Noisy Neighbours - the Man City thread

[flushthemout]

Watching City in Division Two and the promo game v Gillingham were great memories for me, I still watch city but only away games as I feel there is better atmosphere travelling with the blues, The Gills game I will never forget, I had gone on Holiday to San Fransisco and I met two city fans in the street and arranged to meet them the next day with the blessing of my wife.... 29 hours after the final whistle I had to beg her to let me in the hotel. Paul Dickov I love you. Went Palace away this Season and took my 12yr old lad as he wanted to see if the palace fans were as good live as they look on more, we met up with a few of my city mates ( I used to be in the young Governors in the Eighths and was and still friends with Donald Francis and Eddy Brimson) We walked into a pub in South Norwood, approached the bar and a Polish lets say ``Doorman, walked up to my Son and removed his City flag from his pocket, obv we were removed fairly quickly when the debate got a bit heated, Them damm Pickpockets in London.

[hhyftrftdr]

Do we soon see Yaya starting games like today from the bench? We looked pretty solid all game with Fernandinho and Fernando shielding the back 4, essentially taking the defensive responsibility off Toure's shoulders, yet he still just plodded around for the most part, offering very little.

An inconceivable notion a couple years ago, but I think time is catching up with him. We can get away with playing Yaya and Fernandinho at home against the likes of Newcastle and Bournemouth, but in the trickier home ties, tough away games and Champions League games I think we'll be much more balanced with the 2 Fern's at the base of midfield, with KDB/Silva/Sterling ahead of them and Aguero leading the line. Would also mean we have a great option on the bench to throw on if we need to score a goal, a genuine game changer to bring on.

Impressed with Otamendi today, seems to have slotted into English football very nicely. Kompany/Mangala would appear to be the optimal pairing when coming up against big lumps up front (Costa, Lukaku), whereas Kompany/Otamendi are better equipped to face off vs the trickier, pacey forwards.

Doubt we'll see a worse game all season than today. Both sides lacked a cutting edge despite all the talent scattered around the pitch. Can't imagine the DVD will be getting rushed out for Xmas

[POWWWWWWWW]

Otamendi was great today. Gutted we missed out on him but Smalling seems to have become every bit the player we wished he would which softens the blow a bit.

[swinebag22]

Enjoyed the solidity of our defensive display which bodes well when Silva/Kun come back giving us even more attacking options without worrying too much about getting caught short at the back.

Both managers clearly adopted a "defensive first" policy, which while seeming to be a first for Pello was probably the best move given how we got shredded at OT last season.

We still looked capable going forward with KDB and Bony having good industry but Utd defense was well drilled yesterday. Sterling looked a worry and agree that Yaya is beginning to decline a bit.

While Fernando had a decent game, I would prefer a fit Delph in that slot.

Otamendi had a superb match and Pello has a headache now as Mangala has hardly put a foot wrong this season. Not a fan of rotating the defense so I would prefer a decision to be made on the best back 4 and stick with it. Keep rotation for Injuries and suspensions

My preferred back 4 at the moment is

Sagna (sorry Zab), Kompany, Mangala and Kolarov

[BorntoBubble]

I like to give stick about your home support to wind you boys up BUT

Your away support was dire yesterday, really really awful. Only woke up with 15 minutes to go when it looked like 0-0 was a big possibility. Do you not find it a bit embarrassing?

I am proud when United fans sing all game away from home (Home admittedly its hard to get going) but it must really help the players and give them that boost that the fans are there to give.

The city fans were so bad that when they really pumped out a song, about 3/4 times during the game they got ironic cheers from the united fans. Really poor.

Your defence was solid yesterday though. Yaya seemed to put a shift in but was ineffective.

Sterling was poor against Valencia which i was surprised about, although Valencia got away with some tackles which were certainly on the edge. De Bruyne was quiet which I was very happy about.

Think you would have done us with Silva and Augero though. Seemed to lack the cutting edge on the counter attack which is an area you have been so strong in this season.

Thoughts?

[hhyftrftdr]

0-0 was a big possibility after the first 42 seconds!

Everything about the game was flat, and that probably filtered through to the stands. Not sure why we'd be embarrassed about a quiet away end? The atmosphere on the whole seemed drab from where I was sat (sofa!), and the lack of action and incident on the pitch didn't help matters.

If that was Yaya putting in a shift then I'd hate to see him on one of his 'lazy' days He was a passenger yesterday, when we were set up to give him a platform to work his magic. Didn't get a big performance from any of our game changers yesterday, but was pleasing to see that we can keep the back door shut when needs must.

What has happened to Rooney? The guy just has no influence on games these days (from what I see anyway). I used to dread coming up against him 3/4 years ago as he was always up for it, would look a goal threat and just be a general thorn in the side, but these days the only thing he troubles is the refs ears. Compare his performance to Martial, who I thought showed some nice touches and looked dangerous in spells, and I'm surprised Rooney even gets in the team at the moment.

[BorntoBubble]

All Rooney was doing was challenging in the air, even then most of the time he was just fouling whoever he was up against.

Then when he won the ball his touch was dire, cannot really put my finger on what's up with him. He's a mess should have come of when basti came off. Shove martial up front and gambled.

[swinebag22]

didn't go to the game so can't really comment on crowd noise and passion from the fans. I know friends who have been in the past and tell tales of non stop singing for 90 minutes only for sky's coverage to edit out the crowd during certain songs. Happy to accept that the crowd were not much cop if you were sat next to them and couldn't hear anything.

Now that the Munich chants are dying out (thankfully) derby day chants seem to be aimed at Giggs, Neville (G) and Charlton which have probably been edited out due to their less than savoury nature.

As for home support, I sit stand with the 1894 group in the south stand and the fans have been singing from first whistle to last. Can't really tell if this transfers itself around the ground due to the noise in our end.

I do hate the whole "our fans are better than yours" debate. At the end of the day, the product normally dictates the fans enthusiasm. A poor game will have a poor atmosphere and a great game will have a good one. I can't think of too many sets of home fans that buck that trend.

[TightEnd]

A poor game will have a poor atmosphere and a great game will have a good one. I can't think of too many sets of home fans that buck that trend.

leicester and Palace. the two best home atmospheres going, irrespective of gameflow, weather etc etc

[Archer]

didn't go to the game so can't really comment on crowd noise and passion from the fans. I know friends who have been in the past and tell tales of non stop singing for 90 minutes only for sky's coverage to edit out the crowd during certain songs. Happy to accept that the crowd were not much cop if you were sat next to them and couldn't hear anything.

Now that the Munich chants are dying out (thankfully) derby day chants seem to be aimed at Giggs, Neville (G) and Charlton which have probably been edited out due to their less than savoury nature.

As for home support, I sit stand with the 1894 group in the south stand and the fans have been singing from first whistle to last. Can't really tell if this transfers itself around the ground due to the noise in our end.

I do hate the whole "our fans are better than yours" debate. At the end of the day, the product normally dictates the fans enthusiasm. A poor game will have a poor atmosphere and a great game will have a good one. I can't think of too many sets of home fans that buck that trend.

 Good post sir and I'm totally with you on the "our fans are better than yours debate".  As for being embarassed about a quiet away end - LOLOL.

Talking to a mate of mine earlier who was there and he said it was the quietest OT Derby he has known -  red and blue. Similar comments over on Bluemoon as well.

I'm in the Colin Bell stand  towards the south stand. I  think what the 1894 group has done is brilliant and I'm aware of the constant singing where you are, can see it as well but it doesn't carry well. However, when the new L3 South Stand get going the accoustics up there are brilliant and it certainly transfers then.

[swinebag22]

A poor game will have a poor atmosphere and a great game will have a good one. I can't think of too many sets of home fans that buck that trend.

leicester and Palace. the two best home atmospheres going, irrespective of gameflow, weather etc etc

I'll take your word for Leicester but I have been to palace/city a few times and the home support didn't really stand out. It has been a few years though.

Other Prem teams fans that were very good at home were Portsmouth and Derby. Yep, it's been a while since i regularly went away with City.

Don't want to get into terrible home fans too much but each time I've been to WHL, the home support was terrible. For balance, they are particularly good away.

The atmosphere at the Etihad has generally been poor compared to Maine Road but it is improving. With success on the pitch, there is probably a bit of a prawn sandwich brigade amongst the support now. Good to see that the south stand are helping to improve things

[flushthemout]

So much prefer away games, Palace was prob the best away journey i have had for a long time, Although Walkers Stadium is 3 miles from me i do enjoy that away fixture obv for Bragging rights, Used to love Maine Rd and the local pub The Parkside, "Penny for the kids" was the cry from the man on the door when you entered with his bucket by his side.

[BorntoBubble]

I discount home support as a lot of the comments here say its hard to over come the prawn sand which brigade. For god sakes united have a corparte section right in the middle of the stretford end which killed that off.

I sit in the singing section at OT we stand all game and sing for on average 80% of every game. It was loud ish early on but very nervy/quiet towards the end of the game.

I only commented because you dont often get ironic cheers in a big game like that because the away fans tend to sing none stop. The best fans to OT this year have been Ipswich.

[hhyftrftdr]

A game that really stands out for atmosphere at Eastlands was vs Hamburg in the UEFA Cup a few years back when Hughes was in charge. IIRC, we'd been beaten 3-1 in Hamburg, despite Superman giving us an early lead. We then went a goal down in about 5 minutes, meaning we had to score at least 3 goals (and not concede again) just to take it to extra time.

We absolutely fucking battered Hamburg for the remaining 80 minutes, but just couldn't score that all important 3rd goal. Elano had the game of his life, Caicedo should have had 7 hat tricks, think we hit the woodwork 4 times.

City had dropped prices to a fiver to ensure a full house, and the stadium was rocking for 90 minutes despite the early setback. Hamburg went on to be eliminated by their big rivals Werder Bremen in the semis, and WB lost to Shaktar (?) in the final in Istanbul.

Myself and my dad were in Istanbul for the final (we'd purchased very cheap return flights (£65) in the hope City might make it), and the Bremen fans were great. They really wanted us to beat Hamburg, didn't realise the hatred between them ran so deep. We got there on the Tuesday lunchtime, think the final was the Wednesday night, and in the first 24 hours of being there we saw more City fans kicking about than WB/SD fans, obv a load of us had the same idea

[hhyftrftdr]

Well Devante Cole doesn't come across as a bitter, entitled idiot. You'd think he was playing for Bayern Munich, not Bradford.