The turtle

that is all it takes. just 1 decent move, no matter how much control you think you have.

great assist that, made it look sooo simple!! not sure we have players to do that with ease. get in the hole, find space, split defence 1 touch so easily.

One of Manning's favourite words. Control control control control.... When you think yeboah; control is certainly not what you associate. ...... More broadly speaking, if we put pep as the pope of the manning way church. It's taken him 15 years of coaching until to embrace the chaos that doku brings. Every other maverick was, learn the system or you won't play. They have normally taken 1 season to adjust, and they are 100 million buys. Don't think we will see him in and around the first team for a while; earliest being nothing to play for this season.

very very difficult conditions to play football in!! yet in that first half some good stuff. exactly what want to see. annoyingly, done on the counter!! when one of the staple rules is control! very much putting that down to management failure, for not anticipating that situation. (i hate that word control as it seems to mean just keeping the ball at the back, which is a bit meh, then acting surprised that chaos is always a part of football) Great start to second half, really came out with correct mindset. and got what deserved from the first half! However, failed to push on...did not create enough in second half, don't think tested keeper even once. Huddersfield were poor today (bit of credit due for making them look it) with the team, there were positives today....at half time it was a case of how are we losing? (always a good sign, minus not scoring) playing really well. However, if you want top 6 failing to win today 1 point from 9 According to Upper management KPI´s this is not good enough. pressure should be building in house, and it is of their own making.

Playing really really really well, no question. And lots of incisive pre assist passes. A lot of highly enjoyable football. There is however a certain level of irony by the fact we have heard the word control a lot recently, to then get gone on the counter. We can and should win today.

Rebuilding works in American sports where there is an aging star near the end of the contract. You trade him to pick up future picks and young assets . Unless you're the new york jets (sorry @elhombrecito), it can and does work. Football wise... Rebuilding is ok, and can be bought into, but there is one very very very important point. If you sell your best player, he then has to be replaced with 3-5 upgrades on current players. Liverpool did it with coutinho. Spurs did it with bale. City.. last summer sold the best player for an incredible fee, could have bought 3-5 players as huge upgrades, but did absolutely nothing, NOT even 1... Then proceeded to hold that against the manager. Rebuilds are bought into when you can see the idea/progress Infront of your eyes. When you leave yourself short by design, the words are just empty excuses.

That more than crossed my mind

Who set the expectations? It wasn't the fans. This was the missing piece, the end of the Jigsaw. This wasn't a team falling to pieces, or one which has lost faith in manager or anywhere close to going down. That doesn't happen often. There is a reason you judge from game 1/2/3....because essentially that was the job spec; to push on from day 1. Not building blocks, not next season...here and now. The fans didn't set that.

With live in a world where team's are now willing to take more risks in their own box than the oppositions. Some data somewhere probably fully backs it up.

The reasons why People enjoy football are questions external. For some it's results only, for most it's a bit more complicated than that with feelings built up over more than 1 game. Teams can earn and save money in the bank for a rainy,but capital is not cheap

Couldn't watch the first half today. Heard the first half was somewhat decent. All prepped and ready for second half; this was my first 25 mins.

Weird isn't it

First half really good Southampton playing pass pass pass football, a lot of it going nowhere like us on sat.But leaving a tonne of holes once forward City playing chrisp , precision , quick 37% counter attacking football. Into feet or run onto it. And it looked really good. Then the start of the second half happened. I mean how much time do you want to give on edge of box.

Ffs we knew what i meant, I just didn't bother to check.

Tonight will be interesting to see. I mean we are going to try and dominate possession right? It will be interesting to see how that goes away from home, versus a team with eyes on a quick premier league return. On the the one hand how much should be expected tonight? On the other if you have top 6 aspersions, we really need to look the part v a team in those spots.

It's such a melting pot of reasons. In 2016 my wife (Spanish came to watch) what struck her about the city crowd... The way the crowd willed the team forward, encouraged them to have a go. It's what she remembers more than anything else, and that was one 90 minutes. This is city, this is who we are..... They may say front foot, attacking football. What they don't realise is that is the minimum the fanbase will accept. For some clubs it's 100% commitment, that's not city. It's about having a go, a real go. Ball on the floor, ball to feet as much as possible, but an absolute intent. Watching city for a very long time has been nothing short of dull, with sprinklings of YES and fun. It's why the atmosphere is at a low. It's difficult to build energy when what you see on the pitch doesn't match it. It's confusing as in essence, it was a 5 goal game (is that boring?) But at 2-2 there was a clear split between score, and what was being watched. It was hardly a 2-2 all time classic football match Keep, keep, keep, keep , keep the ball, force the opposition to change, bore them and fans to tears, patient, chess match san siro football......... That's ok be open about that, but don't sell front foot attacking football if that's not what the eyes are telling you. And absolutely yeah, each time a player gets a pocket of space and turns back first... The crowd will be on them 100% of the time, as that's not why people spend time, Money and history to watch that lack of intent. Maybe the crowd will adjust, maybe management will adjust to the crowd. I'm just saying 90 mins of qpr, 40 mins at home - 2nd best goal of the weekend aside - it had been beyond dull. And then you add, a reasonable amount of the fanbase feel like they are being lied to, and way too many smoke and mirror statements. It Just doesn't feel like fans, players, owners are all pulling one way.... because that's just not the case yet and will take time. ....... I do hope with time, he gets exactly what we wants out of the players. And they play a version if his football which inspires. But if he's expecting an Uber patient ashton gate home crowd i really don't see it we used always believe for a reason, those days against the world. Anything felt possible because it was city, your city, they were YOU that can be built again.

I genuinely question whether the fanbase as a whole will accept that way of playing when it's not winning. It's just not in the DNA, i mean I myself am really trying to be open minded. Though Seeing two CBs pass left, pass right, pass to each other over and over. It's neither brave nor dynamic. Make inches, turn back. Make inches, turn back. That first half was anything but brave. It was take the easy pass on the table and hope the opposition get lazy. they didn't. He needs time, he deserves time. I hope he gets us to front foot attacking football. Trust the process etc. But that first half till the stunning goal , well it was a great solution for those with sleeping issues.

To the fan who sits near the commentary team. Great accidental addition to the team. Providing non bias opinion to everything. I've been especially impressed with the way you've managed to express your anger and annoyance, yet to the best of my knowledge not swearing once

5 goals...... This game....football

When you play to instructions rather than read the #### room. That second goal can and will happen. Eveeyone has a lovely plan involving plans and behaviours then a punch in the face comes along and you remember the opposition have plans too.

A stunning high quality strike.. glad I kept my eyes open.

Ah the classic lull them in, catch them napping, problem is i might fall a sleep and miss the goall also

In their defence... The programme is fully funded by bet365. It wouldn't exactly be the best look for either party

If it's choice between those two.... ideally you put him in midfield. It's pointless having at the back, if you lack it in midfield. And by having him in midfield may just reduce need for a hero pass. The midfield is all energy, effort, running.. but no Magic eye. And i mean where is our team short? Midfield, midfield, midfield... We have good players, but who dictates? Who feeds the forward line? Who has the magic eye? The defence is just fine. And while it's ideal to build from the back, they need creative players in pockets to pass to

I mean jones should never be that high ... He's not a empty the bank QB