Frustration Mounts as City Toss Points Away, Again
By: Thad |
3 Comments
Many City fans I know were quite please to see Burnley, a team committed to passing and attacking, promoted this past season. Back when City and Burnley were last in the same division–the First Division during the 2001-02 campaign–the two clubs had some classic, Keegan-inspired goalfests. City won both contests that season–4-2 at Turf Moor and 5-1 at Maine Road.
There were six more goals scored in Saturday’s contest, but this time their distribution was not what City fans were expecting.
Instead of a City rout, the Blues were held to a 3-3 draw after conceding an 87th minute equalizer on a classic long ball goal that City utterly failed to deal with. For the second straight home match, City dropped points from what looked like a comfortable winning position. It’s true that you’re never completely safe with just a one goal advantage, but till the goal Burnley had hardly a sniff at goal in the second half after a rather inspiring first half saw the visitors take a shock 2-0 lead.
A deflected strike from Shaun Wright-Phillips before halftime gave City a lifeline, and City were a dominant force the in the first twenty minutes of the second half, scoring twice to complete what should have been a complete reversal. Bellamy’s goal, City’s third, was a good example of City at its best–getting space down the right wing, cutting a dangerous ball across the box, and having it fall to Bellamy, left alone as markers tried to deal with Tevez.
City had several more decent opportunities to carve out a 4th goal, the best of which fell to sub Martin Petrov. Playing on the right side, he dragged a shot wide with his right foot from a very promising position in the box; with a little more awareness, he might have spotted Adebayor attacking the far post for a tap-in.
I don’t fault Hughes necessarily for pushing for a 4th goal, but the collapse at the end does raise the question of why De Jong and Kompany were left unused in the final 10-15 minutes. But even that may not have made the difference: the third Burnley goal can be traced to Joleon Lescott’s being out of position, and remaining flat-footed once the ball sailed over his head into the box. Toure was left to try to defend two players, which doesn’t usually work.
Earlier Lescott had conceded a needless penalty for defending a cross with his arms raised–never a good idea. Although the former Everton man did have a good assist on Toure’s equalizing goal, the performance yesterday will raise further questions. Not necessarily “Why again did we sell Richard Dunne?”, but about whether Kompany ought to come into the side and partner Toure.
And if one things Lescott is too big an asset on set pieces to leave out, maybe it’s Wayne Bridge who needs to sit out with Lescott shifting to the left back position. Bridge was acres out of position on the second Burnley goal, though to be fair he was caught up the field when Gareth Barry needlessly lost the ball. Bridge has been a valuable offensive threat, but his forays forward do increase the risk of City being caught out at the back.
My guess is Bridge keeps his place, but surely Kompany needs to be given serious consideration to replace Lescott, at least for a spell. City had a great chance yesterday to show they have the character not just to come from behind but to hold what we have. But as of right now, that’s not the case, and something will need to change.
Category: Team News
City-Birmingham Live Blog and Match Thread!
By: Thad | 3 Comments
We’ll be live-blogging the action today as Manchester City travel to Birmingham intent
on snapping a three-match run of draws. City need to pick up three points today to re-charge the momentum
on the club’s challenge for a top four spot.
City and Birmingham were promoted to the Premier League the same year, 2002, but after several seasons of punching above their weight Birmingham suffered relegation first in 2006 and again in 2008. But the club bounced back last season by earning automatic promotion and are regarded by most as good candidates to stay up this time around. One twist in today’s match is the goalkeeping situation: Birmingham’s No. 1 is Joe Hart, who formerly held that position at City but is now on loan. He won’t be able to play today.
Category: Team NewsCity-Fulham Match Report
By: Thad | 3 Comments
It’s halftime at the Eastlands with City and Fulham locked in an an entertaining 0-0 draw. We will have minute-by-minute commentary of the second half shortly…
City had a seemingly good goal off a corner by Micah Richards disallowed, possibly for a push by Gareth Barry. City were the dominant team most of the first half but Fulham were also dangerous in spells, and City were extremely lucky not to be punished when Kamara slipped behind the offside trap with a clear run in goal. Fortunately Kamara seemed as surprised as anyone else and his heavy touch allowed Given time to come save at feet.
City’s lineup has been a little different today, with neither Ireland or Wright-Phillips in the eleven. Instead it’s the usual three up top–Bellamy, Adebayor, Tevez–with De Jong, Barry, and Petrov in the midfield. Richards retakes the right-back spot after Zabaleta’s red card last week, while Toure is back in the line up partnering Lescott. Bridge and Given round out the eleven…
Right now it’s quite an open game–second half should be a cracker…
46th minute. Fulham kick things off…No changes for either side.
47th minute. Attendance announced as just short of 45,000. Duff gets in a good cross from the right, Given briefly fumbles it before gathering it in. OH DEAR–Zamora misses from point blank!!!
48th minute. Fulham had cut City apart, after a good save from Given it fell to an unmarked Zamora who knocked it well over the bar from six yards. That was textbook “misses when it was easier to score” stuff. Richards is off the hook, his giveaway at the back started that sequence.
49th minute. City need to get it going here, a bright start from Fulham this half. Tevez manages to get a cross in but no problem for Schwarzer.
50th minute. Foul on Toure gives Fulham a free kick about 25 yards from goal. Duff stands over the ball…
51th minute. Baird took the kick right-footed and put it well over. More replays being shown of Zamora’s miss, which do little to exonerate the ex-Brighton man…
53rd minute. City get a corner after some work in the corner by Barry. Petrov takes…and Schwarzer punches…Bridge fires it in and nearly scores! Schwarzer with a great save to his right. Another corner–and a goal for City!!
54th minute. Lescott punched it from about 3 inches! really! Adebayor nudged it towards goal and Lescott finished the job. Goal will be credited to Lescott. Bellamy’s corner kick floated in the air for ages but Fulham didn’t get to it. Replay shows how well Barry did to keep that alive, he got the first two City touches to it, Adebayor nudged it on, then Lescott smashed it home. Not Schwarzer’s greatest moment it has to be said, he came for it and didn’t get it.
56th minute. Another corner from the left for City, who are keeping the pressure up even after the goal.
57th minute. Nothing comes of that sequence, which ends with Adebayor being whistled for a foul.
59th minute. Bridge works again down the left and gets another corner. He’s had a good game so far. Bellamy to take…
60th minute. Tevez got a head to it but it’s cleared away…and Petrov scores!!! Again! 2-0 City.
61th minute. Petrov came in from the right, and after an exchange of passes found himself open just inside the penalty area, he made no mistake tucking it into the right corner with his left foot. Petrov has now scored every game he has started….
62nd minute. But now Fulham have scored! 2-1. Duff with the finish on his left foot, a not well-cleared ball in the box fell to hm to the right. Game is far from over!
64th minute. A memorable explosion of goals at the start of this half and it has to be said Fulham deserve to have scored. City will want a 3rd to make this safer.
65th minute. Petrov comes down the left but Fulham deal with it this time. Petrov has been given freedom to roam left, right and center instead of being in his more customary left-wing role.
67th minute. Petrov on the ground with a knock. His day is over, and Wright-Phillips takes his place. Good game for Petrov, hopefully this is not serious…
68th minute. But meanwhile Fulham have scored again! Good grief. 2-2. Clint Dempsey the scorer, he got his head on that set piece and it crept in off the post.
69th minute. Test of City’s character here, this game seemed to be in hand but City switched off a bit. Can they switch it back on?
70th minute. Dempsey lies on the turf but the ref decides not to stop play. City move forward and SWP wins a corner.
71th minute. Fulham are angry City played on and the teams scuffle a bit. Nothing comes of the corner…
72nd minute. Ireland about to come on. Richards is fouled–game getting a little chippy now. City are desperate to prevent a repeat of the April 2008 match in which Fulham came all the way back from 2-0 to win. Ireland is on for De Jong.
73rd minute. Free kick skidded through the box dangerously but Tevez can’t quite control it.
74th minute. Fulham have had over 60% possession the last 5 minutes, stats show. This is better from City now as they patiently set up shop.
75th minute. Lescott tried to beat Duff on the dribble which was a bad idea…meanwhile Zamora is no more than 2 yards away from scoring after he got room for himself inside the box. He knocked it just wide of the post. City are not coping at the moment with the forward play.
77th minute. Tevez jostles for the ball near the area and loses his headband, but doesn’t get a call.
78th minute. Kelly wins a Fulham corner, cutting City open down the left flank. Hangeland with a strong header off that corner but Given saves well and City clear.
79th minute. SWP gets a chance to get into the game after being set up by Tevez, he shoots ambitiously from distance but it’s not any where close.
80th minute. This is an important 10 minutes for City’s season–a draw would be very disappointing after having led 2-0 but it would be worse yet to lose it, which seems entirely possible.
81th minute. That’s better from City–Barry comes very close there, nodding it a yard wide with his head from about 8 yards out. SWP supplied the chipped cross to the back post.
83rd minute. City pass it around the back nicely then launch a long ball that comes to nothing. Dempsey comes back with it for Fulham who now have it for a spell. Duff closes down Bridge there deep in the corner and gets a corner on the ricochet.
84th minute. Dempsey gets away from Lescott there but his header goes over the bar.
85th minute. SWP earns a corner down the right. Adebayor got his head to it but it goes tamely wide.
86th minute. Barry’s ball into the box is nodded behind for a corner. Bellamy takes, he puts it back post again, Richards seemed to get there but it bounces safely into the keeper’s hands.
87th minute. City crowd sound nervous, anxious for something good to happen but not entirely confident.
89th minute. Tevez does well there to manufacture a half-chance, it’s deflected behind for a corner. Bellamy takes but it’s dealt with.
90th minute. Kamara drags it just wide of the goal there, he took Toure on there.
91st minute. 5 minutes of injury time to be played. Vincent Kompany is going to come on for Kolo Toure, he takes the armband too. Possibly a good idea with Fulham’s recent threats. Seol comes in for Kamara.
93rd minute. Bridge plays a cross that’s deflected behind for yet another City corner. Bellamy puts it in a good place but Baird gets there first.
94th minute. Adebayor falls chasing that long ball from Kompany. Footing seems to be treacherous with the rain.
95th minute. Barry plays a near post cross but Schwarzer anticipated that to make the catch. Offside on Zamora..and that’s the final whistle. The ref did not add another minute for the last subs but called it over right on 95:00.
Final score, City 2, Fulham 2. A somewhat disappointing result, magnified by the fact that City let a two goal lead slip. Yet it would be hard to say it was in any way an unfair result.
Next up for Manchester City: a home date against Scunthorpe in the League Cup on Wednesday.
Category: Team NewsCity-Villa Match Thread/Live Blog
By: Thad | 6 Comments
Manchester City have a chance to go 3rd in the Premiership with a game still in hand by winning at Villa Park Monday night. That will be a tall order as Aston Villa have overcome opening-day stumbles to reproduce the form that carried them to a European place last season. It also will by City’s first chance to do battle with former captain and perennial club player of the year, Richard Dunne. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsDerby day live blog and match thread! 4-3 final United
By: Thad | 4 Comments
We’ll be live blogging the Manchester derby, with a decidedly blue tint, live from Sunday 1:30 (UK)/8:30 (EDT US)! City have had the better of United five times over the last seven years, including two wins under Kevin Keegan’s regime, once under Stuart Pearce, and twice under Sven Goran-Eriksson. Can Mark Hughes add his name to that list, and can City possibly keep its 100% start to the season going? Despite the absence of Robinho and Adebayor, most City supporters on the message boards are cautiously optimistic, for one simple reason: this is the strongest City side in many years, and right now confidence is at a peak level. Of course, if Carlos Tevez is deemed fit to play, that won’t hurt City’s chances.
Category: Team NewsEssential Reading on City: David Conn Reports from Abu Dhabi (Updated)
By: Thad | 1 Comment
With as much attention as Manchester City gets these days, it’s rare to find a piece of journalism about the club that is truly essential reading.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsAdebayor Ban Will Complicate Tactics
By: Thad | 2 Comments
Emmanuel Adebayor has had a brilliant start on the pitch for Manchester City, but his excessive emotion as well as dangerous stamp on Robin Van Persie in Saturday’s win over Arsenal mean he’ll almost certainly be suspended for three and possibly more matches. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsCity 4, Arsenal 2–As it Happened (live blog and match thread)
By: Thad | 8 Comments
Okay, we’re off to a late start this morning but will start the almost-live blog of this match from the beginning. By the end of the 90 we should be just about caught up with real time! Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsCatching Up; Arsenal Come to Town (or more precisely, to City)
By: Thad | 1 Comment
We’ve let a couple of weeks–the end of the transfer window and the international break–pass without any comment on things City; time to get back in the swing of things with two massive matches on the horizon against Arsenal and Manchester United. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsCity-Portsmouth Live Blog and Match Thread!
By: Thad | 7 Comments
Live commentary as River Plate, no wait, Manchester City in their away strip, travel to Fratton Park to try to heap more misery on Portsmouth. It’s a league debut for Joleon Lescott. Can City continue its unblemished start to the campaign? Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team News
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