After last night, Manchester now lies in ruins:

I should explain that these are part of a series of paintings by James Chadderton called Manchester Apocalypse which are currently on exhibition in Manchester.

Jens Lehmann says we play "boring" football...

48 goals in 14 games... jesus wept

RE Lehmann. Link to article

 http://sport.uk.msn.com/footba...documentid=160017513

In fairness to Mad Jens (who I hated when he played for us) he is talking about City's performance in the CL not in the PL. And in that he is more right than wrong.

A lot of the pundits and commentators on radio and tv were saying before the game last night and then afterwards that City in the CL have been playing the kind of boring cautious football that they played against the bigger teams last season in the PL

Virtually every pundit said that City would have walked their group if Mancini had set them up to play like they play in the league this season.

Now I don't know if it's true or not as I tend to only see the highlights of their games on MOTD or CL highlight shows. I have seen them live in the CC where I think they had 1 shot on target and scored from it after we totally switched off on a corner for us. But I don't think that is typical of how they have played in the PL this season

As to the City fans - they were absolutely a non event at the Emirates and there were 7000 of them there. I think City will suffer from the glory supporter fans attaching themselves to the 'new rich club' (while deserting Chelsea!) and that always ruins the atmosphere.

Believe me I know how few of the Arsenal fans at the Emirates bother to sing and chant. It's normally the North Bank and that's it

I recall the North Bank mural was considered something of an atmosphere killer during the Highbury redevelopment phase - but ironically it introduced the sound of footie fans to come!

It's a difficult one.

Much as though I have disliked City and their violent fans, one can't knock their committment to the cause. Rather Like Aston Villa they had a huge loyal support right down to the third division. Whether they still have those loyal fans, or the loyal fans have been replaced by the nouveau followers, as happened at Middlesbrough, I don't know.

Ah the old Highbury Library, Cold Sweat.  The Emirates is worse most of the time for noise and atsmosphere. It was rocking in the Carling Cup against City but that was inspired by the hatred of Nasri I think.

I always try to get tickets at the back of the North Bank where you can get away with standing and it's always noisy there. Thing is; you think it's that noisy everywhere and then you get home and watch the game again and see it is just that section singing! I wish we could improve it as it is a disgrace that fans don't get behind their team.

Joe - yep you're right mate it did used to be die hard fans among the City faithful but I have to say honestly that they were shambolic at the Emirates that night. We only heard from them after 85 minutes when they scored and then we rapidly drowned them out again with several choruses (or is it chorus') of 'We forgot that you were here'

I really do despise glory supporter fans, especially the prawn sandwich brigade who can't be bothered to sing and get behind the team

Poor Nasri. We thought he went for the money when he just wanted to fulfil a deeply held ambition

http://www.talksport.co.uk/mag...l-play-europa-league

We never played cautious football during the CL... and when we did actually bomb players forward, Napoli pissed on us with counter attacking football. As for the atmosphere at the emirates, it was carling cup with most of our reserves out, not to mention it was a pretty poor performance. The same fans will always be there, is there any big club though that actually has a fanbase that tears the house down during the game? The only time this season we actually made some noise was during the manchester derby... it's often the teams lower in the league make better noise as they go into most games as underdogs. City now go into most games expecting to win.

As for the comments on Nasri, top of the league... and he gets to knock the ball about with the likes of Silva, Aguero, Dzeko and Yaya Toure. I rather kick a ball about with them than bloody Frimpong Feel free to keep telling yourself he left for the money but the fact is City have a much more promising future than Arsenal... and the league table proves that. We were always up against it with it being our first time in the CL and having the toughest group. Arsenal won't stay in the CL long and there is a good chance they won't be playing in it all next season... you can be certain City, United and Chelsea will be there again and Spurs seem to be doing well. Best not miss Liverpool off that list either.

Ok well the pundits are wrong then as they were saying on 5live and in various articles that it was Mancini's cautious approach that did the damage. Like I said I don't know as haven't seen them much.

As for Nasri and the rest of your mercenaries; Yes they will win trophies and get to play with some of the best players in the world and, of course, that is an incentive to move. But the primary reason that those players have gone to City is because of the money.

Oh and Nasri gets to play with all those star names?? Funny, I thought he spent a lot of your games playing with his PSP on the bench. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on him, mate and your club

Some of them may eventually discover a love for the club but their prime motivation for joining City was their paypackets

Not surprised to see Colin come out in support of Suarez with regards to crowd chanting. He's a target as well, so he's simply defending those like him. Personally I'd say that any £22m player that can't do well enough on talent alone, and who needs to throw himself to the floor or handball on the line to get ahead, deserves plenty of chanting aimed at him.

Meanwhile, get your bets on Darren Bent tomorrow. 11 goals from 11 games against Bolton so far.

Nasri has started most of the games this season, not sure how you can say their motivation for joining us was the money... we offer a better chance of winning more silverware than any other club. You may well of had a point during 2009 as we couldn't even break the top four... but the joining City solely for the money argument grows tiresome.

Another stern test for us tomorrow against London-on-sea.

Blimey Disley, I'm shocked at where you are. You are so much better than bottom, hope things pick up for you soon.

Well done the Boro Joe, that's a good result against Brighton. Brentford also won today - you never know which Brentford is going to show up, very mixed results and performances

Just back from the Emirates where we stuttered and Everton defended resolutely. It was a moment of outstanding class from RvP to clinch the points.

I have to say that the Everton fans were awesome today. They joined in the applause for all of the stuff going on around the 125th Birthday celebrations, clapping our old players etc. They were also really excellent with Mikel Arteta.

Class fans from a proper football club - hope they do well this season and manage to sell the club so they can get a new ground built and get some money in

Spurs fans have been abusing Chris Hoy, the cyclist on Twitter, because they think he's Chris Foy, the referee from their game....

You know... it would be nice if we could get a ref that can call the game down the middle Oh well, let Chelsea enjoy their cup final.

Oh heck... you are the new Man Utd!

I only speak the truth Stonewall penalty first half right under the twonks nose and he waves it off... then Meireles pulls a Paul Scholes and was somehow still on the field.

Hi Mincey, unlucky mate. I think we did well to win with that knob Silva diving all over the place eh what? 

That knob happens to be the best player in the league by a long shot...and that dive wouldn't happen to be the one where Bosingwa made contact with him in the box is it? You know, the type that Drogba gets handed to him every game. Oh well, a ref handing the game to another side is nothing new... top of the league still It will be between us, the rags and I expect us to take 3 points against Arsenal at the weekend.

He's a brilliant player I agree. We've had our fair of blatant penalties turned down already this season though. I'm amazed Toure wasn't sent off before Clichy tbh, right dirty git he is. I doubt we'll be challenging this year but as long as we finish top 4 I'm more than happy all things considered

Just thought I'd add, best player in the league isn't Silva it's Van Persie by such a long margin it's almost ridiculous. Arsenal would probably be relegated without him.

great result for us....city should've had a pen when bosy took silva's leg..the fact silva made such a meal of it was probably why it wasn't given.

yaya toure kicking mata on the ground then slapping him could've got him in trouble too..city looked like they might run away with it first half hour....we adapted,got back into it with a good goal....clichy can have no complaints.....neither can lescott trying to play netball...that's the way it goes.

Silva making a meal of it? He got straight back up... he didn't roll around for a good 10 mins clutching his leg. You also failed to mension Meireles going about hacking every player in sight

he flew up into the air both legs up like he'd been knee capped,bosy went across the bottom of his leg by his boot.

i didn't mention meireles as you already had so why repeat it?you seemed intent on pointing out chelsea players indiscretions.i thought i'd point out city's..you lost and that's that..now you just sound like a sore loser...

one game doesn't make a season,they pick themselves up and get on with it

I think you'll find that was Toure. He would have been sent off by any other ref. Mancini went back to his old tactics, taking off his two best players to hang on to 1-1, deserved everything he got.

And any other ref would of pointed to the spot with Silvas pen and sent Meireles off for the stoods on the leg of Zabaleta... exactly the same incident happened in the FA cup semi with Paul Scholes, he caught Zaba on the leg and got a straight red. We wouldn't of taken off Silva and been hanging at 1-1 had the ref done what he's paid to do.

Should Chelsea give Drogba the 2 year contract that he appears to have requested?

Watching him successfully hold possession using his strength to run the clock down this evening - while not pretty - is an attribute that Chelsea would struggle to replace.

Well if you don't you can always send him our way.... our B team for the carling cup looks quite promising

You would have been down to 9 if the ref did what he was paid to do, it all evens out in the end. You're not the first team to be refused a penalty you should have got and you won't be the last, it's happened to us enough times. Taking off Silva and Aguero was f*cking stupid, 10 men or not. He panicked and reverted to kind. I think he'll be doing a lot of that now you're out of the CL and your unbeaten run is out the window. He's a bottler.

No.

Well I think I would take Mancini over AVB The league table speaks for itself... a bottler? It's possibly the first major error he's made this season.

Time will tell with AVB. I don't know how good or bad he is we'll have to wait and see but I'm not at all happy that he's been gobbing off at the press. No class. Mancini's fine when you're winning, when things don't go his way he bottles it. He did it loads of times last year, hasn't been tested yet this year. He's Italian ffs... they're a nation of bottlers. He looked distraught in the interview on Sky.

Oh well, I suppose controversy makes good games... on another note, I just got a reply from Christine Bleakley after I called her husband a "super fat c*nt"

the league table at the moment...if your players are half as complacent as you seem to be they're heading for a mighty fall.

AVB is still in the Champions league...Mancini isn't..

AVB didn't have to play Bayern Munich or Napoli... first loss of the season in the league and you make it sound like it's over?

Hasn't been tested? So I guess the win at old trafford and white hart lane was nothing? We've had off days like every other side and he's done wonders for us, if he's no good... who do you suggest?