Manchester City 2 - Norwich City 1 Johnny On The Spot & Stats Link

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

Alert Team
Johnny On The Spot

A Nightmare On Rowsley Street. Manchester City will be playing in Sevilla and Turin later this month. Serve up the tripe laden, error strewn and thoroughly unprofessional performance levels they did against a game but hopelessly limited Norwich side today and they are going to get seriously turned over...Planet Blue will be left aghast at City's collective application today and if Manuel Pellegrini isn't, then he bloody well should be. There must be no signal from any quarter that condones such complacency and profligacy. This Blue hopes against hope that a horror show making a mockery of our current league leading position is out of the squad's system...It is hard to know where to start for what feels like tonight's post mortem. Yaya Touré and Joe Hart are proven winners but both redeemed respective lethargy with crucial late interventions to secure what should have been an easy 3 points...I thought Wilf Bony and Aleks Kolarov were stand out awful. Having been AWOL in defence all game, the latter throughly embarrassed himself and the club by demanding to take the ball from an effervescent Raheem Sterling for his a hard won last seconds penalty and duly shanked it. I sincerely hope he makes a public apology. While I am at it, so should Touré for his show of petulence towards his manager when subbed late on as City were reduced to headless chicken mode against the Canaries 10 men, seemingly still in mass shock at Hart's uncharacteristic howler which almost threw away the game. Back to Bony and his inability to convert gilt edge chances today was almost the undoing of the whole game plan. Whereas the big midweek League Cup win reassured us that all will be better than expected up front in Kun Aguero's absence, today restored concern with every snatched at opportunity. So much to ponder on tonight. I never like "stinging" The Blues, but my relief at this win tonight is tinged by distinct worry that cracks have been papered over...My Man of The Match in line with Etihad observers is Nicolas Otamendi. Committed fully throughout, he played centre back, the De Jong break up role and left back for Kolarov all game...City, you have got to do better than this.

Stats Courtesy BBC Sport: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/stats.asp?a=558561#ixzz3qAUo30KJ
 
Looks like the International break after Villa may bring another truck load of injuries unless we get the lads to throw a sicky, unless they are involved in the playoffs.
 
We won ugly.

Not nice to watch but 3 points in the bag and still top of the league.

As Johny says though, we won't be much longer top of the league, still in the Champs League or in the domestic cups if we repeat performances like that.

Not a pleasant game to watch and we were under the cosh at the end against 10 man Norwich at home !
 
Not sure my flabber has ever been so gasted.

We rode our luck and were able to take advantage of the get out of jail card offered by Norwich. Just as well we weren't relying on Kolarov to secure all three points from the spot.

What astonishes me is that the squad never, ever seem to learn. We have seen this before. The slow, lethargic build up, the lack of urgency or anyone willing to drive forward at pace when playing against organised, hard working banks of defenders and midfielders.......we even struggle with this approach with the magical lock-picking passing of Silva and the finishing qualities of Aguero.

The lack of composure after we regained the lead was just awful. Those are the times when the captain needs to get a grip and calm everyone down :no:
 
CB1K raises a good point about Zabaleta being missed - so often he would break forward at pace and get behind the defence, Sagna rarely offers outside and when he does it is at a slow stroll. We miss the penetration and unselfish overlaps Pablo!
 
Never give up, how many times have we seen top teams not winning but come out on top at the very end, now we are one of those, we don't see a City side who give up these days and opposing sides have to play to the final whistle, we've been on the end of a few of them, now we deliver, not matter how ugly it is, it is another 3 points
 
God I'd hate it if we won well......

Ok, it wasn't pretty, but this could be crucial come May, as 3 points is 3 points, Norwich were not the lambs to the slaughter most people was expecting, after the hammering we gave them the last time e they were in town, add to the fact they have not won in 3 games straight, (now 4) and the last 3 teams to come here have had 5,6 5 goals put past them, they were not going yo attack us, they were going to defend, and they did it well.....

Bony should have scored, but if my Auntie had Balls she d be my uncle, the gilt edged chances he missed I'd put down to confidence and imo he needs a good run of games, 3-4 is not a good run but it's a start, he will get there imo.
I thought De Bruyne had a quiet game, but after tge games he has done for us I'll let him off.
But all in all it was a win and with Seville next up it could be a good week for us.....

But there is a fly in the ointment, after the games this month, we have won 4 drew 1, and scored a bagful of goals in the bargain, .... IT'S THE MANAGER OF THE MONTH awards...... and no doubt Pelle will be at the forefront of the Kiss of death award????????????????
 
He has already had one of those this season CM51 and I think we had a dip in October and is probably not in the frame for it.

Thinking about it, I would give it to Ranieri ,Whinger, or the fatman at Spurs didn't lose a match, Arsenal have won their last 5 in all comps, we are way down the list for this months awards
 
The performances haven't been great, so hopefully he won't win it again. These are not the awards he/we want to win anyway. :trophy:

We miss the Zaba of two seasons ago. The one that played this season has been poor :thinking:

I suspect Wilf will just be getting back to his best when Kun puts him back on the Berti :shrug:
 
I can forgive Hart the occasional howler, at least he will be the model of concentration midweek when at least he will be kept more occupied than on Saturday.

Unfortunately Kolarov, in the absence of Clichy is the best we have. I've been banging on about the need for a quality left back for as long as I can remember, or a couple of seasons at least, one whose primary instinct is to defend, and to defend well.

Zab is a big absence, hopefully he can get back to his best a.s.a.p - but he is not getting any younger.

I'd stick Kipling on the bench against Sevilla and play Fernando instead - Kipling won't fulfil any defensive duties and could possibly do with taking down a peg or two after his alleged pop at MP.

And then it's Villa with a new manager to impress . . .

 
citizhun - 1/11/2015 18:30


I suspect Wilf will just be getting back to his best when Kun puts him back on the Berti :shrug:
Click to expand...

Probably, I don't think he was that bad on Saturday, can't defend his two wild slashes at the ball but at least he's getting himself in the right areas, his general play though was quite good I thought. His turn and shot on that first chance he had was top drawer.
 
I think Wilf is playing OK, players get like that when they are desperate to score, if only he would relax he would be sticking them in for fun. Just like The Beast, tried to hard and that is when the mistakes come.

Kolarov is a wing back first and defender second, I like him, especially his rendition of Santa is coming to town. hilarious.
 
OziMan said:
He’s only a young lad and will hopefully learn better.
Mind you, he deserves a suspension for getting around with a hair style like that.
Click to expand...

I agree at that age, he is doing what he thinks is OK, but you cannot in this day and age just say what you like, even if we have freedom of speech, we don't. I agree Bart he will learn and next time not publish it.

I also agree with the hairstyle although in my case if only I had the hair to do that with.
 
Well, well, well......how will the dipper fans try to spin this one?

Origi banner causes outrage

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...salah-mane-fans-the-kop-anfield-a9168816.html

Liverpool condemn fans for 'racist' Divvock Origi banner

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50159587

Funnily enough, unlike the Bernardo tweet, this little article was not in the top of the BBC football page but buried waaaay down towards the bottom. Someone in the editorial team is fiddling with the algorithm methinks......

Will the FA have the gonads to charge LiverpoolTMfailed
 
Last edited:
And more if the same in the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-at-champions-league-final-football-liverpool

I have not heard anything about this being reported by the BBC. Nada. Zero. Nothing.

The absence of any reference to into given the current febrile atmosphere surrounding racial chants and behaviour at football matches us somewhat puzzling. Unless of course no one at the BBC wants there to be any taint on the impeccable reputation of The People's Champions ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.