Stoke 1-0 City
City’s continued Premier League road troubles were put to the test at the Britannia today. Having done a good job of turning home fixtures into three points lately, the Blues having three additional key players on the lineup on the road should have made the difference.
But as usual it did not. City started the game poorly although a few counter attacking opportunities presented itself early. But the door was left squarely open when Rory Delap was controversially sent off late in the first half. Tis gave City a man advantage, but a spirited crowd at the Britannia ensured Stoke would stay in the match.
James Beattie who many years ago, I believed was one of the best strikers in English Football has struggled since leaving Southampton in 2005.Beattie was the Saints main target but at Everton he flopped and struggles continued for him in the second flight of English Football.
Matthew Etherington as he did when he was at West Ham gave City fits in the midfield and this helped open the game up for Stoke.
Wayne Bridge is in the England player pool under Fabio Capello while Beattie has been discarded by England and most Premier League managers for sometime. Yet with under a minute remaining in first half stoppage time, Bridge lost Beattie and the ball in the box and the result was the only goal of the game.
In the second half Bridge made some nice runs down the left side, while the insertion of Elano gave City more attacking bite. Nonetheless, Stoke were well organized and the Blues really didn’t have many good chances to score.
Craig Bellamy was tantalizingly close to a spectacular goal in the 81st minute. Bellamy’s work rate was excellent today though no doubt the punditry that makes money off of commenting on English Football will continue to question the large amount of money spent on a what is essentially a journeyman Welsh player.
However, City did not hit the target once in the second half until Wayne Bridge’s long range shot deep into stoppage time.
This loss once again brought forward the trouble with City: Players who seem to connect only in limited spurts, defenders losing their mark in the area, and worse a lack of chemistry and continuity. Nigel De Jong, the new signing from Hamburg did sure up the midfield today as he had on Wednesday against Newcastle.
Where do City go from here? Signing Shay Given as is possible before the transfer deadline is of little use for a dysfunctional attacking squad away from home. The concentration on unrealistic targets like Kaka and Didier Drogba during this window cost the club a chance to sign more potentially valuable rile players like Nigel DeJong.
A midtable finish is probably the best we can hope for from City. But should City’s remarkable home form continue, a UEFA Cup spot remains a target, albeit an allusive one.
European Based vs British Based Targets
Ty Duffy of EPL Talk has a great piece today which echoes what I have been advocating on this website for weeks. Check out Ty’s piece at EPL Talk.
Kaka Talk Worrying
Manchester City is in a relegation battle. The owners and manager may not acknowledge it but those of us who have watched the club for a number of years are accustomed to the worry at this time of year. I’m really wondering why Hughes and the Abu Dhabi owners don’t simply pursue good domestic buys so the club can finish solidly mid table this season and then worry about splashy signings over the Summer. I’ve blogged a number of times on this subject. Wayne Bridge was a good signing: that’s the type of player that can enhance the squad: someone British who has experience playing football in England who can help the team safely glide towards a mid table finish.
Kaka for all his greatness, may not settle in right away and may provide more of a circus media wise which a club that is flirting with relegation cannot afford. I am surprised that Mark Hughes who understands British football well has not sought out more realistic and beneficial transfer targets.
Personally I think City may be dealing with a can of explosives. The team is not deep enough right now to ensure that relegation is avoided. The best players besides Robinho have all been young players like Caiecedo and Sturridge who are unproven over the long haul. I’d rather sign some more English vets like Bridge than chasing stars. Not only does the squad lack quality and depth but also is constantly in flux which provides some less than professional footballers the excuse of not giving a full effort for 90 minutes or on the training ground.
The posts have been infrequent on this site the past week or so because quite frankly I’m waiting for something realistic to discuss, not outlandish bids for non English based players. Sadly, City has evidently chosen an unwise course forward.
Pompey Match Postponed
City get the day off due to a frozen pitch.
Hughes Gets Time
Filed under: Mark Hughes, Transfer Rumors, Transfer Targets
Despite being criticized roundly in the British press when they bought the club, Man City’s new owners have proven they understand the English game better than many other ownership group. Resisting the temptation spurned by gamblers and newspapers to sack Mark Hughes following City’s embarrassing performance in the FA Cup on Saturday, the owners along with Chief Executive Gary Cook maintained that Hughes will be given time to rebuild the squad.
A year and a half after Sven Goran Eriksson remade City in his image, the signings of Summer 2007 represent dead weight for the club. Martin Petrov and Valeri Bojinov are perennially injured, while Elano cannot co-exist it appears with Hughes.
Saturday’s signing of Wayne Bridge is only the beginning of Hughes attempts to bolster the squad. With City eliminated from the FA Cup, the club can concentrate on the league and European qualification for next season. Additionally, elimination from the FA Cup could boost City’s opportunity to compete with enhanced depth in the UEFA Cup.
Hughes deserves the entire season to right the ship should relegation worries not persist. A fair evaluation cannot be done of the manager until May and City’s decisive statement supporting the manager are to be applauded.
Bridge Heading to Eastlands
Wayne Bridge’s frustrating six year tenure at Chelsea appears to be ending. Published reports indicate City will offer in the neighborhood of £12 million for the England international defender. Bridge is a solid signing for a club whose defense is poor. The price tag is high for a player whose spent so little time in the first team in the past several seasons, but City’s owners seem willing to pay whatever price neccesary to upgrade the underachieving squad.
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