Tudor
Vital Football Legend
The City roadshow returned home for the first match of the year and with all of his most important players available except Gundogan and Kompany, Guardiola had the opportunity of fielding a best eleven some would say well capable of accepting the challenge in hand against a Burnley team that enjoys its soujourns to the Etihad.
Just what Guardiola decided to save Aguero, Silva and Stones for at this time of the year was once again one of life`s mysteries. Maybe it is his acceptance that City are no longer in the title race, do not have a squad good enough to seriously affect the Champions League and now the FA Cup, in effect where it all began for City now becomes his only realistic chance of silverware this season.
But change for change sake it was. This time Stones was relegated to the bench in favour of love child, Kolarov and as predicted by the Pedmachine, it was all change on the corners with Sagna replacing Zaba and Clichy in the position vacated by Kolarov, who was today named alongside Otamendi in the centres.
Ahead of them and Bravo were Yaya and Fernandinho, behind Sterling, Navas and De Bruyne, leaving Iheanacho to play as the sole striker.
This was indeed an odd looking line-up when really Guardiola should have been parading his best players to try to get some momentum going in a season that promised so much but looks likely to deliver nothing.
The first half got under way with City playing their expected but now laborious football where they tried to retain possession without actually achieving much. And as has become usual there was little in terms of goal threat from the Blues in the first half although the brilliant Burnley net minder, Heaton made excellent saves to thwart Sterling and Iheanacho. Yaya als got in on the act, but his curling shot was seen late and saved well by Heaton.
The came the main talking point of the first half when ten yards into the Burnley half, Fernandinho for some reason recklessly went in scissor-style against Gudmundssen and found himself a victim of a red card for the third time in seven matches. In fairness he did make contact with the ball but the referee saw it differently and flirted him.
This really dropped City in the doodoo. It was a match they needed to win with some desperation and Guardiola`s gamble with the line-up now looked one that Ray Winstone might not describe as responsible.
On the plus side though, it threw Burnley game plan a little. They were obviously drilled to seek and destroy and look to hurt City by breaking directly in the direction of their frontmen, but for a while today this played into the hands of Otamendi and Kolarov who dealt with the aerial threat better than they did against Liverpool a couple of days ago.
However the Blues got to half time still at 0-0, but it was clear that Yaya apart, things weren`t cooking in the City kitchen and changes were necessary. Iheanacho who once again hadn`t taken full advantage of his starting berth, was replaced by Aguero and Navas, who once again huffed and puffed but did more or less nothing was benched to facilitate the introduction of Silva.
Could they change City`s fortunes? Stranger things have happened. Despite being reduced to ten men by a referee, Lee Mason, whose overall performance today was down there with Timperley Taylor and the likes of Pawson, City decided to stop feeling sorry for themselves and get stuck in.
De Bruyne who in the first half and been noticeable by his absence started to do more, surging into the Burnley half of the field and actually passing to City players. After an interchange of passes with Sagna, his shot was blocked. The ball rebounded to Sagna who long cross didn`t find Dzeko because he no longer plays for City, but when Keane headed it out it fell to Clichy whose first half performance had been shocking. Clichy side-stepped a defender and he drilled a low right-footed shot along the floor, through the sets of legs and into the far corner of the net.
The relief flooding around the stadium was palpable.
Then as often hasn`t happened this season a second goal arrived in quick succession. One just before the hour, one just after. Again De Bruyne set things in motion splitting the Burnley midfield and sending Sterling into the Burnley box. With Heaton advancing Sterling stubbed his toe in the style of Sammy McIlroy before going to ground, but the ball squirted out to Aguero at an impossible angle. There are times when the brilliance of Aguero turns the impossible into the possible and this was one. With the inside of his right foot he somehow hit the inside of the right post when Keane might have thought he had that option covered. A perplexed Lowton was actually stood the wrong side of the line before the ball struck him and hit the back of the net.
It was time now for ten man City to close out the game. Burnley hadn`t looked particularly dangerous despite a good run of results over the holiday period but with Coc between the pipes you feel you always have a chance and about ten minutes later an unnecessary foul by Sterling set up a keystone cops moment in the City area.
The free kick was headed behind by Otamendi. From the resultant corner, the Clown waved and flapped as if he`s seen a mountain lion as the header was cleared off the line by Sagna. It rebounded to ex-City man Mee whose shot hit the underside of the bar, fell in behind the line before bouncing out to Bravo who was bundled off the ball. The referee`s red watch said "goal" and the arrears were reduced to 2-1. There were protests that the ball had been headed out of Bravo`s hands by Vokes but the ball has already crossed the line.
So this was to set up an awkward finish for City as Burnley pumped the ball high and long to try to get Vokes in on some sort of act. This prompted Guardiola to remove Sterling in favour of Stones. In reality only Keane got a chance as he dragged the ball towards to the goal into the ground. It bounced upwards and was going in but just as the City hearts were sinking into their mouths, Bravo performed a miracle of almost biblical proportions - he saved something.
This at least enable City to stumble across the finishing line with a 2-1 win which ahead of half time looked a bit unlikely.
The match brought once more into the focus the role of the referee. While I have no doubt he got the two key decisions correct, he seemed to apply a different set of laws to the opposition, especially when one of the chopped down Sagna and De Bruyne had to ask him about a form of admonishment. Burnley got away with just about everything whereas City were punished.
We can`t escape from the fact that City are still misfiring on practically all cylinders and really need some sort of spark to reignite their season. It is not being provided by the big-hitters and big-pay-packet collectors, with the exception once again of Yaya Toure, once again the best and most consistent footballer on view in a City shirt.
I`m fed up going on about the constant changes in defence and the unrest it causes. Since Maureen has been able to field the same back four the Stretfords have been on a charge which now sees them breathing down the necks of City and Arsenal whereas they looked dead ducks a month ago.
However they have been ably assisted by those attired in a referee`s uniform. It is well documented that the two assassination attempts by Rojo have been treated differently by different refs and even yesterday as Feghouli was sent off, the super-hero Jones was allowed to stay on. Add to that two high profile offside goals in recent matches one could be forgiven for thinking that there is the Official Referee`s Chart and Laws of the Game of Association Football, then there is the Stretford version where the laws as laid down by the international board seem to be lost in translation.
We have to hope that Liverpool finally beat the Stretfords, although like Spuds, they all too often fail to produce the goods in that match. Dear Susan was singularly unimpressed that Liverpool twice squandered the lead against Moyesouts boys in Sunderland yesterday. And as for Spuds, they are the next visitors to the Etihad and City are in need of a victory against a side that seems to have recovered from its blip and look a threat once again.
http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=576176
Just what Guardiola decided to save Aguero, Silva and Stones for at this time of the year was once again one of life`s mysteries. Maybe it is his acceptance that City are no longer in the title race, do not have a squad good enough to seriously affect the Champions League and now the FA Cup, in effect where it all began for City now becomes his only realistic chance of silverware this season.
But change for change sake it was. This time Stones was relegated to the bench in favour of love child, Kolarov and as predicted by the Pedmachine, it was all change on the corners with Sagna replacing Zaba and Clichy in the position vacated by Kolarov, who was today named alongside Otamendi in the centres.
Ahead of them and Bravo were Yaya and Fernandinho, behind Sterling, Navas and De Bruyne, leaving Iheanacho to play as the sole striker.
This was indeed an odd looking line-up when really Guardiola should have been parading his best players to try to get some momentum going in a season that promised so much but looks likely to deliver nothing.
The first half got under way with City playing their expected but now laborious football where they tried to retain possession without actually achieving much. And as has become usual there was little in terms of goal threat from the Blues in the first half although the brilliant Burnley net minder, Heaton made excellent saves to thwart Sterling and Iheanacho. Yaya als got in on the act, but his curling shot was seen late and saved well by Heaton.
The came the main talking point of the first half when ten yards into the Burnley half, Fernandinho for some reason recklessly went in scissor-style against Gudmundssen and found himself a victim of a red card for the third time in seven matches. In fairness he did make contact with the ball but the referee saw it differently and flirted him.
This really dropped City in the doodoo. It was a match they needed to win with some desperation and Guardiola`s gamble with the line-up now looked one that Ray Winstone might not describe as responsible.
On the plus side though, it threw Burnley game plan a little. They were obviously drilled to seek and destroy and look to hurt City by breaking directly in the direction of their frontmen, but for a while today this played into the hands of Otamendi and Kolarov who dealt with the aerial threat better than they did against Liverpool a couple of days ago.
However the Blues got to half time still at 0-0, but it was clear that Yaya apart, things weren`t cooking in the City kitchen and changes were necessary. Iheanacho who once again hadn`t taken full advantage of his starting berth, was replaced by Aguero and Navas, who once again huffed and puffed but did more or less nothing was benched to facilitate the introduction of Silva.
Could they change City`s fortunes? Stranger things have happened. Despite being reduced to ten men by a referee, Lee Mason, whose overall performance today was down there with Timperley Taylor and the likes of Pawson, City decided to stop feeling sorry for themselves and get stuck in.
De Bruyne who in the first half and been noticeable by his absence started to do more, surging into the Burnley half of the field and actually passing to City players. After an interchange of passes with Sagna, his shot was blocked. The ball rebounded to Sagna who long cross didn`t find Dzeko because he no longer plays for City, but when Keane headed it out it fell to Clichy whose first half performance had been shocking. Clichy side-stepped a defender and he drilled a low right-footed shot along the floor, through the sets of legs and into the far corner of the net.
The relief flooding around the stadium was palpable.
Then as often hasn`t happened this season a second goal arrived in quick succession. One just before the hour, one just after. Again De Bruyne set things in motion splitting the Burnley midfield and sending Sterling into the Burnley box. With Heaton advancing Sterling stubbed his toe in the style of Sammy McIlroy before going to ground, but the ball squirted out to Aguero at an impossible angle. There are times when the brilliance of Aguero turns the impossible into the possible and this was one. With the inside of his right foot he somehow hit the inside of the right post when Keane might have thought he had that option covered. A perplexed Lowton was actually stood the wrong side of the line before the ball struck him and hit the back of the net.
It was time now for ten man City to close out the game. Burnley hadn`t looked particularly dangerous despite a good run of results over the holiday period but with Coc between the pipes you feel you always have a chance and about ten minutes later an unnecessary foul by Sterling set up a keystone cops moment in the City area.
The free kick was headed behind by Otamendi. From the resultant corner, the Clown waved and flapped as if he`s seen a mountain lion as the header was cleared off the line by Sagna. It rebounded to ex-City man Mee whose shot hit the underside of the bar, fell in behind the line before bouncing out to Bravo who was bundled off the ball. The referee`s red watch said "goal" and the arrears were reduced to 2-1. There were protests that the ball had been headed out of Bravo`s hands by Vokes but the ball has already crossed the line.
So this was to set up an awkward finish for City as Burnley pumped the ball high and long to try to get Vokes in on some sort of act. This prompted Guardiola to remove Sterling in favour of Stones. In reality only Keane got a chance as he dragged the ball towards to the goal into the ground. It bounced upwards and was going in but just as the City hearts were sinking into their mouths, Bravo performed a miracle of almost biblical proportions - he saved something.
This at least enable City to stumble across the finishing line with a 2-1 win which ahead of half time looked a bit unlikely.
The match brought once more into the focus the role of the referee. While I have no doubt he got the two key decisions correct, he seemed to apply a different set of laws to the opposition, especially when one of the chopped down Sagna and De Bruyne had to ask him about a form of admonishment. Burnley got away with just about everything whereas City were punished.
We can`t escape from the fact that City are still misfiring on practically all cylinders and really need some sort of spark to reignite their season. It is not being provided by the big-hitters and big-pay-packet collectors, with the exception once again of Yaya Toure, once again the best and most consistent footballer on view in a City shirt.
I`m fed up going on about the constant changes in defence and the unrest it causes. Since Maureen has been able to field the same back four the Stretfords have been on a charge which now sees them breathing down the necks of City and Arsenal whereas they looked dead ducks a month ago.
However they have been ably assisted by those attired in a referee`s uniform. It is well documented that the two assassination attempts by Rojo have been treated differently by different refs and even yesterday as Feghouli was sent off, the super-hero Jones was allowed to stay on. Add to that two high profile offside goals in recent matches one could be forgiven for thinking that there is the Official Referee`s Chart and Laws of the Game of Association Football, then there is the Stretford version where the laws as laid down by the international board seem to be lost in translation.
We have to hope that Liverpool finally beat the Stretfords, although like Spuds, they all too often fail to produce the goods in that match. Dear Susan was singularly unimpressed that Liverpool twice squandered the lead against Moyesouts boys in Sunderland yesterday. And as for Spuds, they are the next visitors to the Etihad and City are in need of a victory against a side that seems to have recovered from its blip and look a threat once again.
http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=576176
