Well a kick in the teeth to say the least, we breezed through the second half and looked on course to win the game and take three points but it wasn't to be.
Goal scoring right backs seem to be the in thing at City in the last couple of games, with Micah Richards getting our goal. He dummied the defender to turn and put the ball into the bottom corner with a superb finish. Matthew Etherington secured a point for Stoke after a great assist from Tuncay, Joe Hart got his fingers to the shot but could not stop it going in the bottom corner of his goal. Goals and highlights will be posted when available.
It was a game of two halves today, Stoke looked very good in the first half and made us look average, then we turned in an impressive second half performance.
I have to say I am gutted we lost obviously but Stoke certainly did not deserve to lose as far as I am concerned and I think a draw was a fair result all round.
I really enjoyed the game today, it was a good example of a Premier League match, no team was ever out of it and the quality on show was good to watch. I can't really put my finger on anything that we did wrong as a team today unless I am being fussy and then maybe I would have changed my mind in regards to bringing Johnson on after we had scored, but I'm not going to be fussy.
I was however disappointed with Balotelli, I thought he made himself look a right dummy at times. Jumping about the pitch as if he had bin shot, he was never looking to go in for a tackle and I basically just don't like his attitude. I certainly think he should have been dragged off today as he didn't do anything and I am still not sure why he started in the first place after Jo played so well last week.
Suppose that's redundant now though, overall I think it was a good point we got from Stoke today and we are still in touch with the title race if we win the big games.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Stoke City vs Man City - Sat 15:00 pm
Two away wins on the bounce? It will be tough if it happens that's for sure, Stoke are a well assembled team. They can play with the ball on the floor well, go route one very well, they are physically imposing and they work hard.
I have to admit I am a bit of a Stoke admirer on the quiet, I like the way they play. It's just a no frills, solid, hard working football team. I think Pulis has done a great job there, the recent good run there on is a message that we have to be on top of our game tomorrow.
I can't really say what I think will happen because you never know what City will turn up, but I would like to think that if we are on form then we would win this one at least semi comfortably. Saying that, I do for some reason have a feeling that we will march on and start winning games on a more consistent basis, after watching Chelsea slip up and playing so well last week the players must be able to see that the title is theirs if they want it.
Man City Team News:
Pablo Zabaleta is suspended and there is a question mark over his replacement with Micah Richards (ribs) and Jerome Boateng (ankle) struggling. Gareth Barry has also been nursing an ankle injury and may miss out, Mario Balotelli returns from suspension.
Stoke City Team News:
Jermaine Pennant is going to have a late fitness test after suffering from a hamstring injury, Andy Wilkinson may also miss out because of a knee complaint. Jon Walters is expected to recover from a groin problem in time for the game.
Possible Man City Line Up: Hart, Richards, K Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, De Jong, Y Toure, Barry, Jo, Silva, Tevez.
Possible Stoke City Line Up: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Collins, Walters, Whitehead, Delap, Etherington, Fuller, Jones.
My Prediciton: Stoke City 1 - 3 Man City.
Worth A Bet: De Jong first goal in a 3 - 1 Man City win @ 375/1.
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Man City 0 - 0 Birmingham City
Oh dear oh dear, what on earth is going on!? If I said I was disappointed then that would be a major understatement.
I don't have a clue what is going on in the managers head at the moment, I just know that it isn't the same thing that is going on in every single City fans head.
What would be wrong with a normal formation where the players play in their proper positions, instead of these mystery tactics that Mancini is using.
I saw problems coming as soon as I saw the team sheet today, Milner on the left, Zabaleta dropped after playing well against United and Tevez was left all alone up front again.
As individuals the players are playing reasonably well but when it comes to being a unit, they are poor. Sometimes the players look like they don't know where they are supposed to be playing themselves, so it kind of forces them to settle into their own formation and it just is not working. In turn the midfield is forever over packed because some of the players look scared to find themselves too far forward or too far back so instead seem to settle for 'safety' and sit in the middle of the pitch.
As for scoring goals well Roberto must think Tevez is supernatural, I am getting fed up of seeing Tevez up front alone and looking at his body language today he is fed up of it as well. We have strikers in the squad that are good enough to play in the Premier League but it seems Mancini does not have the same feelings, if that is the case why didn't he sign another one in the summer?
Basically we are poor at the moment and it is down to both players and manager but definitely more so the manager and I will be honest after seeing Barry come on for Tevez today I was all for Mancini getting sacked while he was still on his touchline. I have however calmed down and really above anything else we really don't need to change managers again, saying that if it does happen then will I be bothered? The answer is not really.
It is baffling to see what is going on at the moment but we will just have to plod on and see how things pan out as we always do.
I don't have a clue what is going on in the managers head at the moment, I just know that it isn't the same thing that is going on in every single City fans head.
What would be wrong with a normal formation where the players play in their proper positions, instead of these mystery tactics that Mancini is using.
I saw problems coming as soon as I saw the team sheet today, Milner on the left, Zabaleta dropped after playing well against United and Tevez was left all alone up front again.
As individuals the players are playing reasonably well but when it comes to being a unit, they are poor. Sometimes the players look like they don't know where they are supposed to be playing themselves, so it kind of forces them to settle into their own formation and it just is not working. In turn the midfield is forever over packed because some of the players look scared to find themselves too far forward or too far back so instead seem to settle for 'safety' and sit in the middle of the pitch.
As for scoring goals well Roberto must think Tevez is supernatural, I am getting fed up of seeing Tevez up front alone and looking at his body language today he is fed up of it as well. We have strikers in the squad that are good enough to play in the Premier League but it seems Mancini does not have the same feelings, if that is the case why didn't he sign another one in the summer?
Basically we are poor at the moment and it is down to both players and manager but definitely more so the manager and I will be honest after seeing Barry come on for Tevez today I was all for Mancini getting sacked while he was still on his touchline. I have however calmed down and really above anything else we really don't need to change managers again, saying that if it does happen then will I be bothered? The answer is not really.
It is baffling to see what is going on at the moment but we will just have to plod on and see how things pan out as we always do.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Sing, sing and don't stop singing!
Just a quick one before I set off for the match, I am urging every single City fan who is able to sing to do so!
It will help if we don't stop singing until the final whistle has blown, recent derby days have had what I consider to be a poor level of support for the lads considering what it should mean to us.
We can win this game tonight, I know we can. Lets help the team win as much as we can.
COME ON CITY CTID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will help if we don't stop singing until the final whistle has blown, recent derby days have had what I consider to be a poor level of support for the lads considering what it should mean to us.
We can win this game tonight, I know we can. Lets help the team win as much as we can.
COME ON CITY CTID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
West Brom 0 - 2 Man City (Balotelli 20',26',s/o 63',Mulumbu s/o 82') *Video*
What a relief, we badly needed to take three points at West Brom to stay in the hunt for the title.
Our goals were scored by our new boy wonder Mario Balotelli, he scored his first goal by making his way into the box before sliding in to get on the end of a ball put across the box by Carlos Tevez. His next goal came from a David Silva up field ball, Mario's first touch took the ball into the air but he stayed strong, brought it down, took it out wide and shot across the keeper to send the ball into the bottom corner. He did let himself down just after the hour mark though, getting sent off for leaving is foot in after a tangle with Mulumbu, who was also later sent off himself. Goals and highlights below!
I was impressed with our performance yesterday, we made a team who have been playing a lot of good football this season look totally inferior. We went back to what we are good at, keeping the ball and moving it around. Credit has to go to all concerned Mancini had one of his days where he got all his tactics right and the players certainly put his plan into action with effect.
There was more talk after the game that Tevez is the difference but yesterday our main man was Yaya Toure. It is only fair to mention his performance because although with good reason, I have slated him all season, yesterday he was the player that I have seen play for Barcelona. He attacked well, passed well and defended well, you just could not have asked for more from him. Maybe the fitness programme that I have been informed he is on is working.
It's not only Toure who impressed though, there is a few more of the lads that are consistently proving that they are instrumental to City. Obviously Tevez I don't have to say anymore on how important he is, but I think the likes of Nigel de Jong who absolutely holds our midfield together and Vincent Kompany who has to be the best centre half in the league don't get the the credit they deserve in the media. As well as those two more recently David Silva has settled in and has started to show his class, I don't think I have seen a player at City with so much natural ability since Kinky, he is just different class when you watch him play football.
Now please City! Again you have shown us you can get it 100% right, lets keep it going and the title may be more than a realistic target this season.
Next up for us, Manchester United at home on Wednesday.
Goals and Highlights.
Our goals were scored by our new boy wonder Mario Balotelli, he scored his first goal by making his way into the box before sliding in to get on the end of a ball put across the box by Carlos Tevez. His next goal came from a David Silva up field ball, Mario's first touch took the ball into the air but he stayed strong, brought it down, took it out wide and shot across the keeper to send the ball into the bottom corner. He did let himself down just after the hour mark though, getting sent off for leaving is foot in after a tangle with Mulumbu, who was also later sent off himself. Goals and highlights below!
I was impressed with our performance yesterday, we made a team who have been playing a lot of good football this season look totally inferior. We went back to what we are good at, keeping the ball and moving it around. Credit has to go to all concerned Mancini had one of his days where he got all his tactics right and the players certainly put his plan into action with effect.
There was more talk after the game that Tevez is the difference but yesterday our main man was Yaya Toure. It is only fair to mention his performance because although with good reason, I have slated him all season, yesterday he was the player that I have seen play for Barcelona. He attacked well, passed well and defended well, you just could not have asked for more from him. Maybe the fitness programme that I have been informed he is on is working.
It's not only Toure who impressed though, there is a few more of the lads that are consistently proving that they are instrumental to City. Obviously Tevez I don't have to say anymore on how important he is, but I think the likes of Nigel de Jong who absolutely holds our midfield together and Vincent Kompany who has to be the best centre half in the league don't get the the credit they deserve in the media. As well as those two more recently David Silva has settled in and has started to show his class, I don't think I have seen a player at City with so much natural ability since Kinky, he is just different class when you watch him play football.
Now please City! Again you have shown us you can get it 100% right, lets keep it going and the title may be more than a realistic target this season.
Next up for us, Manchester United at home on Wednesday.
Goals and Highlights.
Friday, 4 January 2013
Rubbish!!!
I am extremely angry, what a pathetic excuse of a performance. I am far to angry to write about that rubbish.
I will be holding my tongue and waiting to see what tomorrow brings for Mancini and the so called footballers because I can not see the owners being anything less than annoyed and embarrassed with that display.
I will be holding my tongue and waiting to see what tomorrow brings for Mancini and the so called footballers because I can not see the owners being anything less than annoyed and embarrassed with that display.
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