247 replies to this topic

[Zomp]

I'm busting balls, City wiped the floor with us.

But to answer your question, 60% of what City did. Roughly.

Now please go answer my question in the other thread.

[Zomp]

and even I enjoyed, "You're just a shit Michael Jackson"

[Seven Costanza]

How much did Ferguson pay for players who weren't in the starting XI today?

You mean like the player bought for 35 mil GBP that started the match on the bench yesterday for Liverpool?

[SoxFanInPdx]

What a showing. Silva and Balotelli continue to impress me. That pass from Silva to Džeko for the 6th goal was gorgeous. City is simply better than everyone at the moment.

[DLew On Roids]

You mean like the player bought for 35 mil GBP that started the match on the bench yesterday for Liverpool?

What does that have to do with Man U fans pretending like they haven't outspent almost everyone in the league for the past 15 years?

[Seven Costanza]

What does that have to do with Man U fans pretending like they haven't outspent almost everyone in the league for the past 15 years?

Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to bust your chops.

[DLew On Roids]

1319405273[/url]' post='3819449']
Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to bust your chops.

I heart u. If you want I can send Ry-Ry over to hump your leg and get it pregnant.

[teddykgb]

I don't even know what to say about that performance. I was hyping up a draw just a page ago, 6-1 seemed completely unfathomable. What an incredible week...2 wins in the league and a win in the CL. The depth of the squad obviously helps quite a bit, and the strikers right now have simply gaudy goal tallies.

United had the better of the first 20, but Balotelli's cool finish really proved to be a turning point. Lost in all the commotion is that United probably should have been down to 9 men after Evra decided to pull down Richards late in the game. Nonetheless, I thought the ref did a pretty good job of keeping things in control.

I'm not comfortable with all the "changing of the guard" talk. It was a magnificent win. United will be just fine, they'll be back, and it's hard not to notice how much more vulnerable they are back there without Vidic, who is truly a good player. Ferguson will adjust, the game at Etihad should be absolutely compelling. I also can't wait to see what lineup Mancini trots out for the cup game, it may be the entire EDS squad, lol.

[LTF]

From ESPN.com:

• Manchester City's 6-1 win matches its biggest wins over Manchester United, a 5-0 victory in 1955 and a 6-1 win in 1926, both at Old Trafford. That January 1926 triumph is the only other time City scored six goals there. United had not surrendered six goals in a home league match since a 7-4 loss to Newcastle in September 1930.

• It was a quintessential Mario Balotelli performance, as the mercurial Manchester City striker scored two goals and picked up a yellow card for his shirt-lifting celebration. In 35 career matches for Man City in all competitions, Balotelli now has an impressive 16 goals, 12 yellow cards and two reds.

• With eight wins and a draw, Manchester City is off to its best nine-game start since the same beginning to the 1897-98 Division 2 season. City proceeded to finish third in Division 2 that season, one point ahead of Manchester United.

• Manchester City set a Premier League record with 33 goals in the first nine games, breaking Arsenal's mark of 29 in both 2004-05 and 2009-10. Beware, City fans: Neither of those Arsenal squads won the league title.

[Zomp]

"bluevibe Bluevibe
by ChrisRyan77
Mario Balotelli is currently driving around Manchester City Centre in a convertible Bentley (music blaring, top down), high fiving City fans"

[DLew On Roids]

I love Mario Balotelli unreservedly. I may have to get an Azzuri shirt with his name on it.

[LTF]

"This result is all due to the Stone Roses creating a time warp effect," suggests Ronan Gingles. "When they were in their pomp, City spanked United 5-1. They went away (after the first album really) and Fergie's side came to utterly dominate English football. Now they're back along with Norwich and QPR. Good news for Luton Town?

"bluevibe Bluevibe
by ChrisRyan77
Mario Balotelli is currently driving around Manchester City Centre in a convertible Bentley (music blaring, top down), high fiving City fans"

I was going to ask how United fans were reacting to this, but then remembered that no United fans are actually from Manchester and would thus be downtown.

TEE-HEE.

[Terras]

Balotelli has been one of my favorite players since he started throwing water balloons out his window. He's the gift that keeps on giving.

[LTF]

I'll be honest: I'm enjoying this victory more than the FA Cup win over Stoke.

[SoxFanInPdx]

So, Balotelli seems like a good guy to be around on off-days and weekends. That fireworks story cracks me up.

[EP Sox Fan]

David Silva may be the best playmaker in the Premier League. He's an exceptional player. Good things United has someone in the middle to match his class....oh wait.

Paging Wesley Sneijder, please pick up the red courtesy phone....

[LTF]

[MarkInLondon]

With Carlos Tevez missing from the City line-up for the ManU game, does this qualify as an excellent example of Sports Guy's 'Ewing Theory'?

[LTF]

I dunno. City's a team full of Ewings right now.

Next five weeks are going to be brutal ... After the break, it's the final two Champions League group stage matches (at Napoli Nov. 22, Bayern Munich Dec. 7). Sprinkled around that is matches against the league iron: Newcastle, at Liverpool, at Chelsea, Arsenal. And then a Carling Cup match vs. the Gunners on Nov. 29.

[teddykgb]

If anyone can grab/find a .gif of Balotelli's goal today, I'd be much appreciated. It wasn't a highlight reel goal or anything, but it's simply the perfect Balotelli goal, somehow. If you're neutral, I'm not sure you're going to be all that impressed if you go search it out, but a really fun finish from a really curious player.

Another drubbing today against Norwich City. City's decided that they'd rather win the BPL which is usually what happens when you've got one foot in the grave in the CL. It was a tough group, so it's hard to be too upset.

Tougher stretch of games coming up. Lots of people are looking to crown City champions this early, and their GD and results are quite astounding. But Chelsea looked to run away last season and fell apart, it's far too early. Games against Chelsea and Arsenal will go a long way, if they can keep their points lead, it will obviously do quite a lot as they move toward the holiday break

[soxfan121]

Too deep a team up front to stop scoring. They might get jittery about theur defense at some point and start using too many defensive midfielders again but I suspect even this coach can't justify keeping Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Aguero, Balotelli, et al. off the pitch in favor of Gareth Fucking Barry.

But an injury to Kompany could derail this team - the defense could be shaky without him and that might trigger the need to use DeJong & Barry (or Hargreaves - the depth on this club!)...which is their mistake.

Yes, I'm making the argument that only injury and/or coaching stupidity can stop City. They are just so fucking talented up front that no one can stop them.

[Zomp]

If they take all 6 points from the next two games, I'll agree with you.

[soxfan121]

Balotelli's goal in photos - video link at bottom.

[LTF]

The "Shoulder of God" goal.

Fourteen matches into the season and City is on pace to break the top-flight records for most goals, wins, and points, as well as highest goal differential.

[teddykgb]

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Fuck Balotelli. Showoff. Asshole. Prick. Does he have another house he can burn down?

[Zomp]

U mad bro?

[soxfan121]

Fuck Balotelli. Showoff. Asshole. Prick. Does he have another house he can burn down?

The Fun Police have spoken.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

U mad bro?

Yah think? That sucked.

[DLew On Roids]

Tevez to Milan? I want to see the look on Zlatan's face when Carlos has his first cri de coeur.

I'M ZLATAN, MOTHERFUCKER would be a good band name.

[teddykgb]

It's not going to happen, at least as currently constituted. It's great that Milan saw fit to announce that they had agreed to terms with the player ... assuming City is willing to loan him out for free. Thanks, real kind. Just bullshit media posturing. City isn't going to send him to Italy with an option to buy, I don't think the FFP rules are going to force their hand in this matter. Milan will just send him back next year and not exercise the option, and all they've done is unloaded his salary for half a season. Just isn't much in it for City.

[soxfan121]

Tevez to Milan? I want to see the look on Zlatan's face when Carlos has his first cri de coeur.

I'M ZLATAN, MOTHERFUCKER would be a good band name.

Mario Balotelli's shenanigans are weird and amusing.

ZLATAN'S shenanigans are mean and cranky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As long as I never have to see another picture of Carlito in golf pants, I'm ok if Tevez goes to Dagestan or Italy or wherever he wants.

[Zomp]

City up 1-0 quick but god damn was Chelsea's defense asleep at the wheel.

[soxfan121]

Chelsea's defense is putrid.

[Zomp]

1-1. Meireles.

Daniel Sturridge is a smooooove operator.

[Zomp]

Yes, I'm making the argument that only injury and/or coaching stupidity can stop City. They are just so fucking talented up front that no one can stop them.

If they take all 6 points from the next two games, I'll agree with you.

For all the talk of how good City is (you weren't the only one, Soxfan) they are 2 points up of a Manchester United team that has been seen as "stuggling" so far. The race is wide open.

Infact, look at this table:

Team
P GD PTS
Man City
15 34 38
Man Utd
15 21 36
Chelsea
15 15 31
Tottenham
14 12 31
Arsenal
15 8 29
Liverpool
15 5 26
Newcastle
15 2 26

Everything is WIDE OPEN.

[Snakebauer007]

Nobody is invincible, that said City is really good

[soxfan121]

There's a tasteless joke to made about Lescott protecting his face at this late hour but I'm neither funny nor British enough to make it.

City got complacent, early, in this game. Toure, in particular, looked to be loafing about in a coma until Sturridge found Lescott's forearm.

If City had to GO to Trafford, I'd put their chances lower. But they are done with the big boys on the road.

[LTF]

For all the talk of how good City is (you weren't the only one, Soxfan) they are 2 points up of a Manchester United team that has been seen as "stuggling" so far. The race is wide open.

Infact, look at this table:

Team
P GD PTS
Man City
15 34 38
Man Utd
15 21 36
Chelsea
15 15 31
Tottenham
14 12 31
Arsenal
15 8 29
Liverpool
15 5 26
Newcastle
15 2 26

Everything is WIDE OPEN.

Exactly what I came here to say. City has dropped just seven points all season and yet the club is barely holding onto the top spot.

CITY IN CRISIS.

[LTF]

City and United level on points. Also, a goal differential that seemed insurmountable a mere month ago is now down to five.

[Zomp]

Kompany's red card is upheld meaning he'll miss the next 4 matches.

I don't think they had a choice, as Foy saw the foul and made a judgement call.

[teddykgb]

Kompany's red card is upheld meaning he'll miss the next 4 matches.

I don't think they had a choice, as Foy saw the foul and made a judgement call.

I agree, it's consistent with how the FA has handled the previous situations. It's still pretty ridiculous, in my opinion, but there was really very little chance that the card would be "downgraded", they just don't do that unless the ref himself wants to change it because something substantive was missed. In this case, as stupid as it is, they abide by the ref's judgment and we can all rest easy knowing that order has been restored in the world and United will continue to get BS calls to overcome their deficiencies

Truthfully, what bugs me as much about this situation as anything else is watching that bastard Rooney throwing the fake card to influence the decision. It's very Liverpool of him. It was equally outrageous when Mancini did it from the sideline last week. I really wish they'd enforce something to get that stuff out of the game.

It's likely a pretty big blow for City, especially with Kolo Toure in Africa. I could care less about both cups with the league in play, but it's going to be pretty tricky without Kompany for the non cup games. Savic has been at times impressive and at times really scary, and Lescott essentially has two complete gaffes in him a game.

I've mostly been spreading into some of the other threads, but my biggest concern right now is Nasri, he's been an absolute waste. It can take players time to settle into a team, but he really hasn't provided what was expected of him and he's far too often a passenger. When a player like Adam Johnson can't get into a game I'm pretty likely to forgive it, as he's an out and out winger and I think they're like strikers in a way in that a true winger is dependent on the service he receives, but Nasri is not a real winger and gets the ball more centrally, but he seems to prefer the dribble over the pass and just hasn't been able to really cause much impact aside from his first week with the club. I guess I just had in my head a vision of two highly creative players just destroying other midfields with brilliant passing, and while Silva has hit a minor lull Nasri has been unable to fill that playmaker gap.

[Snakebauer007]

http://i.imgur.com/BmQV5.gif

The tackle in question today

[SoxFanInCali]

It just shows the inconsistency in refereeing. One day, it's a red. Another day, it's nothing.

[fletcherpost]

Jeez City were poor in the first half. Can't recall such a lackluster 45 minutes from them. The guy who reffed the game, i think he's a good ref, keeps his cards in his pocket for the most part. The more i watch the Kompany tackle the more i think something has to be done about this tackling business.

[teddykgb]

The Glen Johnson tackle isn't a red, either, fwiw. It's a red if Kompany's is a red, but the truth of the matter is that neither deserves a foul. A yellow would have been stern but not dramatic in either instance.

[PedroSpecialK]

I'd say the Kompany red is even worse than the one given to Spearing earlier this season. Both are just bad, bad calls.

[LTF]

This came up on my Facebook feed this morning:

"What's your best memory of Sun Jihai?"

How about the day he signed a deal with Sheffield United?

[teddykgb]

Got it done against Wigan. Won't remember that it wasn't pretty 2 months from now. Dzeko back on the scoresheet, which is good to see. Big matchup with spurs looming.

[Zomp]

Did Mancini wave an imaginary card tonight?