Man City 2-1 West Ham United (03/12/17)

[Colours never run]

Adrian, not only the saves but has been vocal the whole match in encouraging and organizing the back line

And he came off his line for crosses without a fuss. Something which can't be said about Hart.

[Doc H Ball]

Just home. I've been in the NW so much recently that I'm thinking of redocorating in nicotine yellow and getting the missus to have a beehive.

We did so much better today than on Wednesday, keeping a shape for an hour. After that it was a bit like the Alamo but we scared UAE FC and had some clear chances. Sakho really should have buried that at the death.

Great credit to Rice and Adrian in particular. I'd start both next game.

All that said, 1 point in 12 with no bounce, the prospect of Moyesian lack of adventure and an injury list worse than Verdun doesn't fill me with much hope.

This was my 18 year old son's first ever away game and a number of posters on here made him welcome. We've got some good people following us, such a shame they keep getting zip.

[The Old Mile End]

To a man, team and support - a great effort.

No one can fault that performance. Just a shame that the end result was against us.

And we still had the opportunity to level it with Sakho's miss at the finish.

Might be a big mistake if Adrian loses his place after that performance.

It's a shame, but Man City have gone the way of others now. The air of expectation amongst them, the calling for everything, the baying for blood, the lack of respect for the opposition, the goading of the ref to give decisions their way.

The enjoyment of winning a game you cannot lose doesn't last long.

[ballantine]

Last night we had nothing to lose. We'd hit rock bottom, no expectations of any kind, and even an 8-0 defeat wouldn't be worse than Everton. And suddenly we ran around a lot. Points to our lack of effort and running being down to psychological factors rather than just not working hard enough in training.

I fully expect to see some good displays and even a point or three from the next couple of matches. The real test will be when out string of must win-matches comes up after christmas.

[claretandblue82]

It's all about how we respond on Saturday. It's no good putting in a good performance yesterday if we are going to be crap in the next match. 4 points in the next 3 games would be good with another 4 against Newcastle and Bournemouth would give us a fighting chance.

[Denali]

The major improvement that I saw was that we played with our heads up and looking for solutions coming out of defense. The lads were not just booting the ball up field in blind panic. As for many, this game has given me optimism. The lack of squad depth and injuries are very worrisome though.

[Aceface]

I was really impressed with young Rice. Yes, perhaps should have done better for their second but overall, he was excellent.

Rice is an interesting one because inbetween his general good play he's actually been directly responsible for a lot of goals in the short time when he's been on the pitch.

Probably on balance worth persevering with given no-one else is exactly covering themselves in glory lately either (except Ginge who, predictably, on account of not being involved is approaching sainthood).

[Billydinho]

Why are we so impressed with mediocrity?

I'm all for positivity but this bordering on delusion that all is going to be OK.

Yesterday we took an unlikely lead and Parker the bus all game. Understandable given the opposition and our injury problems but we still lost. We still came away with nothing and we are still in the bottom three.

Some of you are talking as if we got a result yesterday, Moyes still has 1 point from 4 games.

[ludo22]

Players did fantastically well considering they were a makeshift side and Moyes could only work with them on this formation for less than a day. I feared like most others we would get thrashed and actually gutted we didn't even get a minimum deserved point. I dislike Guardiola's comments after the game as he shows no empathy or humility at all with opposing clubs . His post match interview just sums him up criticising Hudds, Soton and now us for just defending and not playing like his side . Okay Pep, I wonder how you would play if the boot was on the other foot and we had £925,000000 to spend on our squad.

Once,just once,it would be nice if one of these ***** had a bit of humility.They spent 200m just on their defence and we have got a couple of porn traders who chuck us a couple of quid every now and then.Nice for them perhaps to acknowledge a decent performance.

[warp]

Why are we so impressed with mediocrity?

cos we're used to shitness

[TheKippaxYears]

City fan here, who occasionally passes through. In peace, lads.
Yes, you parked the bus yesterday, but what else were you going to do? Go toe-to-toe with us and get tonked like Stoke, 7-2? I don't think so. No, we'll just have to get used to it. Not wild about some of the time wasting, though, to be honest.
If you fight like that, with that spirit, you'll be alright. Do us a favour, though, would you? Do it to the others, as well. It's good for you,[it's good for us ].
Zab had an excellent game for you. Next year brings up my fifty years of being a City supporter. In my time, I'm not sure that I've ever seen a player more loved at our place. I know he's not always been great for you this season, but he's always capable of turning in a performance. Show him love, as we do.
See you at your place, in April.

[goa127]

Why are we so impressed with mediocrity?

I'm all for positivity but this bordering on delusion that all is going to be OK.

Yesterday we took an unlikely lead and Parker the bus all game. Understandable given the opposition and our injury problems but we still lost. We still came away with nothing and we are still in the bottom three.

Some of you are talking as if we got a result yesterday, Moyes still has 1 point from 4 games.

We're impressed with mediocrity because that's two levels above anything we've seen this season. We played like a decent mid-table team playing against the most expensive team ever assembled in English football. i.e. we played to our standard. If we keep doing that we'll do ok. Any more performances like Everton and we'll be chasing Sunderland down to non league

[Colours never run]

Why are we so impressed with mediocrity?

I'm all for positivity but this bordering on delusion that all is going to be OK.

Yesterday we took an unlikely lead and Parker the bus all game. Understandable given the opposition and our injury problems but we still lost. We still came away with nothing and we are still in the bottom three.

Some of you are talking as if we got a result yesterday, Moyes still has 1 point from 4 games.

Yep. What clouds people's judgements is the vast improvement on Wednesday night's debacle which is seen as the barometer of improvement. Compared to that pathetic display, yesterday's display would seem outstanding but for me, it shouldnt be used as any kind of yardstick to judge the Team. That's not to say yesterdays performance was decent but we can't get carried away losing yet another match.

[S-H]

The thing that worries me, is the possibility that Moyes may have found his blueprint yesterday, on how we play for the rest of the season.

[Patito]

Why are we so impressed with mediocrity?

I'm all for positivity but this bordering on delusion that all is going to be OK.

Why do we have to be so negative though?

Some of us saw some positives yesterday and see light at the end of the tunnel.

[S-H]

Some of us saw some positives yesterday and see light at the end of the tunnel.

Of coarse there were positives, not many are disputing that Patito, but it's hardly light at the end of the tunnel stuff, is it?

[fjthegrey]

We played well, we lost.

It's better than playing badly and losing.

Sort of makes you wonder why we couldn't have played better in the 3 games previous to this one? If we're only going to put performances in against teams who will beat us regardless, what's the ****ing point?

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Sort of makes you wonder why we couldn't have played better in the 3 games previous to this one? If we're only going to put performances in against teams who will beat us regardless, what's the ****ing point?

This is exactly it, but this is an added positive from yesterday. Our hand is firmly on the table. We are capable of putting in the effort and competing with the team top of the league. No excuse for not showing those same levels when Stoke and Newcastle are our opponents.

[ludo22]

We played well, we lost.

It's better than playing badly and losing.

Sort of makes you wonder why we couldn't have played better in the 3 games previous to this one? If we're only going to put performances in against teams who will beat us regardless, what's the ****ing point?

Maybe it's taken a bit of time for the Moyes effect to kick in?Unlikely but I'm hopeful.

[Crossd_Hammrs]

Rice is an interesting one because inbetween his general good play he's actually been directly responsible for a lot of goals in the short time when he's been on the pitch.

Probably on balance worth persevering with given no-one else is exactly covering themselves in glory lately either (except Ginge who, predictably, on account of not being involved is approaching sainthood).

Exactly - which defender hasn't been directly responsible for a bunch of goals conceded lately?
Even Ginge is reknown for one major cock-up per game.

As much as it pains me to say it, he probably needs a good loan spell in the Championship to get used to senior professional football. Do we stick with him knowing he's still learning and therefore going to make regular errors, or do we go with the underperforming, overpaid seniors players that should know better and hope they play as they ought to be able to?