The one thing you need when visiting these grounds is a strong referee, we got a shithouse.
If Lukaku gets his penalty ( and having seen it half a dozen times, I still cant understand why he didnt) we could have gone in 2-1 up. . Cue Different game.

Anyway, I spent the entire journey home moaning about players feeling sorry for themsleves throughout the second half and now I'm doing it meself.

Fuck the spilt milk, we've got another 93 points to play for

We need to put this behind us quickly and focus on the positives so far this season. With Barry, Pienaar still to return there is still reason for optimism... But a worrying sign is the fact that we have been conceding some really soft goals over the last few games. We need to tighten up quick.

McCarthy and Osman did pretty well in the first half, but got totally overrun in the second. Mirallas had another one of those games. He's a favourite of mine, but it's not quite working at the moment. Lukaku faded badly in the second, whilst players around him also struggled. I can't help but think it would have been more effective sticking Kone up with him.

Not many sides will go to City and win. The Premiership doesn't have many teams of Bayern's ilk, whilst it was clearly a jump to far for us to win away from the old lady, yet. The referee was a complete homer, which Mark Halsey confirmed with his insights, but that is clutching at straws as City looked pretty comfortable in the end.

Shows how hard it will be to keep up in the league with the likes of City as well as probably Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal. Still get Gibson and Pienaar fit, Barry back in Lukaku a bit fitter and we have every chance of being up there.

We were short 3 maybe 4 class players, and was over run by a better side in second half.

It was a reality check for us, I think we need a plan B against the top sides, it should be a lesson to be took on board.

It will make us a better side in the future.

Otherwise we would have won.

Would I rather have Moyes back .... er.... NO.

At the end of the day we played them at a bad time, coming from 2 successive defeats, they were never going to lose 3 in a row. We went toe to toe with them first half and for me were the better team. Now that is something to be proud of and something we can take forward, especially when you look at there side. Our midfield was never going to cope for 90mins against an on song Silva and Toure and against a ref like that. Especially when the majority of our side didn't turn up. I think we needed Mirallas and Lukaku on top form today and they weren't. Second half Lukaku's hold up play was non existent, the ball bounced off Naismith and he gave the ball away, which couldn't compete against the stars of City, not rocket science.

The better team won, it happens and I'm not surprised but there are many positives to be taken from this.I think Martinez knows where the weak spots are and will replace in Jan, something which should have been addressed a long time ago if we were to progress rather than stand still

Personally I don't think we're that far away and we're better than 14-15 other teams but to be better than 17 will need lots of luck with injuries, suspensions form etc-oh and a ref better than the twat that we had yesterday, because we ain't got the money for the Aguero and Silva's of the world.

I don't think much would scare Seamus. Looking at past incidents, the last thing he would be is intimidated.

"in the position" - isn't that what marking up is all about? Or should we stand off the opposition?

It wasn't like it was just the penalty call. Silva should have had 3 yellows and Zabeleta should have had 2. Negrado squares up to Coleman and he fails to stop play. They score. I could go on. It was a textbook example of the piss poor standard of refereeing these days.

If it helps anyone sleep tonight, my mate gobbed on Jon Moss' car in 1996.

He was the one player trying to get us back in the game and gave 100% throughout unlike Leighton who looks totally disinterested.

If super Kev doesn't buck up I would consider bringing Stones in at RB and pushing Seamus up.

Naismith for all his endeavor and workrate just doesn't have the technical ability to play at this level.

If one of our lads had walked for that I'd have been aghast.

Discuss away at your lesiure the merits of the City squad and quality players. Personally I think they had to do very little to win as the shithouse officals did it for them. It's enough to want to turn your back on the sport the way it's going. Bent and predictable.

I mentioned it as a red-card challenge as I saw it yesterday and it looks no different on replay. I also mentioned the other incidents in my summary. They were important for the effect they had on the psyche of our players — they should't have had that effect, as we know we have to play the referee as well in games like this. But by half-time, so many crucial calls had been more than favourable to the home side, this understandably affected our spirit and determination in the second half.

That's what lost us the game — not this "knife to a gunfight" bollocks. We've shown we can go toe to toe with the moneybags sides, so let's not make that excuse anymore please.

If MU offer money plus a player they should take it

The midfield consists of: (a) Gibson who will only play in 50% of games if he is lucky; (b) Osman & Naismith who to me are only fit for 30 or 40 min as subtitutes; and (c) Pienaar who so far this year we don't know how good he will be.

Living in Canada I only get to watch the games on TV but, with Barkley establishing himself and McCarthy starting to show promise of a permanent position in the team, I would like to ask if there are any young players in the Under-18 or Under-21 teams that deserve a chance to become a 1st team midfield player that can improve on the players in (a) & (b).

Have you considered the anonymous performance of Mirallas? And the need for Baines to do both his and Mirallas's job?

That resulted in one of the central midfielders having to tack across, leaving big gaps in central midfield.

Of course, we know what he is capable of but he flits in and out of games and is always a spent force after an hour. Unfortunately, Delboy looks to be of much the same ilk so I think a decent winger is already a January necessity.

There's a schedule of 38 games. I don't want to hear about "transition". We need to get the 3 points. Now, not in 2015.

I thought Coleman had a lot of good moments and outshone Baines (not for the first time).

McCarthy seemed to put in a good shift and is a neat player that covers a lot of ground.

Don't think the ref changed the result. Penalty was soft but Seamus tried to grab the guy with his arm. Its not allowed. We can't complain (but there were similar shouts at the other end which is disappointing).

Overall there was a massive gap in class and I don't think adding Barry and Pienaar would have been enough to make up the difference. We are still a good side and carry a real threat in Barkley and Lukaku. But we are top 7 not top 4 at the moment. It was always going to be hard to get a win, but the manner of this defeat was very disappointing.

Also Naismith - close control is just not up to standard. He's a trier and gets in good positions. But the way we try and pass it around too many moved break down with his inability to control it well enough.

If RM can get the side's energy levels and tempo up to that of a DM team, we'll be laughing.

Mirallas needs to improve in my book, he's one idle twat at times and needs to get more involved. We cannot afford many lads to have an off day and that, coupled with naivety and a buffoon in the middle, meant that there was only ever gonna be one outcome on Saturday.

DM recognised that the one player that you cannot allow to stroll about unimpeded in this fixture, is Silva. RM didn't! Had the slimey little tosser been harried and maybe man-marked, he'd have probably seen a red card. Anyone remember the job done on him by Rodwell?

Pienaar and Barry back, a rocket up Mirallas's hole, Gibson fit, Heitinga rejuvenated, Duffalo-Boy playing with a neck brace on so his head stays up, and we'll be too much for Hull. (Unless, of course, Bob Martin decides that Huddlestone deserves to be given a cigar and a guided, leisurely tour around Goodison by Messrs Osman and Naismith!)

The other players are not the best of tacklers although pretty good on offence. Until that problem is resolved then Everton will struggle to break the top four.

Is this down to training or more constant pressing of the opposition?

Oh to have been a fly on the wall at one of Fergies' MU HT talks?