Manchester City Thread

[helge]

Congratulation

[Joe 90]

[panama hat]

Congratulations . . . I presume you were a ManC fan before the Arabs' filthy lucre so you deserve some silver.




('My' team, however, looks like going down a league . . . again, like a yo-yo )

[Joe 90]

('My' team, however, looks like going down a league . . . again, like a yo-yo

Didn't realise you and Cyrille are Baggies.

[panama hat]

Maybe the German equivalent of West Brom . . .

Whoa! Definite pic problem with that!!!


Should have been:

[PAG]

Well done City, thoroughly deserved. Stiff test coming up with a resurgent Chelsea in the Champions League final, and though I'm hoping for a Manchester win (both finals), I just have a feeling that Chelsea could spring a surprise. That would leave it debatable who has had the most success this season, City with Premiership and League Cup, or Chelsea with Champions League and (likely) FA Cup.

[Joe 90]

Ferran Torres joined Manchester City for £20.87m from Valencia in August 2020Manchester City's search for a striker was supposed to be the big transfer story of the coming summer, as the Premier League champions attempt to replace departing club legend Sergio Aguero.
But could it be that a player they signed last summer - as a winger - has what it takes to fill the void left by the Argentine?

Ferran Torres grabbed his first Premier League hat-trick in City's topsy-turvy 4-3 win at Newcastle on Friday.
The Spain forward showed a striker's instinct with all his goals, producing a sublime flick for his first, finishing first-time from Gabriel Jesus' cross for his second and then being in the right place to pounce after Joao Cancelo's shot had hit the woodwork to complete his treble.
Torres now has seven goals in the Premier League and 19 in total for club and country this season - the best return of the 21-year-old's fledgling career.
So has City boss Pep Guardiola's summer search for a striker ended before it has begun?
'He has a striker's sense of smell'

Sergio Aguero has scored 258 goals in 389 games for Manchester CityGuardiola has managed some of the best attacking players in football during his time in charge of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, so he has a pretty good idea of the sort of qualities a world-class forward possesses.
Having arrived from Valencia last summer as a wide player, Torres' scoring record was unremarkable. He had managed only nine goals in three seasons in professional football, with six of those coming last term.
Torres arrived in Manchester initially as a replacement for winger Leroy Sane, but Guardiola saw enough attacking talent in the youngster to start playing him down the middle as a false nine on occasion.
Now, though, Torres' predatory instinct has Guardiola thinking he can operate as a true number nine.
"He has incredible numbers in his first season in the Premier League," said Guardiola after the win over Newcastle.
"He's so clinical. I'm going to have to think about him as a striker."
How does Torres compare to City's other attacking options?

Guardiola has Jesus as an orthodox striker option, but has also played Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva as false nines.
However, of all the attacking options it is Torres who has been the most deadly.
He has the best shooting accuracy of any City player (60%) and also possesses the best strike conversion rate.

Why Torres can claim to be Man City's most potent forward
Player	Shooting accuracy (%)	Shot conversion rate	Goals
Ferran Torres	60	28	7
Phil Foden	58.06	22.58	7
Raheem Sterling	56.25	21.28	10
Riyad Mahrez	53.85	23.08	9
Ilkay Gundogan	50	27.5	12
Kevin de Bruyne	48	6.38	5
Gabriel Jesus	44.83	27.59	8
Minimum five goals. Premier League only

In terms of out-and-out numbers of goals scored he isn't out in front, of course.
Gundogan leads the way with 16, with Foden, Sterling and Riyad Mahrez on 14 and Torres alongside Jesus on 13 for his club.
But Torres's scoring form has really flourished recently, with seven goals in his past eight games for club and country, while it was his goal against Crystal Palace on 1 May that truly convinced Guardiola he has the ability to be a top-class Premier League forward.
"Ferran has scored a lot of goals, but today was first game is I saw that he can handle the physicality of the Premier League," Guardiola said after the 2-0 win against Palace.
"He was a little boy and now he is a man, when you have this aggression in the Premier League it is good."
Guardiola believes he saw Torres show he can be a Premier League forward when he scored against Crystal Palace earlier this monthIs it a role Torres is happy to take on?

It can sometimes be difficult to convince a player their future lies in another position, particularly if the one they were playing in had already done enough to earn them international recognition and interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world.
"My first position is right winger but I've learned this year to play in the three positions up front so I feel comfortable in all of them," said Torres.
"I have never played as a number nine before but I played as a false nine today and scored a hat-trick so why not?"
It might make the back pages a little less interesting over the summer, but all the indications are that Guardiola might not have to look far to find his next Aguero.

[Joe 90]

Fantastic news for 6000 lucky season tickets holders at Man City getting free chartered flights by the owners to the CLF! All they have to do in purchase a ticket tomorrow morning.

[PAG]

City's 2021/22 away kit released.

[cyrille]

Almost as ridiculous as United's away kit this season.

[PAG]

Is that you in the pram Chitty? Looks like a Man City supporters club General Meeting, Maine Road.

[Edmond]

He's got his hair.

[Joe 90]

Nice find PAG.

I suspect that 1987 RS2000 got knicked come dusk on the Moss Side mean streets.

Funnily enough I was having a pint in a beer garden today that had a row of original Maine Road seats.

The legend Sergio Aguero has his last game tomorrow...

Adios Sergio.

[strigils]

an RS200 was an Escort, that is a Sierra POS, not even a Cosworth.

[Joe 90]

an RS200 was an Escort, that is a Sierra POS, not even a Cosworth.

I beg to differ Sid, welcome back.

[strigils]

you are right, its not an RS200, that outside the 2 up 2 down is a Sierra jelly mould, as interesting as Sib or more life than Nev.

[Joe 90]

They'll be happy you're back

[strigils]

^ It will help the Lady Nev, she won't have to hunt back to find a post to red. She is quite a funny old woman ... or so i have been told recently

[Joe 90]

Manchester City FC

Ticket News
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL: SOLD OUT
UEFA Champions League Final: Sold out
Fri 21 May 2021, 18:30

Tickets for the UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday, May 29 are now sold out.
The Club has been allocated 5,850 seats in the Estádio do Dragão, Porto for this match.

Category 1 - SOLD OUT
Category 2 - SOLD OUT
Category 3 - SOLD OUT
Category 4 - SOLD OUT
Wheelchair / Ambulant - SOLD OUT
Personal Assistants - SOLD OUT
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT:

In consideration of the requirements to adhere to UEFA and the Portuguese Government’s protocols, the majority of supporters must travel on the Club’s official day trip travel package.

Flights and transfer costs for the Club’s official day trip travel package will be funded by His Highness Sheikh Mansour reducing the overall cost of attending the Cup Final for supporters.

The official day trip travel package in association with Sportsworld includes:

Return private charter flight* from Manchester Airport to Porto Airport
Private transfers from Porto Airport to the Fan Park and from the Estádio do Dragão back to Porto Airport
Local guides and Club stewards
*some flights may not leave Porto until the early hours, landing back in Manchester mid-morning on Sunday 30th May.

Match tickets purchased by supporters on the official day trip travel package will be distributed onboard the aircraft during the flight to Porto.

[cyrille]

In his entire managerial career, Man City manager Pep Guardiola has lost more matches against Chelsea in all competitions than any other club (7). He has lost his last two games against the Blues, only losing three in a row against Real Madrid (2012-14) and Liverpool (2018).

[Joe 90]

The Cyril curse, keep them coming

[Joe 90]

I really hope Sergio gets to add one more trophy to his collection tomorrow..

[hallelujah]

Good lad:

https://twitter.com/scottlley/status/1398258351792865281



Come on Chelsea!!!

[cyrille]

So much for flying in, watching the game and flying out...

[armstrong]

One person threw a scooter and one guy took a cheap shot. That's not even a scuffle.