Very impressed today well done team. My Breakdown.

[spank the monkey]

bump for all the glass half full hoops

[Del]

I agree with the summary.

People need to remember City have won something like 34 of their last 36 home matches or something ridiculous anyway.... we were not expected to have a chance today!

Add to that the team is far from gelled, the centre mid pair have never played together at all, one on debut and another form 9 months out, plus the fact we were playing with pressure after poor start to the season.

Taking those things into account, i think after the first 20mins we actually started to respect our own ability and pass the ball around, keeping it for short periods and played some good stuff.

Grenaro and Faurlin i think will become a formidable central midfield pair. They are both very composed and tidy in posession and very rarely lose it. I think when Diakite is sorted he should play with them ahead of them in the sort of Toure role City often emplyed last season. Have him with some licence to drive forward on runs oppos can't stop, but by being more advanced he will be in dangerous areas before they know it.

Anyway, lots more positives than negatives. Nelsen can defend and will surely partner Mbia, so gametime important. Faurlin got another run, and chuffed for Dyer, credit to him for his hard graft to get fit again... he also looks very useful and composed, surprising considering how long hes been out.

[Kimchee Ranger]

Ah, so this is the thread where all the sane people are hanging out. Good. Scoot over mates - let me squeeze into the bar over on this side. :=B:

[DouDou_87]

Nice post better than the majority of negitive post from the never satisfied idiots who seem to think we have the right to win every match

Nail on the head.

[tetters]

Very impressed by Granero. To look so good after being with the team for under 24 hours is incredible. So impressed I've changed my avatar!

[Park Street Ranger]

Was at the Etihad today and generally agree with the OP. We seemed somewhat over awed in the first half hour and I was getting worried - but - we gradually worked our way into the game and by the end of the match I was happy with the performance overall. Definitely the best league game for us so far i.e. better than Norwich even though we lost today. I am confident now that we will continue to improve and am optimistic for the season.

[DeepcutHoop]

Oddly the best thing that happened in terms of getting us settled in the game, was the City first goal.

Up to that point, they'd been pressurising our players the instant they got the ball, and Park, Faurlin and Granero all got caught out.

When they scored, they backed off, and our midfield got slightlyl more time to look up and pass, which settled the nerves and allowed them to start knocking it around.

Our passing and movement at times in the second half was excellent I thought.