As against Leipzig the other night, when they switch it on they switch it on. An absolute masterclass from City.

Proud to see us get this far in the cup, we go again after the break to secure that ticket back to the Prem. UTC.

We reset and go again.

You’d hope so for a team that cost £1 billion+

Yes we are, and always have been.

Up the Clarets!

On their day they are by far the best team in the world, although they do have off days often, hence why they aren’t top of the league and why they haven’t won the champions league yet. The problem for us and Leipzig was that this week they have been at the very too of their game. When city do that there isn’t anything you can do. Literally nothing at all you can do.

They can buy the best players in the world and employ the best coach in the world to manage them.

They bloody well should be the best team in the world.

And yet they are 5 points off the top!

They are certainly in the to 3

When they turn the screw they are almost unstoppable. With our system and press the energy levels have to remain high throughout, when they dropped it was easy pickings for them.

Sadly we needed to catch City on one of their rare off days, but they played really well and when top sides perform to their best they'll generally win handsomely.

If you want to take a positive we did better than Leipzig.

This result illustrated why nobody else wanted a trip to the Etihad in the last 8, unfortunately thanks to Shearer we got the poisoned chalice.

Good that the lads have a break now, although I know some will be away on international duty.

Then back to the real business of winning the Championship.

City are a top top side & had a upset occurred it would have been very unexpected, when you get to the later stages of the draw the law of averages suggest you'll meet 1 of the big hitters & not many come much bigger not in this country anyhow. We did well getting this far, it's very unlikely a club of our statue will win the cup in this day & age with the money involved due to the unfairness of the task in hand.

Why do we never catch City on an off day? They've struggled against a few lower placed teams this season but whenever they play us they just smash us

Pretty tiring to hear the ‘best team in the world’ and ‘different beast’ every time they tub us.

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 18, 2023 11:16 pm

Why do we never catch City on an off day? They've struggled against a few lower placed teams this season but whenever they play us they just smash us

Just a bogey side statistically throughout the leagues every team will have 1 or maybe 2 who they can never beat or rarely do it's as simple as that there's no other explanation, in recent times with the influx of money city will be an increasing bogey side to more than just us.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 18, 2023 11:22 pm

Just a bogey side statistically throughout the leagues every team will have 1 or maybe 2 who they can never beat or rarely do it's as simple as that there's no other explanation, in recent times with the influx of money city will be an increasing bogey side to more than just us.

True and i know every team has them. Was just thinking about how Crystal Palace have managed a few away wins against them in recent years. We are definitely overdue turning them over

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 18, 2023 11:36 pm

True and i know every team has them. Was just thinking about how Crystal Palace have managed a few away wins against them in recent years. We are definitely overdue turning them over

I can remember the townsend goal & gallahers, it'll come around at some point, it's not something I'll be losing sleep over because when all said & done you aren't comparing things which are equal.

Man City, PSG, Newcastle…

Oh so successful, built on dirty oil money

Everything I hate in football

They are ruining the game

Rant over - UTC

We’ve had some bloody taterings off City in my lifetime even when they were bang average.

As someone said above they are our bogey side; problem for us is that they are also the ones who have spent £1pm on players!

Nothing to do with "bogey" side.... They're just better than us as they are most teams.

I have no idea why people think they are the best in the world. They are great at beating teams as good as us and winning the Premier League but really not good at beating the better European teams. I doubt they'll best Bayern. There's a reason they haven't won the Champions League.

They are fantastic when they are ahead and commanding the game but you could see in the first 30 mins how they lose games.

Despite spending ridiculous money they made the Champions League final only once and bottled it too.

To be the best in the world you have to win the Premier League and Champions League.

To me, that makes them a failure and in the eyes of their owners who will judge them on European success, it's just not been good enough.

Respectfully disagree. They haven't achieved their objective of winning the CL. No team should be labelled the best in the World if they haven't won the major title.

Personally I thought the team was set up right and we did ok for the first half hr but soon as the second goal goes in you are giving yourself a mountain to climb , who knows if Maatesen shot goes in on the stroke of HT we might get a bit of belief, but we will never know. I hope with a good pre season Foster can hit the blocks running.

Belgianclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 12:02 am

Man City, PSG, Newcastle…

Oh so successful, built on dirty oil money

Everything I hate in football

They are ruining the game

Rant over - UTC

Not forgettting Chelski (foundations on Roman’s oil money) and soon to be Man U.

It’s like playing football manager with a cheat code and very boring.

I know it’ll never happen, and isn’t even possible under league rules, but I think it’d be great if teams could forfeit the game for a 3-0 loss.

It would soon wreck the business model of teams like City and Newcastle if a big chunk of their fixtures don’t even take place.

They would have to have a rethink about the direction they’re taking, or the league would have to actually enforce the FFP rules like they’re supposed to.

102 breaches of Financial Regulations. 6. Late Filing of Accounts. 0

I was thinking, what would the score have been if we started with Haarland and they started with Foster

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 18, 2023 11:16 pm

Why do we never catch City on an off day? They've struggled against a few lower placed teams this season but whenever they play us they just smash us

To be honest look at city’s results against the bottom 6 on average over the last 5 years or so.

The stats are terrifying they very very rarely ever not win (let alone lose).

We've gone out in both domestic cup's to the team's that will 99% go on and win it

Man City are to football what Graeme Hick was to cricket

Yes, they are probably at least one of the best squads and management in football. But Man City do seem to have a tendency to be able to completely tonk us. Be it Stan, Coyle, Dyche, and now Kompany, they have enjoyed some real thrashings of Burnley, home or away

Also, remember that they are not strictly a Manchester club but one that is more than generously funded by the United Arab Emirates and so have an advantage that shows how they are so dominant. I suppose your personal views on this depend on how similar to this your club is run.

Belgianclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 12:02 am

Man City, PSG, Newcastle…

Oh so successful, built on dirty oil money

Everything I hate in football

They are ruining the game

Rant over - UTC

City & PSG are successful to a point, mind you with the money they can spend they should be, however neither has yet won the holy grail of the Champions League, which with their combined wealth is arguably underperformance at the true elite level.

Newcastle are now pushing for top 4, but again a lot of that is due to their new financial clout.

I agree the game is in danger of losing it's roots due to all the dirty money floating around, sadly I can't see that changing anytime soon.

AGENT_CLARET wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:47 am

We've gone out in both domestic cup's to the team's that will 99% go on and win it

Exactly! it highlights our progress in the cups that it's taken 2 top sides to eliminate us.

Darthlaw wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 18, 2023 7:28 pm

You’d hope so for a team that cost £1 billion+

Others don't quite make it, with equal spend!

They were ruthless yesterday.

Second behind us..

AGENT_CLARET wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:47 am

We've gone out in both domestic cup's to the team's that will 99% go on and win it

What are the odds on a Manchester City v Manchester United Cup Final as proposed and seconded by the FA via their hot and cold balls ?