a break for all our pressure, as Cahill makes a dogs dinner of a cross smashed into the danger area and we go in at half time at least ahead!

Second half and we continue with where we left off with more of the same pressure and even more missed chances, even a sitter from the ginger prince! Which would have made it a completely different game! They say there is a fine line between winning and losing and on this occasion it was the cross bar! You just knew at that moment it wasn't going to be our day and as sure as night follows day our inevitable demise ensued! This section of the game was just a joke! Highlighted that the little practiced 3 at the back may have been a tinker too far and most importantly highlighted that our keeper has a lot to learn! With goal 2 he looked like a matador ushering the ball past him into the left hand corner! Shit is an understatement for that attempt at goal keeping!

The rest is history and one I don't really want to re-live so I will just skip to the end and say I blame it all on Taylor, for Luiz shouldn't still be on the pitch and he didn't stop him kicking lumps out of Sergio all day! Also Fabregas is a pathetic little baby! Well done Taylor you were truly useless on this day you should never have got out of bed. However in conclusion it was our own fault once more, a game of missed chances, to add to a season of missed chances and opportunities! We have shown on our day we can beat anyone and I still hold hope for Europe, but I can already imagine myself at the end of the season saying we didn't win it again because we spent all season not taking our opportunities to score and ultimately win. For you can win cups playing like that if you are lucky, but not leagues and especially not this year!

The Shoulder of Mutton, Bar Stool!

Home and Away!

So, I chose to go to the other side of the world to good friends is Australia for my birthday at the perfect time! As over a three week period I don't miss one home game due to the international break and our premiership schedule, and how by chance it has fallen.

Unable to get feeds due to some remote locations on our travels, the time difference and appeasing the Mrs' holiday schedule, this post is just a broad comment on a few key topics of worth!

First and foremost - Palace and Yaya! Interesting to say the least and once again highlighting for all his faults he most have done good karma to always just pop up at the right time and right place! So he's finally apologised and for the first time in his City career highlighting he is not bigger than the team or manager. Good on you Pep and things like this is why I am especially glad you are with us. I hope Yaya looked at the Barcelona game and thought I still want to try and play some part in this, for it definitely doesn't reek of you are lost without me like the old days. Then you hear he is fitter than he has ever been! Well that excites me a lot if it is true as regulars know years of my opinions on his lazy attitude. However regulars also know that although my destain for his work rate was at times heated, I have never hidden from complementing his raw natural talent in skills and vision. So if he did decide to actually tow the line and get seriously fit, if that is still possible at his age, and then apply that fitness into determination for the team then that is still an exciting prospect. Offering another dimension to our title aspirations. Anyway let's see, I'm not counting my chickens where Yaya is concerned.

Next, Europe and a side we could have put ten past at home make it difficult for us away stopping us play, but at least we held on for the draw and got that all important point something we probably wouldn't have done over the past few seasons. Job sort of done!

Then Burnley, not much to say here as I don't know much so job again done! Nothing amazing but grinding it out and slowly putting us back on track.

So... Chelsea at the weekend, massive game and I have to give my ticket away again as it is my good mates 50th birthday weekend and we are all away at a cottage in the country, friendship before footy. However a country pub to watch it must be found, I draw the line at that!

Sydney, Blind.

The morning after the night before.

I think it is hard to get two much greater extremes than the flare, talent and vibrancy of Barcelona! and well Middlesborough! Enough said!! Here I could almost end my report and leave you to fill in the blanks, for everything one would fear could happen did!

Tuesday night as stated was brilliant and I think I would have preferred it if we had gone straight on to face a Liverpool, a Chelsea or an Arsenal! Indeed 'Boro' probably represented exactly what we didn't need. For they arrived and didn't get off the team bus rather drove it straight onto the pitch parking it firmly in there own half and refused to leave it! To say they were appalling first half was an under statement, showing no interest in playing football with at times ten men in defence! Never mind no attack there was at times no midfield! Simply hoofing long balls out to nowhere to create rest bite from our relentless pressure.

I do however think we made some fundamental mistakes in selection, for we picked a team to face a team that would attack us and I think we should have been more savvy to what Middlesborough were inevitably going to employ. In that you don't need to play both Fernandinho and Gundogan against such poor teams that simply don't attack. Surely these teams are the opportunity to play both Kev and Silva in the middle playing off each other, with only one more defence minded centre mid. In this case I would have played Gundogan and rested Fernandinho, as he had limped off in the Barcelona game and that guys legs do put in some serious miles and tackles for us. Freeing you up to play both Navas and Nolito, if Sterling needed a rest, giving us that extra dimension of attacking flare going forward, which is needed when a team camps so deep! Trust me we needed no more defensive cover than this. Looking back to the glory days of Yaya and Silva it was always most exciting when they played off each other in the middle and as I say Kev is the new and vastly improved Yaya and they can definitely play this in a lot of games against lower level opposition and maybe even some of the more difficult games such is Kev's tenacity and work rate! So when the second half started with Silva and Kev simply switched around with Kev once more wasted on the wing I was a little frustrated! Yes the ginger prince can whip in a wonderful cross like he did for Sergio's 150th goal, but such is his work rate he can do this from being based in the middle of the park! By the time this was changed with the arrival of Nolito and Kev pushed back into the middle with Silva at the expense of Gundogan it was too late! This factor when combined with two others firstly Lady Luck deserting us somewhat again, and secondly  as I keep banging the drum this year we are not converting enough of our chances!!! I so hope this isn't the season where we look back and say it was down to not being clinical enough, a season of missed opportunities!

Colin Bell stand, Third Tier

It could have been 10!

So i do it right and finish early for the game and i'm in town by 5:30, this more of us who can must try to do to make Europe special. Walking to the ground I was excited and weirdly optimistic! Outside the ground we met one of Jim's mates who reads the blog and he asked me my thoughts 'I again stated I have got a feeling about this' to which he replied same old City blind optimism!! I stood my ground on my opinion though and once in the ground we walked past the little betting booth and Jim said do you want a bet. Now I don't have a betting account on my phone or anything like that, I'm one of those if someone else can be arsed to put it on and they mention it i'll do it and just chuck them some money. Straight away without hesitation I stated 3-1 and handed Jim a fiver which he matched and placed the bet. However last minute he put a second bet on of 2-0, to us, so there was a fiver on each, fucking Jim!!! so 160 quid became 80 quid! I wasn't arsed though as he placed it, and i wouldn't of even bothered if it wasn't for him!

Anyway we reach our seats and battle commences! We start pretty positively, but within minutes I am complaining of two things to Jim, firstly that the Ginger God is wasted on the wing and that he needs to be around the ball as much as possible, secondly that we are sitting to deep in defence allowing that front three especially too much time on the ball. However even with these tactical problems we break forward and are robbed of another penalty, again! This ref was 'shite' and it is masked by our performance in the second half but first half and the start of the second half he looked bent, another one of these ref's that favours the giants, for whatever reasons! Then in a devastating counter attack they are in the lead against the run of play again, but they take their chances and because of the best player in the world I guess. I wonder if he was in our team this season how many more goals we would have scored? Bag fulls is my guess!

Then ten minutes before half time i see 'the change', with Kev and Dav switching and I am that confident that i turned to Jim and said now watch what happens, and with that the game changed, it was all us, an utter delight to watch! The goal before half time was crucial from good old Gundogan a team goal with unselfish play which is always good to see. Then half time arrived and you were left wet with anticipation!

We were not disappointed as the second half commenced as we pressed up squeezing the spaces not giving their talent the time to think, something they had enjoyed in the first half in abundance. Allowing our talent to shine, and shine it did, with Kev's wonder strike amongst other things! Leaving Barca looking shell shocked as we literally bullied them!

For me everybody was man of the match and if i was being hyper critical i would single out our finishing, especially Sterling who was doing well to get into the positions but showing no composure once there. Again i must bang this drum as it literally, with the first half penalty could have been ten and was so god damn exciting, but if what resulted from Stone's weird 'balls up' high up the pitch hadn't hit the bar and had gone in to make it 2 all it could have been a completely different story. A fine line that we simply didn't need to tread, if we could simply be more clinical. However that didn't happen and i don't want to focus on anything more negative on a night that was so great. I would like to give special mention to Zaba! He was amazing and thank God we didn't lose him this summer as that would have been a crime for such a club man and still such a great player. The way he would run through brick walls for us shouldn't be undervalued and with Kompany out he makes the perfect Captain and I am glad Pep is finally seeing this.

What a great game I left the game buzzing on such a high, the atmosphere was great all game and that's what Europe should be about!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier.    

West Brom and it's all back on!

So i once again find a really good feed and am watching the game from the comfort of my couch and that's how everything stayed really! comfortable I mean! For we still missed a few chances which is our biggest problem this season, God if we can become more clinical we would be destroying teams! Anyway the goal come eventually with Sergio showing us his repertoire of poacher come artist, with two great goals and just like that the ship steadies! Then late on the seemingly very nice guy, who cost less than Pogba's agent got paid, popped up with two more to make it very comfortable in the end, with the score probably flattering us a little bit! But who cares the rot has stopped.

Well done lads. Perfect job. #cmoncity #ilovethislife #amoestavidanoquierootra #premierleague vamos Carajo muy buena victoria vs WBA

A photo posted by Willy Caballero (@willycaba) on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:51am PDT

Gundogan brings another dimension to our midfield, as i have already mentioned in other posts he has got beautiful feet but he also does a fair bit at the back as well. Indeed i have heard people say he is our replacement for Yaya i disagree i think King Kev is more that and see Gundogan as bringing something fresh and new to the equation and i think he is more like Silva and Ferandinho's love child if they were to have one! for me what he really brings is the ability to play him, the ginger prince and Fernandinho in the middle in top games where we need that bit more steel in the middle of the park, where we used to play Fernandho with Fernandinho. Which never really worked because we lost creativity, but not now IIkay as he brings both steel and creativity in a slightly more defensive package than De Bruyne and those two combined with the rock i think makes for a formidable centre three. At these times you play Silva on the wing and bring him in for lower level teams to rest players or injuries which was the case here. Indeed the German Turk's acquisition simply leaves us with so many more options, and begs the question of what's the point of Fernandho, but i guess on this day he did a job at fullback for us!

Anyway the result we needed and it seemed like lady luck who had deserted us may have returned!

My Couch, screenside!

It's a shame it was plan B.

We made all the effort to go and he puts out the B team! An ill considered B team! I still love you, but your worst decision so far Pep! Yes we have probably got bigger fish to fry in terms of Europe, but it's still a game against them and we made 'them' look good, and they are shit! We needed the confidence and momentum and in my mind should have put our strongest team out like them, for it was a derby after all, a derby that 8,000 fans turned up to. More important than that though it was a chance to bury their confidence for this season! 

However if you are going to play the kids, play them with some experience, a hybrid team not a completely different one! It felt a bit like Pellegrini was back! Play Garcia with Fernandinho and Gundogan around him, put Sterling and Nolito on the wings and yes give Maffeo and Iheanacho a game and I still think this tweaked hybrid team would have won. With the only doubt being centre back as it just seems at the moment that despite his mistakes we can't play without Stones if we want to play the football Pep demands, and as for Kompany we'll god knows what is happening there!

It was all a shame really because the atmosphere, stood at the top of the south stand, was brilliant first half! It was still pretty good second half if a little frustrating! 

So the next day I turn on sky sports and talk sport at different times of the morning as I head off to work just to see how the media portray it? Not one mention of our B side turning out, just more pro United bullshit! Just same old typical media crap when it comes to us. Then you listen to first Mourinho praise the crowd for the atmosphere?? Which all came from us?? And then to see Phil Neville's ass licking off the not so special one on another city light and United heavy media production, and it made you want to cringe! For the record they just about scraped past our complete B team at home! Anyway at least it's only the league cup just a shame we couldn't reward the great support, and get back on a role.

South stand, the scaffolding project!

Poor decisions, bad luck and missed chances.

First of all sorry to my regular readers it has been a while, as sometimes life can just get in the way and unfortunately football has to take a back seat! In the time since the last post and the second Swansea game a lot has happened I guess! The run has come to an end and a new run has started! However, from what I have seen it's not as bad as the media would have you believe! To me it reeks more of not taking your opportunities, combining with some bad luck and subsequently good luck for others.

Starting at Celtic, God that place has got an atmosphere it's like a Bear Pit! Forget 12th man, 13th and 14th as well, no wonder they have lost so little in the champions league at home. Then combine that on the night with a hell of a lot of luck/good timing, and a decidedly average team managed to somehow get a draw, with lucky and offside goals popping in from everywhere. I've decided I hate watching champions league on BT Sport for two reasons Mcmanaman an ex-player who seems to hate us and obviously the arrogant anti-city idiot back in the studio who I don't even have to name!

Then there was Tottenham and here they were the better team and we showed that a team without DeBruyne wasn't as potent. Also I was surprised to see Fernando (someone who has never felt like a city player) on. For me Fernando and Navas should have made way for Gundogan and Sane from the start. As well as Clichy for Kolarov as Kolarov in my mind is not the full back to play in such a big game away from home, and with his mistake that was sort of proved.

Next Everton and two more missed penalties, myself I was away in Turkey and was gutted not to get a stream this time, but from all I heard it was simply a case of missed opportunities, something that has been plaguing us all season. Now I know this is difficult to say when we had been scoring so many goals, but at times we could have scored so many more which don't matter when you win 4-0 but obviously do when you draw 1-1! then life starts becoming a funny old thing highlighting that momentum and confidence are such a fundamental part of development whoever you are! This is obviously compounded for us by a viscous united bias media wishing to pounce on the slightest crack, like bad parents who constantly want to tell you how shit you are in an effort to break you! When they finally find this corporate Elite group that is running and subsequently destroying the fabric of the world you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a dirty red sat around that table!!!!

So next its Barca and once again the Media pull them up to the top of the highest mountain and place us on the underground! Myself I was quietly optimistic. However I was one of the ones disappointed to not see Sergio, I think that was giving them too much respect. However we had that first half and if it wasn't for a bit of bad luck and a bit more of a precision header we should have justifiably on the run of play gone in 1-0 up. Here my argument for why we could have done better is I like to see DeBruyne in the middle rushing towards the goal, not with his back to goal, because this is where he makes the biggest difference (A Yaya on steroids!!). Also I cant help thinking with all the possession we had Sergio's sheer presence would have given that makeshift Barca defence more to think about and subsequently created more shots on goal. Even into the second half we were still the better team and then the keeper does that! Bravo, Bravo!!! The knife is out and it is getting relatively sharp, but as yet I am not willing to stab him with it! just stop doing that though, please! your shot stopping seems good enough and I do like you passing it out from the back 80% of the time, I know things take time to settle but please start making better decisions soon. Once this was done so was the game, resulting in ab undeserved strange 4-0 loss, that was (as this post bangs on about!) again the mixture of bad luck, poor judgement and missed opportunities.

Finally Southampton at the weekend and I don't agree at all with MOTD analysis which reeked of X players watching highlights! Southampton top 4 my ass! They parked the bus and at times they were reasonable on the counter attack, but along with a relatively solid defence that's all, whilst we gifted them there goal and failed to score enough of our own once more. If you watched the whole 90 minutes live it was us giving away 2 points not Southampton particularly earning 2 points yet you watch MOTD and you'd think Southampton next stop top 4 and a 'super club'!

Anyway you get the theme of this post, so now the rot needs stopping before the media can desperately throw more corrosive material on it and tonight it is the Derby again! I will be there with my bro to witness first hand us steadying the ship whilst sinking there's hopefully! It's a massive game though with how things have gone lately for both sides and Derby's are Derby's anything can happen and usually does! With one thing for sure even with all our success and all their failure recently they are still a lucky club and we are still an unlucky club and I guess that seems destined to stay! So if you are naturally unlucky you have to make sure even more so that you are unbelievably good! so here is hoping.

The End

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier  

Our biggest rivalry!

Our biggest arch enemy and rivalry right now - is the bias 'anti-City' media, and a victory against them tastes so sweet, especially this one.

😂 Phil Thompson calling #KDB "Overpriced bench warmer" & Merson showing why he lost so much money gambling! #MCFC 😂 pic.twitter.com/XE7wo01WAT

— Manc Bastard™ (@MancBastard) September 18, 2016

Runaway Train!

It's a Saturday and unbelievably in a media world I am at a 3 o'clock kick off, and at seconds past 3 De Bruyne is already having his shot saved after good tenacity for Iheanacho, and the new normality continues! Yes with Stones on the bench our passing/possession football from the back suffered somewhat but our counter attacking and directness masked any perceived weakness here, with both Kolarov, the man reborn, launching his accurate long range passes from the new position of Centre back and the 'Ginger Prince' seemingly calling all the other shots. God Kev's good, something I have said from the day he arrived at City and with Yaya fading Grini's biggest mistake was not doing this last year, for it is chalk and cheese. King Kev has all the skill of Yaya and more but the big difference is hunger, commitment and attitude! He is everywhere giving 110% for every second he is on the pitch and as a City fan it's such a breath of fresh air for he is everything Yaya is not and I know who gets my vote!

So again we score 4 and again it could have been more! Bravo looks more settled after a good save in midweek, Gundogan looks great already and for only £14 million (twice the player of Pogba at a fraction of the price!). I can also pronounce his name unlike others as it is a bay in Turkey where my favourite bit of sea is by Galimera restaurant, it's absolutely beautiful you could scatter me there I love it that much! As for the player I thought the quickness of his feet in Europe mid-week was impressive and on this day he look solid, composed and got a goal to crown his premiership debut, so all seemingly good there as well. Wow we have bought well this summer and it genuinely feels like we are changing a culture of Ego and politics, just as our neighbours seem to be foolishly cultivating one in utter desperation.

Again highlights of the game as well as the goals were Kev and Kolarov's direct passing which at times cut The seasiders apart and for that I give them both man of the match!

Enough said! onwards and upwards and I think everyone believes that even this early on! Finally haven't the other results this week been great hey!!!!

Colin Bell stand, Third Tier 

Take two!

So I take my place in my seat after a lovely walk in the sunshine to get there (that even required my sunglasses!), a million miles away from the night before in the game that never was! For I arrived at my seat the night before literally drenched, I sat down to an empty stadium, took my trainers off because they were soaked and proceeded to ring my socks out and hang them over the seat in front! My mate Jim who had also made it to the ground, but had left earlier than me, was sat there completely dry with a carrier bag from the city store that contained the new training top still neatly folded with it's labels, so in the search for anything dry I acquisitioned it on loan! Once on I realised how nice a top it is this year and with Jim remembering he owed me 60 quid we decided to make the move permanent. Then moments later the few thousand City fans and a similar number of bare chested Germans were informed, much to our dismay after the utter mission it had been to simply get there, it was off!

Said mission had seen me cowering like a troll under a canal bridge in Ancoats, with numerous others, for over half an hour as the rain was that heavy and tropical! Then after half an hour of hiding, some phone calls and obsessively checking my weather app I new it wasn't going to relent any time soon, so I only had one chance of making it to the ground apart from the unthinkable! Returning to Ancoats street I took partial shelter in a bus stop I had tried earlier, before finding the bridge and prayed for a black cab! With the second one taking pity on me and taking me to the ground. Upon arriving at as near as I could be dropped to the Ethiad the remaining 300m dash still soaked me, such was the intensity of the rain, with the icing on the cake being the small 'river' that had totally blocked the path to my gate, that left you no choice other than to wade through, hence the drenched feet! Something I had managed to keep relatively dry till this point!

Anyway take two and a different night, completely different weather, different mate next to me (as Jim now couldn't make it and my mate Jenks took his place), but nothing different in the football! Indeed the Pep revolution keeps marching on! It could have been ten is no exaggeration and that would be the only criticism I could find at the moment, in that we need our pressure and dominance to be represented in a couple more goals, which is an amazing thing to say when we are already scoring more goals than everyone else it seems. So Aguero gets his Hat-trick and Iheanacho also continues his amazing scoring statistics as we are treated to a football delight once more. Yes, they weren't that good but we seem to be saying that about everyone this year, which begs the question are they actually that bad are we just that good?!

Now if you read my older blogs under Pellegrini this is what I was banging on about when I was asking to be entertained! For if you brave the weather, brave your Mrs saying 'what not more football' and brave the financial implications, you at least want to be entertained and fell that your sacrifices were worth it! For 2 years this simply hasn't been the case, but this is changing as I left the ground floating on joy, thoroughly entertained and even with the sodden game that never was feeling like it was all worth it. Thank you Pep my wishes have been answered!

So it seems we are winning on all fronts, however there is one issue that needs addressing for it is the only thing that the Salford lot say anymore and that's because it is the only thing they can still compete on! We all know it so lets face it head on 'The Emptiad'. Now Pep tried to address the fact that there was at least 15,000 empty seats there, but on this I don't think he has been so well informed for issues with UEFA are not why all those seats are empty! Yes a few thousand may be due to the rearranged day but I have said time and time again in posts that the majority of the problem is fans finances and how we then as a club manage that situation. I feel like this is the last major mismanagement we still need to put right.

Yes Pep it is full for Premiership games because a lot of working men on normal incomes save up and can just about justify their season ticket still, but the Champions league and cups are optional and in many cases an expense to far! Especially in recent years when you aren't even guaranteed some entertainment and with this I don't necessarily mean victories, rather excitement, for it seemed like 'Mr Fizzy water' was an undercover officer for the 'fun police' with his team sheets, tactics and in play decisions! My solution which I have said many times before is do what the Salford lot do, but do it better, like we have done in everything else! In that make it a compulsory part of the season ticket, but at massively reduced rates making people aware of that. For instance make the least interesting game say £10, the next £15 and the big game £20, get bums on seats create the atmosphere and go further in the competition and most importantly create a positive full energy in the stands to match that on the pitch! Then once this is done if you have to fire sell tickets for £10-£15 and let kids in for free with a Dad it's possible because it doesn't sit badly with season ticket holders. That's how you swell and grow a fan base, that's how you have greater success in Europe, that's how you shut others up and that's how you become a big club and one that cares about it's fans at the same time.

Finally it was good to see Zaba on and as Captain, I repeat do not let this man go! He's a future legendary City manager mark my words!

Colin Bell Stand, third tier

Derby Day Dug Deep Dreamy Delight.

Derby day and what a day hey! All week, nay all month, I have been nervous about this game! More than usual and not because we are playing badly or have a weakened team on the contrary as you can gather from other  recent posts I am already so excited, about what I have wished for over the last 2 seasons seems to be coming true and  I have become savvy to the fact that in life it's often rare that you get what you wish for! So hence the nerves! It's early in the season, the enemy have started well also, but my hunch was it is not a new dawn for them, as they so desperately wish, rather a false dawn, and the game seemed to suggest that. My logic behind it is: Firstly Mourinho is not the cure but more of the disease, however one that kills you a lot slower! (I told you so on my early season post last year that his dramatic Chelsea demise was all a plot to successfully transition to United this year, called that straight away!), secondly that buying big names with big egos again is not the cure rather the disease (as we slowly ease away from a team built round a talented, lazy, ego, that in the end infected the team to it's core, to a team seemingly driven by working hard for each other, belief and team spirit, with the real power where it should be at the top, not in the end trotting around the middle of the park!). Indeed for me United reek of arrogance from top to bottom and hopefully we are cultivating the pleasant aroma of deserved confidence and team spirit! For what Pep has hopefully brought had you going into a derby, admittedly nervous, but still confident and that's without Kompany, Yaya and Sergio something unthinkable just 6 months ago!

Anyway to the game, well that first half could only be described as beautiful and a real joy to watch! It was entertainment, an industry Pellegrini had no clue he was in! However you could just sense we should have at least scored one more (maybe two!) by half time and then Bravo does that! My view on him, I'm with Pep! Your city debut United away in goal! Baptism of fire is an understatement! Yes he made that mistake and was lucky to still be on the pitch but he does/will helps us play out from the back, so in context I'm not worried.

So we let them back into it which was the last thing they deserved and even in their utter shitness they are still sporney! The second half comes and they regroup and show me why I love Mourinho at their club! My expansion on that is it was great to see Moyes, Giggs and LVG truly fuck it up, but when you are that bad you go quick! With my prediction being at least 5 years of up and down top 4 ish football, the odd trophy mainly in cups, mainly in the champions league each year, basically Liverpool under Benitez! Then once he inevitably leaves Liverpool after Benitez! Now wouldn't that just be great hey! Maybe even chuck in a bit of Neville at some point just to screw it up even more!!!

Ask any United fan and deep down they'd want Pep, some not even that deep! For we are already being entertained and treated to beautiful football something they crave too and unless Mourinho reinvents himself completely (which I guess isn't impossible with his kind of personality!) they ain't going to get that for a long time I think!

Anyway to the players De Bruyne exquisite as always! Again I repeat already top 5 in the world for me. Silva delightful! (City fans who said he was past it last year I knew where talking tosh, just the system and the manager the problem there). Stones an inspired purchase and a must it feels. His partner Otamendi reborn and living up to his initial hype! So much so Kompany could not just walk back into the team, did you ever thing you'd be saying that! Sterling a bit off the boil but here's hoping he keeps improving under Pep and his replacement Sane looked the real deal when he entered the fray. Kolarov! Well what can you say! I remember writing in an earlier blog for a derby that it was an act of God to stop him playing by injuring him in the warm up, but now it seems Pep has pretty much rebuilt him over night! Gone of the days when he got the ball shit himself and simply fell over to try and gain a foul, he's a man reborn!

So overall a great day we thoroughly deserved to win, but leaving just with that little thought we need to score more when we are playing like that. Penalties?! Smeanalties?! And if so we would have simply dug deeper and scored another!

Colin Bell stand, Third tier.

In parts delightful!

As mentioned in my last post I still haven't sat in my new seat as this time I am away in Turkey and unable to figure out the new ticket exchange from my sun lounger the seat unfortunately lay empty! 

However my step brother in law, if there is such a thing!, managed to stream me a sky feed of the game which thankfully rarely buffered! So from my Turkish leather couch I watched with utter delight in the first half as to how we played football! Now that is entertainment! That's what I pay 700 quid a year for! Good on you Pep and it is equally as good to see the exciting mix of intelligence and passion from the man himself on the side line. This is what I have been banging on about for seasons never underestimate the bosses ability to infect the team with his personality and energy. With Mr 'fizzy water' being anything but a soda stream, rather leaving us flat and tasteless even though he was given most of the right ingredients for something tasty. I used to look at him on the sidelines and his demeanour and tactics made me want to cry with frustration at times!!! The power of one 'flat' 'fizzy water' to flatten 11 on the pitch and 50,000 in the stands was uncanny! Where as 'Pep' he has done exactly what his name says! that he's pepped me up and everyone else and not just in the 90 minutes on the pitch once or twice a week, rather: on my way to work, sat on this sun lounger, even whilst playing football myself! Good on you Spaniard and long may it continue!

Indeed his power is such that although the don't sell Joe Hart song is still sung it is followed by chorus after chorus of Pep's instant hit!!! I think it has already been sung more time's than Pellegrini's ever was and I am being quite literal with that statement! Creating a really fascinating dynamic at the club, one I like and highlighting no one is bigger than the manager! 

Whilst on the topic of things bigger than the club one thing I have as yet not touched on is Yaya, as it just hasn't been as important as it once was I think, for years bigger than the team, the club, his boots, and a frustration for all as he was our best weapon with his delightful touch, vision and shooting but just wouldn't work for the team. As I have stated in previous posts Pellegrini bottled it last year when King Kev should have always started in front of him and silva should never have been moved to accommodate him. Pep is in and he has done exactly that for he is no idiot limiting him to an appearance against that pub side last Wednesday when he did ok as a squad player. Firmly sending the message to all players of I'm the boss and if you want it you have to fight for it no matter who you are or were, and so it should be like that! This new mentality really excites me, and it is overshadowing things like Hart and Yaya which would have been huge catalysts for rifts in the past.

On the topic of forgotten men for me it was great to see Nasri come on and really contribute for I am firmly in camp Nasri. Yes he can be a petulant French prick at times!!! But can't they all!!! However a few seasons ago he was brilliant making us forget silva was injured, then he was injured and was seemingly eating a few too many croissants!! (Have you seen what goes into them!) but last season he came back and made you gutted he wasn't in the champions league squad! Keep him Pep he's worth it and alternating between him Nolito and Sterling through the season would be great, Navas a distant 4th for me at the moment.

Anyway the game! Sterling finishes really well after great build up (is he the same player from last year! Who had no composure in front of goal!). Next DeBruyne sends in a wonder cross, as always, and Fernandinhio I just love your dependability. What follows is tonnes of chances after great link up play and we paid the price a bit in the 2nd half for not finishing one of them! However some decisions didn't go our way for there left back should have seen red as Sterling took the piss out of him once more and Aguero was on side when he broke free. Yes the 2nd half wasn't as good and yes Slavan figured out how to make his team play some football again, but we now don't seem to panic or collapse and finally to see Sterling's new found composure was just delightful as a city fan and we could have had 2 or 3 more at the end thanks to the new found impetus Nasri brought with his introduction.

So job done, 3-1, we are growing as a football side, with a lot of positives in a transition period, and we are top of the league! Now I have been known to eat my words before, read back and see what I first thought of Pellegrini!, but this time I don't think it's too early to say I/we love you Pep! 

Finally I am going to do a media witch hunt update each post now! This week my observations are: 

1. Why as an ex-player is Quinn's commentary so negative towards us it's like he wanted us to collapse! Only 3 weeks in and sick of you already Niall!

2. Bitter Souness can get chucked in that boat for me as well after seeing them both before and after the Stoke game! We haven't got players anything like Barcelona players to play that kind of football? DeBruyne for me is absolutely outstanding and makes top 5 players in the world for me, who wouldn't want him? Silva still makes Top 10 with Aguero there-or-there-abouts with a lot of solid team players to back these superstars up who rank highly in the debates over their specific positions. Sick of you too Graham! If Liverpool had our team and manager bullshit would you be saying that, you would be all over the glory years being almost back!

Colin Bell Stand, Third tier.

The future!

I wanted to write this post today to let regulars know the blog isn't dead! The reason for the inactivity is as City had a quite pleasant summer mine was an utter nightmare involving being completely let down by family and their actions resulting in me getting shingles in my head and eye with a week in hospital in the MRI followed by over a month off work which for someone self employed is a bit of a disaster! The shingles apparently can be put down to stress, and there has been plenty of that! Thank God for my Mrs helping me through all this, she is a star and without her fuck knows where I would be!

Anyway it is a new season, new season tickets (still in third tier east stand, but a long way away at the other end!), and I have decided even a new name, highlighting further what kind of summer it was! So when coupled with Pep! A complete fresh start! A rebirth! So with that here is the first post of the new season 4 games in!

The reason for the delay, apart from all the above!, is I missed the first game due to a reunion of my colts rugby team the weekend we played Sunderland! So rather than sitting in my new seats checking out the new perspective I was at my old rugby club. At this point I was only 14 days out of a hospital bed and told my old mates I was there to catch up only and watch! However this didn't quite happen, as they were short of players to play against a 'present day' combined 2nd and 3rd's team, so being a complete idiot bloke I put my kit on and played the whole game! I even scored a try! At the time it was great fun if unbelievably stupid, and it did set my recovery back significantly! But fuck it hey! 

So I saw the Sunderland game on Match of the day on my phone in a pub, hence no report as I have little to add! My mate who moved seats with me said we were OK, got away with it a bit, at times good but as yet nothing special! One thing though that registered from mine and Jim's conversation was that he though Sterling played well. This statement shocked me a bit as I think Jim hated him more than me last season, so I guess it once again goes to show that the mind and it's happiness is still so important in sport and to be fair I would struggle to play for Pellegrini! Thank god that idiot has finally gone! So in that the first game is done!

Second game sat on the couch with the dodgy box and a chance to see our style of play for myself. First impression I liked it! I knew I would though for I love passing possession football, it's how I like to play, and it's so easy on the eye! I remember stating in a post years ago when Pep arrived with Munich and they quickly went down to ten men, but it looked like we had, that it was the most pleasing looking football I have seen live with my own eyes! I left that game inspired to support the man with the ball no matter what and give him an easy option. I think this one thing, along with get the ball back as quick as possible, is the most fundamental thing in football. When you think about your own play you should think about your biggest fear and try to think from that point! Mine is losing the ball and letting the team down, so you shouldn't want anyone else to feel that so do your damnedest to give them an easy option! In that game Munich always had two easy options with ten men, it was a footballing masterclass!

Another thing I have said before in posts is first and foremost I want to be entertained, followed swiftly by believing the players have given their all and left it all on the pitch, something Pellegrini rarely ever instigated on both counts! That fucker should have stuck to bottling fizzy water! Pep delivered on both these fronts from what I saw. However let's be fair they were utter dog shit, my Mrs could have got in that team! I couldn't believe the commentator mention that that defence represented the bulk of the Romanian national team! God help them! So really it tells us little apart from intent which I guess will do for now!

Soon I was on the couch again ready for Stoke away on the normal box! Now how many times I have heard this summer, usually from bitter reds or their United bias media!, it's all well and good Pep's ideas but it's the premiership now and let's see how well he does on a windy day away at Stoke! Well I'll tell you how he'll do 4-1! Yes it wasn't perfect, yes at some times we lost our way a bit, but it is 4-1 away at Stoke on a windy day so put that in your pipe and smoke it! When last year Mr fizzy water ballsed it right up! Game 3 done.

Game 4 and I am finally back at the ground! Thinking I will finally try out my new seats, then the text comes through and I'm whisked to the east stand to make the ground look fuller for the TV! With Jim away in Portugal giving his and his mrs' ticket to his mate I headed to the ground expecting to catch up with his mate. However I hadn't though because we are moved I got moved on my own! So I think for the first time ever I watched the footy on my own! I quite liked it you know for a change and like going to the cinema on your own I think it is something one should do at least once in their life! 

As for the game, it was pretty shite to be honest and not very entertaining, but I guess we were 5-0 up on aggregate and he gave a lot of youth/fringe players a game. Things of note Kolarov at centre back again (now Jim had mentioned this after the Sunderland game and I was intrigued to see it!) now you know what I liked it! Yes it was no real test with this opposition, but it suited him I think, Pep has seen these sort of things before, it could be like the sterling thing again with a different frame of mind, so we'll see! One thing is for sure it gives him more time to compose himself and he put his long ball to great distributional effect. You never know you know and although I think he has been dogshit for years at left back I have never hated his personality! So we eventually score job done time to go home! The only other thing of note being the whole Hart thing! Now those regulars who read my posts will know I'm one of the ones with Pep to be honest! I don't think he has been the same since he started appearing on every TV add known to man! But many others disagree and made their voices heard and fair enough! What made it mental was the song he has had for a couple of years was never so appropriate as it felt like it had been specifically written for this match! 

Anyway it's Sunday we play in a few hours and I am once again nowhere near my seat, sat on a beach in Turkey! One day this season will actually start for me as I head back to the villa to watch it on a stream! First real test hopefully we pass with flying colours! Until then, it has been emotional!

Colin Bell stand, Third Tier

Bring on next season!

So I sit on the slow train back to Manchester from a stag do in Edinburgh, unable to watch the Swansea game. The weekend before I was at a wedding in Belfast so had to give up my ticket for the Arsenal game. By all accounts I missed another odd city performance where we show glimpses of what we could be, alongside more prolonged spells of what we actually are! That being somewhat of a mismanaged club at all levels that seems somewhat lost both on and off the pitch. 

When that happens you look to the management and we all no my long standing opinion on the tactical fool, but who is it actually that is the corporate fool at the club who has taken us backwards since Cook's departure?! Yes Pep is coming a man we now pin a lot of hope on! Yes he's mainly there because of Txiki Begerestain and hopefully we do owe Txiki that, but as far as the broad level management of the club is going he needs to pull his socks up significantly, for there is definitely a disenfranchised feel about, summed up perfectly by the disastrous handling of the Arsenal after match proceedings, where they should have simply just stayed out on the pitch. Highlighting yet further that as a club we simply need to start communicating better with those who make and define the club, namely the fans. Yes this battle is made hard for us by a united bias media desperate to pounce on us at the slightest mistake, but that's when you need intelligence at the helm to progressively steer you forward, something it seems at present is sadly lacking.

Anyway let's hope we can somehow just hold it together for Swansea this afternoon and look to a fresh start next season. However with the way this season has gone God know's what will happen?!

Managed by a fool.

I've been really busy recently so the fact that a lorry has shed it's load of bricks on the M6 and we haven't moved in ages because they've had to shut the road is useful for my blog at least!

Well since my last post a lot of average football has been played, as the tactical fool still continues to make a hash of it and ride his luck once more! Newcastle was awful and was the first signs of his squad over rotating, poor formations, lack of motivation and stupid tactics rearing their ugly head again! The result being dropped points and how we played at the bridge being a distant memory! All resulting in 2 points dropped and top 4 being made more difficult than was needed. Once again I bang the drum of play your best team as much as you can in the best formation and take them off when you are winning, something Simione and Atletico do to great effect.

Next Stoke at home and the first quarter of the game was like pulling teeth, nothing that resembled entertainment. Then we just seemed to get lucky again with a few goals that started to kill off the game and like I say through luck rather than judgement! The story of the game was Iheanacho again! He was involved in everything with his energy, vision and finishing, resulting in assists and two goals no less than the young lad deserves he truly is one for the present, not the future Pellegrini you complete fool! The other thing to note in the game was Iheanacho first was set up by Zaba overlapping, an attacking option we oh so miss when Sagna starts and I will continue to beat this drum until I am blue in the face!

Next was the big one! Real at home! Team sheet wrong once more like everyone before it, for if you put Fernandhinio, Fernando and Sagna on the same pitch we are two defensive with not enough attacking flare! I would have played Zaba, especially with the new 'Michael Jackson' not present for them on the wing! Then like I have said time and time again just play Fernandhinio holding, then in this case both silva and Kev in the middle, Navas one wing and Iheanacho on the other wing, play the young lad and he can do that job ten times better than sterling who I repeat is dog shit and the biggest waste of money in football I have ever seen.

So then silva gets injured and Iheanacho comes on but rather than putting him on the wing and moving Kev to the middle the fool went for 4,4,2 and what a surprise they started to dominate and we had no creativity in the middle, as we clung on to a 0-0 draw with some great saves from Joe and not before the ginger prince was cynically taken down when I'm sure he would have confidently tucked it away, but not to be!

So then Southampton at the weekend, and oh my god what a disaster! The fool Grini seemingly not giving a shit about top 4 as he recklessly over rotates once more! You know Leicester made 20 rotations all season with the second nearest being Bournemouth with 50. Now I know they both have small squads but it must highlight once again what I have been saying that consistency is so important to teams and players and teams this idiot puts out are like new teams that by their very nature don't have any confidence built up in them. The result was predictable and embarrassing as we made Southampton look better than Madrid! I so wish you had left last year Grini and no one managed the team, as I guarantee the results would have been better. I can't bring myself to focus anymore on that car crash so I will move swiftly on!

It's soon Wednesday, it's my Mrs' birthday and I managed to combine the two to her dismay in a pub in the northern quarter. Myself I already wasn't where I wanted to be as I missed out on tickets by 500 points and had to get the Thompson flights linked to the club cancelled, gutted! All in all I spent 5 hours on hold over 4 phone calls on our shocking ticket line, trying to get tickets as well! 

So the team comes up and again wrong as both Fernandhinhio and Fernando are present! It doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out what happens next! What a surprise we have no attacking penetration at all looking limp, clueless and scared! I would have played Fernandhinio, Yaya and the ginger prince in the middle like at Chelsea. Then Iheanacho and Navas on the wings, trying to leave Sterling at the airport if possible! We all know what happened is what you would expect! We did not do ourselves justice because we are run by an idiot, never have I looked forward to someone leaving so much! We didn't even apply pressure at the end because we were set up so badly, followed by foolish substitutions by a fool. Yes Kompany going off didn't help but even he couldn't of carried us through this!

Well not the post I wanted to post, but one my brain feared I might, and my heart, well that is just pissed at the moment! Tomorrow Arsenal! Huge game and god knows what will happen! I hope my heart wins through but my head isn't so sure it will! Till the next time!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier

The Belgian/French swagger is back!

This is the first in play post I have done as I sit in Lytham cricket club at half time after watching my mate play cricket, one of the few sports I don't play. Our school didn't bother with it and for me it just takes too long! Maybe if 20/20 cricket had been around as a kid I would have thought differently, but I am old and it wasn't!

Anyway back to the important stuff what I have just witnessed in that first half was at times beautiful football reminding me of seasons gone by! Some of the interplay and passing was gorgeous at times and should have probably led to a couple more goals with some better finishing, but nonetheless it is positive and most importantly a joy to watch! This is because of a number of key things: No.1. The defensive pair have gone from woeful to palatable! No.2. Zaba creates more attacking options. No.3. You only need Fernandinho holding, you don't need Fernando as well, which makes us more creative and we are still solid enough, especially with Kev's work rate. No.4. The ginger prince himself, he is truly special, and if I was a Chelsea fan I would be absolutely gutted he'd slipped through the net! How you ask? No.5. As mentioned in last post Nasri back, who on his day can be up there with the Silva's and DeBruyne's of this world! I sit here with the absolutely gutted realisation that he is not able to play against Madrid and want to stamp my feet like a child in frustration! No.6. Old faithful Sergio doing what he does best! Anyway I hope for more of the same in the 2nd half!

My wish for once this season has been delivered as we again did our self justice with that second 45. Best game of the season for me that, and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish! Let's just hope we can build on it and create some momentum in the league that guarantees top 3 and propels us on against Madrid!

As for Europe my prediction in my last post seems to be coming true with the draw! So Real it is and I am going to go to the 2nd leg as well, meeting up with Pabs in the process. What a game that should be, I can't wait and hopefully we are still in the hunt after the first leg. The only thing that always seems to be the way with me is the biggest City game in my lifetime happens to be on my Mrs' birthday! I am still going and depending on flights I have offered to bring her with me and she can play with Pab's Mrs Elena whilst we go to the game! The only thing I have had to agree to either way to enable my passage to Madrid is a discreet Tattoo of her name on the side of my body under my arm!!! If that's what it takes to get to Madrid that's what it takes!!!!

Anyway back down to earth and the Geordies tomorrow night, hopefully we can put them to the sword, continue the momentum and further cement top 4, so the other half of my last post prediction doesn't come true!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier

Whatever next!

Sorry it has been a while, not been the best of months for me, which even the escapism of football couldn't really fix! However you guys don't need to hear that so let's shrug it off and escape into football land once more!

So we go away to the south coast and thank god he's back! You know who! Only the bloody ginger prince, and what a difference that guy makes. Sitting in the pocket he dominated the game and Bournemouth just couldn't get to grips with him. I love you Kev and I'm not afraid to say it or show it! Indeed as one ginger prince fades into the distant memory on the dark side and into Salford city, here rises another ginger prince and you can definitely feel the force within him! Anyway we win 4-0, Kev bags one as does Fernando, Aguero and Kolarov, job done!

Next was Paris away, 25 points clear in their league already, and pundits raving about them. What they forgot is the French league is utter dog shit, no test at all and where lazy misfits go to hide on wad loads of cash! Yaya this may be the perfect place for your lazy money grabbing ass next season!! Although I do appreciate you have scored some very important goals for us you are a complete frustration for me, for as I have said before you are our best weapon and biggest weakness at the same time. However one thing I know for sure is I would always pick the ginger prince before you because his all round stats trump your touch and vision. Anyway we turn out against the new Glasgow Rangers, start off ok and get a deserved goal from none other than! Then Hart does that, his distribution is shit you know! This season he has left me once again confused as one minute he saves us from the shit and then the next minute he dunks us back in it! After the penalty save he did nothing else good and probably should have caught the shot for PSG's second rather than pushing it out! Why will he never catch the ball! Anyway we got the two away goals and a solid result, and then after the match the fire of hatred towards are united bias press started to burn like mad inside me, I will get back to this with the second leg!

Next West Brom and Pullis in his tracky and white trainers, to look at his face it seems to simply suck all the positive energy out of life!  So the game starts and we give away another soft goal early something we have done a lot this season, with Kolarov unsurprisingly looking decidedly average during the attack, but at least he fell over well at the other end and before you know in Sergio is slotting one in! The only other good news of the game up until the substitutions was Nasri, starting the game this time he played pretty well you know. For me he had become the forgotten man, but he soon reminded me how much we've missed him this season! He is literally ten times better than Sterling, for he's got a football brain, composure and a touch. If he had started more this season things could have been different as well, and I'm genuinely sorry Nasri for forgetting how good you actually can be. Then with a need to inject some quality on came the old pretender and the new golden boy, with the latter showing the tenacity and class combined that ultimately got us the winner that aptly fell to the rediscovered Frenchman eventually! Job done and some shoots of hope once more.

Finally the frogs came to us and the Etihad, which considering it was pretty sober was jumping! Again we were better, we should have been playing against ten men for most of the game if the ref had any balls and actually most of the game we were playing 12 men with again the shit decision making for the Spanish ref who also seemed unable to get out of the way of the path of the ball! The ginger prince did look a bit tired in the second half, which is understandable but he still had it in his character to dig deep and guide us through with his guided shot to the left of the keeper!  Happy days!

Now my rant which is said with utter anger and distain for our embarrassing press. I absolutely fucking hate this countries utterly biased and bitter football press that is so dominated by United sympathisers! You can all go and fuck yourselves, with your pathetic bitter stance. You sound like children who are hell bent on trying to pull us apart?! Grow up for you are but fools and your bitterness and jealousy is becoming old and tiring!

The reason why I sit here writing this post tonight, when I actually haven't felt like writing in ages, is I wanted to make this parting prediction on record before tomorrow's draw! When we went through the group stage I stated that it seemed destined for us to go through as we were playing awful. I now think we are destined to meet Pep in the final having not made top 4, with a victory from Pep meaning his new team will not have champions league football next year! But we do it! Now wouldn't that be mental. Also selfishly I want a Madrid club in the semi, preferably Real, as I will go and stay with my mate pabs who has since moved back to Madrid!

Well it's interesting to say the least! Till the next time, it's been emotional!