City Emerge Victors In Tough Saints Encounter, City 3 vs. 1 Southampton

"It was not an easy week - we’ve won just one point of our last six so it was important to beat a difficult team who were unbeaten away.”

Manuel Pellegrini, 28/11/2015.

A week is a long time in football, and City were coming off two painful defeats, last Saturday to Liverpool, and mid-week to Juventus in the Champions League. This was not an easy fixture, and I'm sure the headline writers were poised should City have failed to overcome Southampton, despite their unbeaten away record in the EPL.

I made three observations in watching what was an absorbing contest between City, and a bustling and confident Southampton. Firstly Manuel Pellegrini made the right choice in setting out to kill the game early. Choosing a three man midfield, and including Delph and Fernandinho to press and break early, put City on the front foot against a Southampton side which had done its homework and closed the available space quickly. City bossed the game for the first 30 minutes, during which they pressed and harried, while passing the ball quickly and accurately, as they scored two, and could easily have had two more.

The first goal came on 9' after Sterling first pressed, and then dispossessed the Southampton right back Yoshida, before dashing into the eighteen yard box and picking out DeBruyne with his cross, who crashed the ball home from close range.

Aguero could have added a second minutes later when put through one on one with the keeper by Delph, but was denied as Stekelenburg raced off his line quickly to get his legs to the ball as Sergio tried to stab his shot home.

A headed effort by Fernandhino was then deflected wide by Steven Davis' using his arm on 18'. In what was unfortunately a series of bad calls by the referee Roger East, the decision to only give a corner and not the penalty, was one of the worst.

City had some payback a minute later, when Delph was rewarded for his excellent contribution as he powered home Kevin De Bruynes' low corner, the ball taking a deflection passed a stranded Stekelenburg.

Secondly, Pellegrini in taking the game early to Southampton, anticipated the tiredness which impacted City's game after the first half hour. The exertions of the unsuccessful mid week trip to Italy, and a long injury list, which has meant minimal rotation, lead to an evident easing of the pace and City being second best for long periods. The two goal lead already established when Southampton did score, through Long on 49', meant less nervy moments than we have seen recently in similar encounters.

Thirdly, and perhaps most controversially, I have finally concluded that I no longer believe Wilfried Bony to be an upgrade on Edin Dzeko. I fact I would go as far to say that City would be better served to blood Iheanacho, than to use the big Ivorian. This was painfully evident when Bony replaced Aguero on 64', in what was hopefully a precautionary substitution. The move made sense, both to continue to ease Aguero back after injury, but also to give City an out ball to ease some of the increasing pressure. This is a player who is desperate to prove to himself, as well as to a baying media, that his "Big Club" move was a good investment of £27m. Yet his movement was sloth like and his use of the strength, used to such wonderful effect at Swansea to hold up the ball and opposition defenders alike, was non existent. I would suggest, given the Citizens usual set ups and tactics are designed around the pace and movement of Aguero, that Iheanacho is a far more obvious substitution going forward if Bony continues to be incapable of showing any of the attributes for which City invested so much.

That said, Bony was involved in the much needed third for City on 69', back heeling an initial cross from Sterling to "man of the match" De Bruyne, who crossed for Kolarov to scream a shot into the bottom right of the Southampton goal.

Just as big a cheer was then given on 75' as the much missed David Silva came on as substitute after a seven week lay off, with an ankle injury exacerbated on international duty with Spain in October.

So City finish the day reclaiming first spot in the EPL after a largely convincing display. Although in a way disappointing, the draw earned by Trafford away to Leicester means City now sit above "the Foxes" on goal difference, and barring miracles at Carrow Road tomorrow should hopefully see the weekend through in that position. So onwards to a League Cup Quarter Final on Tuesday at home to Hull, hopefully with the team reinvigorated, and Aguero and Silva reunited again.


@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

Just missing that cutting edge?, Juventus 1 vs. 0 City

"We are quite disappointed. It was a 50-50 game and we had a lot more chances than them but we were not clinical.”

, Yaya Toure – 25/11/2015.


A new position for City fans to be in this; with the team heading to Turin already guaranteed a place in the knock-out round of the Champions League. In what was originally labelled another group of death, Pellegrini’s men were one victory away from finishing top. This seemed at odds with form, a) following the embarrassment of Saturday evening, b) this being the toughest away fixture of the campaign so far, and c) a bench looking extremely lightweight due to injuries. Yet the general consensus seemed to be that City could beat Juve in their own back yard.


If you have read previous blog entry’s you’ll notice the theme for these occasions has been for City to press early, and last night was no exception. KDB creating the most likely first half chance on 15' out on the left hand-side, whipping a cross into the box for Yaya whose tangle with Chiellini led to the ball falling to Fernandinho at the penalty spot, only for the Brazilian to cannon his effort high and wide from what should have been first blood, and reward for City’s intent in the first 15.


Juve were however more than lively themselves. A certain Paul Pogba definitely lived up to the suggested price tag set by Juventus, showing power and pace from midfield, and also the flair to cause the City defence serious problems. On 18', following the breakdown of a break by City, Pogba skipped passed DeBruyne and spread the play to the Juventus full-back Alex Sandro who put in a sumptuous cross into Mandzukic, who made Otamendi look like he was 3 feet tall; outmuscling the centre half to then easily stroke his volley past Joe Hart. Despite City’s intent and possession, we were once again behind in the Champions League.


City continued to dominate possession in the first half, but sadly missed the class of David Silva finding pockets of space and creating something out of nothing, and never looked like really troubling Buffon. When Juventus did get the ball they impressively moved up the pitch with pace and guile. On 27' that guile almost saw them double their lead, with a lofted pass out to the right wing cushioned into the path of a suddenly in form Mandzukic, who connected sweetly on the half volley. Luckily ‘Mr Champions League’ Joe Hart instinctively dove low to his left to palm the Croat’s effort wide. Lots of possession, but a mixture of a rusty attack and a nervy back four meant City never looked truly comfortable throughout the game.


Juventus seemed to have taken a leaf out of City’s playbook against Liverpool and consistently gave the ball away in dangerous areas, showing real lack of pass appreciation. The most dangerous coming just before half time with Marchisio playing a hospital pass back, which Aguero snuffed out quickly but took the ball slightly too wide while under pressure by the ever impressive Buffon, who closed him down and ushered the ball out for a corner. While only a half chance, a chance that a fully fit, in form Aguero would have made better use of. City head into the break down by one but by no means out of the match.


The second half was managed (frustratingly) very well by The Old Lady, with a combination of diving by Dybala amongst others, and perfectly timed substitutions really taking the sting out of the game. Both sides were unlucky in the first ten minutes of the second half, with the post denying a Fernando header from a corner with Yaya unable to poke the ball past Buffon. Two minutes later the City defence were split by a beautifully weighted pass by Bonucci finding the newly introduced Morata, with Otamendi caught in no-man’s land. Morata attempting to lift the ball over Joe Hart into the far corner of the net, but the ball drifting wide saw an oncoming Sturaro stretch to meet it only for his touch to ricochet off the outside of the post.


Due to the card happy referee, Fernandinho made way for Delph on 60’ who looked full of energy when he came on. With Aguero only just back into the fold, he also made way on 69’ for Raheem Sterling, with KDB now playing a more central role in front of Yaya. Unfortunately this did not have the same effect as against Sevilla. Juventus tried, as you would expect any Italian side, to defend their lead and City struggled to find that cutting edge to break down the Italian banks of four.


Arguably City’s best chance to level the score came on 79’ when KDB broke down the right hand side and fizzed the ball across the Italian side’s six-yard box only for Sterling to fluff his lines and hit his left footed shot against Barzagli and the ball trickled out for a corner. A final talking point would have to be Joe Hart’s departure on the 81’ being another worrying addition to City’s injury ridden season.


Twitter after the defeat, as it is wont to do, seemed to go into a downward spiral of blame and conspiracy. However, when taken into context, this was a game that on any other day City would have won comfortably. Injuries to Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Kompany will always impact any team and if City had that final piece of the jigsaw I have no doubt could well have been top of the group. With all things considered this was the hardest away fixture, with a chopped and changed starting eleven, and no fully fit recognised striker. If we can get all the squad back come spring I think City are better equipped than ever to take on the inevitable Barcelona or Bayern in the round of 16… Though winning may be another matter.



@PatrickElano

Eye Off The Ball, City 1 vs. 4 Liverpool

"I am more than angry, it was a complete disaster"

, Manuel Pellegrini 21 November 2015.

For those of us of a certain age, humbling performances against Liverpool are second nature, and to try and ease the pain I could try and dwell on circumstances...

...Yet another international break impacting selection?, (Kompany injured again for Belgium, Otamendi unavailable to start after appearing for Argentina, Silva still unavailable after seven weeks out from the previous break playing for Spain, Aguero needing to be withdrawn early, returning as he was from his own injury picked up in the same break playing for Argentina).

...Players affected by the atrocities in Paris being asked to play too soon, the rousing La Marseillaise pre kick off surely bringing every emotion back to the fore? (Mangala was particularly poor, and Sagna a yard off the pace).

...The managers eye drawn to the midweek game in Turin, and the difficulty in the next round of the Champions League if City do not claim top spot by taking something verses Juventus in Group D.

... Or how on another day the challenge on Sagna leading to the first goal would have been given as a foul, the second offside, and how perhaps just one of the penalty appeals could have been given.

But that would mask two fundamental points which cast the outcome of this game before a ball was kicked. Firstly playing only two in centre midfield was never going to work against a Klopp side, even if Yaya had got out of first gear, which he didn't. Secondly Liverpool wanted it more. Goals on 7' Mangala (OG), 23' Coutinho, 23' Firminho, and Skyrtel 81', could have been more, and but for a fifteen minute renaissance just before and after half time, prompted by a fabulous effort from Aguero on 44', City were off the pace. The change in formation at half time was long after the horse had bolted.

So a game to forget quickly if you're a City fan, and look to Turin ourselves in the hope that today's sacrifice of three points was not in vain.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

Not The Stuff Of Dreams, Aston Villa 0. vs. 0 City

"It was tough playing against City. I was there at 14 and I had mixed emotions. I always want City to do well but I am a Villa man now."

, Micah Richards 08 November 2015.

Just as night follows day, you can rely on our beloved City to bring you back down to Earth with a bump, just when you think you have lift off. The Sevilla performance was a distant memory by the time Wilfried Bony requested to be substituted for a tightened hamstring on 23'. At that time City's performance was already crying out for some youthful vigour, and I can't help but conclude that Manuel made the wrong choice in bringing on Navas instead of Iheanacho. This is not a slight on Navas, who was without doubt our best player on the day, but 2014/15 showed that there is a line between respect for lower placed sides, and being brave enough to kill the game as early as possible. This was a game which showed again that City are short of that killer instinct, and the "safe" substitution showed that.  

The first half was unremarkable. Kolorov had pinged an exquisite ball across the box (with Bony nowhere to be seen), and been unlucky on 17' when a combination of Guzan and the woodwork denied him. Sterling could arguably have had a penalty when Ciaran Clark clipped the winger as he, somewhat predictably, cut inside the centre half, but the referee waved away his claims. Sterling could also have done better to get onto a DeBruyne cross from the right on 42'. Otherwise it was a pedestrian performance, a whole 45 minutes wasted.

The second half was somewhat better, with City keeping the ball, and using Navas with effect. On 54' Navas again got away from his marker to clip a wonderful cross, which Sterling headed goal wards from point blank range, only for it to hit Guzan on the forehead and bounce away. On 66' Navas (again!!!) crossed to find DeBruyne who scuffed the attempt whilst attempting a Hollywood back-heal. And so it continued, but again without the tempo of attack required to guarantee to break down stalwart defences in this mood.

The substitution of Delph for Yaya on 78' was a strange choice, and gave away momentum. However pathetic the booing of Delph is, it was guaranteed, and also guaranteed to give Villa fans an excuse to stop biting their fingernails at a point where City were dominating. It was also not the "brave" decision as, to my mind, City needed a striker not more in midfield. From that point the writing was on the wall, Villa had been economical with their allocation of time at dead balls since the first minute, and the last 15 was more stop than start. A mention should be made of Gestede's cheating on 87', launching the ball at, rather than to, Joe Hart and winning a corner; when Gestede should have returned the ball after Joe had sportingly knocked it out of play to allow treatment of N'Zogbia. Left a bad taste, especially after the booing of Delph and the inflatable snakes in the crowd, not good, not good at all.

Extra time brought a header off the bar from Kompany, with the ball eventually being fired wide by Delph, and that was that. Nil nil, and you cannot help but think two points dropped. The lows and highs of City there for all to see once more. The previous two international breaks have brought a halt in City's momentum, and a raft of injuries, so hopefully the next ten days the footballing gods will look a little more favourably on the City squad as meaningless friendly season gets underway.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

 

A Coming of Age?, Sevilla 1 vs. 3 City

"I change also the system as I was not happy in the way we were playing, so today I am happy with this result."

, Manuel Pellegrini 03 November 2015.

Forever the one for the understated press conference, even Manuel was beaming tonight, also sneaking in a dig about how if the game had gone differently then the press would be quizzing him on the omission of Kevin De Bruyne.

However it did work. In fact it didn't just work, it prompted arguably City's most accomplished performance in this competition. Yes even better than the defeats of Bayern or Roma. This performance had everything; power, pace, and composure in the first half, and solidity, shape and discipline in the second ... a perfect "European" away performance. Oh how long have we waited to be able to say that!

This was a team without Aguero and Silva, and as mentioned above there was no place for De Bruyne in the starting line-up. A brave decision to leave out arguably City's best player this season, but it worked. City lined up in a 4-3-3, Fernando pulled way back and Yaya and Fernandhino given licence to break up play higher up the pitch than usual. Sterling and Navas played out wide, but were instructed to put in a shift (two if necessary) to ensure the solidity of the midfield, and Bony was asked to hold up the play, when an out ball was needed. All of these players, indeed the whole team executed the game plan to a tee.

On first observation the line up looked more cautious, but it was anything but, breaking quickly with pace and incisive passing, time after time throughout the game, creating 22 chances in total. Fernandhino had already set up two chances when he measured a pass to Sterling for the youngster to slide the ball left footed past the oncoming Sevilla keeper Rico on 8'.  Only three minutes later City scored again, this time provider becoming goal scorer, as Fernandhino refused to give up on the palmed shot from Bony and headed the rebound solidly into the back of the Sevilla net. 2-0 and City were in dream land. Sevilla had previously won their ten previous European fixtures at home, this was just not in the script.

Fair play to the home side they would not lie down, and started to create chances of their own, amongst City's breaks forward. Coke in particular caused Kolorov difficulty as Sevilla continually overlapped on the right, and it was the right back who broke into City's box and chipped a clever ball to the back post on 25' for Tremoulinas to pull one back.

As half time approached it might have been prudent for City to step off the gas, but this was a City team determined to press the advantage. Collecting the ball on 36', Joe Hart spotted Navas in space and passed the ball long. The Spanish winger controlled and started his run in one fluid movement, holding the ball just long enough for Fernandhino to support, before taking the return ball and punching a low cross to Bony at the edge of the six yard box, which Bony duly passed into the net to restore the two goal advantage.

After the break the frequency of City's attacks subsided, but not the ferocity and pace, and arguably City could have had five goals without further reply. Meantime the midfield three stifled and controlled the Sevilla attacks, minimising the danger on goal. When Sevilla did create half chances Kompany and Otomendi were imperious in holding the back line.

So 3-1 it finished and its difficult to see how the media can spin this to be anything but a step change for City performances in Europe. With Juventus taking the draw in Borussia this means City are the first English club to qualify for the last 16 of the competition (alongside Real Madrid). Qualifying from another group of death, with two games to spare and, hopefully, a shape and tactics which could push us on to win the group and gain a favourable draw ... this really was a night to remember.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me

 

City 2 vs. 1 Norwich, City Survive a "Benny Hill" Finale To Remain Top Of The League

"I think that Norwich played very well also, closing all the ways we tried to create space. The chances we did create we missed ..."

 

Manuel Pellegrini, 31 October 2015.

 

The last eight minutes of this game would have been better accompanied by the "Yakkety Sax" theme tune from Benny Hill, rather than the "Come On City ..." chants which finally helped drive the team over the line for the winning goal.

 

The game had started well enough. The big team news being Iheanacho had been rewarded for his cracking midweek display, replacing Sterling for City to set up 4-4-1-1. This set up initially looked to be working creating two clear cut efforts for Bony. But as previously stated on this blog, once the opposition sets up and settles into a compact defence its difficult for the two strikers to find space to work, and chances became fewer and fewer, before Pellegrini opted to  switch to 4-2-3-1 on 54', bringing on Sterling to replace Iheanacho. The breakthrough finally came on 67' with Otemendi sealing his man of the match performance as he rose unchallenged to power home a header from Debruyne's corner.

 

That should have been that, however, the mad finale to what had been an otherwise orthodox City performance against belligerent opposition, started on 83' with poor Joe Hart. A possible offside resulting from a cleared corner was not given, and Norwich's Robbie Brady looked to capitalise with a hopeful looping cross which actually fell straight to Joe, who then inexplicably dropped the ball to the feet of a grateful Cameron Jerome to equalise.

 

The positives from the play which followed were that City were galvanised into attack having previously taken the foot off the gas.  Sterling in particular looked lively, and it was his shot on 89' which brought a diving save from Norwich's Martin; who not being Norwich's keeper was duly given a straight red and a penalty awarded.  Hearts were in mouths as Yaya stepped up, but the power of the drive to the left of the keeper was more than powerful enough to score despite Ruddy choosing the right way to dive.

 

It was at this point City went to pieces, with little if any composure on the ball, except perhaps for Sterling and Kolorov. Norwich looked the more likely to score, but they didn't courtesy of luck and one worldy from Joe Hart. So when, deep into the five minutes of injury time, Sterling forced a second penalty as he jinked across the Norwich area, the relief was audible. However, not ever a player to miss a comedy opportunity, Kolorov stepped up to the spot and fired wide as the ref blew for full time.

 

Only the players themselves will know what prompted the collective comedy self destruct. Maybe the thoughts of Sevilla next week, maybe having finally broken the deadlock they thought the game was over and could not refocus; however as stated by Pellegrini there was character in grinding the win and keeping City top of the league.

 

The best show of character however was from City and Norwich fans alike, who on 35' humbled us all with their minutes applause to celebrate the life of father Chris Shaw, cruelly taken by cancer earlier this month. #CTID
 

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me