FA Cup Final - Manchester City 6-0 Watford FC - 18/05/2019 Match Thread

A Leicester will not happen again, in fact it was the worst thing to happen to clubs outside top 6 because the following summer all the big clubs went on a mad spending spree. Even Leicester still weren't able to come close to breaking the status quo long term. I really hoped we might do the fa cup equivalent yesterday but city were professional. We'd have stood a better chance against united, Chelsea or arsenal

 

A good point, but if I write what I think (as I do) it has to be negative about yesterday.

Players are always advised to stay away from social media and let's hope they don't come on here

 

I just think it sounds like sour grapes to blame our defeat on city's riches is all. It's what Liverpool fans are doing after they lost the league.

I like to think we are better than them.

 

"Crucifixion? Good.Line on the left,one cross each".

It's a skill to look so serious whilst doing something so frivilous!

RC,do you think the players enjoyed yesterday?
They didn't deliberately set out to be tanked.
A friend of mine played Mauresmo just after she won Wimbledon.
She won two points in the first set.
She tried her butt off but sometimes other people are just better at the job,sport,whatever.
City had won how many games on the spin?
Winning begets winning. Confidence and competence,blah blah blah.
They're better,they're more confident and they battered us.
It doesn't mean our team didn't try.
On a positive note I've read Gino and Scott's statement and appreciate their appreciation!
Now back to selecting my bathroom tiles and flooring.
Lord I hope Spurs don't win the CL,as the decorator is a Spurs fan and will arrive just after June 1!
"Cheer up Brian!"

 

I think they tried then knew at 2 nil down they were beaten so let their performance level drop. I used to do exactly the same thing when I played football against clearly superior opponents. I had a bad attitude and it was one of several reasons I never made it. But I wasnt a professional player..

Our players have done it a few times this season. Their attitude stinks when the going gets tough.

 

I beg to differ if he wants to keep the Premier moolah rolling in.

 

I’m not sure I said they are impossible to beat. But if I did, I concede they are possible to beat and you can of course evidence this. However, the odds are massively against a team like us beating them. You can point out that this has always been the case between small and big teams but my point is that the unlikelihood of beating them is increasing.

The gap is largely financially driven and funded in the case of City by an oil rich state. Sure in the past we had benefactors like Jack Walker funding success but it was never on this scale. I predict more and more clubs will start to be funded in this way by countries and corporations and the super rich. There are FFP rules so why not properly enforce them for the sake of a more exciting competitive league?

 

Well its been a long weekend and just got home. My feelings

Everyones talking about our fans and rightly so - a great job and a credit to our club.

Thats where the good stops, everything else was pretty much a shambles. Peyera should have scored 2 - 1 the poor miss in the first half and when the ball came at him in the 2nd and rather than wrapping his foot around it and using the pace and spin to put it in the far corner, he tried to lay it off to Hughes in an impossible position. Deulofeu again missed a great chance at the start of the 2nd half when he got in behind the defence and snapped his chance wide. 3 great chances by our most skilful players who didn't perform to their ability.

We defended poorly, we failed to keep possession, Hughes tried to do a man to an job on David Silva which just didn't work, Kiko and Holebas had no cover and were woefully exposed, Doucoure went missing for large parts, Success somehow managed to play a 1-2 with KDB putting him in behind Capoue - on the pitch it was a bit of a mess.

I think it has enforced what we have all known for a long time, our defence isn't strong enough and we need more or better options up front and coming off the bench

Ho hum, theres always the Eurovision ....... oh wait

 

Was thinking the same thing when I was reading this thread

 

Absolutely Liverpool have no right to moan and that really is sour grapes. City beat us fair (as far as we know) and square yesterday. A million miles better than us. But watching that season after season is going to be utterly boring.

 

Anyone not at the match dared watch the 'highlights'? I recorded them and the whole match & build up but have just deleted them without watching them.

 

If you are going to nitpick, then it's fair to say that the silence between the 2nd and 5th goals was a little disappointing.

 

Why, would their sensitive little souls not be able to take it?

 

Did I miss the open top bus parade today?

 

I mean it’s not as if they beat the team that finished 3rd in the PL 6-0 or anything...

 

I don’t remember it that way, I do remember some silence (of sorts) for a few minutes after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th goals, but the singing section got back on it each time a few minutes later and as someone who was in the gods I was impressed by how many people joined in throughout.

 

Recorded the build up, the match and the highlights..... I did fast forward to Pererya's chance..... Don't think will watch any more.... Kept away from radio on the sports channels and won't listen again for a few days. The day reminds me of 1984 when failed to play at our best and the best part of the day was right at the end when the whole of our fan base started chanting Elton John's Taylor made army...

 

Did anyone go to the cassiobury park thing? I wonder what the atmosphere was like?

 

It might not meet your high standards but I thought that section behind the goal did a stirling job yesterday in creating noise throughout. The watford support was decent in all fairness certainly when compared to what the city fans dished up

 

They weren't firing though. That the disappointing part. They were cruising.

A full strength city with a point to prove and that could easily have been 10.

 

Rather quiet during halftime in the upper deck.

 

Not like in your day, when they interspersed it with fiddling kids, eh!

 

Sterling.

Btw, the only time I realised he was on the pitch in the first half was when he handballed it.

More evident in the second half.

 

That did take dexterity.

One hand cueing up Showaddywaddy, the other up a 14 year old’s skirt.

 

A closed top, & armour plated, bus would have been more appropriate.

 

Wear a Chelsea shirt & claim you’re the new guy.

 

Was he credited with the 2nd goal?

 

It would help if we actually scored easy chances in that initial period in those games

 

I have read some of the posts, but can’t get to them all, so if this has been mentioned by others apologies for the repetition.

I think a small number of our players do not have the spirit or the sense of attachment or belonging to the club. This is not down to wages or players being mercenaries. Look at some of city’s highly paid players. They work their arses off. Pereyra and Deulofeu are skilful players on their day, but you just get the feeling that they are ringing it in at times. I don’t think the occasion got to them, I just think they didn’t appreciate the enormity of the occasion and what it meant to our fans. Some of our other players may have let the occasion get to them. It seemed to overwhelm Troy and it passed him by, which he will be deeply frustrated by. Others again were simply outclassed.

We need to find a magic combination of young skilful players, with a passion for the club, who perform consistently, don’t cost too much and will not have their heads turned by bigger and richer clubs. Straightforward stuff. Must be loads of them out there!!!

On a serious note, I would not be disappointed to see us cash in on both Roberto and Gerard. Our recruitment policy is generally very good, working within tight parameters. Doucoure is likely to be off too, but I wouldn’t put him in the same category as the other two, as I see him as more connected to the club. The funds raised should help us build on this season.

As for the game itself, I travelled from Ireland with my three boys (one a young adult) and between flights, car hire, tickets and accommodation, it cost me a few bob, but I don’t regret it and it was a good weekend for us and, notwithstanding a record equalling defeat, I think they have been further indoctrinated into the hornets’ fan base, learning the chants (trying to start some of them ) and waving the flags towards the end, as part of that extraordinary display of support, which was physically and emotionally difficult to do. But it demonstrated a sense of loyalty that I, and my boys took some comfort from.

Man City have some good players, by the way.

 

At least, after all of that, we as a forum, we have each other.

 

The support was bloody brilliant and the flag bit was really moving. Had to change arms 3 times.
Disappointing result, disappointing performance but some on here need a bit of a reality check on what they expect from our club.
Trashing pretty much all the players who got us to 11th in the prem and a cup final. They may have been poor yesterday but a really pathetic over-reaction.
Really great statement by the club too, really really great.