Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Villanation]

The trouble is, with the cost of watching football increasing all the time...

Ticket: £20-£45
Travel (fuel, fares, parking): £20
Food/drink: £10+
Other: £10

This gives a total of between £65 and £85 per game x 19 games = £1,235 to £1,615 per person (not including cup games)

This is a large cost especially in the current climate.

Couple that with uninspiring performances, the likely hood of finishing 8th - 10th and a very small chance of a cup win will only mean one thing...

Lower attendance, worse finances and the club stagnating further.

Some keep saying we cant use this result to judge us by and to wait till we play teams like the baggies, the problem is we already have (Wigan, Backburn, QPR) and we have not exactly been inspiring.

I am very concerned about the club and it's direction

Personally I think its scary...

I was called by the club last week to see if I wanted a 1/2 season ticket as I didn't renew this season after 18yrs. It's not bad, 250 quid in lower Holte for 10 games, 11 if I order before Nov 5th and get the Norwich game as a bonus. However, the point above is a valid one....we have no chance of competeing with the top 5, due to the finances that clubs like Citeh, Chelsea can boast, it's like buying a lottery ticket knowing all you can win is a 100 quid.

That's decent really, and I have to say v Norwich would probably create more excitement in terms of football than anything we witnessed yesterday. Hopefully.

[Villanation]

The one thing that does concern me is Darren Bent, it is without question he is one of the best goalscorers in the Premiership, a natural goal poacher, did more than is fair share to keep us up for the business end of last season.

So where is he now, thus far we have been playing mostly average sides this season and he just hasn't figured, its against these sides you would think he would be doing it for fun and on auto.

Go back and look at where Bent's assists came from last season.  You could have the best striker in the world but if he is not getting the service he will not score goals.  Perhaps not quite true as Messi doesn't seem to need help from anybody.

Couldn't argue with that omvf, good point, the only comment i would make is that he appears to be drifting in and out games, and I would say if Gabby is there for 4 I would expect Bent to have more.

As you say if he's not getting the service, and he's not, then his best asset being a goal poacher goes out the window.

[old man villa fan]

But that's a different argument, omvf. We finished last season well but were dreadful up until January. This season we're doing the basics right. There are plenty of valid criticisms but a lack of fight isn't one of them. Getting Bent more involved, the right balance in centre mid, the struggle of N'Zogbia to find any form and the decline of Marc Albrighton are more pressing concerns.

I was encouraged by the second half at Loftus Road and the Wigan game and even the first half yesterday. I think we're a comfortably a mid table side and if we get the things above sorted perhaps a bit higher. As Paulie says, that's where the club are choosing to operate at present, expecting anything else is both unfair and unrealistic.

Chris, I have always admired your optimism and support for the team/manager/club to the point of being the last man to turn the lights off when things have not been going well for us.

As I said earlier, I believe we have the set up and standing to be the best of the rest.  However, we have to believe that and have the vision to see a way in which we can achieve it and that doesn't meen just throwing money at it.

Like others, I am getting a little concerned that the club is burying it's head in the sand and sailing on hopefully.  An owner without a detailed understanding of the game can only take you so far.

I want this club to be the best but understand that we do not have the finances to do that.  I will be patient if I can see a progression in the right direction.  All I can see at the moment is a mid-table side.  Considering where we were 2 seasons ago, this is a major fall and I am struggling to see the current way (manager and owner) getting us to 7th.

[Chris Smith]

 We're going through a process of cost cutting and only time will tell if that's a transitional arrangement or a sign of how things are going to be on a longer term basis. I think it's a bit premature to declare that we've given up completely.

[DB]

The trouble is, with the cost of watching football increasing all the time...

Ticket: £20-£45
Travel (fuel, fares, parking): £20
Food/drink: £10+
Other: £10

This gives a total of between £65 and £85 per game x 19 games = £1,235 to £1,615 per person (not including cup games)

This is a large cost especially in the current climate.

Couple that with uninspiring performances, the likely hood of finishing 8th - 10th and a very small chance of a cup win will only mean one thing...

Lower attendance, worse finances and the club stagnating further.

Some keep saying we cant use this result to judge us by and to wait till we play teams like the baggies, the problem is we already have (Wigan, Backburn, QPR) and we have not exactly been inspiring.

I am very concerned about the club and it's direction

Personally I think its scary...

I was called by the club last week to see if I wanted a 1/2 season ticket as I didn't renew this season after 18yrs. It's not bad, 250 quid in lower Holte for 10 games, 11 if I order before Nov 5th and get the Norwich game as a bonus. However, the point above is a valid one....we have no chance of competeing with the top 5, due to the finances that clubs like Citeh, Chelsea can boast, it's like buying a lottery ticket knowing all you can win is a 100 quid.

That's decent really, and I have to say v Norwich would probably create more excitement in terms of football than anything we witnessed yesterday. Hopefully.

Yes, I will probably get one!

[old man villa fan]

I am not giving up completely.  Not even giving up.

We have 5 or 6 senior players with contracts that are coming to an end at the end of this season or next.  Our approach to how we handle this will set our destiny for the next 5 years or more.  At this point in time we do not seem to be planning for this in a way that is going to take us forward.

[Deano58]

I think the mistake your making is that you are of the impression that people commenting about the vast amounts of money being spent is solely about Man City and in some way you feel its directed at Man City because it is Man City, not so.

Its killing the game mate, not Man City, but the whole concept of overwhelming wealth.

Seriously, do you not think something is wrong in football when many fans psychologically look at the next fixture and see we are playing Man Utd or Man City, Chelsea, and think phuk that not worth throwing the money away on it, I'll wait till we play someone we can actually get a game with.

Yes, it's more than wrong, it's a disaster. I said as much above but my point is that its been going on for years and what I can't understand is why I didn't hear the same arguments when United paid £30 milllion for Ferdinand nearly 10 years ago. Our top signing that season was Tyrone Loran for £60k (although in fairness we did have Anelka at the time and paid about £13m for him prior to that, having to fire-sell him for £9m a year later because we were skint)(I don't think you could afford to sign anybody that season)

Mick McCarthy codified the mindset when he sent out his reserves to play United a couple of seasons ago because he knew they were going to lose and they had a more winnable game the following week. As if it wasn't easy enough for united as it is. The whole idea is so horrible you'd have thought the Premier League would have done something drastic to prevent it happening again but the fact is, they've created a monster they can't control.

Off topic but I think the single most aggravating factor is, that whilst all this is going on, we're all worried about money, redundancy etc (except for the footballers) and shelling out £50+ plus for a match is increasingly out of the question. If you've got kids its a nightmare and that level of cost isn't sustainable in the current climate. For us, Valencia on Tuesday is £25 and a fiver for kids and still won't sell out. Like the players being a fan has ceased to be about loyalty and become a question of economics. That is effecting all clubs, Arsenal's much vaunted 30,000 waiting list has apparently disappeared overnight, and, on the bright side, I reckon PL admission prices will start to fall in the near future.

[mozza]

Same old same old up there.

Missed the first twenty minutes as some bright spark had shut the A57 and brought Manchester to a halt.

The most entertaining part of the 1st half was the Man City fans fighting amoingst themselves. Their was no tempo from either side.

The second started with Emile missing a sitter and them going up the other end and scoring. Oh well.


Delph gives the ball away far to often, we missed Collins at the back and wee Barry until he came on.


Its the fixture I look forward to least, as we are always pap and get turned over.

Blimey Ads .............you & me agree - that's almost a first mate ..........North Walsall Lions de-bused
in the city centre and the majority walked almost 3 miles but missed 25 minutes which was probably
our best period

Expected the result but extremely disappointed with the overall performance by majority of the team- 

[Greg N'Ash]

The one thing that does concern me is Darren Bent, it is without question he is one of the best goalscorers in the Premiership, a natural goal poacher, did more than is fair share to keep us up for the business end of last season.

So where is he now, thus far we have been playing mostly average sides this season and he just hasn't figured, its against these sides you would think he would be doing it for fun and on auto.

Go back and look at where Bent's assists came from last season.  You could have the best striker in the world but if he is not getting the service he will not score goals.  Perhaps not quite true as Messi doesn't seem to need help from anybody.

Couldn't argue with that omvf, good point, the only comment i would make is that he appears to be drifting in and out games, and I would say if Gabby is there for 4 I would expect Bent to have more.

As you say if he's not getting the service, and he's not, then his best asset being a goal poacher goes out the window.

yep. our style doesn't suit him at all. no surprise since we've gone back  to a more direct style gabby's returned to form while Bent's gone the other way. I can see AM cashing in on him and getting someone who's more comfortable with our play and probably a few million left over for other area's of the team.

[Concrete John]

I don't think it's a matter of our style not suiting him, but rather the players currently in the side.  If we had Albrighton and N'Zogbia in and playing well we wouldn't be having this discussion.  Plus, he's got 2 goals and missed another couple of very presentable chances, so I don't think it's as big an issue as some make out.

As to the game itself, it was one of those "Yeah, thought so" ones where we didn't really learn a great deal about our side we didn't already know.  Started well, but went behind to a good goal.  Had we not then conceded a sloppy 2nd who knows how it might have gone, but we did and then had the cushion to be able to turn on the style.

[Vanilla]

I don't think it's a matter of our style not suiting him, but rather the players currently in the side.  If we had Albrighton and N'Zogbia in and playing well we wouldn't be having this discussion.  Plus, he's got 2 goals and missed another couple of very presentable chances, so I don't think it's as big an issue as some make out.

As to the game itself, it was one of those "Yeah, thought so" ones where we didn't really learn a great deal about our side we didn't already know.  Started well, but went behind to a good goal.  Had we not then conceded a sloppy 2nd who knows how it might have gone, but we did and then had the cushion to be able to turn on the style.

Fair enough summing up, but the overall tone of 'Yeah, thought so' reminds me of the 'What did you expect?' attitude of DOL.

I think we had our real first test of the season, and we came up wanting against of collection of showboaters. Yes we could have the attitude of well, it's a season of consolidation. But a season of consolidation should be followed by growth. I can't see that next season, only more experienced players leaving, replaced perhaps by journeymen.

I could be optimistic if we looked at the Newcastle model, who had a virtual slash and burn but have managed to slowly rebuild. The problem with that is though, they manage to bring in viable foreign players on a budget. If we are only going to concentrate on British or established Premier League players, then I can't see us achieving much. What could we have got by spending that £9 million for N'Zogbia on one or a couple of European prospects?

 

[nick harper]

Agree, there's no question Newcastle have picked up a couple of gems in Tiote and Cabaye - think both are top class.

We buy Makoun and then farm him out before he's had any chance to settle - very frustrating given the current stat of our midfield.

[Clampy]

Agree, there's no question Newcastle have picked up a couple of gems in Tiote and Cabaye - think both are top class.

We buy Makoun and then farm him out before he's had any chance to settle - very frustrating given the current stat of our midfield.

Getting rid of Makoun was baffling. He hardly had a chance to settle with us.

[Concrete John]

Fair enough summing up, but the overall tone of 'Yeah, thought so' reminds me of the 'What did you expect?' attitude of DOL.

I think we had our real first test of the season, and we came up wanting against of collection of showboaters. Yes we could have the attitude of well, it's a season of consolidation. But a season of consolidation should be followed by growth. I can't see that next season, only more experienced players leaving, replaced perhaps by journeymen.

I could be optimistic if we looked at the Newcastle model, who had a virtual slash and burn but have managed to slowly rebuild. The problem with that is though, they manage to bring in viable foreign players on a budget. If we are only going to concentrate on British or established Premier League players, then I can't see us achieving much. What could we have got by spending that £9 million for N'Zogbia on one or a couple of European prospects?

It's one thing to have that attitude after the game and another to have it before/during.  I think our attitude was fine and we had a go, but there's no disgrace in admitting afterwards that player for player they are a lot better than us.

As for the Newcastle model, yes there are some points we can take on from them, but I don't see how Makoun fits into that argument.  He had games and played relatively poorly to the point where the manager who brought him wasn't playing him.  If anything it's a sign we are looking for that 'low cost and comes good' foreigner, it's just that are first go hasn't worke out too well.  Time to judge that is probably next summer when the wagebill is further under control and AM has some more freedom to move in the market.   

[Chris Smith]

Mick McCarthy codified the mindset when he sent out his reserves to play United a couple of seasons ago because he knew they were going to lose and they had a more winnable game the following week. As if it wasn't easy enough for united as it is. The whole idea is so horrible you'd have thought the Premier League would have done something drastic to prevent it happening again but the fact is, they've created a monster they can't co

That's very easy to say for you clubs with expensively assembled squads giving you strength in depth. Which, like on Saturday, gives you the opportunity to rest loads of players ahead of big games coming up. If Wolves want to do the same why shouldn't they?