youlots

Indeed.

I agree. Shame we didn't have him around for most of the season.

So against Sunderland in mid-November then...

Yeah you're right - he would've picked up the identical shin injury playing in the EPL earlier this year.

Absolute tosh. I can only echo dkw's description above: one can only wonder at the rather one dimensional focus used at times by some to measure any player's worth to a team. One of the best defensive midfielders to play the game in the last decade or so. Positionally, he was always outstanding. As Hutch and others have said: letting him go at the same time as Belletti & Deco was naive at best.

It is a bit of a reach Phillip.

Well we used to have Ballack; as for Frank, can't remember the last time he scored from a free kick - his usually go straight into the wall. Without Alex it was just another reason why Drogs should've stayed on last night.

And Phillip your free kick specialists that are better than Drogs or Alex while you're at it.

Apart from Alex, who are they again?

This. Apart from Ramires, who has really gone from strength to strength in this, his debut season, and the odd tantalising glimpse from McEachran, our midfield has been the real problem since November, if not before. Watching Frank lose the ball on countless occasions last night or taking the wrong, laboured, completely telegraphed option when passing, not once or twice but again and again was painful but something that has become all too common this season. Given his consistently high standards & excellent work rate over the years it is, of course, difficult for all of us to accept that his decline has become pronounced. As for Essien, he's not really the same player after the horrendous injuries & sadly I don't think he'll ever reach the level he once had. To be fair to both of them however, 442 is not part of their usual repertoire. Given that, why Carlo chose to go with that I don't know. It would be nice to get an a straight answer from him to that question but we probably never will because he's such a diplomat and he must know now with the league gone that he's on a knife edge. Of course we're still in with a chance in the return leg but I imagine that Ferguson will essentially play the same tactics again: attack early & go for the clincher then sit back which means we'll have to score twice. We'll obviously have to score early and then try to get another. If that happens, they'll come at us in waves.

Looks a lot like Jeff Koon's work.

Ah Dorset - as articulate and as apt as suduiraut or climens l'on denouement.

I have to say that this Aguero MK 2 thread is rather disappointing lengthwise at this point of the year in comparison to Aguero MK 1. Theories anyone?

How embarrassing.

Indeed

Classy debut dodojojo - especially the PHD one; stick around

Oh dear

[quote name='Hutch' timestamp='1301221017' post='366401' Back to the fan v supporters argument. It seems to me that the person being quoted was simply trying to make himself look and/or feel superior. "I'm a fan, you're just a supporter". It could just as easily have been "I'm a supporters, you're just a fan". Either way, it's all bollocks. This thread seems to appear roughly biennially. It's always has and always has been nonsense. When, if ever, in conversation do you ever claim to be a "fan" or a "supporter"?! Hardly ever, if you're honest about it. If prompted, you say the team or you say you follow "........." If asked who you dislike or hate you say "........", and/or followed by "........" bunch of c**ts.

Yes. Elan & panache.

Well at least they're selective amnesia is consistent when it comes to Kenny!

Apologies meant to say Tevez at the end their and not Torres - these 3am starts are a bit much.

As you say, he was very well handled but I thought Dzeko had a very poor game.

Yes Silva was contained very well yesterday but to be fair to him he was their sole operator all day.

Excellent wrap Butch. I too was extremely relieved about Tevez not playing & Silva was/is much less effective without Torres. City kept their shape very well until Luiz's superb glance and seemed very tired in the last 10 minutes or so - no doubt because of the presence of a fresh & committed Drogs and Nicco and City's european fiasco mid-week catching up with them. I thought we played disciplined, sustained if not spectacular football (apart from the odd flourish from Kalou and Torres) for the whole game which was really satisfying given our penchant for going to sleep during games over the last 6 months or so. Torres seems to be settling and showed real spirit and some lovely positioning in a very packed attacking third, Kalou had his best starting game for some time, JT was no doubt out to show the captaincy critics something and was superb and what does one say about Luiz - such a majestic presence in so few games & all credit to Ramires - he's just getting better and better every match. What a lovely goal. The downside - well Frank had a poor day at the office on account of his passing & the options he took on occasion and Essien seems to have plateaued at present. But hey a really solid, needed, physical win: Ferguson & Wenger will be sleeping less well tonight I would've thought.

I wonder how long it takes him to dress in the morning.