Expectations for City's CL campaign?

Barrettinator wrote:

eroticfishcake wrote:Champions League final atleast.

Must be joke

Clearly it must be a joke to think that the winner of the EPL could reach the CL final

Not very far, out in early knock out stages IMO.

They will go far if Nir Biton is part of their first team plan. The kid is absolute class. Busquets v2.0.

Mancity w/o Biton - QF , ManCity w/Biton - SF

Last 8, semi's or even the finals. People need to stop underrating them, they have a very strong squad.

R16-Quarters

RED 80s. wrote:Last 8, semi's or even the finals. People need to stop underrating them, they have a very strong squad.

They have the same squad they had last year and didn't get out of their group. They have a year of experience under their belt this time, doesn't mean people are out of bounds for assuming that they'll do a bit better but not win.

Barrettinator wrote:

eroticfishcake wrote:

Barrettinator wrote:

eroticfishcake wrote:Champions League final atleast.

Must be joke

A joke? Just because they have a shit manager like Mancini, non-settled/arrogant/stupid strikers like Tevez and Balotelli, midfield maestros like Barry and Milner, headless chickens like Clichy and Richards, poor depth in squad, the fact their only title last season was won in goal difference, they have no experience in champions league, got out of their group last season, was knocked down by Sporting Lisbon you don't think they can reach atleast the final?

LMAO

It gets even funnier. You just listed most of their problems. How else do you want me to answer you?

I think he was being sarcastic

Soul wrote:

Barrettinator wrote:

eroticfishcake wrote:

Barrettinator wrote:

eroticfishcake wrote:Champions League final atleast.

Must be joke

A joke? Just because they have a shit manager like Mancini, non-settled/arrogant/stupid strikers like Tevez and Balotelli, midfield maestros like Barry and Milner, headless chickens like Clichy and Richards, poor depth in squad, the fact their only title last season was won in goal difference, they have no experience in champions league, got out of their group last season, was knocked down by Sporting Lisbon you don't think they can reach atleast the final?

LMAO

It gets even funnier. You just listed most of their problems. How else do you want me to answer you?

I think he was being sarcastic

I'd like to think so, otherwise.......LOL

they will qualify for the knockout stages...
but cant see them beyond quarters..

Im not sure why expectations are so low for them. Its knock out football and anything can happen. Their squad is more than good enough to take them pretty far. They just need some good luck to get favorable matchups and things to go their way.

We certainly had our fair share of that last season So I feel the same can go for city next year.

if they can get out of the Group stages i think they can go all the way in the knockouts, they are defensively a really good team and knowing Mancini i think they will go with 3 DM in Knockout

Given how tough this years CL is i think they will go to quarters.

They were saddled with a very tough group last season. Combine that with a lack of Champions League experience and - let's be honest - a focus on winning the Premiere League, and it's not a major failure not to have qualified for the knock out stages. Besides, didn't they have the highest point total of any team that didn't reach the group stages... (Please correct me if I am wrong in this statement.) They could have easily reached the knockout stage last season had they not been so unfortunate. It's a far cry from the utter failure of United, being edged by Benfica and Basel.

MarkForrest17 wrote:Im not sure why expectations are so low for them. Its knock out football and anything can happen. Their squad is more than good enough to take them pretty far. They just need some good luck to get favorable matchups and things to go their way.

We certainly had our fair share of that last season So I feel the same can go for city next year.

I agree completely, but it's hard to project past making the knockout stages without believing them to be a true contender for the cup. I think they will/should certainly make the knockout stages, but they will not make the final. Somewhere between round of 16 and the Semis is a reasonable success for them this campaign.

They can always use the underdog mentality and gets to the semis or something imo.

Anything can happen with such a team, they have so much quality in various aspects but they lack things that prevent me from being too sure or confident on their situation. Their midfield could be better and so could their mentality.

I just don't see mancini commanding a team that can go far in the cl, they don't seem balanced but if they get a good draw in the group stage, and considering that they are PL champions, i'd say they reach the quarters and then get eliminated (if they get a formidable opponent, which considering this year's contenders, they probably would.)

I reckon they will just scrape out. I put my bet they will be placed with Barca in the group stages...