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Sunderland 1 - 1 City
- The question that we all keep asking ourselves is whether we have shaken off 'typical City.' Progress to the Carling Cup semis suggests we have, being the only side to fail to beat Burnley at home argues the other way. There could have been no better sign of its resilience than a defeat at Sunderland straight after a win at Stamford Bridge. And so as we drifted into stoppage time it looked worryingly familiar.
- But that's not how it finished. Adam Johnson is at the centre of the biggest debate about a goalscorer's intention since Ronaldinho's free kick in Shizuoka eight years ago. It was done with a surgeon's precision, and while he may have been looking for Joleon Lescott at the far post, Johnson does have some of Gaúcho's audacity. He gets the benefit of my doubt. And it makes a nice change to score rather than concede stoppage time goals. Johnson's was our most dramatic late equaliser since Robinho at Ewood Park the Christmas before last.
- And it had been coming: the second half was much better than the first. With a Hughes-style 4-4-2, Bellamy and SWP either side of Carlos Tévez and Roque Santa Cruz - the front four from Hughes' final game, Sunderland at home - we created enough chances to win. But Craig Gordon was looking like a £10m goalkeeper and our finishing wasn't exactly ruthless. So we needed Johnson's late heroics to rescue a point.
- Ultimately we couldn't do what we did at Stamford Bridge - turn a damp dismal first half into a dramatic second half comeback. And it is worrying how lifeless we look at times. But a point from behind on the road is never a bad thing. And fourth is still in our hands.
7 comments:
I had to watch the game starting 12pm Perth time in West Australia. After a 15 day wait, the brewed excitement within my bones couldnt be withheld. That was until, I watched Shaun Wright Phillips play quite possibly the worst performance in the last 2 years of ANYBODY in a city kit. (that included Javier Garrido's and Micah Richard's display against the cross town scum).
I have posted comments on here before and I'll save my typing, but SWP simply gives the ball away too much. Into defenders legs, out of bounds, falling for a missing free kick are the 3 ways his plays generally end up.
If he wants 100k a week, id sell him and use the proceeds to buy AJ a brand new ferrari and bump up his wages.
Zabaleta is also substandard for a top 4 team, and the continual usage of a 4-3-3 with 3 defensive uncreative players across the mid is signs of Mancini's tactics running out of luck.
Id love to see;
Given;
Bridge - Lescott - Kompany - Richards;
AJ - De Jong - Barry - Bellamy
Bellamy - Tevez
... and the trash sold, including Toure, SWP, Zabaleta, Adebayor (spineless wimp), and the other no namers too pathetic to mention which I will summarise as Garrido and Co.
Thats my take. I wont be getting up at 4 to watch any midweek fixtures this week.
If you give SWP any more than a 2 for a rating, Ill have to bump your site down to 5th in my Safari Browser's top sites screen.
Jarrad Liam, I know city are rich, but I don't think they have the funds to clone Craig Bellamy.
There's a lot of talk going on about how defensive our MF selection is.. which I agree with but I'm more worried about the tempo in MF. The passing was SO slow yesterday. We were getting completely out hassled by another mediocre team!
I think maybe we were playing slower to try and control the pace of the game but... it wasn't working.
Thank god for AJ!
Im flying from Australia for the Wigan game and then the Birmingham game. I have never seen city lose at home, I went to us go down at bolton away. If anything, Ill get us over the line.
SWP is living in a dream world if he thinks he's worth 100k/week. He is half the player he was before he went to Chelsea. Back then, every time he got the ball you felt as though something positive was going to happen -- and often it would. It's funny how Adam Johnson now creates that sense of anticipation. SWP needs to raise his game otherwise he'll be playing second fiddle to Johnson on a regular basis.
Bluemoon; your right, he must have a thumb injury from texting. Thats why he is off the boil.
I'm still seething over this game. such a bad attitude from some of our players. at least most of them improved as the game went on. I agree with Jarrad, SWP was genuinely shocking. I can accept poor form, but he was so feckless, not contributing anything, shrugging his shoulders when his team mates asked him where he was supposed to be, it made my blood boil.
Richards was scarcely any better. one or two good runs forward do not compensate for tracking back so lazily, so slowly. he was switched-off, complacent, downright stupid.
What is going on with them? I know they aren't the brightest tools in the box, but the stupidity on display, the inept decision making and careless attitude was incredible from highly paid international players in a team with a clear target in the league. You'd get dropped from a pub team for playing like that.
Luckily Tevez, Zab, Lescott, Kompany, De Jong, Given, Bellamy and Barry are all made of stronger stuff. if they played poorly, at least they stuck at it and concentrated. that's the stuff lads, don't let the others drag you down.
Next five games are crucial. A win and a draw from the next two will keep us on track, then we need seven points, preferably nine, from wigan (H), burnley (A, birmingham (H).
I want this fourth spot so badly. It's not a trophy. It's better than that, it's a promotion.
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