““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
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
