Of course, Given hasn't crossed the great Manchester divide in the same manner as Carlos Tevez. But if there is one performer amid the glittering array of talent at Mark Hughes's disposal who can claim that no manager in the Premier League would turn down his services, it is Given.It will come as no surprise that the Dubliner was equal to whatever Alex McLeish's side mustered at St Andrew's. But what did cause a few raised eyebrows was the sustained pressure exerted by a side that cost one twentieth of the funds lavished upon Hughes.
Oliver Kay, The Times
Depending on whether your cup is half-full or half-empty, Manchester City have lost only once in ten Premier League games this season or won only one of the past six. Both are true — and it is a run of form that, if Liverpool’s travails continue, will make Champions League qualification a realistic ambition for Hughes and his players — but it was a mark of soaring expectations that they left the Midlands disappointed last night, acknowledging that Birmingham City had been the better team and would have claimed the points had Given not saved a penalty from James McFadden early in the second half.
Stuart James, The Guardian
Unable to retain possession for any period because of Birmingham's high-tempo approach, the visitors never found any fluency and, at times, struggled to contain the threat of a side whose tally of eight goals from 11 matches makes them the Premier League's lowest scorers. A combination of the woodwork, Given's heroics and Birmingham's profligacy meant that City escaped with a point. The bigger picture, though, is that City have won one of their last six in the league.
Sam Wallace, The Independent
As for the rest of City's star cast, they will have to do better if they have pretensions of staying among the Champions League places come May. The list of teams with whom they have drawn their previous thre games – Aston Villa, Wigan and Fulham – do not constitute the most daunting opposition in the country. Without Emmanuel Adebayor, whose back injury kept him out the team, City looked flat and predictable in attack.
1 comment:
As disappointing as our performance was @Birmingham, we are still getting points away from home. Yes we are in a rut at the moment, and yes there are concerns that need to be addressed but as Kevin Ball from joysandsorrows blog has pointed out, there is a bedding in period for new players and we're able to grind out results even when we're not playing and I'm in agreement that bodes well indeed. There is immense talent in this team & its only a matter of time before City truly finds its rhythm. While we missed a chance to close the gap we are still in touching distance of Chelsea, United, and Arsenal, and have a game in hand. A few good home results, starting with a positive result against Burnley will help boost our confidence and belief. Its only matter of time before we put a good run together.
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