Birmingham 0-0 Man City: Searching for Answers
Manchester City’s return to glory 2009-10 campaign has officially ground to a halt. Four successive draws coupled with some unattractive football have the critics coming out for Mark Hughes.
But in a Premiership season that has been more competitive at the top than any in recent memory, City’s consistent draws away from home have left the side in a good position to remain in the top six all season.
Hughes clearly has some difficult decisions to make about the squad. Vincent Kompany, whose return was heralded by some, including myself as a solution to City’s defensive woes was regularly out of position on Sunday. Micah Richards has already demonstrated that he has slipped tremendously from being considered for England, to being perhaps only a marginal Premier League player.
In the midfield, City is lacking the essential link up play, and creativity in the center of the pitch to be truly dangerous going forward. The side has been heavily relying on long balls and counter attacks to stimulate any scoring opportunities recently.
A mystery remains as to the status of both Martin Petrov and Stephan Ireland. City spent millions on Garreth Barry, but from where I sit, it is obvious the midfielder fits the England setup under Fabio Capello and Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa much more comfortably than he does Hughes setup at Eastlands.
Yet, Barry continues to feature as does Roque Santa Cruz whose career at Bayern Munich was a disappointment, and whose form for Paraguay has been missing for sometime.
I still believe Sparky is the man to lead City, but the last four league matches, all of which have seen City outplayed by sides with far smaller payrolls, is worrying.
PLAYER RATINGS FROM THE BIRMINGHAM GAME:
Given 8
Bridge 6
Kompany 5
Lescott 7
Zabaletta 7
Barry 5
DeJong 6
Bellamy 7
Tevez 5
SWP 6
Santa Cruz 5
Ireland 6
Petrov 5
Manchester City 5- Scunthorpe 1: Blues Advance
Viewed within the context of the pathetic recent history of City in the League Cup, this year’s run and especially tonight’s victory are remarkable. Also from a squad building perspective this was an important match. Tonight saw Roque Santa Cruz open his Manchester City account, Sylvinhio get a run out, Vladimir Weiss play a key role late, and Benjani return to the pitch after months of injury.
While many in the media have stated that City has a deep side, I have begged to differ. But today we saw Mark Hughes try and work some new players into the fold, something that will serve City well as the weather gets colder and the football more intense in the upcoming weeks and months.
For now, advancement in the League Cup is a significant accomplishment for a side that last won a major trophy in 1976. City’s last Cup run in the 2007 FA Cup was largely based on beating Championship sides (Southampton, Preston, etc) before being taken apart by Hughes’ Blackburn team in the Quarterfinals. Let’s hope Hughes change of venue marks a change of fortunes for City against bigger sides in the deep stages of a cup competition.
MORE LATER
Wigan 1-1 Man City: Still Winless at Wigan
For all the active discussion of how intense the Manchester Derby is, it is the third top flight club from Greater Manchester that has given City the greatest fits over the past five seasons. Today was no different, as Pablo Zabeletta’s sending off for a reckless foul after a strange yellow in the first half, made a draw the best City could hope for.
The Blues still have not won in Wigan since the local club was promoted from the old First Division after the 2004-05 season. Some of City’s worst performances under Stuart Pearce were against Wigan, both home and away. While today’s match was even on the balance of play, as is the norm, the Blues performed significantly worse than they normally do against other opponents.
I’ll have more postmatch thoughts later.
Aston Villa 1 – Manchester City 1 : Dunne versus Barry
Garreth Barry was greeted with boos as the teams took the pitch at Villa Park, while longtime City skipper Richard Dunne looked unfamiliar in claret and blue.
Villa got off to a flying start testing the city defense early. This eventually led to a great goal in the air, from guess who? Richard Dunne, who else? Dunne was ironically marked by Garreth Barry for whom boos and flashes of fifty pound notes showered all night.
Perhaps the greatest player City has featured this decade, who never wanted to leave the club came back and bit Gary Cook and Mark Hughes in the rear end.
Dunne’s classy non goal celebration was a stark reminder to City supporters of the man and leader we lost this August. City threatened to equalize late in the first half, but American keeper Brad Friedel was up to the task saving a good effort from Adebayor on goal.
The City midfield failed to control the first half the way they had controlled the opening half of City’s last several fixtures. Garreth Barry, in particular was poor on the ball. Whether his performance was related to the crowd or not is immaterial.
Mark Hughes tactical change shortly after the half time break to bring on Stephan Ireland for Nigel DeJong failed to stem the tide of the match: in fact it gave Villa more space for counter attacking.
Jolean Lescott’s nightmare City start continued in this match, as his multi million pound transfer continues to bewilder even the most sympathetic observer. City had the option of bring Slyvian Distan back to Eastlands or to keep Dunne, but choose to pay top dollar for a player whose quality has been in short supply since arriving.
Craig Bellamy’s goal while a great piece of play by Ireland, Adebayor and Bellamy was undeserved based on the run of the match to that point. But the mark of a Top four contender is the ability to score goals and survive in matches when far from your best.
The result was harsh for a far superior Villa side, but it could prove to be an important point earned for City.
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
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
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
Portsmouth 0-1 Man City: Citizens Perfect Start Continues
Mark Hughes made a significant change for today’s Barclays Premier League fixture against Pompey at Fratton Park. The corresponding fixture last season is the match I often point to as the day City’s push to qualify for Europe collapsed.
As poor as Pompey has been early this season, securing maximum points away from home is never an easy task at a ground like Fratton Park. Those who want City’s performances to resemble that of Arsenal, Man U or Liverpool sides of yesteryear are deluding themselves.
My EPL Talk colleague, Laurence McKenna pointed out that if you swapped City’s crest of United’s and had the same results, the press would be hailing the grit and resourcefulness of the side. But City are afforded no such deference by the media.
Pompey and their new chairman can certainly take some measure of satisfaction in the second half performance which was quite good. City’s back four continue to be tested regularly late in matches, but yet to have conceded a goal in this campaign.
After the international break, City must however be more focused late in matches as a difficult stretch of fixtures looms ahead.
Other Thoughts
- Emmanuel Adebayor continues to be a force, scoring his third goal in three games.
- With Robinho replaced in the starting XI by Bellamy today, the linkup play was better. Adebayor and Bellamy showed good interplay and understanding with both swapping positions on the left side often.
- The Micah Richards goal which was nullified by an offsides call was perhaps the best build up play we have seen from just outside the area in four City league and cup matches this season. This sequence was an indication that Tevez, and Bellamy have developed a chemistry and understanding that comes from pitch and training time together.
- Wayne Bridge continues to be shaky at left back. Pablo Zabeletta had some difficulty after coming on for Micah Richards on the right side.
- Expect the Nigel Dejong for Stephan Ireland substitution to be pretty standard for Hughes if City is sitting on a second half lead away from home.
- Player ratings to come after a second review of the match
Crystal Palace 0:2 Manchester City- Post Match Thoughts
City’s traditional struggles against lower league sides made this an impressive and worthwhile victory. I was unable to watch the match until this morning, as the sale of the US second and third tier leagues by UMBRO to outside investors kept me busy during the match yesterday.
A few quick observations:
- Jolean Lescott played well and showed his quality on set pieces at both ends.
- The handing of the armband to Kolo Toure to me was a surprise. I expect Vincent Kompany however to assume the captaincy when he returns from injury.
- The City midfield was poor for much of the game.
- Nice goal for Carlos Tevez, but an overall uneven performance from him.
- Mark Hughes is taking every opportunity to gel the squad and thus many of the typical reserves you’d see trotted out in a League Cup match were left on the bench. However, if City progress much further in this competition, depth is going to be a factor and City have that even if they have been reluctanct to show such thus far.
Man City 1-0 Wolves: Close Shave at Eastlands
It looked so good early. But, once again City’s new look side could not play a complete 90 minutes.
Emmanuel Adebayor scored his second goal in as many City matches inside of 20 minutes, but from that point forward the Citizens were wasteful in the attack and woeful at the back.
The Jolean Lescott transfer row with Everton is apparently close to a resolution, and it cannot happen soon enough for City.
Match Ratings
GIVEN 7
BRIDGE 6
DUNNE 6
TOURE 6
RICHARDS 7
BARRY 7
IRELAND 6
SWP 7
ROBINHO 6
TEVEZ 7
ADEBAYOR 7
DEJONG 5
BELLAMY 4
More later………….
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