Man Citeh thread

[ratbert]

Just 3 points between you and Fulham in 8th? Can't believe how close it was mid table.

And just three points between us and Blackburn in 15th who might have gone down today. If the season was 46 games long like every other league we'd be dead and buried.

Appalled that we haven't tried (save possibly Blackpool away) the last five games. Appalled that teams below us all season have been able to overtake us with ease. Coyle seems to have been unable to do anything to motivate the players.

I just feel terribly angry and disappointed. We've moved forward in so many ways pre-Wembley/Holden injury, yet the raw stats will make it look like a season of struggle, just the way it always seems to be, just the way the footballing world always expects from us.

To make matters worse, Megson will be smiling tonight and saying "I told them so".

[hisroyalgingerness]

Well, Manchester City are bona fide top 4 now, so let's not be too surprised we rolled over and let them tickle our bellies.

Pretty lifeless game, and one only needs to look at the slide down the table to realise it wasn't completely meaningless.

Game highlighted so many of our flaws which dogged our season:
1) Davo isn't winning anything in the air, on the floor - even sitters from beautiful set piece delivery
2) our distribution from the back is awful. 3 cannot pass without panicking, the other thinks he's bloody Croyuff, or Campo or somert
3) Midfield strength in depth is wafer, wafer thin
4) we don't change it. Even when we come out after the break and nothing's happening, we just leave it 15-20 mins too long before making that change
5) Sturridge. Greedy bastard

[William the White]

A dispiriting end to the season.

But I'm working hard at recalling stuffing Newcastle, beating Arsenal, and four points from Everton.

And stayed for the lap of honour...

[truewhite15]

Am I the only person not particularly arsed where we've finished? It's been plain for all to see that we've improved from last season. The final league position is unfortunate, yes. As were the final 5 games, and the 17th of April. Have we improved? Well, under Megson, we'd never have got anywhere near Wembley. We were never even dreaming of Europe under Megson. If we take off the angry-specs, I think most people will realise this.

We've got an awful lot to build on for next season. There are things we need to improve on, yes, and things that need to change, but we're in a fantastic position, with our manager and the players we have, to make those changes and improvements. I think our fans are getting, if it's possible, more and more fickle as the years go on. I've never seen so many people leave before a lap of honour. We actually played rather well today.

[adamworthy2002]

Am I the only person not particularly arsed where we've finished? It's been plain for all to see that we've improved from last season. The final league position is unfortunate, yes. As were the final 5 games, and the 17th of April. Have we improved? Well, under Megson, we'd never have got anywhere near Wembley. We were never even dreaming of Europe under Megson. If we take off the angry-specs, I think most people will realise this.

We've got an awful lot to build on for next season. There are things we need to improve on, yes, and things that need to change, but we're in a fantastic position, with our manager and the players we have, to make those changes and improvements. I think our fans are getting, if it's possible, more and more fickle as the years go on. I've never seen so many people leave before a lap of honour. We actually played rather well today.

Yep I'm not arsed either, I gave up caring in April when the players did.

[officer_dibble]

suspect our bank manager and our owner is arsed about where we finish

[William the White]

suspect our bank manager and our owner is arsed about where we finish

Yep - chucked away several million in a month...

[BL3]

If the season was 46 games long like every other league we'd be dead and buried.

I've heard it all now. You're actually extending the season in order to prove we would have been relegated if it had gone on any longer?!

To make matters worse, Megson will be smiling tonight and saying "I told them so".

Told us what? That if we gave him the best part of £25M he would spend it on players who would struggle to get in any other Premier League teams?

[Gaz Tomorrow]

Am I the only person not particularly arsed where we've finished? It's been plain for all to see that we've improved from last season. The final league position is unfortunate, yes. As were the final 5 games, and the 17th of April. Have we improved? Well, under Megson, we'd never have got anywhere near Wembley. We were never even dreaming of Europe under Megson. If we take off the angry-specs, I think most people will realise this.

We've got an awful lot to build on for next season. There are things we need to improve on, yes, and things that need to change, but we're in a fantastic position, with our manager and the players we have, to make those changes and improvements. I think our fans are getting, if it's possible, more and more fickle as the years go on. I've never seen so many people leave before a lap of honour. We actually played rather well today.

If you can see it threw rose tints then i'm pleased for you but I think rather than 'realising this' most of us will just feel even more deflated. I think the biggest problem is the loss of money from the places we have dropped. Not only do we have a mounting debt, but survival next season is dependant on rebuilding - which is unlikely to happen in a massive way, and has now just been made a hell of a lot harder with the places (and therefore money) we've lost today.

[Whookam]

Am I the only person not particularly arsed where we've finished? It's been plain for all to see that we've improved from last season. The final league position is unfortunate, yes. As were the final 5 games, and the 17th of April. Have we improved? Well, under Megson, we'd never have got anywhere near Wembley. We were never even dreaming of Europe under Megson. If we take off the angry-specs, I think most people will realise this.

We've got an awful lot to build on for next season. There are things we need to improve on, yes, and things that need to change, but we're in a fantastic position, with our manager and the players we have, to make those changes and improvements. I think our fans are getting, if it's possible, more and more fickle as the years go on. I've never seen so many people leave before a lap of honour. We actually played rather well today.

Do you know that our form since the first of December extrapolated over a season would leave us with 42 points? There is massive cause for concern. This run of five straight defeats against some poor teams cannot be ignored.

[truewhite15]

Am I the only person not particularly arsed where we've finished? It's been plain for all to see that we've improved from last season. The final league position is unfortunate, yes. As were the final 5 games, and the 17th of April. Have we improved? Well, under Megson, we'd never have got anywhere near Wembley. We were never even dreaming of Europe under Megson. If we take off the angry-specs, I think most people will realise this.

We've got an awful lot to build on for next season. There are things we need to improve on, yes, and things that need to change, but we're in a fantastic position, with our manager and the players we have, to make those changes and improvements. I think our fans are getting, if it's possible, more and more fickle as the years go on. I've never seen so many people leave before a lap of honour. We actually played rather well today.

If you can see it threw rose tints then i'm pleased for you but I think rather than 'realising this' most of us will just feel even more deflated. I think the biggest problem is the loss of money from the places we have dropped. Not only do we have a mounting debt, but survival next season is dependant on rebuilding - which is unlikely to happen in a massive way, and has now just been made a hell of a lot harder with the places (and therefore money) we've lost today.

I'd contest that, rather than me seeing it through rose tints, you're looking at it through darkened glasses. Is misery the primary emotion of your average Bolton fan? Really?

Yeah, dropping the money from places is a bit of a kick in the knackers, but Eddie Davies isn't bankrupt, and he's a Bolton fan - therefore, we have as much money as he's willing to give us.

[BL3]

Do you know that our form since the first of December extrapolated over a season would leave us with 42 points? There is massive cause for concern.

42 points would be enough to survive in every single season of the Premier League bar one. How is that a 'massive cause for concern'?

[hisroyalgingerness]

That's pretty complacent. Stand still you die. End of the day for whatever reason we didn't strengthen enough in Jan and it's cost us. It's not tragic, it's not Birmingham-level disaster, but it's ominous.

[ratbert]

If the season was 46 games long like every other league we'd be dead and buried.

I've heard it all now. You're actually extending the season in order to prove we would have been relegated if it had gone on any longer?!

To make matters worse, Megson will be smiling tonight and saying "I told them so".

Told us what? That if we gave him the best part of £25M he would spend it on players who would struggle to get in any other Premier League teams?

Do give over. I'm angry. Aren't you?

Had the season gone on any longer and we'd kept playing like we did, we'd be in trouble. And Megson no doubt will feel a little smug that since we sacked him Coyle's team hasn't finished higher than his did.

Right, back off to lurk in the forums.

[BL3]

That's pretty complacent. Stand still you die.

We've got more points this season than we did last season. In fact we've got more points this season than we have for the last three seasons. We're not standing still, we're moving forward.

[BL3]

Do give over. I'm angry. Aren't you?

Had the season gone on any longer and we'd kept playing like we did, we'd be in trouble. And Megson no doubt will feel a little smug that since we sacked him Coyle's team hasn't finished higher than his did.

Angry about what? Same players, better results under Coyle. Since when did we get anywhere near 46 points with Megson in charge?

[Whookam]

Do you know that our form since the first of December extrapolated over a season would leave us with 42 points? There is massive cause for concern.

42 points would be enough to survive in every single season of the Premier League bar one. How is that a 'massive cause for concern'?

Yes, and this has apparently a good season. It's easier to lose games than it is to win them and it only takes one defeat instead of a win for that 42 to become 39. At that point the margins are very, very fine.

42 points is relegation fodder, if that doesn't concern you then

[hisroyalgingerness]

That's pretty complacent. Stand still you die.

We've got more points this season than we did last season. In fact we've got more points this season than we have for the last three seasons. We're not standing still, we're moving forward.

Which is fine, but has what you've seen since end March onwards convinced you it can be achieved next season?

Let's not forget the saviour Holden won't likely be back until September and will have missed pre-season, and Sturridge will likely not line up.

[bw@bw]

Am I the only person not particularly arsed where we've finished? It's been plain for all to see that we've improved from last season. The final league position is unfortunate, yes. As were the final 5 games, and the 17th of April. Have we improved? Well, under Megson, we'd never have got anywhere near Wembley. We were never even dreaming of Europe under Megson. If we take off the angry-specs, I think most people will realise this.

We've got an awful lot to build on for next season. There are things we need to improve on, yes, and things that need to change, but we're in a fantastic position, with our manager and the players we have, to make those changes and improvements. I think our fans are getting, if it's possible, more and more fickle as the years go on. I've never seen so many people leave before a lap of honour. We actually played rather well today.

Do you know that our form since the first of December extrapolated over a season would leave us with 42 points? There is massive cause for concern. This run of five straight defeats against some poor teams cannot be ignored.

Our recent run has above all showed the lack of strength in depth. Particularly in midfield. And we need our wide players to support the midfield and defence.

We need Muamba Holden Mavies to be supplemented by at least two others of the same level of ability. Maybe the injured Davis will return to be one (he was of the right calibre before his nightmare began)- but that is taking a lot on trust.

As for the goalscoring - we need some pace - that will be more difficult to find!

[BL3]

it only takes one defeat instead of a win for that 42 to become 39. At that point the margins are very, very fine.

So now you're quoting a hypothetical points total that's lower than the points total we actually achieved and then deducting points from it?! We didn't get 42 points, that only happened in your head.

Funnily enough these 'very, very fine margins' only ever seem to figure when we're talking about the worst case scenarios. If we hadn't conceded a last minute equaliser at home to Sunderland, we would have finished in the top half.