Johnny Baguette
Alert Team
For "Romania" read "remain here". It might not have worked in the referendum but boy did Manchester City make a statement in Bucuresti tonight. Their most famous of sons, Steaua, were simply blown out of their own stadium in a manner where a 0-5 scoreline actually flattered the losers.
Guardiola changed his full backs with Zabaleta and Kolarov replacing Sagna and Clichy. Otamendi in turn replaced Kolarov who played in the centre on Saturday. Other than that the team paraded was the one who gathered the three points at the Etihad.
We all know that the ghastly, Stretford-only radio station Talk Rubbish can`t wait for City to fail and they were in raptures with the shaky start in which Stones misplaced back pass had Caballero, preferred once again in place of Hart, scurrying to recover. Indeed, the said radio station declared City could have been 2-0 down in the first 90 seconds, which would have left them orgasmic, but City soon got into the kind of stride that looked invisible last Saturday.
Raheem Sterling looks a totally different proposition under the guidance and coaching of the Catalonian Prince. Playing once again as an orthodox right winger, he once again quickly tormented the Steaua defence and once again drew an easy penalty out of them.
However, two penalties in two matches often leaves the taker with a dilemma. Stick or twist? Up stepped Aguero, same way as Saturday but this time the goalie guessed correctly pulling off a good save to keep the scores level.
A few minutes later a rapid move saw Nolito set up Silva who tidily drove home. Immediately City seemed to settle into the game leaving Steaua chasing shadows and seeing very little of the ball as City dominated possession, creating chance after chance. One of these saw Kolarov, another who looks a new lease of life under the PepMeister drift into the box, inviting an untidy challenge and another penalty from an untidy looking Steaua defence.
Up stepped Aguero once again and once again he came up empty as he lifted the penalty over the bar with the keeper heading for the same corner. Would you believe it? He could have had a hat trick already with the game less than half an hour old.
At this time Steaua got into the game for a little while but didn`t really threaten the dominance of City. For their part the Blues stuck at it with crisp passing and movement that had the opposition mesmerised and some neat footwork between De Bruyne and Silva saw Sterling set up Aguero in the inside left position. This time the Mighty Atom made no mistake as he slid the ball past Nita and just inside the post.
Half time saw City in at 2-0, disappointed is wasn`t 6-0.
As the second half began, it wasn`t long before City were in the juggernaut mood that saw them start last season at breakneck speed. On the edge of the Steaua box, City`s football was simply breath taking and within 5 minutes of the restart Nolito put City 3-0 up after a move which involved most of the team with the Spaniard springing the offside trap by millimetres and easily steering the ball home.
The rest of the night belonged to Aguero. Having missed 2 penalties and had another brace of goalbound shots saved by Nita, most forwards would have let their heads drop, but after 78 minutes City created and scored a goal with football from another planet. Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne and Nolito were all involved somewhere along the line before an exquisite outside of the foot slide-rule pass saw Sergio beat the ragged back line to slide in number 4, beating Nita with ease.
More shots and attempts were to follow as the game drew to a close, but in the last minute and with the TV commentators laying bets, another excellent move involving the lively Nolito saw Aguero strike the ball wide of Nita and in off the post.
So the away leg left City with a seemingly unassailable 5 away goals and I don`t think even the cynic in the Pedmachine can foresee a "typical City" performance in the return leg. One would indeed hope that the return leg will become a new style of "typical City" where City play a brand of football similar to tonight and which will become typical of City under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola.
We can`t get carried away. Stoke City away on Saturday will provide Guardiola`s men with a much sterner test than this as will almost any other fixture in this season`s Champions League, but to win 5-0 away anywhere is no mean feat, let alone on a trip to Romania.
City did collect two yellow cards, Zabaleta after 4 minutes and Kolarov early in the second half, but other than that this was a masterclass of a performance by the Blues. This is an all-action eleven at the Etihad. Everyone presses and everyone defends. The ball moves very, very quickly and it becomes difficult for the opposition to get anything going.
The match was effectively controlled by Nolito and Sterling. Silva and De Bruyne also contributed as did the effervescent Fernandinho. The back line after the first 90 seconds looked in no trouble. Otamendi, too, looks as though he has had the benefit of coaching which I`m sure he didn`t last term. Aguero could have scored eight and already be on the way to be the competition`s top scorer.
The TV pundits were drooling over City and laughing at Steaua. Joe Hart once again looked dumbstruck on the bench.
We can certainly see things happening on the field. Some of the tactics looked similar to last Saturday but there was something new up the Guardiola sleeve. Nolito looked a bit under the weather in the Premier League, but in this match he was simply class.
As Steaua posed no real threat to City it was difficult to comment on the Stones/Otamendi axis, but the former Evertonian looks to have the class at this level and the Argentino didn`t look as raw as he did at times last season. A positive sign I suspect.
This result gives Pep the luxury of giving some of his top starts a night off when the Romanians roll up at the Campus next week, but if I was Aguero I`d want to play to get my goal tally ticking. I wouldn`t be surprised to see game time for Navas and Iheanacho at home next week and, if he`s still with us even Joe Hart. His career has certainly nose-dived this season so far, unless it is a ploy by Guardiola to shake him up a bit. It worked for Pellegrini in 2014.
Even dear Susan was impressed and couldn`t work out why I was disappointed with a 5-0 away win. In the immortal words of the song..it should`ve been ten.
No doubt we will now be turning our attention to who we can get drawn against in the league stages. I would like to see this tie put to bed without conceding a goal. With Stoke and West Ham either side maybe keeping the team together and getting live match practice with the new tactics would be a good idea. Guardiola will have his own ideas. This man does not stand on ceremony, he wants to be on the right side of the ceremony, one that involves trophies being hoisted high by men in sky blue.
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=569982#ixzz4HZuyGmgw
Guardiola changed his full backs with Zabaleta and Kolarov replacing Sagna and Clichy. Otamendi in turn replaced Kolarov who played in the centre on Saturday. Other than that the team paraded was the one who gathered the three points at the Etihad.
We all know that the ghastly, Stretford-only radio station Talk Rubbish can`t wait for City to fail and they were in raptures with the shaky start in which Stones misplaced back pass had Caballero, preferred once again in place of Hart, scurrying to recover. Indeed, the said radio station declared City could have been 2-0 down in the first 90 seconds, which would have left them orgasmic, but City soon got into the kind of stride that looked invisible last Saturday.
Raheem Sterling looks a totally different proposition under the guidance and coaching of the Catalonian Prince. Playing once again as an orthodox right winger, he once again quickly tormented the Steaua defence and once again drew an easy penalty out of them.
However, two penalties in two matches often leaves the taker with a dilemma. Stick or twist? Up stepped Aguero, same way as Saturday but this time the goalie guessed correctly pulling off a good save to keep the scores level.
A few minutes later a rapid move saw Nolito set up Silva who tidily drove home. Immediately City seemed to settle into the game leaving Steaua chasing shadows and seeing very little of the ball as City dominated possession, creating chance after chance. One of these saw Kolarov, another who looks a new lease of life under the PepMeister drift into the box, inviting an untidy challenge and another penalty from an untidy looking Steaua defence.
Up stepped Aguero once again and once again he came up empty as he lifted the penalty over the bar with the keeper heading for the same corner. Would you believe it? He could have had a hat trick already with the game less than half an hour old.
At this time Steaua got into the game for a little while but didn`t really threaten the dominance of City. For their part the Blues stuck at it with crisp passing and movement that had the opposition mesmerised and some neat footwork between De Bruyne and Silva saw Sterling set up Aguero in the inside left position. This time the Mighty Atom made no mistake as he slid the ball past Nita and just inside the post.
Half time saw City in at 2-0, disappointed is wasn`t 6-0.
As the second half began, it wasn`t long before City were in the juggernaut mood that saw them start last season at breakneck speed. On the edge of the Steaua box, City`s football was simply breath taking and within 5 minutes of the restart Nolito put City 3-0 up after a move which involved most of the team with the Spaniard springing the offside trap by millimetres and easily steering the ball home.
The rest of the night belonged to Aguero. Having missed 2 penalties and had another brace of goalbound shots saved by Nita, most forwards would have let their heads drop, but after 78 minutes City created and scored a goal with football from another planet. Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne and Nolito were all involved somewhere along the line before an exquisite outside of the foot slide-rule pass saw Sergio beat the ragged back line to slide in number 4, beating Nita with ease.
More shots and attempts were to follow as the game drew to a close, but in the last minute and with the TV commentators laying bets, another excellent move involving the lively Nolito saw Aguero strike the ball wide of Nita and in off the post.
So the away leg left City with a seemingly unassailable 5 away goals and I don`t think even the cynic in the Pedmachine can foresee a "typical City" performance in the return leg. One would indeed hope that the return leg will become a new style of "typical City" where City play a brand of football similar to tonight and which will become typical of City under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola.
We can`t get carried away. Stoke City away on Saturday will provide Guardiola`s men with a much sterner test than this as will almost any other fixture in this season`s Champions League, but to win 5-0 away anywhere is no mean feat, let alone on a trip to Romania.
City did collect two yellow cards, Zabaleta after 4 minutes and Kolarov early in the second half, but other than that this was a masterclass of a performance by the Blues. This is an all-action eleven at the Etihad. Everyone presses and everyone defends. The ball moves very, very quickly and it becomes difficult for the opposition to get anything going.
The match was effectively controlled by Nolito and Sterling. Silva and De Bruyne also contributed as did the effervescent Fernandinho. The back line after the first 90 seconds looked in no trouble. Otamendi, too, looks as though he has had the benefit of coaching which I`m sure he didn`t last term. Aguero could have scored eight and already be on the way to be the competition`s top scorer.
The TV pundits were drooling over City and laughing at Steaua. Joe Hart once again looked dumbstruck on the bench.
We can certainly see things happening on the field. Some of the tactics looked similar to last Saturday but there was something new up the Guardiola sleeve. Nolito looked a bit under the weather in the Premier League, but in this match he was simply class.
As Steaua posed no real threat to City it was difficult to comment on the Stones/Otamendi axis, but the former Evertonian looks to have the class at this level and the Argentino didn`t look as raw as he did at times last season. A positive sign I suspect.
This result gives Pep the luxury of giving some of his top starts a night off when the Romanians roll up at the Campus next week, but if I was Aguero I`d want to play to get my goal tally ticking. I wouldn`t be surprised to see game time for Navas and Iheanacho at home next week and, if he`s still with us even Joe Hart. His career has certainly nose-dived this season so far, unless it is a ploy by Guardiola to shake him up a bit. It worked for Pellegrini in 2014.
Even dear Susan was impressed and couldn`t work out why I was disappointed with a 5-0 away win. In the immortal words of the song..it should`ve been ten.
No doubt we will now be turning our attention to who we can get drawn against in the league stages. I would like to see this tie put to bed without conceding a goal. With Stoke and West Ham either side maybe keeping the team together and getting live match practice with the new tactics would be a good idea. Guardiola will have his own ideas. This man does not stand on ceremony, he wants to be on the right side of the ceremony, one that involves trophies being hoisted high by men in sky blue.
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=569982#ixzz4HZuyGmgw
