# City 0 - 1 Boro



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

*Manchester City 0* - * 1 Boro *

















If it wasn't for some inspired goalkeeping by David James City could easily have lost by three or four goals.

Great to see 17 year old Lee Cattermole score his first goal for the Boro







looks good for the future IMO the Boro completed the game with seven young academy players on the field ....


----------



## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

Don't get too excited, City are in a very poor run of form at the moment and the cracks are starting to appear after surviving the season with a very thin squad. City have nothing to play for now and many players know that they will be shown the door at the end of the season. Today was probably THE best day to play City all year, Boro were average, City were very poor, and you won by one goal.


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Russ said:


> Don't get too excited, City are in a very poor run of form at the moment and the cracks are starting to appear after surviving the season with a very thin squad. City have nothing to play for now and many players know that they will be shown the door at the end of the season. Today was probably THE best day to play City all year, Boro were average, City were very poor, and you won by one goal.


We won one nil with a team of kids







good morale booster after Basle

City were poor I agree ... and you were lucky only to lose one nil IMO


----------



## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

Yes, if all the chances had gone in during the game it would have been about 5-2


----------



## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Griff will be pleased







.


----------



## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Severly weakened City side gave a poor performance and major arse kicking required from Pearce.

No long term indication for 'Borough though from this, and to make a lot out of it would be laughable.


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Griff it was the youngest team Boro have ever fielded in the history of the club ... they won away from home .... I think that is good sign for the future ... but we can agree to disagree as usual


----------



## oldfogey (Nov 29, 2005)

I've been impressed with Lee Cattermole when watching on the TV. I presume he came up through the academy. Has he played for England youth teams?


----------



## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Griff said:


> Severly weakened City side gave a poor performance and major arse kicking required from Pearce.
> 
> No long term indication for 'Borough though from this, and to make a lot out of it would be laughable.


IMO it is Pearce who need a major arse kicking, talk about the kings new clothes!







City are in a lower position now than when Keegan left, this is with a man touted as a future England manager. If acting like a 7 year old on speed is his forte, god help you.


----------



## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

MarkF said:


> Griff said:
> 
> 
> > Severly weakened City side gave a poor performance and major arse kicking required from Pearce.
> ...


Managers stand and fall on team performance, and your point about the league position is a valid one. He has however had limited resources even after Wright- Phillips' departure to Chelski. His two signings have been good ones, if he continues to pick them like that he will grow a squad to be reckoned with. Too often this season the team has picked itself due to lack of cover, keep an eye out for a clearout in the summer.

As for how he acts, it just shows he cares, I admire people that do. There is a manager on the other side of this town that has acted like a total **** for 20 years and it hasn't done him any harm......


----------



## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

JoT said:


> Griff it was the youngest team Boro have ever fielded in the history of the club ... they won away from home .... I think that is good sign for the future ... but we can agree to disagree as usual


I worry when you do agree


----------



## JonF (Aug 26, 2005)

As a lifelong Boro fan I was delighted with the result. In itself, there's not a lot to be said about it, as it's hardly the most significant game of the season. What is being shown is the benefit of the Boro Academy. After years of the big money clubs winning through buying expensive foreign players alone, Boro are showing that it is posible to develop at least some players locally. Boro have plenty of foreign players like any club, but are trying, with some success, to get local kids through to the highest level of the game.

So there


----------



## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

MarkF said:


> Griff said:
> 
> 
> > Severly weakened City side gave a poor performance and major arse kicking required from Pearce.
> ...










Help me or him!!!???? Don't quite follow you as usual

That of course is one of your colourful interpretations and a daft one at that

The City side is without many of its key players.

Pearce is a committed City man and always has been. He is respected, and one of the least greedy managers in terms of his salary and contract. A refreshing change from the gum chomping know all at the "other ground" across the city!!!


----------



## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Griff said:


> always has been










Even when he was playing for Forest?

When he was caretaker manager there he picked a side with 11 outfield players, his wife pointed out he had no keeper!


----------



## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

I think the article below from the City website gives an indication of the man, his commitment, his honesty and dare I say maturity beyond his alleged 7 years..........

'Disgusted', 'awful' and 'a lack of moral courage' were just some of the ways an incandescent Stuart Pearce described the performance of the City team that lost 1-0 at home to Middlesbrough.

David James was the only one to not get both barrels from the Manager after several excellent saves in the second half kept the score at one-nil, but as well as taking full responsibility himself, Pearce laid into his players.

When talking to this web site and the local media after the game, Pearce did not hide his anger and frustration, here is the transcript of what he said:

"Disappointed is too weak a word, I was disgusted. If I was in that team today, I could not look my wife and kids in the eye, I really couldn't. It's my responsibility as manager of this football club, but there are 10 fellas with sky blue shirts on who should be disgusted with their performance, their inability and lack of moral courage.

"I feel sorry for the fans and the Chairman of this Club, they really sold them short today, as I have and I will take full responsibility for that. It's not going to happen again.

"People had a lack of moral courage to want to receive the ball, to want to go and play. They get coached all week, you ask them to do jobs and they have to do it on the pitch with a little bit of bottle about what they are trying to achieve. That was probably the worst performance that any side that I have had has put out. It was awful, truly awful. I've got to do something about that, the buck stops with me.

"I want to be successful in this job, I've come from the shop floor and I don't want to go back to the shop floor. I want to stay in this profession because I love this profession. By hook or by crook I'm getting there, I've got a track record that says, 'Stuart Pearce gets there, no matter what he has to do to get there'. I'm going to get there, now people have got to roll their sleeves up and come along with me. I need a squad of people to get me there and have good days. They were not there today, and that disappoints me."

Fans were quick to voice their displeasure during the game, and when asked about this, Pearce said he could not blame them:

"They were worse than me and they deserve to be, they pay good money to come here. We get paid to come here, we get paid to play like that. The supporters don't, they pay money to see that. It was awful, and I apologise to them because I cannot accept that again. If I do, I might as well go on the dole now, simple as that. They are not unfair to criticise us when we dish that up. They are within their rights to criticise anything I do, they pay good money, they can be as vocal as they want and they deserve to be. I have to accept that, so will the players and we will do something about it.

"If I turn around and think that Europe's out of reach, then that tells players in the dressing room that put such a lacklustre performance on that it is alright to just see time their out. It's not all right to do that, it never is. When you pull a shirt on for a football club you have got to be scrapping away for your life showing some form of moral courage. That did not happen today, I back these boys, sometimes when I shouldn't. I'll take full responsibility today, because it was not good enough.

"I have a Chairman who has backed me to the hilt, and I will apologise to him tonight. When they walk past me at training this week, none of them will be able to look me in the eye.

"Everyone's playing for their futures, I am managing for my future, there are no gray areas. Every time I pick a side, I'm scrapping for my life and so are the players. There are no times ever when you are playing for the fun of it. This is our livelihood, someone is trying to take our livelihood away. 'Boro did today, and I cannot accept it.

"I'm not in the excuse business, I'm in the stand-up-and-be-counted-business. That's got me through life so far, and I find it quite a good way of leading my life. I'll look the Chairman and say I'll get it right, mark my words. That's what business I am in


----------



## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Griff,

Key players out, then next it'll be injuries, suspensions, blah blah blah, you'll be calling him O'Leary next









I have a soft spot for City, their's was my first replica shirt at school









Anyway, my point was, what on earth has Stuart Pearce done to deserve being linked with the England job?







He is a one time failed manager at Forest and now has City lower than when he took over, I am not criticising him, those are facts. He may or may nor prove to be a good manager (I hope he does) but being popular and likeable is different to being successful.

We had a similar manager, Chris Kamara, he couldn't keep off the pitch either, he was a bundle of energy and "cared". The fans loved him, we fed off his energy and were blind to his tactical cock ups, when he was sacked with us mid-table there was much anger. We appointed Paul Jewel and the rest is history. Kamara went to Stoke and failed.


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

JonF said:


> As a lifelong Boro fan I was delighted with the result. In itself, there's not a lot to be said about it, as it's hardly the most significant game of the season. What is being shown is the benefit of the Boro Academy. After years of the big money clubs winning through buying expensive foreign players alone, Boro are showing that it is posible to develop at least some players locally. Boro have plenty of foreign players like any club, but are trying, with some success, to get local kids through to the highest level of the game.
> 
> So there


100% Jon


----------

