West Ham United 2 - Manchester City 2 Johnny On The Spot & Stats Link

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

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Johnny On The Spot:

#VITAL. Manchester City's unbeaten Premier League run has now stretched to 6 games since the Boxing Day reverse at Arsenal and Kun Aguero, featuring in 5 of those fixtures has scored 5 of City's 12 goals. Quite simply, where would we be without him, particularly in this most bizarre of seasons...I would be immensely surprised if any of City's brilliant travelling support viewed this result at the all new Land of The Giants as 2 points dropped. Despite carrying a surfeit of screeching turf plummeters and an increasingly Arsenalesque mardarsed crowd, West Ham are a big, well drilled, uncompromising and speedy side who haven't conceded more than 2 goals at home since August. Furthermore, the objective for City across an injury ravaged winter has always been to remain in contention at the top of the table and active in the domestic cups by the time we fly to Kiev. Certainly, our next league fixtures, Sunderland away then 2 big clashes at home to Leicester and Spurs give Manuel Pellegrini's men a big shout at remaining title contenders...But...once again The Blues flirted with disaster strategically, competitively and defensively tonight...There was little Joe Hart, who produced the save of the season at one stage could do about the type of wretched defensive lapses that have blighted our season since Vincent Kompany's knacking. I won't go into detail but the usual suspects were again at fault. That bemoaned, I thought it was in central midfield where The Engineer got it all wrong. Little or no protection was afforded to our back line all game resulting in a familiar pattern of soft or take one for the team free kicks conceded outside the area when somebody finally decides to stick a boot in. We have to start getting sharper to second balls and winning tackles in the middle of the park. Cut these runs at our rearguard off at source. Dispense with this high risk policy of inviting the opposition on to us...up front Kun is again on fire, but if we are fielding wingers then hit the flanks more often. Cutting inside has become way too predictable, Messrs Navas and Sterling...I will wind up by maintaining that I don't think we are playing too our myriad strengths and that the instant we do, we will batter this league as we should be. The squad have worked hard to get to where they are across the campaigns right now. Get back to what they do best and that effort will be richly rewarded.

Stats Courtesy BBC Sport

http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/stats.asp?a=561346
 
I have already broached this on the MDT, but i am at fault in having a go at Yaya and perhaps indirectly it is not his fault.

There are similarities at Watford and at West Spam, we won it at Watford and nearly did the same today, when in both games we struggled.

The introduction of that second striker I noticed, was that in both games it created space for the strikers and midfield and we looked the side that would win the title.

I hope MP plays 4-4-2 against Everton this week, we score goals in this formation and today when reverting to that with Fernando playing the defensive role allowing Yaya more room to create and Sergio with the tricky Kelechi Iheanacho also benefitting and although hindsight is a wonderful thing, I think we may have go on and won this had Pellers changed it at HT.

My apologises to Yaya, who looked more himself with 10 mins to go. Yes we may concede but we do score goals.
 
The defence may have been comatose for the 2nd but you must admit it was quick thinking by the Spam players.

The first goal was just as same catching us all asleep and not expecting a west Spam team to get the act in gear that fast.
 
Great summing up JB :clap:

West Ham are no mugs, they have some quality players in their side & they play with energy, pace and discipline. They dominated the centre of the park, swarming Aguero and stifling Silva and Toure - first to nearly every loose ball we struggled to get a grip. In the end the change to 4-4-2 worked Iheanacho's introduction freed up more space for Sergio.

The game was immediately up by the two chances in injury time - nearly won it, nearly lost it.

Grinds my gears though to listen to the pundits on the one hand praising West Ham (deservedly) but almost in the same breath then making out as if they are 'plucky underdogs flirting with relegation' instead of a hard working team with a great home record who are challenging for the European places.....

.....and hearing the Sky host introduce Pellegrini by referring to this as two points dropped (err, weren't West Ham leading twice? Didn't they drop two points?) and it how it could be Pellegrini's last season in charge.

When we won the league in 2012 we came back from 1-3 down against Sunderland to secure a 3-3 draw. That wasn't two points dropped - that point was critical in the final analysis and just as important as the three we achieved in defeating QPR
 
Have a look anyone who taped the game on about 83rd min when Brian Kidd crosses himself and prays for deliverance, which was promptly answered when Sergio equalised.

But I agree Skoorb like most sides who play above themselves when they play us. What we have to do is do the same, but freeing up space in the front and midfield was a key factor.
 
I agree - I have some reservations whether going 4-4-2 from the start is the answer but certainly making that positive, proactive change is critical and getting the timing right even more so. I was amazed at the amount of space Kelachi found but he was fresh and West Ham were tiring so that may have been a key factor.

They caught us cold at the start - no excuse for that nor was there for the switched off defending for the second.
 
Spam were shutting up shop and parking the bus but we created more chances in those minutes when Kelechi was introduced. Yes he was fresh but the sudden immergence of Yaya was because Pellers moved him up front and he had space and looked like our Yaya that we know and love, no longer having to chase back with that duty going to F6 and we looked better.

spam also introduced fresh legs but we were going to win it if we had another 10 - 15 minutes.

Yes Spam also had chances but I would back our lads to out do theirs in these circus, but time ran out.
 
My initial thought on the second West Ham goal was that Otamendi thought for a split second Hart was going to make the ball his, and that fatal misjudgment cost us.

It still doesn't excuse his poor defending, the ball should've been put out for a corner at the very least.
 
He will. Poor for a central defender. Lost track completely of Valencia and committed the cardinal sin of defending - never let the striker see the number on your back.
 
Otamendi poor for both goals, on the first he's in no man's land, he seems to step up to mark Valencia who Delph is tracking, when Kouyate breezes by Yaya then Delph tries to cover for Ota who himself decides to make up for being hopelessly out of position thus leaving Valencia completely free in the centre of our defence, ridiculous decision making from Otamendi.

He's caught napping on the second, maybe Hart could/should come out to try win it but that doesn't excuse Otamendi's lack of focus, again.

Heartbreaking seeing Silva so anonymous in a game, when Kelechi came on he showed exactly how it should be done, drop into space between the lines to give the midfield someone to pass to and turn quickly towards the opposition goal, their defence shit themselves when he got on the ball. I can't figure out whether it's a case of Silva not having it in him to find them pockets of space anymore or whether it's the opposition doing such a good job marking him out of games
 
My gut reaction about Silva is that the opposition are aware of what a danger he is and swarmed him whenever he was central. I was astonished at the amount of space Kelachi found - in part I think this was the time he was introduced (tired legs, lost concentration by WHU) but also perhaps it may be that he is relatively unknown & opponents didn't know what to expect. Great awareness from tithe young man to be aware and exploit the space. I can see why he is thought so highly of :hat off:
 
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