The way City’s season is unraveling makes you realize how remarkable Wengers invincibles were. Remember at the beginning of the season when most people thought that this expensively assembled team could go the season unbeaten. The wins away to Tottenham and especially united were really impressive but the unfortunate thing about a season is there is a fine balance and most teams are an injury or suspension away from total collapse.
Look at how united destroyed Tottenham and Arsenal at the beginning of the season and how much of a shambles they look now.
Firstly City need to stop obsessoing over officialdom. Thats exactly what Fergie and Harry would like to see and it takes their players eye of the ball. What happened to Kompany and Johnson may not have had any much bearing on both results and its important to move on.This is the time when someone like Viera needs to take the players to one side and make them realize what they can achieve without obsessing over injustices.Viera has been in the same situation in the past and it can end badly if not well managed.
Below is City’s fixture list till the end of the season and I must say each time I look at it they appear to be in the driving seat. Yes we have had situations were we have assessed fixture lists in the past like Arsenal last season but if you give City the bare minimum and consider the quality of the United team chasing then its easy to see where Im going.
Wigan v Man City
Man City v Tottenham,
Everton v Man City,
Man City v Fulham,
Aston Villa v Man City,
Man City v Blackburn,
Man City v Bolton,
Swansea v Man City,
Man City v Chelsea,
Stoke v Man City,
Man City v Sunderland,
Arsenal v Man City,
Man City v West Brom,
Norwich v Man City,
Wolverhampton v Man City,
Man City v Man Utd,
Newcastle v Man City,
Man City v QPR,
Im still yet to be convinced this City side can break down the smaller sides who are set up defensively like West Brom and Fulham.They have done it well at home, in fact their 100% record at home is the main reason why they are still in this race, just like United last season but they still haven’t quite acquired the art required to break down the Evertons and Fulhams away from home.Its an art that seperates teams like Liverpool from united and something Spurs seem to be capable of doing now.
Going back to the fixture list, Wigan will bring a smile to Mancini because he knows they will at least play open football much like all the other bigger sides who have lost at home to City this season.
Im not confident City will get all 3 points from their game against Everton but the week before I expect united to drop points at the Emirates. After that you have what look like 3 easy home games in-between an away trip to a dreadful Aston Villa before another tough away game to Swansea.
The funny thing is this supposed dip in form could make some of the smaller teams fancy themselves and actually play open football this giving the team a chance to win some difficult away games.When you break it down you have only lost to an offside goal against Sunderland, were dreadful against Liverpool but still won, were dreadful against united and deseverdly lost and were dreadful against an equally dreadful Liverpool and lost last night to a penalty.This is not like losing to blackburn as united and Arsenal have this season.
With Yaya and Kompany coming back for some of the games in February I expect City to finish strongly and should be able to last the distance
Time For some Cool Heads
posted on 12/1/12
I hope you're right!
For me, this is just a wobble. We've come up against a formation of late which is designed to keep us out and we've not found a way to break it down yet. And until we do, we're going to find ourselves up against it a lot more often.
One of the reasons our goal scoring rate is so high is because we create lots of chances, thus increasing the odds of scoring a few. When a team reduces our chances, so do our goals. This is purely down to a lack of clinical finishing, something I've been rueing in our team for a long time now.
On the plus side, the last two games aren't affecting our league position. We need to get back to winning ways and hopefully a trip to Wigan and their apparent inability to win at home might be just the antidote for us.
Not taking anything for granted at the moment, plus I noticed a second challenger creeping up on us... welcome to the party!
posted on 12/1/12
22nd Jan is gonna be a deciding game of the season in some respects for both Man City and Spurs... Win for eith could leave the losing side with a sense of impending doom and ruin the rest of the season.