AyeDubbleYoo

10 years ago you would have had a point, I remember when I played all the forwards were massive lumbering fatties. But that is changing rapidly, most top players now are in great condition (especially the backs, who are often built like sprinters now). I'm sure that trend is going to continue. True, at a lower levels there are still plenty of bloaters, but sunday league footballers aren't exactly perfect specimens either. (Also, every sport is restrcited to players of a certain physique. You don't see many 18 stone marathon runners.) Funnily enough, a boxing contest between two genuine heavyweights can be a thing of beauty and skill. Rugby on the other hand with 16 sweaty blokes getting to grips with each other is only for some people. I agree, but I'd say a Rugby match also has it's fair share of great moments. Anyway, I'm not trying to say Rugby is in any way better or superior to football, I just like it.

I'd love to see Bellamy back at SJP, really like him (as a footballer, not as a person!).

If either Given or Bellamy thought that Hughes would be at City long term then they're idiots. Anyway, what will happen to them? They'll both get luctractive transfers to other premiership clubs, I imagine.

10 years ago you would have had a point, I remember when I played all the forwards were massive lumbering fatties. But that is changing rapidly, most top players now are in great condition (especially the backs, who are often built like sprinters now). I'm sure that trend is going to continue. True, at a lower levels there are still plenty of bloaters, but sunday league footballers aren't exactly perfect specimens either. (Also, every sport is restrcited to players of a certain physique. You don't see many 18 stone marathon runners.)

Neither of them could win a gold medal in the marathon, it almost seems to obvious to post that they're completely different sports.

Yeah, totally, I didn't mean to say that they respected officials because they weren't working class, the two things are probably unrelated. There's just a culture created in Rugby where it's unheard of to argue with the ref. If you do it you're looked down on even by your own team. I guess that might have developed from the public schools originally, but everyone who plays is affected by it.

You're totally right about those people, don't get me wrong. There are a lot of people who look down on football. It's not a coincidence that most footballers are working class while most rugby players are middle/upper. It's a cultural thing that has been many generations in the making.

I really like Rugby, and the players are proper athletes. What they go through in an average game I would suggest is much worse than an average footballer. But there is a lot of dirty play that goes on in a game that seems to be accepted - throwing punches, stamping, scratching, raking with studs, all sorts. This sort of thing is just ignored really, not sure why. The macho thing is a big part of it. I suppose the better reputation of rugby is due to a few things. Firstly, it is not a working class sport, meaning players on TV are usually quite well educated, eloquent and have posh accents. Also, they are seen to be very respectful to officials, which is fair enough - they are. Then there is the lack of whinging, diving and feigning injury, which I think deserves a lot of credit. The class thing is a big factor, when public schoolboys make noise and get up to no good it's just good fun, when comprehensive school lads do it it's thuggery.

Don't think you could say he made a hash of it, he was sacked far too early after not doing much wrong. His main weakness was that he isn't glamorous. His reputation is completely intact and he'll probably walk into another good job pretty soon.

Even if that's the case though, isn't it just random/luck? If they try to attract fans, like with reduced ticket prices, they get slagged off. Same if their attendances go up when they do well, it's glory hunting.

I was thinking this yesterday, they do look woeful but some of them still manage to get 20+ a season so we must be doing something right. When you look at how comfortably Colo handled Boro yesterday, you can see we have too much experience and quality in defence for the majority of Championship forwards. We aren't being helped out by bad finishing any more than any other team, we've got a better defence.

I've never understood clubs competing over attendences. It's mostly an accident of geography or a result of the club's success or lack of, nothing that fans can be praised or criticised for really.

No, he was just dismissed. Old school style.

Guardiola really seems to understand the spirit and ethos of the club as well, not surprisingly. He has them playing in a style that is familiar and comfortable to them, a system that he seems to stick to, and a way the fans like. All credit too him. Snappy dresser too.

I would be very surprised if we can sign anyone better in the summer, so on that basis yes. I would like to see him develop his attacking game, but we've got the makings of a settled defence so I would want to keep that intact.

Don't think he's really fuming there is he? He's just giving a normal opinion, and some journo has jizzed a headline all over it.

Sometimes not ruining what you inherit is the greatest achievement for a manager. We've suffered enough times from people who didn't understand that.

He's signed a lot of good players really, considering how unattractive City were to world-class stars at the time. He's added some steel and premiership experience to what otherwise might have been a team of galaticos. He paid too much for most of them, but his owners distorted the market with their massive wealth. He's on target for the finish he was tasked with achieving, anything beyond that is impossible in one season. A crazy sacking, can only damage Man City at this point.

Mark Bright and his chum on the BBC weren't exactly neutral either, Brighty was Boro's refereeing complaint cheerleader most of the match. And hilarious when he said he didn't understand why Pogatetz had to go over to the ref when he was told, to get his booking. It's called respect Mark, taking responsibility for you actions, not being a complete dick... that sort of thing.

Thankfully this is true, never understood it.

He seems to be getting a bit better, I don't see why not. If he wants to go somewhere else I wouldn't be heartbroken though.

I never rated Milner and I still think at the time we did very well to sell him for £12m, but he seems to be doing very very well now. He needs pacey and dynamic players around him, which he now has. And finally someone seems to have realised the obvious, that he's an attacking central midfielder and not a wide player.

It's catch 22 though isn't it? You can't buy premiership quality players on premierleague wages in our current position. They won't sign and we can't afford them.

Slightly above retarded but below average, I reckon.

I don't think there's that much difference between diving and simulation TBH. In my opinion, if a player can stay on their feet they must try to do so. Obviously referees would need to be better at spotting the fouls that don't take a player down but should be freekicks/penalties.