Johnny Baguette
Alert Team
It has been one more of those unbelievable weeks in the life of Manchester City. Having pretty much destroyed their fiercest rivals at Sold Trafford last weekend, then taken a quality German outfit apart in midweek, it was back to the business of the Barclays Premier League this weekend.
No doubt we enjoyed our brethren from the opposite end of the East Lancs Road demolishing those who are supposed to be contenders for the title in the shape of Chelsea. Liverpool in effect threw down the gauntlet. Had it not been for their indiscretions against Burnley, they, like City would be sitting unbeaten at the top of the perch as we speak. Although Sue spent much of the second half hiding from the TV, she let out her usual screech, banshee style when the final whistle went.
This set up our match against Bournemouth nicely. In the knowledge that Chelsea still look a shadow of Carlo Ancelotti`s side and are well capable of dropping points, the bright sunshine which adorned Joe Mercer way as we approached the Etihad, created an aura around the stadium. An aura telling us we are witnessing a new dawn and not the false ones of the past.
Guardiola has made his statements already in terms of how his team is going to play with a plethora of unsuitables fired out on loan. He is also not afraid to take the hard decisions "in-flight" so to speak.
Bravo continues in goal but today Sagna, Otamendi, Kolarov and Clichy were to form the guard with Stones consigned to the bench. Fernandhino sitting in front of them and behind Nolito, Sterling, De Bruyne and Gundogan. Iheanacho replaced the suspended Aguero.
Twelve months ago, the thought of the spine of the team missing at the same time in a match would have signalled a recipe for disaster, no matter who the opposition was. Think about it. Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Aguero. All absent. It would certainly have had our heads falling into our hands.
Not any more, dear reader. Instead of the likes of Rodwell, Sinclair and to an extent Delph and the like, up steps Nolito, Gundogan, Iheanacho and perhaps incredibly Kolarov. Where has he been for the last 5 years? It looks like we`ve got ourselves a new £30m defender "under-the-radar".
Bournemouth, bless them, came to load the midfield but also to give it a go. They included their on-loan signing Wilshere from Arsenal. A Gooner without portfolio, once on City`s radar then back on Arsenal`s sick bed. There is an honesty about Eddie Howe, their manager. He has a way he likes his teams to play but is realistic enough to know that at times damage limitation is the best tactic.
This was what he was faced with yesterday as City, rapidly buying into Guardiola`s ways look like a dream team, while just outside the city, Maureen looks to be driving another dressing room to the dogs.
This was going to be one of those games. Bournemouth would be brave as long as the scored remained 0-0, but once the goals started, a deluge was inevitable.
After the torrents of Tuesday another flood of goals awaited us at the Etihad and it was barely a quarter of an hour gone when Sterling drew a foul out of Wilshere on the very edge of the box by the inside left corner. Up stepped probably the league`s best player so far this season in the shape of De Bruyne. As the defensive wall jumped, he coolly slipped the ball along the ground and into the bottom corner, perplexing Boruc in the Cherries goal.
This set the stage for what should have been an annihilating of the south coasters and it was somewhat to their credit and also down to some profligation from City, that the scored was kept to "only 4-0".
Such is the newly-discovered quality of this football team that it is almost impossible to describe the open play goals. What you see is a mesmerising blue and white blur, sometime running the full length of the field which concludes with the ball in the visitors` net. This football is the deepest of joys to watch. This football is being played out by Manchester….City. A Manchester City without Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Aguero.
After 24 minutes you saw the goal of forever when a headed clearance found its way to Iheanacho and on to Nolito raiding down the right. Inside to De Bruyne, outside to Sterling, slid aside back to Iheanacho who promptly doubled City`s lead. The word breath-taking doesn`t get close here. This was total football, total quality.
De Bruyne was at the heart of everything City were at, driving the attack forward at will and from whatever angle he found himself in. He eased Nolito and Sterling into play as well as finding chances for himself. The half finished at 2-0 with Bournemouth players like Ibe already puffing and panting and Wilshere already gunned down.
On the subject of guns, the new boy Gundogan must`ve been like a smoking gun waiting for this one. Where did we get him from for less than a quarter of what the Stretfords coughed for Pogba? As you know I at times like to give players nicknames and Ilkay must become "the ghost" because believe me this man appears from nowhere to add an extra man in the box when the opposition defenders think they`ve got everything covered. And he was to do this today.
But first, the second half was barely seconds old when another full length sweeping move from defence involving Clichy, the inevitable De Bruyne and Iheancho saw the Nigerian youngster return the compliment to Sterling who poked it across the line from close range.
The chances came and went to more or less the whole team as City steam-rollered ahead playing football from a different world at a pace unmatched in the Barclays Premier League. What will happen if all they shoot turns to goals one day?
After the hour another piece of pure magic from Sterling where he turned five defenders inside out in the Bournemouth box before squeezing the ball between Boruc`s legs but sadly against the upright. He really deserved a goal for this movement alone on a day when he was simply brilliant, simply the potential thought they had bought ahead of least season. Pace and balance are becoming more evident each week. Once Raheem adds precision, I`m sure the Bank of Spain`s noses will pop up above the horizon.
And so to "the ghost". On 65 minutes, once again De Bruyne was in the thick of it in midfield, sharing passes with Nolito before slipping it aside to Gundogan seemingly beamed in by Scotty, materialising on the edge of the box to drive home City`s fourth goal, Iheanacho intelligently removing the cover to another part of the penalty area.
Around this time there was an unnecessary clash involving Nolito who moved his head into that of Smith. It was spotted by Jonathan Moss, for once not refereeing like Jonathan Ross and out came a red card, leaving City with 10 men to finish proceedings. Why did he get invovled? There was no need, but he will now suffer the same fate as Aguero and in this set up you can lose your place in the blink of an eye.
Even with ten men City we virtually unplayable even though Bournemouth did manage to hit the crossbar on one occasion. The chances that fell City`s way are too many to be able to describe them individually but De Bruyne was involved in everything and although there was also a top class performance by Sterling, the Belgian edged Man of the Match.
The football we are witnessing at the campus so far is beyond superlatives. Last season we saw a similar start but when half the team returned crocked from an international break it started to fall apart. This time around those that step into the injured shoes are pretty well just as good. There is no visible weakening of the team. Those purchased have done what they were intended to do. Improve things. Those that are left, just look at them. Kolarov looks like a new £30m player. Not only has Guardiola re-invented him but he has invented some new tactics that clearly involve the cultured left foot that has been invisible in the Kolarov one week, Clichy the next syndrome adopted by previous managers. Not only can City now play all over the field but they can go direct if it works and Kolarov is the catalyst of this with pinpoint long balls to the feet of key players ahead. Not a hit and hope in the style of what goes down in Stretford, but pure football.
Fernandinho is playing like a man possessed his mission to clearly remaining in the thought of his manager. He now has a defined duty and responsibility and is showing he`s read the book. Everyone is playing their part, looking leaner and meaner and totally focused.Also, today Kompany was on the bench but didn't get an outing. Will he be able to cope with the pace of things to come?
Guardiola tells us we will lose some matches some time. We can`t see a sign of it yet but the fixture log will take its toll at some point. But he has at his disposal enough resources to keep things fresh and enough ideas to be constantly bamboozling his fellow managers. Only Klopp looks capable of any kind of emulation, but City at this point have the edge in the quality of their players. It will be an interesting New Year`s Eve. Even Sue agrees with this but she is expecting better things from Liverpool who could easily become the most serious of contenders in the absence of midweek away days.
Two visits to Wales are on the horizon this week and I expect to see some changes for the EFL Cup match in midweek, but come Saturday it will be business as usual against a team in Swansea capable of giving anyone a fright in their camp.
Will we be able to find any more adjectives to describe what we are seeing? Read the nest Ped Report to find out.
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=571399#ixzz4Kg8uUPw1
No doubt we enjoyed our brethren from the opposite end of the East Lancs Road demolishing those who are supposed to be contenders for the title in the shape of Chelsea. Liverpool in effect threw down the gauntlet. Had it not been for their indiscretions against Burnley, they, like City would be sitting unbeaten at the top of the perch as we speak. Although Sue spent much of the second half hiding from the TV, she let out her usual screech, banshee style when the final whistle went.
This set up our match against Bournemouth nicely. In the knowledge that Chelsea still look a shadow of Carlo Ancelotti`s side and are well capable of dropping points, the bright sunshine which adorned Joe Mercer way as we approached the Etihad, created an aura around the stadium. An aura telling us we are witnessing a new dawn and not the false ones of the past.
Guardiola has made his statements already in terms of how his team is going to play with a plethora of unsuitables fired out on loan. He is also not afraid to take the hard decisions "in-flight" so to speak.
Bravo continues in goal but today Sagna, Otamendi, Kolarov and Clichy were to form the guard with Stones consigned to the bench. Fernandhino sitting in front of them and behind Nolito, Sterling, De Bruyne and Gundogan. Iheanacho replaced the suspended Aguero.
Twelve months ago, the thought of the spine of the team missing at the same time in a match would have signalled a recipe for disaster, no matter who the opposition was. Think about it. Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Aguero. All absent. It would certainly have had our heads falling into our hands.
Not any more, dear reader. Instead of the likes of Rodwell, Sinclair and to an extent Delph and the like, up steps Nolito, Gundogan, Iheanacho and perhaps incredibly Kolarov. Where has he been for the last 5 years? It looks like we`ve got ourselves a new £30m defender "under-the-radar".
Bournemouth, bless them, came to load the midfield but also to give it a go. They included their on-loan signing Wilshere from Arsenal. A Gooner without portfolio, once on City`s radar then back on Arsenal`s sick bed. There is an honesty about Eddie Howe, their manager. He has a way he likes his teams to play but is realistic enough to know that at times damage limitation is the best tactic.
This was what he was faced with yesterday as City, rapidly buying into Guardiola`s ways look like a dream team, while just outside the city, Maureen looks to be driving another dressing room to the dogs.
This was going to be one of those games. Bournemouth would be brave as long as the scored remained 0-0, but once the goals started, a deluge was inevitable.
After the torrents of Tuesday another flood of goals awaited us at the Etihad and it was barely a quarter of an hour gone when Sterling drew a foul out of Wilshere on the very edge of the box by the inside left corner. Up stepped probably the league`s best player so far this season in the shape of De Bruyne. As the defensive wall jumped, he coolly slipped the ball along the ground and into the bottom corner, perplexing Boruc in the Cherries goal.
This set the stage for what should have been an annihilating of the south coasters and it was somewhat to their credit and also down to some profligation from City, that the scored was kept to "only 4-0".
Such is the newly-discovered quality of this football team that it is almost impossible to describe the open play goals. What you see is a mesmerising blue and white blur, sometime running the full length of the field which concludes with the ball in the visitors` net. This football is the deepest of joys to watch. This football is being played out by Manchester….City. A Manchester City without Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Aguero.
After 24 minutes you saw the goal of forever when a headed clearance found its way to Iheanacho and on to Nolito raiding down the right. Inside to De Bruyne, outside to Sterling, slid aside back to Iheanacho who promptly doubled City`s lead. The word breath-taking doesn`t get close here. This was total football, total quality.
De Bruyne was at the heart of everything City were at, driving the attack forward at will and from whatever angle he found himself in. He eased Nolito and Sterling into play as well as finding chances for himself. The half finished at 2-0 with Bournemouth players like Ibe already puffing and panting and Wilshere already gunned down.
On the subject of guns, the new boy Gundogan must`ve been like a smoking gun waiting for this one. Where did we get him from for less than a quarter of what the Stretfords coughed for Pogba? As you know I at times like to give players nicknames and Ilkay must become "the ghost" because believe me this man appears from nowhere to add an extra man in the box when the opposition defenders think they`ve got everything covered. And he was to do this today.
But first, the second half was barely seconds old when another full length sweeping move from defence involving Clichy, the inevitable De Bruyne and Iheancho saw the Nigerian youngster return the compliment to Sterling who poked it across the line from close range.
The chances came and went to more or less the whole team as City steam-rollered ahead playing football from a different world at a pace unmatched in the Barclays Premier League. What will happen if all they shoot turns to goals one day?
After the hour another piece of pure magic from Sterling where he turned five defenders inside out in the Bournemouth box before squeezing the ball between Boruc`s legs but sadly against the upright. He really deserved a goal for this movement alone on a day when he was simply brilliant, simply the potential thought they had bought ahead of least season. Pace and balance are becoming more evident each week. Once Raheem adds precision, I`m sure the Bank of Spain`s noses will pop up above the horizon.
And so to "the ghost". On 65 minutes, once again De Bruyne was in the thick of it in midfield, sharing passes with Nolito before slipping it aside to Gundogan seemingly beamed in by Scotty, materialising on the edge of the box to drive home City`s fourth goal, Iheanacho intelligently removing the cover to another part of the penalty area.
Around this time there was an unnecessary clash involving Nolito who moved his head into that of Smith. It was spotted by Jonathan Moss, for once not refereeing like Jonathan Ross and out came a red card, leaving City with 10 men to finish proceedings. Why did he get invovled? There was no need, but he will now suffer the same fate as Aguero and in this set up you can lose your place in the blink of an eye.
Even with ten men City we virtually unplayable even though Bournemouth did manage to hit the crossbar on one occasion. The chances that fell City`s way are too many to be able to describe them individually but De Bruyne was involved in everything and although there was also a top class performance by Sterling, the Belgian edged Man of the Match.
The football we are witnessing at the campus so far is beyond superlatives. Last season we saw a similar start but when half the team returned crocked from an international break it started to fall apart. This time around those that step into the injured shoes are pretty well just as good. There is no visible weakening of the team. Those purchased have done what they were intended to do. Improve things. Those that are left, just look at them. Kolarov looks like a new £30m player. Not only has Guardiola re-invented him but he has invented some new tactics that clearly involve the cultured left foot that has been invisible in the Kolarov one week, Clichy the next syndrome adopted by previous managers. Not only can City now play all over the field but they can go direct if it works and Kolarov is the catalyst of this with pinpoint long balls to the feet of key players ahead. Not a hit and hope in the style of what goes down in Stretford, but pure football.
Fernandinho is playing like a man possessed his mission to clearly remaining in the thought of his manager. He now has a defined duty and responsibility and is showing he`s read the book. Everyone is playing their part, looking leaner and meaner and totally focused.Also, today Kompany was on the bench but didn't get an outing. Will he be able to cope with the pace of things to come?
Guardiola tells us we will lose some matches some time. We can`t see a sign of it yet but the fixture log will take its toll at some point. But he has at his disposal enough resources to keep things fresh and enough ideas to be constantly bamboozling his fellow managers. Only Klopp looks capable of any kind of emulation, but City at this point have the edge in the quality of their players. It will be an interesting New Year`s Eve. Even Sue agrees with this but she is expecting better things from Liverpool who could easily become the most serious of contenders in the absence of midweek away days.
Two visits to Wales are on the horizon this week and I expect to see some changes for the EFL Cup match in midweek, but come Saturday it will be business as usual against a team in Swansea capable of giving anyone a fright in their camp.
Will we be able to find any more adjectives to describe what we are seeing? Read the nest Ped Report to find out.
Read more: http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=571399#ixzz4Kg8uUPw1
