City at The Swamp – I Bloody Knew We’d Win
I can honestly say that the team display last night showed for me a side of the City team that most people feel is missing and that is a team. A team who are desperate to win a game, a team who will fight for each other, and a team who can produce on the biggest stage against top opposition. Now some might say City had more to gain than the rags in this game and to an extent that’s true but that only holds good for a small amount of scrutiny.
City needed to prove, and did in great style, that the noisy neighbours are not going away and are a force to be reckoned with both now and in the future. The team has not pformed at the levels of last season and there are numerous reasons why that is the case, but at the theatre of shite last night they proved beyond all doubt that City are a match for the rags and cannot be taken lightly,
I think most blues want the gap between us and the rags at the end of the season to be as little as possible and last night they’d eat about our side of the bargain which means winning the rest of the games to the end of the season. Looking at the fixtures we have between now and the end of the season, the is only really Spuds that is a game that City would, in theory, have a real threat, Bale being fit of course. This isn’t to say that I’m taking the other games lightly, I just feel that a motivated and revved up City should win the remaining games.
It’s interesting to note that the rags set up with there usual wide men but also with Codger Giggs in the centre of midfield and much that he’s been a good player over ten years his legs cannot dominate a midfield that has an extra man no matter how good he once may have been. City set up with the one striker (Tevez) and that did cause a few eye brows to be raised but it was a totally justified decision as City got a grip of the game and Tevez played his part really well in holding the ball up but also linking together City attacks.
Defensively I thought we where rock solid (goal accepted) and I never really felt that the rags where doing to score very many goals if any at all. VK and MN are starting to form a quality partnership, but MN is so much more assured on the ball than JL, but the is room for both of a long season in my view. For one so young, he is a real prospect MN and is definately the buy of the close season for me. His marshalling of Robin Van Rapist was a joy to watch and he never gave him a moments peace.
Surely we have the best full backs in the league at the moment, we all know that Zaba is a warrior and it’s gonna be a hell of a stack for MR to get back into the team at full back, such as been Zabas form at right back. GC is just getting better and better and I for one want a pint of what he’s on as he’s perpetual motion, and looks as fresh at 90 minutes as he did at 1. Great defensive display, and even the skipper showed class in his handling of the knobhead shouts at him after the match in the tunnel, the guy oozes class and he’s a great City captain in my book.
Gareth Barry was immense and he seems to step up his game at the swamp as he has had some really good games for City there over the years, and last night was no different. He was everywhere covering every blade of grass, in both attack and defence and his calmness in possession really helps in the hurly burly of this type of game. He stood up to all the tackle and barracking that came from the rags midfield and was tenacious in the tackle and even managed to outpace Giggs to a number of balls, including the tackle that led to the first goal.
Equal praise needs to be given to James Milner, who was also no stop in his work rate and showed no little skill and determination to get the win for City. We all know he has a hell of a strike on him, in his right foot, but he slotted the first goal nicely (albeit after a deflection) and with great power. He was everywhere in support of the attacks as well as breaking up the threats from the rags as and when the came forward, mostly on ten break. Great man of the match display by James Milner and it was well deserved that he was voted the MOM on the tv.
I expected a bigger game from Yaya Toure, given that he had just signed his new contract but it’s hard to criticise the man who made more successful passes than any other play on the field. You could say he should have stayed on his feet for the foul that led to the rags goal but he didn’t go to ground and conceded what I thought was a soft free kick.
David Siva had a good game in my eyes and he linked play up well and did lots of his good work in the last third of the field and he looked a threat for most of the game until,he hobbled off with a hamstring, which looks like it’s going t rule him out of the FA Cup on Sunday, but I live in hope.
The last midfielder was Samir Nasri who I thought deserved his place on the strength of his good performance against the Barcodes last week. He played well in my book, but needs to learn how to put his foot in and when he’s not going to at least make it look like he’s trying. If Silva doesn’t play on Sunday, Nasri will have to take no of the creative duties onto his shoulders and this sort of game should be the perfect stage for him to shine. Lets hope he does.
What can you say about Sergio Aguero, the guys continues to score big goals for City in the biggest games, and if he wasnt before (he is of course) a legend in the City pantheon, then last night his absolutely sumptuous goal proved what a great goal score he is and we have missed his goals this season. He hasn’t scored enough goals this season and has had injuries, lets hope his goals fire us on to greater things this season and on into the future.
The only player left to comment on is Joe Hart, who overall played well in the game, but during the game I was disappointed in his keeping for the rags goal. I felt he should have down better with the cross and he does sometimes flap at the high ball as it swings across. However, having watched the post match analysis I feel maybe I was a little harsh in my analysis of his performance as he was worried about the threat RVP posed by covering his near post a bit too much in case of a shot. This then led to him being unable to get across quick enough to cut out the cross, but lets be fair Jones did his best to miss but the unfortunate VK got in the way. It will be interesting to see who RM picks in ten goals on Sunday.
So it’s pleasing that City have made the headlines in the papers for the right reason, and there ability on the field rather than us all defending them to all comers as a result of some shite article in some gut rag.
The manager got the tactics and team selection spot on, and should be given credit for that but I’m not going to defend him as I don’t feel the need to, he is the manager for me now and in the future.
Forza Mancini…………….
Ps. For those who like a good theory take a look at the article on the end of this link, just think how we will feel if this does actually happen!
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