Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 3 - Johnny On The Spot | Vital Football

Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 3 - Johnny On The Spot

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

Alert Team
The Manchester City feelgood factor has been revived once more through a thoroughly professional FA Cup win at a winter monsoon lashed Selhurst Park.

Admittedly, the Blues recent humbling at Everton calls for caution, but Planet Blue has been boosted once more, gathering bags of encouragement from this past week's upbeat performances against Spurs and Palace. It could yet prove to be the case that Pep publicly declaring City's Premier League title challenge as being over has served to ease pressure upon his squad.

8 nil up in the FA Cup thus far, the Premier League fixture list now offers up a big, big opportunity for a close to fully fit City squad to make something of a charge at the top of the league in advance of and around our return to Champions League action against Monaco. West Ham, Swansea, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Stoke are The Blues next five domestic opponents dependent upon cup commitments and quite frankly City have got to be expected to win all of those fixtures. Were that to prove to be the case, Pep's men would be nicely set up for a pivotal March into April 'Triple Crown' against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive matches.

Of course, we should not get too far ahead of ourselves in what has proven thus far to be a borderline madcap season but there are signs if you look at City's overall level of performance in recent weeks that something is starting to click. Many Blues have suggested that considering the wealth of talent within his squad, increasing familiarity with Pep's methods should lead to greater consistency and a strong second half of the season. If the Blues can maintain their attacking verve and generate a winning run throughout February in all competitions then a platform for success built upon some hard earned experience this season will be in place.

The key to silverware will be goals and it could well be that shorn of the injured Aguero at Palace, Pep has unearthed an exciting young attacking trident who can terrify any opponents with their pace. The enthusiasm, zip and quickness of thought displayed by Sane, Jesus and Sterling with a combined age of 62 bodes very well for the rest of the campaign. This was a canny showing from the 'fleet foxes' whom I would be sorely tempted to start again with at West Ham on Wednesday night. Maybe the injection into the squad of Jesus' bold and exciting approach will be the catalyst for the winning consistency we crave. He looks supremely talented and strong enough to handle 'the treatment' he is going to come in for.

At the back we found more reasons to be cheerful this weekend with our club captain VK making an assured, possibly crucial return to a defence that again looked far more at ease with vocal shot stopper Caballero behind them. However, this cruise control victory was constructed by two other elements of City's old guard. Silva and Toure were immense in the way that they ran the show from start to finish. The sight of the sprightly Silva charging half the length of the field with City's young guns tearing away ahead of him was a joy to behold. If Spanish Dave can maintain his mercurial form we could be seeing more of the killer through balls that were his trademark in our title winning seasons.

And so to Monday evening and the comedy gold which has become our involvement in domestic cup draws. Will City's current run of being drawn TWELVE times against Premier League rivals in the last 15 draws continue? Will TV's favourite Stretford Galacticos series of being pitted against lower league opposition in ELEVEN of their last 14 draw participations endure? All will be revealed!

Finally a message to BBC Radio Manchester and City legend Ian Cheeseman whom I understand is unwell. Speedy recovery Cheesey and best wishes from everyone at VMC, we need you back with us for what could yet prove to be a thrilling second half of the season!

Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=577199#ixzz4X7WfERLv
 
Good to have VK4 back - hopefully there haven't been any adverse reactions to his running around for an hour and a half.

Three cracking goals, and GJ33 looks a bit of a handful already.

Cabalero in goal looks a bit more solid than Bravo - but that might be down to having the skipper pottering around in front of him.

Lincoln City at home in the next round please.

 
An excellent game to watch. The Blues were vocal throughout and enjoyed making up nearly one third of the crowd. Glad I was under cover when the hail descended. Welcome to England Gabriel! Jesus was a breath of fresh air and he has some serious talent. Sané looks increasingly comfortable. Took his goal really well. Moving the ball forward at pace gave Silva the opportunity to deploy his slide rule passing and it was a joy to watch.

Will need to see it again but Ledley's late challenge on Jesus ought to have been a red card imo - he had previously clashed with Jesus in the first half as part of the Old Pro's "Welcome to the Premier League" Package. He had blocked th young lad off as he ran into the 18 yard box and after Jesus picked himself up Lesley was presumably informing him "You're playing with the big boys now" but perhaps using choices words. When Jesus danced through the Palace defence as the end of the game looked the limited player that Ledley decided to upgrade the "Welcome to the PL" package by adding the bonus of a challenge that was so late he almost missed the lad. Full of intent to take the young man out he motored at high speed towards him with nothing on his mind other than to foul him in a manner which, imo seeing it live, was intended to endanger his opponent. Great to see the lad pick himself up and dust himself down (although I was puzzled to see him leave the pitch as I thought the rules had changed to avoid penalising the fouled side by removing one of their players from the pitch if a yellow card has been issued for the offender?)

We have a talent on our hands.

Also great to see Kompany back to his imperious best. He looked very comfortable despite only playing at 75% pace. Perhaps the extra time recovering from his knee injury has helped ease his muscular problems.
 
Very similar to Scott Dann's on Aguero Skoorb, my feeling it was a red.

I said during the MDT that Toure was lucky to stay on the field but having seen the second offence, it was a question of the player coming together and falling over definitely not a yellow
 
Was Toure's first even worthy of a yellow, only got the one angle ion it but it looked like he won the ball fairly?
 
Bluedub - 29/1/2017 11:29

Was Toure's first even worthy of a yellow, only got the one angle ion it but it looked like he won the ball fairly?
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Not from where I was stood in the ground. I thought Toure won the ball and then Ledley (?) fell over his legs.

The second incident was a foul but not a yellow imo. The Palace player was very cynical - he was well aware Toure had just been carded and was looking for the contact fully intending, imo, to get Toure a second one. The reaction of the Palace players was telling - so much for not badgering the officials.

And talking of the officials......I thought the rule had changed this season regarding players needing to leave the pitch free treatment?

I know it was introduced (during a World Cup if I recall) to deter play acting but that this season, because the 'offended team' is reduced to ten men thus handing the 'offending team' a numerical advantage, if the referee deems the foul merits a yellow card then the injured player doesn't have to go off no seek permission to re-enter play.

Or did I dream that? :012: :032:
 
Ah ha!

No it wasn't a dream.....

See No 4

"If a player is fouled and hurt by an opponent who subsequently receives a yellow or red card for the challenge, the injured player may be quickly treated on the pitch without the need to leave the field of play"

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10512322/laws-of-the-game-changes-ahead-of-the-201617-premier-league-season

Jesus did not want to leave the pitch after treatment for Ledley's 'reducer' foul and it seems he was correct and Mike Jones was wrong to insist that he did so :014:
 
Buzz Lightyear - 29/1/2017 12:30

Just looking at the tackle and paused it to show Lesley with both feet off the ground and only a yellow
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That was exactly what I thought when I saw it in real time and my view was only reinforced when I saw it on MotD. He launched himself from a fair distance with only one thing in his mind (& it wasn't winning the ball)
 
What a player Jesus is going to be, if we can keep him warm.

Rising, that's the trouble with not looking at predictive text, you type in one thing and the iPad prints another lol
 
Gabriel could well do with investing in some industrial strength ankle protectors and shin pads.
 
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