Tough test passed again.
I don't think ESPN's commentators are happy with that result. I don't think it's because they hate City, I just think it's because, like any neutral, you want the smaller teams to do one on the big teams. Some comments were annoying from Champion and Waddle but I guess none of their words matter when we win in the end.
QPR are a spirited bunch and they did play well, but eventually our quality in the final third did produce the goods when QPR fell asleep at the back. QPR have a lot of gusto, but they've not got a lot of quality - which is something we have in abundance. They were disciplined, organised for large parts of the game and never, ever let us settle and get fully into our stride but when we possess players such as Silva, Aguero and Yaya Toure you can't let your guard down for a split second because, as we did today, we will make other teams regret it.
It was a match that the media will love, because QPR were slightly the better team. In fact it's only the second time this season that a team has been willing to get at us, the only other time being Fulham away.
Luckily, Kompany is only out for one game because Savic isn't quite ready for the delights of the Premier League yet. He's getting there, but on one or two occasions he was turned too easily, and there were a couple of moments when his inexperience was on display, but he's slowly getting there.
I thought Aguero deserved a goal today but his time will come again. He was actually one of our better players today, I thought, and he'll be a little disappointed in coming off so early, but he conducted himself well in a hostile ground and got his head down and worked hard.
Silva wasn't his usual self, but he can create moments of absolute genius from nowhere, and that's why he's so important to us. That touch and finish for his goal was world class and pretty much something only he could have done in that position. Like the rest of the team, he found it difficult to discover space in between QPR's midfield and defence, but he knows his way around a pitch. So much so, that you can't keep control of him forever.
I'm glad nobody supported Kolarov on that left wing, because that cross never would have come in for Yaya's header, and what a header it was! Rising high, heading in, scoring goals; that's what we like to see from Yaya!
A dogged performance, but we can't have played that badly if we managed to score three. Dzeko took his goal brilliantly, Silva finished beautifully, and Yaya powered home and filled us with relief. It was a shock to the system this afternoon, but thankfully it was a winning one.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
QPR - Manchester City preview.
THE Rs
After the comfortable trip to Spain, I expect us to pick a slightly different team and continue with our rotation policy. I feel Nasri or Adam Johnson will start this afternoon with Aguero, Dzeko and Silva up front, with Barry and Yaya toure behind in midfield. We're missing Kompany this afternoon, but after his performance on Wednesday I feel Savic deserves a starting place.
We're good enough to win this afternoon, and if QPR struggled to deal with Spurs' midfield last weekend I don't see how they're going to cope that well with ours. On their day, Barry and Yaya can be the best midfield pairing in the league, and are probably (on paper) the type of players Chelsea and Manchester United are missing.
QPR's home form has been a tad mixed this season, but their win against Chelsea will give them a huge boost in confidence going into this game. We're likely not to get as annoyed as Chelsea did but QPR will be wanting to make a "we're here to stay" statement this afternoon.
Old City favourites Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton will be wanting to show Roberto Mancini and Manchester City how much they've progressed as players since their departures, so expect a lively showing from those two.
I think we'll win 3-0. We're due another cleansheet and away to a side that took a little bit of a knock in confidence after their loss to Spurs, this could be the ideal game to continue our fine start to the season.
Possible 11:
Hart; Richards, Savic, Lescott, Clichy; Barry, Yaya Toure; Silva, A Johnson, Aguero, Dzeko.
Bench:Pantilimon; Kolarov, Zabaleta; Milner, de Jong, Nasri; Balotelli
After the comfortable trip to Spain, I expect us to pick a slightly different team and continue with our rotation policy. I feel Nasri or Adam Johnson will start this afternoon with Aguero, Dzeko and Silva up front, with Barry and Yaya toure behind in midfield. We're missing Kompany this afternoon, but after his performance on Wednesday I feel Savic deserves a starting place.
We're good enough to win this afternoon, and if QPR struggled to deal with Spurs' midfield last weekend I don't see how they're going to cope that well with ours. On their day, Barry and Yaya can be the best midfield pairing in the league, and are probably (on paper) the type of players Chelsea and Manchester United are missing.
QPR's home form has been a tad mixed this season, but their win against Chelsea will give them a huge boost in confidence going into this game. We're likely not to get as annoyed as Chelsea did but QPR will be wanting to make a "we're here to stay" statement this afternoon.
Old City favourites Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton will be wanting to show Roberto Mancini and Manchester City how much they've progressed as players since their departures, so expect a lively showing from those two.
I think we'll win 3-0. We're due another cleansheet and away to a side that took a little bit of a knock in confidence after their loss to Spurs, this could be the ideal game to continue our fine start to the season.
Possible 11:
Hart; Richards, Savic, Lescott, Clichy; Barry, Yaya Toure; Silva, A Johnson, Aguero, Dzeko.
Bench:Pantilimon; Kolarov, Zabaleta; Milner, de Jong, Nasri; Balotelli
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Villareal 0 - 3 City, thoughts.
YELLOWS TOO MELLOW
Well, there we have it. Two weeks after our first win in the Champions League we have another one, and this time it was away from home at a ground where no other English team has won before. Admittedly, Villareal were stripped to the bare bones without their key players (something ITV made sure we didn't forget) but it was up to us not to fall flat on our faces.
There were some excellent performances tonight from players including Nigel de Jong and Samir Nasri, but James Milner was my Man of the Match. He was excellent in the middle, going forward and tackling back. He covered for de Jong, Nasri, Silva and even Balotelli at points tonight, all to geat effect. Considering that was his first ever appearance in the Champions League, he looked at home.
Villareal's fans tried their best to make it a hostile environment, by throwing paper planes and balls at Nasri and Toure, but that was never going to shake us, considering Villareal barely looked bothered tonight. Joe Hart was a spectator for large parts of the game, only being forced into one difficult save.
I thought we were calm, controlled, effective and untroubled for most of the night. We were brilliant all over, but our impressiveness was definitely aided by a desperate, weak Villareal side.
Next we face QPR. Dzeko, Aguero, Richards, Lescott and Barry were all either dropped or on the bench tonight so expect them to start in London on Saturday. Remember folks, it's a lake kick-off, with the game starting at 5:30pm.
Ratings:Hart, 7 - Had nothing to do for the most part, but when asked to produce the goods he did to great effect.
Zabaleta, 6 - Wasn't required to do anything tonight, but did well enough at what he did.
Kompany, 7 - Like Zabaleta and Hart, he was pretty much able to watch our boys up front do the business.
Savic, 7 - Incredibly assured and looked much calmer than he did against Wolves.
Clichy, 8 - Got forward well and kept Perez in his back pocket.
de Jong, 8 - Controlled our defence and attack in his usual manner.
Milner, 9 - He continued his excellent run of performances with a very gutsy, hard-working display.
Yaya Toure, 8 - Took his goals brilliantly, did well enough to break down what little Villareal offered.
Nasri, 8 - Best game in a Blue shirt since his debut
Silva, 7 - Took a while to get going but played well when he was comfortable. Let's hope his back isn't too bad.
Balotelli, 7 - Amazing penalty, usual relaxed self for most part.
Well, there we have it. Two weeks after our first win in the Champions League we have another one, and this time it was away from home at a ground where no other English team has won before. Admittedly, Villareal were stripped to the bare bones without their key players (something ITV made sure we didn't forget) but it was up to us not to fall flat on our faces.
There were some excellent performances tonight from players including Nigel de Jong and Samir Nasri, but James Milner was my Man of the Match. He was excellent in the middle, going forward and tackling back. He covered for de Jong, Nasri, Silva and even Balotelli at points tonight, all to geat effect. Considering that was his first ever appearance in the Champions League, he looked at home.
Villareal's fans tried their best to make it a hostile environment, by throwing paper planes and balls at Nasri and Toure, but that was never going to shake us, considering Villareal barely looked bothered tonight. Joe Hart was a spectator for large parts of the game, only being forced into one difficult save.
I thought we were calm, controlled, effective and untroubled for most of the night. We were brilliant all over, but our impressiveness was definitely aided by a desperate, weak Villareal side.
Next we face QPR. Dzeko, Aguero, Richards, Lescott and Barry were all either dropped or on the bench tonight so expect them to start in London on Saturday. Remember folks, it's a lake kick-off, with the game starting at 5:30pm.
Ratings:Hart, 7 - Had nothing to do for the most part, but when asked to produce the goods he did to great effect.
Zabaleta, 6 - Wasn't required to do anything tonight, but did well enough at what he did.
Kompany, 7 - Like Zabaleta and Hart, he was pretty much able to watch our boys up front do the business.
Savic, 7 - Incredibly assured and looked much calmer than he did against Wolves.
Clichy, 8 - Got forward well and kept Perez in his back pocket.
de Jong, 8 - Controlled our defence and attack in his usual manner.
Milner, 9 - He continued his excellent run of performances with a very gutsy, hard-working display.
Yaya Toure, 8 - Took his goals brilliantly, did well enough to break down what little Villareal offered.
Nasri, 8 - Best game in a Blue shirt since his debut
Silva, 7 - Took a while to get going but played well when he was comfortable. Let's hope his back isn't too bad.
Balotelli, 7 - Amazing penalty, usual relaxed self for most part.
Villareal - City, preview.
VILLAREAL - MANCHESTER CITY, PREVIEW.
__________________________________________________________________
October was a fantastic month for us, so it's a shame to say goodbye. We played some of our best football against some of the league's trickier sides, progressed in the League Cup and we thumped Manchester United in one of the most eagerly anticipated Manchester derbies of recent times. We head into November, and our first opponents this month are Spanish strugglers Villareal.
Villareal sit bottom of Group A, and if they lose tonight they're out of the competition. They're missing Rossi, Cani, Zapata, Senna and Nilmar, which is like City losing Aguero, Silva, de Jong, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri. Their squad is down to the bare bones currently, and just when everything seemed to be going against them, things got a little worse when they looked down the fixture list and saw us.
No matter what happens in the game between Bayern and Napoli tonight, we need this win more than ever if we want to progress to the next round. What gives me hope, is that whenever Villareal came forward in their 2-1 loss at City everything seemed to be created through Rossi, but tonight he won't be playing, so I don't see where their attacking threat is going to come from.
Vincent Kompany is eligible to play as his suspension only applies in English league and League Cup games, so I expect him to start at the back alongside either Joleon Lescott or Kolo Toure. And after being given a rest on Saturday, I expect Clichy and Milner to start ahead of Nasri and Kolarov to increase workrate.
Despite their injuries, I'm not expecting Villareal to roll over and say "alright, you can hav six goals" because we all know football does not work like that. El Madrigal is horrid place to visit because of its hostilityand intimidating nature, so Villareal will be using those strengths against us in a bid to take the three points.
If we lose tonight, we're probably going out. Napoli win and they head on to 8 points, while we'd be stuck on 4 and in desperate need of a Villareal win in Munich in two weeks time. A win is a must tonight if we are to progress, and here is the team I'm trusting to get us just that:
Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott(or Kolo Toure), Clichy; Milner, de Jong, Yaya Toure; Silva, Dzeko, Balotelli.
 |
| Sergio Aguero is grabbed by Edin Dzeko after his goal secured victory against Villareal in last month's meeting. |
__________________________________________________________________
October was a fantastic month for us, so it's a shame to say goodbye. We played some of our best football against some of the league's trickier sides, progressed in the League Cup and we thumped Manchester United in one of the most eagerly anticipated Manchester derbies of recent times. We head into November, and our first opponents this month are Spanish strugglers Villareal.
Villareal sit bottom of Group A, and if they lose tonight they're out of the competition. They're missing Rossi, Cani, Zapata, Senna and Nilmar, which is like City losing Aguero, Silva, de Jong, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri. Their squad is down to the bare bones currently, and just when everything seemed to be going against them, things got a little worse when they looked down the fixture list and saw us.
No matter what happens in the game between Bayern and Napoli tonight, we need this win more than ever if we want to progress to the next round. What gives me hope, is that whenever Villareal came forward in their 2-1 loss at City everything seemed to be created through Rossi, but tonight he won't be playing, so I don't see where their attacking threat is going to come from.
Vincent Kompany is eligible to play as his suspension only applies in English league and League Cup games, so I expect him to start at the back alongside either Joleon Lescott or Kolo Toure. And after being given a rest on Saturday, I expect Clichy and Milner to start ahead of Nasri and Kolarov to increase workrate.
Despite their injuries, I'm not expecting Villareal to roll over and say "alright, you can hav six goals" because we all know football does not work like that. El Madrigal is horrid place to visit because of its hostilityand intimidating nature, so Villareal will be using those strengths against us in a bid to take the three points.
If we lose tonight, we're probably going out. Napoli win and they head on to 8 points, while we'd be stuck on 4 and in desperate need of a Villareal win in Munich in two weeks time. A win is a must tonight if we are to progress, and here is the team I'm trusting to get us just that:
Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott(or Kolo Toure), Clichy; Milner, de Jong, Yaya Toure; Silva, Dzeko, Balotelli.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
City 3 - Wolves 1 thoughts.
That was probably the most frustrating game we've had all season. Wolves did very well to break up our fluidity early on and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game - it was fragmented, fussy and we looked like we were struggling to get a grip on the game for the first time this season.
I thought it was right that an error from Wayne Hennessey created the first goal because despite his fantastic first half performance he did a lot of time wasting. Even my dad sat next to me (who's a United fan) was getting frustrated with the amount of seconds it took the Wolves 'keeper to punt the ball.
It was really good to see Dzeko celebrate so much after being gifted a goal. I guess his frustration was built up in the first half when his chip was turned wide of the post brilliantly by Wayne Hennessey. It was a calm finish frmo Dzeko, who could have so easily scuffed his chance. That's 12 for the season already for Edin!
I thought Attwell was terrible. Honestly terrible. Not corrupt, just plain terrible. He shouldn't be allowed to referee Premier League games because he is terribly out of his depth. Inconsistency is the word to describe his "performance" in that game. I was actually shocked that Mario's tackle before our third goal wasn't given as a foul because players were booked for less than that.
I thought Johnson took his goal brilliantly. When he shaped up to have a crack I thought "no!" but when the ball rustled the back of the net I went berserk. That goal put us 5 points clear at the top of the Premier League. We're going to be top of the table in November! We'd have normally faded into mid-table obscurity by now.
Roll on Villareal.
I thought it was right that an error from Wayne Hennessey created the first goal because despite his fantastic first half performance he did a lot of time wasting. Even my dad sat next to me (who's a United fan) was getting frustrated with the amount of seconds it took the Wolves 'keeper to punt the ball.
It was really good to see Dzeko celebrate so much after being gifted a goal. I guess his frustration was built up in the first half when his chip was turned wide of the post brilliantly by Wayne Hennessey. It was a calm finish frmo Dzeko, who could have so easily scuffed his chance. That's 12 for the season already for Edin!
I thought Attwell was terrible. Honestly terrible. Not corrupt, just plain terrible. He shouldn't be allowed to referee Premier League games because he is terribly out of his depth. Inconsistency is the word to describe his "performance" in that game. I was actually shocked that Mario's tackle before our third goal wasn't given as a foul because players were booked for less than that.
I thought Johnson took his goal brilliantly. When he shaped up to have a crack I thought "no!" but when the ball rustled the back of the net I went berserk. That goal put us 5 points clear at the top of the Premier League. We're going to be top of the table in November! We'd have normally faded into mid-table obscurity by now.
Roll on Villareal.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Wolves 2-5 Manchester City, thoughts.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WOLVES TONIGHT
I didn't get to watch the game unfortunately, because I was out watching the wonderful Patrick Wolf embrace the stage spectacularly at HMV Ritz Manchester. But I was getting updates via text of what was happening.
I thought Johnson took his goal really well, and his pass for Nasri's goal was another example of his more creative side that we rarely see. It was good to see Edin get on the scoresheet twice again, because that takes him into double figures for the season (and we haven't even passed halfway!)
It's also good to see that what is essentially our second team can pull off results like that one away from home on a cold night in an autumnal month.
Good night.
I didn't get to watch the game unfortunately, because I was out watching the wonderful Patrick Wolf embrace the stage spectacularly at HMV Ritz Manchester. But I was getting updates via text of what was happening.
I thought Johnson took his goal really well, and his pass for Nasri's goal was another example of his more creative side that we rarely see. It was good to see Edin get on the scoresheet twice again, because that takes him into double figures for the season (and we haven't even passed halfway!)
It's also good to see that what is essentially our second team can pull off results like that one away from home on a cold night in an autumnal month.
Good night.
Wolves - City preview
HOWLING AT THE MOON
I have to admit that I struggle to get enthused about League Cup games, but we're one step away from the quarter-finals and I'd like to see us get a trophy on board. However if what happened to Birmingham happens to us, should we win the thing, I want that meaningless pot to stay away from us.
Mancini opted not to play Nigel de Jong on Sunday in the demolition of Manchester United, so I expect him to start in midfield. Alongside who? I'm not sure. I would say Hargreaves, but I'm sure I heard something on the radio yesterday about Hargreaves having a slight pull somewhere on his body - again. Yaya and Barry both played a full 90 minutes on Sunday, so I don't expect them to start.
Edin Dzeko didn't play for very long against United so I expect him to lead the line tonight. And although Zabaleta didn't get a place on the pitch on Sunday, I don't expect him to start tonight either. His father is ill once again and undergoing surgery, which means that Zabba's head may not be in the right place. Of course, for the good of the team and Zabaleta, I hope his father makes a full recovery.
I think we'll have just enough to win, and we're going to be riding high on confidence after Sunday. Wolves are pretty much digging a hole that will eventually cave in one them unless they get something tonight, but I don't see them beating us.
Manchester City 3-1 Wolves
I have to admit that I struggle to get enthused about League Cup games, but we're one step away from the quarter-finals and I'd like to see us get a trophy on board. However if what happened to Birmingham happens to us, should we win the thing, I want that meaningless pot to stay away from us.
Mancini opted not to play Nigel de Jong on Sunday in the demolition of Manchester United, so I expect him to start in midfield. Alongside who? I'm not sure. I would say Hargreaves, but I'm sure I heard something on the radio yesterday about Hargreaves having a slight pull somewhere on his body - again. Yaya and Barry both played a full 90 minutes on Sunday, so I don't expect them to start.
Edin Dzeko didn't play for very long against United so I expect him to lead the line tonight. And although Zabaleta didn't get a place on the pitch on Sunday, I don't expect him to start tonight either. His father is ill once again and undergoing surgery, which means that Zabba's head may not be in the right place. Of course, for the good of the team and Zabaleta, I hope his father makes a full recovery.
I think we'll have just enough to win, and we're going to be riding high on confidence after Sunday. Wolves are pretty much digging a hole that will eventually cave in one them unless they get something tonight, but I don't see them beating us.
Manchester City 3-1 Wolves
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