The Final Say

I really wish Stoke would be relegated. Not because of the way they play, just because I am sick of the sight of them and the players must be too.

But I’m amazed that, given the problems that we had against them in the FA Cup tie that we weren’t more on the ball for the league game on Tuesday. At times, we were like a newly promoted side, watching them pass the ball and doing nothing about it. We learnt nothing about their style of play and to cap it all, Patrick Vieira gets himself suspended for a stupid reaction.

Then we go 1-0 down to ten men after Faye was sent off. What was all that about? We are the team chasing fourth in the league and we couldn’t take advantage of the extra man. I know that when a team loses a man, they can often up their game, but at that point we should have gone for the jugular but instead we concede a goal that really should have been kept out.

It was a bit of poor defending from new boy Adam Johnson but Given should really have done better. There have been a lot of calls this week saying that we shouldn’t lose Joe Hart and on some of Given’s recent performances, you can see why.

Bellamy Bust-Up?

No, surely not. Craig Bellamy involved in a bust-up with a manager? That’s not like him, is it? But apparently Bellamy’s City future has been thrown into doubt after he had a bit of a tiff with Roberto Mancini over training.

According to The Sun, Mancini told the Welsh striker to ‘get out and not come back for three months.’ On Wednesday, Bellers had been ordered to report to one of Mancini’s coaches the next day but he refused. Following this, he was then sent to headmaster Mancini’s office were they had a ‘heated’ discussion and Mancini gave his order.

Of course, Bellers stormed out of Carrington and was asked to apologise by Garry Cook and Brian Marwood. Amazingly, he refused. How about that?

Dour Draw Sees Blues Lose Pace

Another lacklustre performance has again seen the blues drop points. It seems weird talking like this after we have just drawn against Liverpool but this is the standard we are setting now. We have got to beat teams like this if we are to go that one step further. Draws are not going to help when team like Villa and Spurs are breathing down our necks waiting for us to slip.

It could have been worse though. If we’d lost today, we’d be in seventh now, considering Villa’s result against Burnley but we must seriously improve, if not for the FA Cup tie then for Chelsea next Saturday.

That’s going to be one of those games where we want to win but if we lose, it could go some way to United not winning the league. But I’d rather we win at Chelsea and beat United at Eastlands as well. The second we should pull off but the first? We’ll see next week.

Anyway, until next Sunday keep the faith and have a good week.