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Rob Smiley

Listed below are comments made by Rob Smiley between Tuesday, 1st December 2009 and Monday, 4th January 2010.

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If teams don't show for the FA Cup, nor will fans 04:38am on 04 Jan 2010 @James McConnel

Errr... please reread what I posted.

You have two fixtures within 4 days of each other. In one tie, you're in the last four... in the other you're in the last SIXTY four.

Just ask Villa and Blackburn which game is more important, ignoring any romance and just looking at it from a strictly financial point of view. Both clubs fielded below par sides against each other on Saturday, but are unlikely to do so on Tuesday night, when they face each other again.

I'm not saying the chance to knock United out of a cup isn't a contributing factor from the fans perspective... but the hierarchy at the club will have their own priorities, and silverware in the hand is always preferable to silverware on the horizon. 2 matches over the next 2 weeks and then a potential trip to Wembeley is a lot easier to plan for than upto 6 matches (not including replays!) over the next 4 months. Anything could happen in those 4 months.

The financial realities are... Champions League is where the big money is, and the only route there is via Premier League performance. It's not even about "European Football" anymore. That arch-pragmatist Harry Redknapp actually managed, last season, to pull off a unique double in getting 2 different clubs eliminated from the UEFA Cup by fielding understrength teams, to permit his club(s) to concentrate on the domestic league. City had their best season in Europe that I can remember last year, but Liverpool fans still regard "Thursday Night, Channel 5" as a bitter taunt to swallow coming from Chelsea, United and Arsenal fans this year.
If teams don't show for the FA Cup, nor will fans 00:26am on 04 Jan 2010 I think it's a little harsh to say Man City as a club, or their fans, aren't interested in the FA Cup.

From the club's point of view, the team selection was influenced by the fixture they're playing on Wednesday... first leg of a cup semi-final against local rivals.

From the travelling supporters point of view, while Ollie's dad coming up the M40/M1 might not have been too tough, heading east on the M62, A59 or A66 from the Lancashire side of the Pennines is a different kettle of rocksalt.

The wife's family are from Redcar, so I've done the trip a few times over the years... and it's not even that easy (or cheap) getting there by train!!
Mancini faces Robinho dilemma 6:01pm on 28 Dec 2009 I suspect Robhino was only given the nod ahead of Bellamy as a "put up or shut up" move. Whatever your opinion of Mancini, he's not thick.

Going forward, City are fine... it's our defence that needs attention rather than anything up front. I still maintain the Richards + Onhua will eventually be our best centre-back partnership, just that it'll take 3 or so more years. Wether either will still be at the club remains to be seen.
Phil McNulty Q&A blog 03:23am on 23 Dec 2009 @Dapsy

"Actually dwarfed any other win in an european tournament (maybe except Holland's win in 1978) because of the grace and style with which it was delivered"

Grace?? I'm guessing you actually mean Holland's 1988 European Championship, where Ronald Koeman mimed wiping his backside with a West German shirt in front of the German supporters after the win in the semi?

Hardly comparable.
Phil McNulty Q&A blog 7:59pm on 22 Dec 2009 I wonder, as today was the deadline for Huges to "explain" to the FA his comments about Clattenburg sending off Craig Bellamy, what bearing some of the ridiculous descisions made by Referees this season has had on his dismissal?

And what about the FA Chief Executive? I notice Mr Ian "I'm an Arsenal Fan" Watmore wasn't as keen on condemning Nasri's malicious and vindictive stamping exploits on national radio as he was Adebayor. Not that I'm implying any bias, or anything.
Man City come out of the darkness 11:21am on 06 Dec 2009 I'm another Citizen-on-Merseyside, and you're dead right JRmaineman... for the last 20-odd years it was fine to admit you were a City fan in even the most rabid of LFC pubs. If nothing else, it offered the opportunity of a freebie 'sympathy pint' and an "Ahh, Ay! You poor sod!"

Nowadys, even my best mate, an ardent Red, was in two minds about how he wanted the Chelsea match to turn out. And the both of us will be torn this afternoon... do we dare cheer on Everton to take points off Spurs and see Flash 'Arry suffer an awkward post-match interview?
Man City come out of the darkness 10:52am on 06 Dec 2009 Defeats so far this season...

Chelsea - 3
Man Utd - 3
Arsenal - 4
Tottenham - 4
Aston Villa - 3
Man City - 1
Liverpool - 5

Last Seasons defeats...

Man Utd - 4
Liverpool - 2
Chelsea - 5
Arsenal - 6
Everton - 9

Yes, that's right... Arsenal got Champions League football this year after losing 6 and drawing 12! I think Man Utd, with their injury crisis, and Chelsea with the inevitable January absenteeism will both lose more than 4 games each this season

I think it's well past time we stopped talking about a "Big 4", don't you?
Man City come out of the darkness 10:03am on 06 Dec 2009 @16 Our next game's against Bolton... still sure you want to make that bet?

@13 + @17 The lack of pace from Chelsea is, I believe, the reason for playing Richards (and then Onhua) ahead of Zabaleta at right-back. With 2 players in front of him, both of them well able to outpace him, Ashley Cole made very little impact (apart from winning that corner) the whole game.

Barry and De Jong (Man of the Match) seemed to be winning balls at will in midfield. Ballack, especially, was largely missing apart from when it was time to barrack the Referee. Speaking of which, did anyone else notice that before his booking, Terry was making it quite clear to his team mates only HE, as captain, should approach the ref, but afterwards it was the usual Chelsea "How dare you penalise us, don't you know who we are?!" performance.

And on the subject of "performance"... could someone with a better understanding of anatomy explain to me how, when Onuha hit Drohgba in the RIGHT shin, he should go spinning to his LEFT as he tumbled to the ground? Fair enough, it WAS a penalty. Onuha is still young, and maybe naive for getting within 3 yards of Droghba when he's in the box and Chelsea are behind... but the only thing missing from that particular vignette was a Grassy Gnoll.
Wenger finds defeat hard to swallow 12:10pm on 03 Dec 2009 Anybody else remember Stuart Pearce's first game as City manager? He actually forgot that, as manager, it was his duty to shake his opposite numbers hand and was halfway down the tunnel before someone reminded him, and he had to dash back out onto the sidelines to correct his oversight, and went so far as to mention it in the post-match interview.

To the Arsenal supporters complaining that Huges entered Wengers' technical area, what would YOU have done if it was your team with the throw-in, the ball is at the feet of the opposing manager, and he just stands there looking at it? Not only was Wenger so ungracious that he ignored the opportunity to keep the game moving because it wasn't HIS team going forward (something he's quite happy to do when it's Arsenal going forward) but to then turn around and complain to Phil Dowd? Petty and spiteful... a lot like his teams attitude to City counter attacking. Six yellow cards, 2 of them potential reds if the referee had a spine.

I'd also like to hear what Arsenal fans think of Hughes' wave at the tunnel mouth. Was that show-boating and pandering to the media? Let's compare it to Mr Wenger and his martyr-esque crucifiction pose at Old Trafford, shall we, before discussiong who plays up to the cameras.
Spain can end Europe's historical failure 09:13am on 01 Dec 2009 @Haythnasr

"Real Madrid and former Liverpool playmaker Xavi Alonso"

If John Terry's recent spam is anything to go by, I think there's more than a few players, from quite a few nations and not just England, who regard this tournament as nothing more than an opportunity to pick up endorsments. It's difficult for a National Coach, no matter how good he is, to get the best out of "proffesionals" with one eye on protecting themsleves from injury so as not to ruin their chances of a lucrative club contract.

It'd be pleasant to be proven wrong, but I get a nasty feeling this is going to be a dissappointing World Cup, remembered only for what happens off the pitch, and not on it.

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