Title Race

[Slinky Skills]

Hey lads, it's been a hell of a run eh.

Was gutted when the City goals went in, my heart sunk but it's done now.

We've had a cracking season and we can sit back and enjoy Sunday and give the team the send off they deserve.

We're only going to move onwards and upwards now, the club is in great shape and we're looking good moving forward into the future.

We're back - next year we may even make it the big one.

YNWA.

[DannyMan2006]

Tonight City did what we couldn't do against Chelsea. Broke down a packed defence. I think the only worry was Weimann on the break towards the end of the first half or so. If he runs at Zabaletta you never know. Instead he gets MOTM for setting up the goals for Dzeko.

[Sarb]

I think there is a huge difference between breaking down Villa's defence and breaking down Chelsea's (which City also failed to do and lost at the Etihad to them)

[DannyMan2006]

BTW, West Ham were always the most likely to beat City. Chance still there.

West Ham play in a way which City will not like. Villa were down too many players to be a threat, add Benteke & Agbonlahor and it's a different story.

[Fredo]

Tonight City did what we couldn't do against Chelsea. Broke down a packed defence. I think the only worry was Weimann on the break towards the end of the first half or so. If he runs at Zabaletta you never know. Instead he gets MOTM for setting up the goals for Dzeko.

They didn't need to break down Chelsea though. It was Villa. They couldn't break down Chelsea at home and lost 1-0.

[Fredo]

BTW, West Ham were always the most likely to beat City. Chance still there.

West Ham play in a way which City will not like. Villa were down too many players to be a threat, add Benteke & Agbonlahor and it's a different story.

Not a chance mate. We should look forward to next season now.

[Kenneth]

They started the season like a house on fire. They slowed up when they had injuries to key players, but their squad has got them through it.

We have lost the league because when the going got tough, we didn't have the quality to come off the bench.

I agree with that. We can never know how things would have turned out as it's obviously hypothetical but when the January window petered out there was the nagging doubt that it would cost us, although that was about a fourth place position, not the league title.

[Gibbo]

It's not over until it's over. If any team must know that it's us.

[James P]

My United, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal supporting colleagues can rip me all they like - they all wish they'd had the season we have. Chelsea spent all that money, brought the 'Special One' back, and will likely finish in third again. United look screwed. Arsenal continue to flatter to deceive, and Spurs are just ****. If Brendan can get this out of the current team, I can't wait to see what he can do next year with some quality additions.

As for some commentators saying that next year we won't be a surprise package any more, what a pile of wank. Are we supposed to presume that no-one noticed that we were scoring shed-loads of goals until the very end of the season? The fact is that we have, and will build on, the ability to break down just about any team, and once they're chasing us we can batter them. The only surprise is that our defence has been so **** - sort that next season and I genuinely think we'll be fighting for the title again.

As for where we lost it - Gerrard's slip is the lazy journalist / idiot fan answer. Back to back defeats after Christmas, Toure's pass against WBA, points dropped against Newcastle, Villa, Swansea, not turning up at Hull - it's the sum total of the season, not one error. One thing this season will give us is the experience of fighting for the title, and next year it won't be either as scary or as unexpected for the players.

[DannyMan2006]

They didn't need to break down Chelsea though. It was Villa. They couldn't break down Chelsea at home and lost 1-0.

They lost to the Chelsea first team. We didn't. Chelsea weren't that great, we just had no composure on the attack.

[Kenneth]

My United, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal supporting colleagues can rip me all they like - they all wish they'd had the season we have. Chelsea spent all that money, brought the 'Special One' back, and will likely finish in third again. United look screwed. Arsenal continue to flatter to deceive, and Spurs are just ****. If Brendan can get this out of the current team, I can't wait to see what he can do next year with some quality additions.

As for some commentators saying that next year we won't be a surprise package any more, what a pile of wank. Are we supposed to presume that no-one noticed that we were scoring shed-loads of goals until the very end of the season? The fact is that we have, and will build on, the ability to break down just about any team, and once they're chasing us we can batter them. The only surprise is that our defence has been so **** - sort that next season and I genuinely think we'll be fighting for the title again.

As for where we lost it - Gerrard's slip is the lazy journalist / idiot fan answer. Back to back defeats after Christmas, Toure's pass against WBA, points dropped against Newcastle, Villa, Swansea, not turning up at Hull - it's the sum total of the season, not one error. One thing this season will give us is the experience of fighting for the title, and next year it won't be either as scary or as unexpected for the players.

Obviously all points are equal, but it's not wrong to say we lost the chance to win it in the Chelsea game either.

I'm confident we'll get top four next season, but I don't expect that to be exactly easy unless we do some amazing transfer business. A title challenge like this one is pretty unlikely really. I'm also not totally sure that there won't be another Suarez saga in the unfortunately.

[Sarb]

They lost to the Chelsea first team. We didn't. Chelsea weren't that great, we just had no composure on the attack.

City didnt exactly have their reserves out and Chelsea's so-called 2nd team was not as bad as made out

[DannyMan2006]

We've been good fun to watch, amazing record at Anfield & had some great away days. With our squad, you can't ask for much more from the players & manager.

The only place we need to improve is in the transfer market. Only Sturridge & Couts have been unqualified successes since Brendan's come in, though I'm also happy with Allen & Mignolet. Jury's out for me on Sakho, though I'm confident he'll turn out well.

The rest of them? I won't dig at them individually as most are young lads and have little experience of the league. The loan players are ****e but that's part the reason you get them on loan mostly.

But it's safe to say that if we have a summer like Brendan's two previous ones, I'll be ****ing fuming as we are effectively pissing away our hopes. Brendan has rinsed this squad - it won't get much better IMO without additions.

[DannyMan2006]

City didnt exactly have their reserves out and Chelsea's so-called 2nd team was not as bad as made out

In defence Chelsea had their two main CB's missing. They had a 40 year old reserve in goal. They were there for the taking, but that's football.

[James P]

They lost to the Chelsea first team. We didn't. Chelsea weren't that great, we just had no composure on the attack.

23 Schwarzer Free
28 Azpilicueta £7m
2 Ivanovic £9m
33 Kalas £4.5m
3 Cole £5m
21 Matic £22m
12 Mikel £16m
8 Lampard £11m
15 Salah £11.6m
19 Ba £7.5m
14 Schurrle £18m

Subs on
9 Torres £50m
22 Willian £32m
24 Cahill £7m

That's a total of £200.6m of transfers fees who played against us. That might not be all of their first 11, but would comfortably cost more than pretty much any other first 11 bar theirs or City's. Let's not pretend we were playing a bunch of U21s.