Terrible result but solid game?

What a strange game that was. We had all the possession, shots constantly peppering the goal but lost by 2 goals!

I refuse to be disappointed because although we lost points today we still look like a the kind of team that will push on for promotion.

Agree that the performance didn't deserve a result like that. Not the best I've seen us play, but certainly didn't warrant a loss. Positives to be had.

We should have won nqat...brightons defence was on form tonight.

The only slight annoying thing was the insistence on whipping the ball into the box - wasn't working and should tried something else. Can't be too harsh on the boys though.

I agree but the nerves are beginning to kick in with me. I hate that we are playing on Sunday now next game ... and that the Barnsley game might be delayed to April. There is a real risk of things getting far too tight again.

I agree with both those comments and on another night we could have had 3 or 4 goals.
Without doing full pen pics, my thoughts on the team were that you couldn't really fault the back five because they had so little to do and were caught twice on the break at the end of each half. However, when we are this much on top with this amount of possession, I didn't think the centre backs really knew what to do with it.
The midfield was lacking. Smith was disappointing and Whitts, other than some neat passing seems to have completely lost his ability at dead ball situations. His corners either didn't clear the first man or they were overhit the far post. Similarly, his free kicks generally seem to hit the wall these days. Gunnarsson was lively and the pick of the quartet but Noone was dreadful, continually giving the ball away or failing to beat his man and missing an easy chance close in with the keeper stranded after about 3 minutes. This was probably a game changing miss. Conway was brought on at half time and sparked most of our better attacks in the second half combining his usual work rate with some excellent crosses which should have brought at least two goals but for some poor flicked headers which went wide with the keeper rooted.
Up front, Bellamy and Campbell both worked hard but both missed some clear cut chances with Campbell in particular missing with a free header and putting the ball over the bar from a Connolly cutback when it looked easier to score.
Despite these shortcomings, it should have been a comfortable win with the biggest plus being Conway showing why he should be a regular starter on this form.

That's pretty much how I saw the performances.

Hindsight is wonderful, but I don't think team selection was right. Much as we all love Noone as a flair player, I did have a gut feeling that he would freeze against his former club. The Brighton defenders know his tricks and he was reluctant to really have a go and take anybody on.............tells me a lot about attitude. Back to the bench, I think and keep Conway going.........

Noone hasn't been as effective for the last few games in which he's played.
His delivery of the ball into the penalty area was very poor last night.

Brighton were quite solid defensively, but on the balance of play didn't deserve 3 points. The second goal would not have happened if City weren't pushing for an equaliser. Gunnarson missed a sitter from about 5 yards when it was still 1-0.

Smith should have been taken off at halftime, nothing went right for him at all for some reason. His worst game so far.

A defeat was inevitable at some point, but another unbeaten run is needed now.

I think we should have seen more of Kim in the two games and although he hasn't been at his best this season, Mason is a more of a penalty area sniffer than some of the alternatives and might well have got on the end of something if he had come on. Helguson is hardly a dynamic game changer to be brought on for the last ten minutes and if he's going to play, perhaps he should be on from the start to take some of the physical pressure off Campbell.
After one defeat in ten there shouldn't be any need to panic, particularly as we really should have won last night, but it's understandable fans getting jittery.
One final point, I've seen a few references to all the plastics wearing red scarves last night but when there's about 22,000 happy to wear them, perhaps they're the real fans who support the Club rather than those who pander to their own selfish personal preferences. Anyway, if I'm a plastic surely I'd be landfill by now after 55 years supporting the City.
Better go now before this turns into a rebrand thread!

I've had plenty of games like this on Football Manager.

Me, 60% possession, 25 shots on goal. Computer, 40% possession, 3 shots on goal.

Computer wins 3-0.

Arkay v2.0 wrote:I've had plenty of games like this on Football Manager.

Me, 60% possession, 25 shots on goal. Computer, 40% possession, 3 shots on goal.

Computer wins 3-0.

It does sometimes feel as though the computer conspires against you...no matter what you do, it's decided that you will lose that game. Screw job-r-us that game is.