City vs Spurs thoughts

Sorry these are so late. I do, in fact, have commitments beyond maintaining this blog.

• What a fucking awful day. We've seen this season that when big teams come to CoMS, we roll over. And it's long established that when we travel to teams beneath us in the league, they outmuscle us and we roll over. And of course I don't expect us to get anything when we go away to the top teams. But this was a home game against a team beneath us in the league! Aren't these the ones that we're meant to be able to win?

• We started ok, but after the red card to Gelson, offered almost nothing. There were times when Ireland or SWP would break through on goal, but in terms of concerted attacks there was little there. Not a huge surprise, given the Benjani-Hamann-Ireland-SWP midfield we played with for most of the game.
  

• For some time we thought the defensive problem was Garrido. Buy Bridge and we'd be fine. But Garrido had probably his two best ever games for City last games, and we conceded twice both times. It's time for us to face up to the fact that the problem is the Dunne/Richards axis in the middle. Strong last year (although nowhere near the much-missed Distin/Dunne), they have seriously regressed this season. Even when Micah and Dunney both have good games (and when did that last happen?), they look like they've never played together before. There are certain problems (injuries, one good holding player, no good left backs) than cannot be pinned on Hughes/Bowen. This, however, is not one of them.

• Our next games are Hull away (too combative), Arsenal home (too skillful), Schalke away (too far away) and then United at home (much too good). We might have to wait till December: PSG home on the 3rd, Fulham away on the 6th, to get some more wins on the board. But to be honest I'm not hoping for too much in terms of results until the massive January clearout (more on this soon, I hope).