... But Then Again Too Few To Mention, Swansea 1 vs 1 City

“I don't have a shirt because I don't play! I gave my jacket because the fans have supported me always in every game. That's very important.”

, Manuel Pellegrini – 15/05/2016.

Goals; Ayew (45+1);Iheanacho (5')

Line Up (4-4-2); Hart, Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Navas (Bony 79'), De Bruyne, Iheanacho (Nasri 72'), Aguero (Toure 90+2')
Stats;Possession, 50%/50%; Shots, 4(1)/18(5); Fouls, 4/19
Referee; Mike Dean

Manuel Pellegrini, our "Charming Man", signed off with a game in keeping with City's season. An attacking 4-4-2, a start with with some excellent build up play and attacking intent, and an early goal which could have been three! Only for City to then lose their spark, give away an unnecessary goal, and give the fans a nail-biting finish.

Job done, City have qualified for the Champions League next season, all be it on goal difference; it being unlikely United will record an 18+ goal win over Bournemouth when their match is eventually played. So given the finish, has this season, indeed Pellegrini's tenure at City been a success?

I would argue it has indeed been a successful three seasons, though perhaps not the all encompassing one we dared to hope. So what reasons would I give to back up this viewpoint?

Firstly, Pellegrini is the most successful manager in the Premiership over the three years he has been in charge. Three trophies in three years beating the erstwhile demi-god of Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho, into second place. During his time Pellegrini established the best win percentage ever for a City manager, and only Joe Mercer has lifted more silverware.

Secondly, the football I have watched in the past three years, when City have been at their best, is quite simply the best I have seen. Do not get me wrong, Roberto Mancini, will always be my greatest love as a City manager, after forty years of supporting the team, he brought me my greatest moments as a City fan, and I know for a fact the 93' 20' moment will, for me, never be bettered. But, in the first few months of Pellegrini's reign, and at various times since, City's football has been both breathtaking (think 6-3 vs Arsenal), and indomitable (think 3-1 vs Sevilla).

Thirdly I don't buy into the media bias. It is obvious the media would be writing-off Pellegrini's era no matter what happened on the pitch. If Pellegrini's three seasons had been in reverse, the headlines would be stating City had "won a poor quality league", with only Leicester, "a team built at a tenth of the price", providing any opposition. Other headlines would surround "Pellegrini falling short in the Champions League" having lost to a "far superior" Barcelona, in the round of 16. The current media, with few exceptions, are driven by a click-bait mentality. For some this is enforced by their business model, for others they simply are not journalists, they are solely employed because they wind people up, and negativity sells. "The public want what the public get" is a famous Jam lyric which could have been written of the Twitter era, where even the asinine media outlets seem to be lapped up by some despite their negativity surrounding our club.

This season has been difficult at times, but that has to be balanced with the results; Top Four, League Cup Winners, Champions League Semi-Finalists. It also has to be taken in context with the Sky money which has allowed all clubs to invest (and a lot have invested wisely), and an injury list (74 at the last count) which is not only quadruple that of EPL Winners Leicester, but has included key players at key times. The only area where I would agree Pellegrini has fallen short, is he has not been "holistic" :P. Yes he brought harmony back to the dressing room, and around the club, but, Kelechi Iheanacho apart, the chances for City's young prospects have been too few, and too far between.

So while I look forward to greeting the latest chapter in City's history, and fully believe that Pep Guardiola will take the team to another level, I for one bid Pellers a fond farewell. Yes it could have been better, but for a fan who spent many years on the terraces where other fans or even inflatable bananas provided far greater entertainment than what was happening on the pitch, it was not so bad at all. #CTID

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

Was There Ever A Luckier Team Than Arsenal? City 2 vs 2 Arsenal

“The effort, speed and character was good, and we were playing against a very good team.”

, Manuel Pellegrini - 08/05/2016

Goals; Agüero (8'), De Bruyne (51'); Giroud (10'), Sánchez (68')

Line Up (4-2-3-1); Hart, Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Clichy, Fernando (Toure 79'), Fernandinho, Navas (Bony 79'), De Bruyne, Iheanacho (Sterling 71'), Aguero
Stats; Possession 57%/43%; Shots 14(5)/5(2); Fouls 16/10.

So they did it again. Ruining Manuel's Etihad send off, Arsene Wenger's teflon team played several of the "get out of jail free" cards that seem to be handed to them in games against City; this time denying the Citizens the chance to go into the last week of the Season with their Champions League fate in their own hands. In a game where Arsenal seemed bereft of ideas or attacking intent, they again conjured two goals, despite only having two shots on target; leaving City reliant on either West Ham or Bournemouth to take something from Trafford United to secure their Champions League spot.

Of course it should not have come to this. Easier points have been dropped throughout the season, not least of which to the current bottom three sides. All of which should have rendered the last two games less stressful to the Etihad faithful; but on the day, three points was the least deserved from a team lineup finally willing to put their all on the park to rescue the Premier Season, despite the mid-week disappointment in the Champions League.   

It all started so well. City were intense, pressing early and high from the off, forcing early mistakes from the Arsenal back four. It took only eight minutes for the  early intent to pay dividends, Fernandinho knocking the ball down to Aguero to finish deftly in the bottom right of the goal. But comedy gold struck only two minutes later, when with Arsenals first attack, Clichy unnecessarily knocked the ball across Harts goal, narrowly avoiding an own goal, but giving away a cheap corner. Then from the resulting dead ball, Giroud, a man incapable of scoring in three months of football, lost Mangala in the box and headed home to make it 1-1. Unbelievable. 

Technically, the game plan remained the same, as it had to, given anything short of a win was pretty useless to City. The team pressed and pressed, Aguero having chances deflected on 15' and blocked on the edge of the area by Cech on 28'. But as City paused to take a breath Arsenal continued to hold their shape, despite not offering anything of attacking intent. 

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, and it was a moment of magic from Kevin De Bruyne that gave the Blues a deserved lead. Taking the ball on the half way line, De Bruyne twisted and swayed his way past four Arsenal players before hammering home his shot low and left of Peter Cech to make it 2-1. A brilliant solo goal.

As the minutes passed, thoughts started to turn to whether the manager should be thinking of shoring up the midfield, or press for a third. But as the clock clicked on, Arsenal took the momentum away a gain, with their first meaningful attack of the second half, catching City on the break, Sanchez played a one-two with Giroud on the edge of the box before firing home the equaliser past Joe Hart, 2-2.

The last throws of the dice were made, Sterling came on for a slightly off-colour Iheanacho. De Bruyne went close with a free kick on 72'. Toure and Bony came on with ten minutes remaining, and Bony almost broke the deadlock on 88' volleying against the bar from twelve yards out, but it was not to be.

So City again fell short as has too often been the case in the Premier League against top sides this Season, where they have been unable to match the efficiency of their performances in the Champions League and League Cup. The impact could be huge, unless Trafford drop points and City take a win in South Wales against Swansea next week. If theres a hard way to do it, "Typical City" will pick it, even after these past few years of success. So we'll all be blowing bubbles come Wednesday :/.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

The European Dream Comes To An End, Real Madrid 1 vs 0 City

“We truly appreciate the fans, sorry we couldn’t give them one more trip this year. ”

, Joe Hart - 04/05/2016

Goals; Fernando (20' minutes og)

Line Up (4-2-3-1); Hart, Sagna, Kompany (Mangala 10'), Otamendi, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Navas (Iheanacho 69'), KDB, Yaya (Sterling 61'), Aguero
Stats; Possession 53%/47%; Shots 15(5)/5(1); Fouls 5/10.

City stood just 90 minutes away from the Champions League Final. The majority of blues never thought they would read those words in a sentence. Despite the ups and downs of this season domestically, City have undoubtedly put in their best ever performances on the European stage and more than deserved their place among the top four teams. After holding the Spanish Giants to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad, City just needed one goal to see them through. Pellegrini went for an unchanged side from the home leg, other than the injured David Silva who was replaced by Yaya Toure. For Zidane’s side it was a number of changes from the team in Manchester. Replacing the holding power of Casemeiro for the deft touch of Isco in the midfield three. However, the talk of the town, was the return of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Madrid front three, with Bale and Jese alongside him.

Blue moon rang around the Bernabeu from kick off and for the first ten minutes City looked to continue their harassment of Madrid on the ball, which worked so effectively in Manchester. Unfortunately, once again the injury klaxon echoed its piercing sound early in the first half. Kompany. Another muscle injury, looked like his thigh from the way he was holding it. More heartbreak for City’s skipper who was replaced by Mangala on 10’. In a game where leaders were essential, City lost theirs. 

The early departure of Vinny had a domino effect on City’s intensity, and looked somewhat shell shocked. Madrid began to dictate with much more time on the ball, allowing Marcelo and Carvajal to exploit the flanks tirelessly, with City now posing little threat of an intense breakaway. It was this exploitation that lead to the opener. Modric picking up the ball from deep and spreading it to Carvajal who hugged the touchline. Bale breaking the offside trap from an out of synch Fernando, received the ball to the right hand side of the box, where his deflected cross looped in over Hart and nestled in off the post Given as a Fernando O.G., proving that lady luck was not going to make it easy. 

Technically, the game plan was still the same, one goal needed. However, City struggled to string any sort of flowing football together. Kroos and Modric were outstanding at recycling possession, leaving Yaya Toure no room to get a hold of the ball, Aguero stranded in between the mammoth partnership of Pepe and Ramos. City’s only attempt of the first half came from KDB finally managing to fit into the pocket of space where Silva usually dominates. A quick through ball to Fernandinho who cut inside and rifled his shot which ricocheted off the outside of the Madrid post. Just 45 minutes left to score a goal. 

The second half continued in the same vein as the first. Yaya Toure looked unfit, unsurprising given his return from a series of injuries. Fernando and Fernandinho were slightly less rushed to win the ball back. Allowing Madrid to enjoy possession a bit more. Nevertheless, neither side really troubled the other. A header from a corner by Bale on 63’ hit the stanchion of Hart’s goal, the closest they came to extending their lead. Yaya replaced by Sterling and Navas replaced by Iheanacho saw Manuel’s last throw of the dice. The pair certainly giving the blues a lift, but still City looked out of ideas and rushed in attack. Aguero began to search for the ball, as did KDB which resulted in them both crowding Nacho’s space, leaving Raheem as the only outlet. Aguero’s attempted 30 yard Howitzer which grazed the top of Keylor Navas’ net the only time City really got the crowd on their feet.

Full time and the one goal that City needed, never really looked like happening. One shot recorded as on target. The Journey ended in Madrid. It could have been different. Fernandinho hit the post late in the first half. There was also a break in the first half where Navas was wrongly given offside. Real could easily have been down to ten men after a reckless challenge on Sterling by Vasquez. However on the night the better team won.

A lot of City fans feel genuinely hurt by the lack of gusto shown by Pellegrini’s men. Better to have tried and failed comes to mind. In my opinion, the fact that City only needed one goal hindered and certainly did not help them. The poisoned apple of the away goal led to City attempting to only play for that. Going 1-0 down didn’t change anything. Getting to the 80th minute didn’t change anything. It was still just one goal. Social loafing is a psychological term used to describe the phenomenon of an individual relying on the rest of the group to achieve. City had 10 (sorry, Joe) potential match winners who could have delivered that one goal. It is possible that the reliance on keeping it to only needing one goal, led to no one stepping up and going that much further to actually take the chance. City set out to keep the game at needing one goal. Madrid set out to keep City still needing that goal. As a result, City never looked like stepping up a gear, because they never planned on needing to, it was only one goal.

Did City go out with a whimper, everyone will have their own opinion. For me, we have performed at a level throughout this competition that has been above and beyond anything we have seen before against this calibre of opposition. Manuel has been given countless amounts of stick for being ‘tactically inept’. In the league, perhaps. In the Champions League, he has engineered our success. The license given to Fernandinho to break forward which changed the game in Borussia. Taking off our only striker, Bony for Fernando to give KDB free reign in the ‘false 9’ role which won the home tie against Sevilla at the death. Qualifying from another ‘group of death’ with two games to spare. Winning the tie outright in Kyiv with a blistering display. This has without a doubt been a huge strive forward in this competition.

If City can produce this level of performance, I have full faith that Pep will only build on these foundations set by Manuel. Judge Pellegrini differently in the league to Europe, because it is like a completely separate team. On reflection of course we all wanted City to go out with a bang, but looking back no one gave us the right to make it that far, we earned it. I wouldn’t bet against us going one step beyond and being at the Principality come June 3rd 2017.

@PatrickElano

Are You Watching Real Madrid? Southampton 4 vs 2 City

““Maybe if we played on Saturday we could have another option for this game but playing with too many players that are not playing often is difficult.”

, Manuel Pellegrini – 01/05/2016.

Goals; Long (25'), Mane (28', 57', 68'); Iheanacho (44', 78')

Line Up (4-4-2); Hart, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov, Delph (Navas 64), Fernandinho (Demichelis 60), Nasri, Sterling, Iheanacho, Bony 
Stats;Possession, 40.2%/59.8%; Shots, 12(7)/6(5); Fouls, 12/9
Referee; Andre Marriner

City produced a microcosm of everything which has been bad this season; all within 90 minutes at St Mary's. In doing so, we hope, Manuel Pellegrini has given City the best of chances in the Bernabeu come Wednesday evening. 

The die was cast for the travelling faithful, when Wilfried Bony's name appeared instead of Kun Ageuro on the team sheet, and so it proved. But it would be unfair to lay all of the blame at the erstwhile Swansea striker's feet (or lack of control in either of them). There were pointers across the pitch at why, at their worst, City can be so much less than the sum of their parts.

City didn't just start slowly, they never got going, save for ten minute spells at the end of each half. Four four two was always a mad gamble at a resurgent Southampton, with the players who were missing, but to play it in such a pedestrian pace was unforgivable. What made is worse was that the tactics ignored the change in personnel. At no point was the fact that one of the fastest English wingers of his generation was playing on the left of midfield recognised, not one ball placed to use his pace. Not once was Bony's presence as a target man used; much as he had a bad game, do short free-kicks ending back with the goalkeeper, really have an advantage than a longer ball into the box? Not once did Fabian Delph look like he knew any of his fellow team; in previous games I had put this anomaly down to him being placed away from his preferred position in central midfield, but today he was part of a two with Fernandhino, and he just disappeared for long spells in the game. Not once did any of the team recognize that Alexandar Kolorov had pressed the self destruct button after only two minutes, and was on a downward spiral from that point on, and go and help or inform him that perhaps "some defending" might be on the agenda for the day.

However my first visit to Southampton, did at least have one saving grace. Kelechi Iheanacho was excellent. His first goal on 44' was made by the youngster, first running at the Southampton defence, then playing the ball wide to Nasri who crossed into the area, to find Kelechi again and heading it into the bottom corner. Then on 78' the nineteen year old outdid himself, with a world class finish into the top left corner of Forster's goal from just inside the right edge of the area. Superb, and bringing his goal ratio to a goal every 90 minutes, not just a rough diamond, but a possible world beater in the making.

So onto Wednesday in Europe with City still needing to win both remaining games to guarantee entry into the competition next year. On the plus side, Ageuro, Kompany, De Bruyne, Sagna, Clichy, ,Fernando, and possibly Toure will be 100% rested. Fingers crossed the gamble pays off, as well as it did after the Chelsea FA Cup game. #CTID.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me