gerblod

This isn't then a discussion with any viable result. Thomas isn't Ashley Cole and you can't deal with that. So, even though, for a significant period, he was an automatic selection in a team far more effective than this current one, he's the one you single out for opprobium. You're not alone. It's a pattern that individuals get singled out when the team isn't working. Chilwell got the 'treatment' as has Kristiansen. But 70% of any sports performance is confidence. The élan of that Cup winning side was superb until Rodgers gradually stifled it. There's no such thing as a bad player at Premiership level - there's much more telling factors at work. Anyway, you don't care what I think or believe. Fair enough.

Thanks for your honesty.

You've completely ignored the fact that he played well enough to get in the team that won two honours. You're just scapegoating one player whom you feel you have a reason to pick out. If you can't reply to a reasonably thought out post without resorting to guff then you're wasting your time. Some will agree with you no doubt - but I can't respect your thinking. Sorry.

This is one of the most perceptive an accurate posts that's been made - especially appropriate to one of the major fvck-ups in allowing Rodgers to hang on way past his manage-by date. This idea of 'bad players' at Prem level is laughable. To get anywhere near this level requires almost superhuman skill, strength, determination and persistence - especially when injury intervenes. Lack of self-belief and confidence in fellow players and a succession of ineffective managers has led to this shambles. The squad and club needs a complete makeover.

What the hell kind of statistic is that? Does it reflect on him in any way? He was an FA Cup winning player as well. It's not an achievement - takes a poor squad, poor manager and poor club management to "achieve" that. He was screwed over by Rodgers' temperamental fall-out with the club and the club's failure to act. Of course, Luke became the personal scapegoat for a number of posters on here, but Madders, Evans, KDH, Vardy (even) Ward, Faes, Vestergaard, Castagne, Daka, Winks and uncle Tom Cobley have all been labelled as 'unwanted' on here by someone or other. The squad needs a total overhaul and Thomas is one of the lads to keep.

For much of his time at City he's been left wanting the kind of service Mahrez gave him in the Pearson/Ranieri era. Had he gone to Arsenal his reputation would have been international. As it is, his reputation as the greatest ever is never going to be eclipsed at City. Despite the growing numbers of detractors who've wittered on about him losing his powers and about his pay packet, in reality he's still an effective Premier striker. The club has let him down by not getting him the kind of assistance he needed - making mediocre buys at inflated wages. I suspect he's just had enough of the incompetence and self-interest of those running the club and it's resulting current demise. Shame he couldn't retire here with the club secure in the Prem.

A fresh start would have to begin with the likes of Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn relinquishing his ownership of the club and the new owner(s) ending the overlong stays of Rudkin and Whelan. Sport of any kind is about confidence, which the team have largely lost. Immediate failure on the back of the tremendous bounce back last season has crippled a team progressively shorn of its talented players. How can a manager incentify players who know they're filling places by rote, rather than competing for them? Top inherited the Club and the honorary title - he deserves neither. I have sympathy for him, but too much unearned power usually turns out a mediocre result. You've only to look at Donald Trump to see what havoc incompetence wreaks. As much as I love Jamie Vardy, I'd have welcomed some form of protest from him. His unswerving loyalty hasn't questioned how the club he has given so much to has frittered away so much of that positivity Vichai created amongst fans and Leicestershire supporters. Problem is, in English football, there are few English billionaires knocking around queuing up to own an English club. The money is in the Arabian peninsula, the States or the Far East. When you are as rich as the Saudis et al then the amount of money you can throw at success is almost limitless. We've wasted much of ours as we've wasted the rep. we earned in '15-'16. The rot started with Rodgers' impasse with the executive. Had we had decisive, proactive executives running the club, this farce wouldn't have happened. Mediocre at the top creates mediocrity all the way down. City has an institution has been badly served by those who haven't respected that institution.

OP = Original Poster - it's taken me a long while to work that out! Does that qualify me as FT village feckin' idiot? At last, an award I deserve. As for the OP, goes on a bit, dunn he?

Start believing in divine intervention.

He or she gets paid for being Statto so, unless they're chained to a screen and whipped, no, they don't have to.

The game changed when Monga and Pereira came on. We actually saw a player (Ricardo?) running at the opposition and passing them. Takes a 15 yo to bring some desire and energy to the team. Buonanotte as well and Mavididi to an extent. Nistelrooy should stop feckin about and field only those who'll treat it like a fight.

That's the most likely reason. However, he has an income that would allow the kind of assistance money can buy. If it's because of emotional issues one can understand the two-way pull, but he should understand that Spurs didn't want him and he chose to work for City. Commuting long distances has become usual these days, but I don't think it's a good idea. Driving 200 miles a day can't be good for a player's well-being. The commitment should include moving into the club's area. There are implications for the family, but plenty of blokes (trying not to be sexist here) work away and return at weekends etc. Playing for a club is more than just working for a firm. The club shows commitment to the player, he or she should be prepared to commit to the club - which includes the coaching staff.

Now we're doomed the quality of comment is becoming markedly whimsical. Like the chap who's being hanged and the trapdoor is stuck. He says to the executioner, "I think I can see where it's stuck."

Best slowly turn round and go back, firmly closing the door behind you. Have a beer and go to bed.

He's taking the piß, rat bastard.