Man City CC post match

[BobTheCharmer]

Great effort and the will to make it through often helped even if the quality wasn't there at times. lovely goal by bellamy.

Joe Hart is the best keeper in this league by a country mile right now. Reina & Cech were and they're still quality but Hart is the nearest I've seen come close to old red nose at utd. he just makes himself so big and imposing.

Anyway, Bellamy, Gerrard, Kuyt the pick for me out of our lot.

One other thing, when you have a quality player like Kelly who can play right back and you have a player in Johnson that can switch off but equally is the most comfortable player at the club with the ball at your feet, its crazy not to play Johnson on the right occassionally. I think he'd contribute so much with his ability to beat a man and link up play.

Well done Kenny.

[Baracus]

5live mentioned something at the end of the game. Where all the players where celebrating and AC walked off straight down the tunnel? Is it true?

[destinydude]

Silva was just a wreck before the statue that is Steven Gerrard. Couldn't get past him. Know your role Silva you bitch. Your nobody when your taking on Gerrard.

[Norbs]

Yep, he's got far more ability than he believes he has. Rips full backs to bits when he actually drives at them.

He's still not making the right runs, his positioning is poor (getting too close to Enrique) and he's not calling hard enough for the ball. We'd see a different player if he was running on to the ball as opposed to recieving a short pass on the half way line. Not sure what the solution to the problem is but that's definitely the problem

[Suarez]

A very good performance, I thought Downing had a decent game. Bellamy is fantastic, Gerrard was so cool taking the penalty.

Why can't we play like that more often.

Kenny looked made up, awesome!

[Mostar]

If Man City have got any more like him they don't want...

Another ****ing draw at home

Blame Shaggy as he must have been at the game

[BobTheCharmer]

He's still not making the right runs, his positioning is poor (getting too close to Enrique) and he's not calling hard enough for the ball. We'd see a different player if he was running on to the ball as opposed to recieving a short pass on the half way line. Not sure what the solution to the problem is but that's definitely the problem

I think Enrique is part of the problem. they both get in each others way. not for the first time tonight enrique hit too many passes behind downing so he had to take it on from a standstill. downing just needs to have it instilled in him to run at the man and build his confidence up.

[McDermotX]

Oh and did anyone reckon Downing had a bright game today? Thought he looked charged up and I noticed he stopped doing floating crosses and more driving into the box and looked like more of a threat. He had a few bad misses but overall I thought he done well.

7/10
Ok game......not amazing but better than the last few efforts. Didn't do enough with the acres of space provided to him by Richards for me, but I don't really want to come down hard on anyone after tonight, so it's a 7 ( although shoud probably be a 6 )

[kop-al-74]

Where can you buy tickets for the final?

[Vermilion]

haha, Kuyt for Bellamys goal, he's involved in so many inportant goals for us, how he managed to get from the touch line to the edge of the box without being tackled so he was able to prod the ball towards Bellamy i don't know.

I just knew Bellamy was destined to face Cardiff in the final.

Break their hearts lad, break their hearts.

[Norbs]

5live mentioned something at the end of the game. Where all the players where celebrating and AC walked off straight down the tunnel? Is it true?

I've just watched the end of the game in freeze frame. He's walks across the background towards the centre circle when Stevie, Adam and Bellamy are hugging around 35secs after the final whistle but walks past to shake a City player's hand. You don't see him again but he definitely goes down the tunnel before Agger, Skrtel, Kelly, Pepe, Gerrard, Adam, Henderson, Kuyt, Johnson, Bellamy and Downing. I know this because you see the others leave the pitch in an unbroken sequence. So, yeah, he went down the tunnel first

[Mostar]

7/10
Ok game......not amazing but better than the last few efforts. Didn't do enough with the acres of space provided to him by Richards for me, but I don't really want to come down hard on anyone after tonight, so it's a 7 ( although shoud probably be a 6 )

Not great but definitely an improvement. Had few good crosses, was able to show some dribbling skills in the first half and was unlucky not to score in the second half.

Needs to be more aggressive and demands ball more as he has tendencies to disappear for long stretch of the game and needs to run straight at defenders but today was one of his better performances this year.

[Vermilion]

fffs he could have been first down the tunnel for a multitude of reasons, if he hung around to shake a City players hand then he's hardly bolted at the whistle.

[Norbs]

I think Enrique is part of the problem. they both get in each others way. not for the first time tonight enrique hit too many passes behind downing so he had to take it on from a standstill. downing just needs to have it instilled in him to run at the man and build his confidence up.

I know I've been banging on about it for ages, it's relieving to read that i'm not the only one who's noticing it. Almost every ball Enrique plays to Downing is a ball he no longer wants, usually once he's gone down a blind alley. Downing must share responsibility for not having advanced further forward but if the defence pushes up to catch out the offside and Enrique is bringing the ball slowly out of defence, then space is tighening up so Downing can't advance too much further up field. One weakness Downing can definitely have levelled at him is his defensive frailty, he's not suited playing in front of such an attacking full back. This isn't his fault though, it's a selection/tactical issue. Enrique can dribble but his attacking play in the final third has been nothing special. His defensive ability has been superb though. How you tell such a skillful player not to advance with the ball I don't know but as it stands, one negates the other and both need to be seen as responsible for the lack of quality down our left side.

It seems obvious to me that Enrique should play a more defensive role allowing Downing the space he needs in order to operate the left flank and exploit the space with his main asset - speed

[Norbs]

fffs he could have been first down the tunnel for a multitude of reasons, if he hung around to shake a City players hand then he's hardly bolted at the whistle.

It's the fastest I've seen him move tbf, and he didn't fall over en route which can be seen as a positive