Dunno about the rest of your tirade but this bit is true. The dicking about when in a comfortable position is very irritating, everyone starts doing flicks, slowing the play down like it's a training session, it's all very arrogant and not in a good way.
The Manchester Title Race
- Thread starter charlenefan
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Dunno about the rest of your tirade but this bit is true. The dicking about when in a comfortable position is very irritating, everyone starts doing flicks, slowing the play down like it's a training session, it's all very arrogant and not in a good way.
We still have the best advantage: Paul Scholes & no more midweek games (meaning said Ginger Prawn will play every game).
We'll win the next two, then draw at their place and then clinch it against Swansea while they draw at St James Park.
We'll win the next two, then draw at their place and then clinch it against Swansea while they draw at St James Park.
A win tomorrow will settle nerves I think
Some of the reaction here is the exact type of reaction that the players and managment will avoid. It also highlights what they mean when they suggest that they only concentrate on their own games. It's not entirely true, of course, because they will certainly look at other results, but the point is that there are different ways to process what is essentially the same information, and that we can make choices about which narrative to focus on.
Some might describe their own reaction as realism, but why is it more realistic/beneficial to focus almost exclusively on the Man City and Sunderland away games to the exclusion of everything else? To guarantee the title, United will either need to avoid defeat at the Etihad or to win at Sunderland, as long as they win the three remaining home games (and City don't slip up in another game). It's a position of control/dominance that successful teams specifically try to engineer throughout a season.
A couple of months ago I would have been delighted to have been five points clear with five left to play, and that's all that really matters at this stage of the season. Think about how you felt when United beat Blackburn to go five points clear. Believe it or not, we are actually in a better position right now. Again, that is a different way of processing what is essentially the same information.
You can either get bogged down in thoughts about each individual moment, which likely means that there will be an excessive and disproportionate focus on any negative, or you can focus on the wider reality, which shows that with five games of the season to play -- three at home and two away -- there is a five point advantage.
If United don't win the title from here, they will only have themselves to blame. Why should that make me nervous when our opponent is not in control of events? Football is all about control: of resources, of human capital, of the ball, and of the scoreline or the league table. And yet, so many people act as though it is actually better to have no control because it can't then be given away. Successful teams and successful people would not be successful if they thought in that way.
Some might describe their own reaction as realism, but why is it more realistic/beneficial to focus almost exclusively on the Man City and Sunderland away games to the exclusion of everything else? To guarantee the title, United will either need to avoid defeat at the Etihad or to win at Sunderland, as long as they win the three remaining home games (and City don't slip up in another game). It's a position of control/dominance that successful teams specifically try to engineer throughout a season.
A couple of months ago I would have been delighted to have been five points clear with five left to play, and that's all that really matters at this stage of the season. Think about how you felt when United beat Blackburn to go five points clear. Believe it or not, we are actually in a better position right now. Again, that is a different way of processing what is essentially the same information.
You can either get bogged down in thoughts about each individual moment, which likely means that there will be an excessive and disproportionate focus on any negative, or you can focus on the wider reality, which shows that with five games of the season to play -- three at home and two away -- there is a five point advantage.
If United don't win the title from here, they will only have themselves to blame. Why should that make me nervous when our opponent is not in control of events? Football is all about control: of resources, of human capital, of the ball, and of the scoreline or the league table. And yet, so many people act as though it is actually better to have no control because it can't then be given away. Successful teams and successful people would not be successful if they thought in that way.
That Milan game was literally the only game we lost that entire season without putting up a huge fecking fight until the very last minute...and it was away to Milan, when we were knackered and were forced to put out some kind of makeshift clown college defence.
Also, we only really beat City because they missed a penalty. We looked flat and dead on our feat in the second half. The Everton game the week before is what it was all about.
Great post Joga.
Can we all calm the feck down now?
Can we all calm the feck down now?
Great post Joga.
Can we all calm the feck down now?
It's a great post.
Joga is one of the few fans who can detach himself from the emotion of it all; wish I could!
The thing is the Wigan performance was not really a one off. The QPR and Blackburn, we were poor. Yes we dominated, but that was down to Blackburn and QPR playing for damage limitation. I think if they came at us like Wigan did, then it would be the same situation. It took De Gea to stop Blackburn going ahead a few times.
Villa we should win, but we'll make it hard for ourselves. If we carry on as we've done recently against Everton and City. We will deffo lose those games.
Villa we should win, but we'll make it hard for ourselves. If we carry on as we've done recently against Everton and City. We will deffo lose those games.
We weren't poor against Blackburn, we were relentless. We didn't score sooner because of their negativity. They had odd chances here and there but mainly in the last twenty minutes it was constant pressure with Hanley clearing everything.
I wholeheartedly agree with Noods - we play with no urgency or tempo at times.
We've played teams like Fulham, QPR and Blackburn, who had no real intention of attacking, but we've struggled to make real headway because we play in second gear at times.
Really hope we go for the jugular tomorrow against Villa.
We've played teams like Fulham, QPR and Blackburn, who had no real intention of attacking, but we've struggled to make real headway because we play in second gear at times.
Really hope we go for the jugular tomorrow against Villa.
I disagree about Blackburn. I thought we played very well there and it was a credit to Blackburn that it was 0-0 for as long as it was.
QPR and Wigan were both comparably poor performances by us though.
We kept the ball with no penetration.
We made the breakthrough once we sensibly stretched the game by brining Young into the game. The starting line up in that match was poor tactics. Add the decisions throughout the Wigan game.
That City game has to be one of the most dour derby games of all time. I remember they gave the City fans balloons or paper cards or something to lift the atmopshere but it still sounded like a morgue.
Of course Joga is right... unfortunately it's a bit difficult for fans to be as steely minded and professional as our players... it's a good thing it's them and not us who have to get the job done!
I thought we were good against Blackburn. We just set up wrong with no width on one side of the pitch for 70 minutes.
That was the one off though. QPR, Wigan and Fulham we were very poor. I don't understand why we deliberately play at such a feeble pace all of a sudden. We don't draw teams out or move around them by keeping the ball and using our movement. We literally just stand there, passing the ball about really slowly, and then give it to Valencia and hope he can beat his man.
Shhhhhhhhhh. Giving away our tactics. What else can we do though? give it to Ashley Young? At least Nani's back we can advance on that tactic to 'pass ball around slowly, then give it to Valencia or Nani and hope he can beat his man'.
Football is all about emotions....that's why we love it. If we didn't experience them there is no point in being a fan of the sport. When we win....we are elated...when we lose....we feel bloody awful. That's football and I'm glad of it.
Completely agree.
It's ours to lose.
Football can incite emotions other than elation and depression though, there's more to it than the simple partisan nature of the game. It can bring about plenty of simple joys as a neutral.
Positives...Scholes is back, Nani will hopefully make us less predictable, with a bit of luck Rafael will replace Jones, No Giggs in central midfield, Rooney will struggle to be quite as shit...win tomorrow and all will seem well and we'll go into Everton game with renewed confidence...into the derby 5 clear. It's a good position.
I am however shitting it, but I was last year and then Chico scored in 21 seconds so I thought I'd wasted a week being a jibbering nervous spastic. Whatever happens happens. I think the nerves are coming from everyone accepting it was already won.
I am however shitting it, but I was last year and then Chico scored in 21 seconds so I thought I'd wasted a week being a jibbering nervous spastic. Whatever happens happens. I think the nerves are coming from everyone accepting it was already won.
Tbh I think we've been poor in the league the Spurs game, Wolves aside. It's worth remembering, however, that a certain bad-headed fellow hasn't started a league match since White Hart Lane.
Absolutely.
I'd rather be us than them-on many different levels
Definitely!
Not in any way bothered about City's result. Did people expect us to win it through them dropping points every week?
We just need to mind our own business and do it effectively.
I'm more interested in what this may mean for City long term from a sugarddady perspective:
We just need to mind our own business and do it effectively.
I'm more interested in what this may mean for City long term from a sugarddady perspective:
- Mancini: no chance he can keep the job if he doesn't win the league now. Getting Tevez back was a huge gamble. He needed him, but if he performed the owners may as well wonder what it may have been without the fallout with the manager.
- Tevez: along with Aguero clearly their best forward, and the sort they have missed in those lacklustre aways. Truth is, they could do with him. Maybe the owners gamble (i.e. pay exorbitantly) on him staying on and put it all down to the manager not being able to handle big talents?
- I can see the whole learning from the season boiling down to "Sack Balotelli and Mancini, Keep Teveth", which would certainly improve them... then come Christmas Tevez is off playing golf again
Keep the faith in Fergie we trust! A win tomorrow will settle the nerves and thats another game ticked off, we've been here so often, we have the experience, points in bag and most importantly we have the best manager for these situations. Relax it's ours to loose. LUHG
Agreed that we'll be back up and running as before if we pick up three points tomorrow. We're still in a position where City dropping points is a bonus for us, whereas us dropping points is a necessity for them.
Beat Villa and we won't need to obsess about this thread so much till we go to the Etihad.
Beat Villa and we won't need to obsess about this thread so much till we go to the Etihad.
A win tomorrow is obviously a must. Will it calm the nerves? Yes, for a couple of days. Then when the build up for Everton start they will be back big time. That's one thing I've learned from all our title run ins: our next match always looks like the most difficult while the ones that comes after it look OK. But only until the next match is over, and there's a new 'next match that's the most difficult'.
If we needed a kick up the ass, we have had about 4 recently. Shitty made a statement today, let's do likewise against Villa.
It will be a nervy match, I think
Tempo has been our biggest flaw recently, so much of the time we are dicking about trying fancy flicks or playing one pass too many in the final third when some aggressive wing play would probably put games to bed early.
We often don't start playing until we concede, we did it away at Norwich and got away with it, that kicked us into some form up until the Fulham game when we started doing it again.
We often don't start playing until we concede, we did it away at Norwich and got away with it, that kicked us into some form up until the Fulham game when we started doing it again.
Less is more with Joga_Bonito as whenever he cares to share his wisdom with us, he is more often than not, right on the money. What a fantastic post, both in terms of reality as well as objectivity.
Some of you need to get a grip, really. Support the team, support the manager and have faith in our collective know how and abilities. That includes the fans.
Im not a regular match goer, far from it, but I know that those who are lucky enough to be so will be in no way as erratic and ever changing in thier opinions on our chances this year as some displayed in this thread over the past 10 days.
Put simply, as Joga puts it, we all dreamt of being in this position not less than 6 weeks ago. So here we are.
See the glass half full unless you are coerced without free will to see otherwise. Why? Because the ace in the pack is the joker called SAF. If you can't put your faith in him RIGHT NOW, then when will you?
Corny corporate marketing line I know .... but BELIEVE.
I still think we'll win it but it won't be anything impressive. We'll probably beat Villa by two goals with a calm, comfortable performance, grind out 1-goal win against Everton, lose to City, manage another 2-goal slightly comfortable victory against Swansea and fluke a 1-0 at Sunderland on the last day.
I'm not particlarly worried about Villa. I always said that I expect us to win three remaining home games. Sunderland will be a different kettle but hopefully it'll all be over by then, preferably with a draw or win at Etihad but I wouldn't count on that.
I'm not particlarly worried about Villa. I always said that I expect us to win three remaining home games. Sunderland will be a different kettle but hopefully it'll all be over by then, preferably with a draw or win at Etihad but I wouldn't count on that.
If we win our 3 home games, which we should, and draw at City then Sunderland won't matter. I think this is the most likely scenario.
There might be a Macheda moment tomorrow.
I'd rather we didn't leave it till the 93rd minute before sealing victory, although we haven't had a stoppage time winner at home this season which is a bit unusual.
Next week would be ideal, as it would be just about the only thing that might stop City beating Wolves. Hopefully it won't come to that, not sure my nerves could take it.