Manchester City 3-1 West Ham: Tevez Brace
Martin Petrov and Carlos Tevez were both brilliant today for City at Eastlands/Sky Sports Photo
Carlos Tevez feels differently about West Ham than he does Manchester United. After scoring his Premiership goal for City against one of his former clubs, the Argentine apologized openly to the West Ham fans, something he was unlikely to do had he scored last week at Old Trafford. Tevez, it is recalled almost single handily saved then manager Alan Curbishley’s Hammers side from relegation in the 2006-07 season with an amazing final month of the season.
Tevez scored again in the second half, after Martin Petrov subbing for the injured Elano on the left side scored on a free kick late in the first half. City missed countless other opportunities to score goals early, and West Ham took advantage with a nifty piece of finishing touch from Carlton Cole. Additionally, West Ham had a perfectly good goal waived off when Cole was incorrectly whistled for a foul.
City’s midfield play was exemplary today, and West Ham though game did not provide stern resistance after about the 60th minute. Also outstanding for City today was Nigel DeJong, who sat in front of the back four and broke up many a West Ham opportunity. Craig Bellamy provided his normal quality and energy on the attacking end.
This was City’s final game without the suspended Emmanuel Adebayor, who returns for next Monday’s fixture versus Aston Villa at Villa Park.
PLAYER RATINGS
Given 7
Zabaletta 6
Lescott 5
Toure 6
Bridge 5
Barry 6
DeJong 8
Petrov 9
SWP 7
Bellamy 8
Tevez 8
Santa Cruz 5
Johnson 5
Roque Santa Cruz About to Return?
Santa Cruz, the Paraguayan international who featured for Mark Hughes at Blackburn, after a long stint at Bayern could be about to return. Santa Cruz would add depth to the City side up top, while also giving the club a finisher to spell Adebayor during the African Nations Cup and any future suspensions. Santa Cruz does however have a history of injuries, and that will certainly factor into how Hughes manages his comeback and pitch time going forward.
Mark Hughes: The Right Manager at the Right Time
Many pundits and self proclaimed experts have questioned the decision of City’s wealthy Arab backers to support Mark Hughes in the job. It has been said that City need a cosmopolitan, foreign manager to mold together a talented side bought with the riches of the Abu Dhabi economy.
But the new City ownership group clearly has a plan, and knows what they are doing. In a period between City fighting constant relegation battles and trying to assert itself as a top shelf club in English football, Hughes mentality seems perfect for the side.
City is not only fighting battles on the pitch, but also off the pitch against a skeptical press and hostile opposition supporters. The clubs good fortune in terms of ownership has resulted in an anger from opposing support- not unlike what Chelsea supporters and players faced earlier this decade.
Mark Hughes has always been a manager whose qualities lie in his motivational tactics. His ability to rally less talented squads to play at a high level has been admirable and apparent for many years. This was the case with the Welsh National Team and with Blackburn.
Now, Hughes has a more talented side, but one viewed with skepticism bordering on disdain throughout much of England. But with this situation comes the need for a manager that understands English football, and the mentality of supporters, the press and his side. Mark Hughes is uniquely qualified to deal with this situation.
The City Manager’s reaction to the derby loss to the club he featured so prominently for as a player should erase any doubt about Hughes competence for this job. Rather than soft peddling the controversy under which the match ended, Hughes indicated his team had been “robbed” and that the real fault for the much talked about post match incident involving Craig Bellamy was with the United supporting pitch invader. Hughes also made it be known that a coin was thrown by United supporters at the city team (probably intended for United villain Carlos Tevez) heading into the halftime team talk.
The City Manager also defender Emmanuel Adebayor last week after the City striker faced a fury of angry fans and even angrier media. Arsene Wenger may have found fault with Hughes’ defense of his player, but Mark Hughes is a fighter, a scrapper, and a manager that sticks by those he goes to battle with.
Hughes may not be the most tactically adept manager nor the most capable to soothe large egos, but he is the right manager for Manchester City at this time.
Manchester United 4-3 Man City: Derby Day Blues For Hughes
Mark Hughes has been on then other end of Manchester derbies for much of his career in football. But today, Hughes experienced the agony of defeat in the most emotional way at Old Trafford.
Darren Fletcher was outstanding today and Michael Owen’s winner was well deserved and well taken even if City had legitimate shouts about the amount of stoppage time given.
Credit to Sir Alex Ferguson for his faith in fellow Scot, Fletcher. The same can be said for Mark Hughes faith in fellow Welshman Craig Bellamy.
The final verdict on this match was the failure of City’s expensive central defense duo of Kolo Toure and Jolean Lescott to make a positive impression. The City back four looked disjointed and disorganized throughout the entire second half, conceding three well earned goals to United and being bailed out on several others by the heroic Shay Given.
The additional stoppage time was indeed frivolous, but City’s inability to control possession in stoppage time and Hughes bizarre tactical switch to place the previously effective Stephen Ireland out wide early in the second half created lots of space in the middle of the pitch for United’s midfield.
United without Paul Scholes, perhaps the most technically gifted English footballer of the past decade, provided City with a fighting chance at the points today. But the Blues didn’t take advantage of the depleted United side today, losing a classic 4-3.
Certainly, a healthy Vincent Kompany would have helped City at the back today, as would a healthy Robinho in maintaining possession. But City’s first half brilliance gave way to second half desperation, and with the exception of Bellamy, Shay Given and perhaps Carlos Tevez, every City player must wonder why they could not play better, more free flowing and possession oriented football in the second half.
While the official is certain to gain the ire of most City supporters, as well he should for the extended stoppage time, it was City’s defense that put itself in the position to be denied a draw this afternoon.
PLAYER RATINGS
Given 8
Bridge 5
Lescott 4
Toure 5
Richards 4
Barry 6
DeJong 7
Ireland 6
SWP 6
Bellamy 10
Tevez 7
Petrov 6
Adebayor Ban: City Blues
Emmanuel Adebayor has been banned for a minumum of three games. What does this mean for the club and its ambition of a top four finish?
For starters, Mark Hughes decision this past closed season to loan out a number of potential reserves coupled with an injury crisis has left Craig Bellamy as the only potential striker for the Manchester Derby on Sunday. This means Hughes will need to field a 4-5-1 formation and hope Bellamy can play a full 90 minutes. Roque Santa Cruz and Benjani and both still out, while Robinho and Carlos Tevez are highly doubtful.
A worst case scenario could see the possible use of left footed Martin Petrov as an emergency striker off the bench.
Here is the possible lineup for City:
————Given——————
Richards—Toure—Lescott—-Bridge
——-DeJong——–Barry————
SWP——————————-Petrov
—————Ireland——————
—————Bellamy——————
Man City 4:2 Arsenal- Adebayor’s Show
City’s perfect start to the 2009-10 season continued at Eastlands, Saturday with the third win in four seasons at home to Arsenal.
Nigel DeJong replaced the injured Carlos Tevez in the starting eleven, with Garreth Barry pushing up into Tevez’s normal position. DeJong played a solid match, serving as a ball winner in front of a shaky back four. Jolean Lescott’s league debut at home was a mediocre one.
But ultimately City played some attractive football thanks in large measure to the creativity of SWP and effort of Emmanual Adebayor and Craig Bellamy. Adebayor in particular was outstanding given his desire to show his former club that they had made a mistake by selling him.
The post goal celebration from Adebayor is sure to grab the morning’s headlines in the tabloids and other papers, but that should not take away from his effort on both ends of the pitch.
PLAYER RATINGS
GIVEN 7
BRIDGE 6
LESCOTT 6
TOURE 7
RICHARDS 8
DE JONG 8
BARRY 5
SWP 8
IRELAND 6
BELLAMY 7
ADEBAYOR 9
———
PETROV 7
Does Dunne’s Departure Leaves Sour Taste?
The deparure of Richard Dunne from Eastlands has sent shockwaves through the City supporters community. The longtime club skipper is perhaps the reason City is still in the Premier League, and his sale was at least from my persepctive, unfortunate. But his lashing out at Garry Cook, after being sold has now turned many in the City community against him. What are everyone’s thoughts on Dunne’s departure?
-
Categories
- Adam Johnson
- Benjani
- Carlos Tevez
- Ched Evans
- City History
- Craig Bellamy
- Daniel Sturridge
- Darius Vassell
- Elano
- Emmanuel Adebayor
- Felipe Caicedo
- Gareth Barry
- Garry Cook
- Jo
- Joleon Lescott
- League Cup
- Mark Hughes
- Match Previews
- Match Summaries
- Micah Richards
- Richard Dunne
- Roberto Mancini
- Robinho
- Shaun Wright Phillips
- Shay Given
- Site News
- Sven Goran Eriksson
- Sylvinho
- Transfer Rumors
- Transfer Targets
- UEFA Cup
- Wayne Bridge
-
Archives
-
Links
-
Meta
-
Sponsor