The current Premier League champions, Manchester City, are in the doldrums. Their league defence is going off without a fight. Today's date is Monday 13th April and they have no chance of retaining the title they won last season. They have won only four games from the turn of the year and fingers are being pointed all over the Etihad.
But who is to blame? Do you blame the players who are not fulfilling the expectations put upon them by winning two league titles in three years? Do you blame the scouting system for not buying quality players to sustain this period of dominance? Or do you blame a manager who refuses to change the system that he believes serves him well?
In fact it is all the above, but more than likely the one man most likely to be unemployed come the end of May will be Manuel Pellegrini. The man who won the title more so down to another manager's inexperience of winning a title. Whereas there is no challenge of Brendan Rogers this year, it should be said that Man City have not been a good team this year even before the woes started in January.
After winning the title you would expect the champions of England to attack the transfer market yet when the big names post-World Cup became available they were nowhere to be seen. Why did they not put in offers for Alexis Sanchez, James Rodriguez or even Enner Valencia, who went to West Ham. Instead they purchased Fernando, a like for like same figure to Fernandinho; Mangala the Central defender from France who they over paid for at £23m and Bacary Sagna, another purchase from a top four contender who has not fulfilled that expected from him.
For months last season, it was clear Vincent Kompany was struggling in the centre of defence and needed a mainstay next to him rather than the fallible Demechillis. They needed more goals than those provided by Sergio Aguero, as Dzeko and Jovetic came up short. Even the transfer window signing of Wilfred Bony smacked of desperation and one they could not utilise immediately and thus far he has only scored once since he first appeared in February, whereas he was prolific for Swansea.
Pellegrini has not been helped by his supposed spine figures Joe Hart apart. Kompany looks slower, Yaya Toure is not the force of nature he was in the last three months of the season last year and Aguero is injury prone. Too often Pellegrini fits his best team into a system that does not utilise them appropriately, too many fancy players indicative of the tika taka kind do not go well in the counter attacking culture of the Premier League. While teams like Arsenal show the way forward, Man City have been left standing still.
Even their neighbours, Man United, who were being laughed at in November have come good and in Louis Van Gaal they have a manager who is getting results out of players like Ashley Young and in Juan Mata a star thanks in part to the injury of Robin Van Persie. Yet LVG has adapted and found his best formation is 4-3-3 not the 3-5-2 he favoured and left him red faced against Leicester City. United will probably secure a Champions League place before their city rivals.
Even yesterday Pellegrini stars with a formation of 4-5-1 that suggested he went there with a team looking to not lose rather than get the win they required following Chelsea's victory an hour earlier and keep some pressure on them. Instead he maintained his dogmatic approach of not losing and got promptly punished by a confident United side, it was a formation and strategy that allowed United to dictate tempo and not trouble a United defence which is prone to error.
Manchester City have become very much the definition of their manager - dull, monotone and lacking in inspiration.
Showing posts with label Sergio Aguero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sergio Aguero. Show all posts
Monday, 13 April 2015
Monday, 26 September 2011
No Surprises for Man City
Following on from their first dropped points at Craven Cottage last week, when throwing away a 2-0 lead at Fulham last week, the first team needed to come back with a win as the minimum requirement at home to Everton.
The foibles of the Premier League and the power of television in terms of scheduling means it will be rare that both Manchester clubs play at the same time on the same day, save it when they play each other. So City this week got the benefit of going out there knowing that if they win they will be top for all of four hours. Luckily, their city rivals United lost their first points of the season at Stoke City in the evening game meaning that there is a tie at the top of the table after six games. City will feel a bit chirpier, United a little worried.
But should United feel bad about dropping points at Stoke City, a place that is becoming harder and harder to leave with a win. Liverpool lost there already and Chelsea were lucky to escape with all three points. Yet Stoke have built up the Britannia as a fortress that has solidified their Premier League status.
Manchester City were playing Everton on Saturday lunchtime. Now Everton are becoming a strange anamoly as a team who win games without a noted striker on the teamsheet. A few years ago, as a matter of necessity following a bunch of injuries Tim Cahill was employed in the lone striker role. Cahill was again employed in that familiar role for himself, but Louis Saha stews on the bench begging to start.
The need for Cahill playing up front lonesome, was so Everton manager, David Moyes could flood the midfield and disrupt the flow of City's forward momentum. Yet this sort of tactic needs a more clear cut gameplan, on this occasion Everton did not intend to make shooting opportunities and instead sit back and attempt to not lose the match. However, no team can withstand an onslaught of attacking prowess for 90 minutes or a slightly skewed referreing performance that favoured the home side and their millions.
Some critics are indicating that Manchester City's eventual 2-0 win thanks to goals from substitutes Mario Balotelli and James Milner (his first for the club) meant that City had passed a test or an obstacle on their way to Premier League glory. However, when a team sets up like Everton did against a star-studded team it asks for trouble. Yes it is negative and yes it is in some ways anti-football, but Manchester City have far too much talent to overtake a stubborn Everton defence.
The removal of Aguero for the goalscorer Balotelli, was not a risky strategy is was Mancini having one eye on the Champions League encounter versus Bayern Munich on Tuesday night and he is nursing Balotelli very well. He scored in midweek against Birmingham City in the Carling Cup, that sort of goal can do wonders for a lost soul such as the young Italian; albeit a goal that took a huge deflection off the lunging Phil Jagielka that Tim Howard (always excellent) could do nothing to prevent.
The bench of City in comparison to Everton's was a huge difference. If Mancini, did not want to use Balotelli he could always use Tevez.
For Manchester City to win the Premier League they need to not drop points at home and have as few surprises as possible; they need to win games like this against teams that simply do not match up against them. The odd points dropped away from home at Fulham and Stoke will not hurt any team nor damage title credentials.
Credit will be given to City once they start going to Stamford Bridge, Emirates, Old Trafford and Anfield and win convincingly - winning a lunchtime game against a striker-less Everton will never set the world alight. It should not even bother wasting the matches.
The foibles of the Premier League and the power of television in terms of scheduling means it will be rare that both Manchester clubs play at the same time on the same day, save it when they play each other. So City this week got the benefit of going out there knowing that if they win they will be top for all of four hours. Luckily, their city rivals United lost their first points of the season at Stoke City in the evening game meaning that there is a tie at the top of the table after six games. City will feel a bit chirpier, United a little worried.
But should United feel bad about dropping points at Stoke City, a place that is becoming harder and harder to leave with a win. Liverpool lost there already and Chelsea were lucky to escape with all three points. Yet Stoke have built up the Britannia as a fortress that has solidified their Premier League status.
Manchester City were playing Everton on Saturday lunchtime. Now Everton are becoming a strange anamoly as a team who win games without a noted striker on the teamsheet. A few years ago, as a matter of necessity following a bunch of injuries Tim Cahill was employed in the lone striker role. Cahill was again employed in that familiar role for himself, but Louis Saha stews on the bench begging to start.
The need for Cahill playing up front lonesome, was so Everton manager, David Moyes could flood the midfield and disrupt the flow of City's forward momentum. Yet this sort of tactic needs a more clear cut gameplan, on this occasion Everton did not intend to make shooting opportunities and instead sit back and attempt to not lose the match. However, no team can withstand an onslaught of attacking prowess for 90 minutes or a slightly skewed referreing performance that favoured the home side and their millions.
Some critics are indicating that Manchester City's eventual 2-0 win thanks to goals from substitutes Mario Balotelli and James Milner (his first for the club) meant that City had passed a test or an obstacle on their way to Premier League glory. However, when a team sets up like Everton did against a star-studded team it asks for trouble. Yes it is negative and yes it is in some ways anti-football, but Manchester City have far too much talent to overtake a stubborn Everton defence.
The removal of Aguero for the goalscorer Balotelli, was not a risky strategy is was Mancini having one eye on the Champions League encounter versus Bayern Munich on Tuesday night and he is nursing Balotelli very well. He scored in midweek against Birmingham City in the Carling Cup, that sort of goal can do wonders for a lost soul such as the young Italian; albeit a goal that took a huge deflection off the lunging Phil Jagielka that Tim Howard (always excellent) could do nothing to prevent.
The bench of City in comparison to Everton's was a huge difference. If Mancini, did not want to use Balotelli he could always use Tevez.
For Manchester City to win the Premier League they need to not drop points at home and have as few surprises as possible; they need to win games like this against teams that simply do not match up against them. The odd points dropped away from home at Fulham and Stoke will not hurt any team nor damage title credentials.
Credit will be given to City once they start going to Stamford Bridge, Emirates, Old Trafford and Anfield and win convincingly - winning a lunchtime game against a striker-less Everton will never set the world alight. It should not even bother wasting the matches.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Premier League 2011/12 Review - Week#2 - Tuesday 23rd August
Week 2 of the Premier League will be remembered as one where the wheels came off at Arsenal, and the two Manchester clubs laid down markers for the season.
Firstly, lets start with the bad news at the Emirates. Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to a cohesive Liverpool side, admittedly it took the needless sending off of Frimpong (two in two for Arsenal on that front) and the introduction of Luis Suarez to inject something into the rain-soaked affair. Suarez's intervention led to Aaron Ramsey putting through his own net, though a clearance ricocheting off his chest over the stranded Sczezeny can be construed as unlucky, and then Suarez tapped in the sealer in injury time.
Before that Arsenal looked limp in attack - devoid of creation and impetus. The encouraging aspect was that Frimpong was the best player before his dismissal, but the constant ill discipline (81 players sent off in the Wenger era) coupled with absentism through injury of vital players such as Wilshere, means that Arsenal have started the season with no continuity and no formula for success. Along with the uncomfortable saga of Samir Nasri's move to Man.City and you have an anguished Wenger on the sidelines cluthcing at straws putting a team together as best he can.
And all this before a vital Champions League play-off game on Wednesday night in Italy against Udinese, where Arsenal hold a tentative one-nil lead - though Udinese showed enough combative effort to make sure that the second leg will not be easy. Arsenal may well score, but the lack of Wilshere travelling means Wenger may force City's bluff and play Nasri rendering him cup-tied for the season in that competition.
Man.City kept up there 100% record beating Bolton 3-2 at the Reebok thanks to goals from David Silva, Gareth Barry and Edin Dzeko.
Silva was inspirational, whilst Agureo looked a little off the pace in his first start - later to be substituted by Tevez in a like for like situation. Dzeko led the front well and relishes the prospect of having two people behind him feeding balls to him, and he took the third goal well.
However, it is in defence where the questions will be asked. Kompany and Lescott could not handle the imposing presence of Kevin Davies, who scored Bolton's second with a header simply by outjumping Lescott.
If Mancini, has the belief that they can outscore every team then they probably are capable but teams will ask more questions of their defence than Bolton did, and last year's incarnation of City would probably have dropped points.
As for Man.Utd, they joined their neighbours and Wolves as the only teams who are perfect. United continued their impressive PL record at home against Spurs, not losing at home to them since 1989 when Gary Lineker scored a winner. Gazza did not cry until 1990, now he cries all the time, thats how long ago Spurs last won at Old Trafford.
Spurs, playing there first league game of the season, following the postponement of their home game to Everton following the civil unrest in the area looked a bit of the pace by the end of the game, but for an hour more than held their own against the Champions. Good in possession, creating chances and with Van der Vaart employing a shoot on sight policy against the ropey David de Gea, Tottenham looked good for a point. Until the hour mark when a cross from the ever stable Tom Cleverley was met by the head of Danny Welbeck who again started with Rooney.
After that, the wind fell out of Tottenham and the fight left them and United with the lead and the superiority and a typical boisterous crowd roaring them on, had the wind in their sails. And it was scary at how good United looked, the last half hour was a passage of irresistible passing and movement, never more apparent than the second goal when Welbeck in a one-two with scorer, Anderson, backheeled to the Brazilian who had an easy task of scoring past Brad Friedel, who was impressive in goal on his Spurs' debut and was blameless for any of the goals.
Jermain Defoe hit the post on 88 minutes, and that might have made it interesting but the introduction of a trifecta subs of Hernandez, Park and youngster Giggs meant United could keep possession of the ball and Giggs duly teed up Rooney for the third with a well-placed header.
City may be going to plan at the moment, but United worryingly look a better side at this stage with a stronger squad this season compared to last year's Champions League finalists. With Vidic and Ferdinand injured, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans did an admirable job and maintained a clean sheet, no matter how many times De Gea fumbled the ball - Cleverley is growing slowly in stature, Ashley Young is offering something different on the wing and Welbeck's loan spell at Sunderland has paid dividends as he looks stronger and hungry to impress up front this season. And Fergie has Chicarito and Berbatov available on the bench, and he could still add to the squad with nine days left of the transfer window.
United were my prediction for the title and so far (apart from that worrying keeper) they remain the favourites in that degree.
Firstly, lets start with the bad news at the Emirates. Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to a cohesive Liverpool side, admittedly it took the needless sending off of Frimpong (two in two for Arsenal on that front) and the introduction of Luis Suarez to inject something into the rain-soaked affair. Suarez's intervention led to Aaron Ramsey putting through his own net, though a clearance ricocheting off his chest over the stranded Sczezeny can be construed as unlucky, and then Suarez tapped in the sealer in injury time.
Before that Arsenal looked limp in attack - devoid of creation and impetus. The encouraging aspect was that Frimpong was the best player before his dismissal, but the constant ill discipline (81 players sent off in the Wenger era) coupled with absentism through injury of vital players such as Wilshere, means that Arsenal have started the season with no continuity and no formula for success. Along with the uncomfortable saga of Samir Nasri's move to Man.City and you have an anguished Wenger on the sidelines cluthcing at straws putting a team together as best he can.
And all this before a vital Champions League play-off game on Wednesday night in Italy against Udinese, where Arsenal hold a tentative one-nil lead - though Udinese showed enough combative effort to make sure that the second leg will not be easy. Arsenal may well score, but the lack of Wilshere travelling means Wenger may force City's bluff and play Nasri rendering him cup-tied for the season in that competition.
Man.City kept up there 100% record beating Bolton 3-2 at the Reebok thanks to goals from David Silva, Gareth Barry and Edin Dzeko.
Silva was inspirational, whilst Agureo looked a little off the pace in his first start - later to be substituted by Tevez in a like for like situation. Dzeko led the front well and relishes the prospect of having two people behind him feeding balls to him, and he took the third goal well.
However, it is in defence where the questions will be asked. Kompany and Lescott could not handle the imposing presence of Kevin Davies, who scored Bolton's second with a header simply by outjumping Lescott.
If Mancini, has the belief that they can outscore every team then they probably are capable but teams will ask more questions of their defence than Bolton did, and last year's incarnation of City would probably have dropped points.
As for Man.Utd, they joined their neighbours and Wolves as the only teams who are perfect. United continued their impressive PL record at home against Spurs, not losing at home to them since 1989 when Gary Lineker scored a winner. Gazza did not cry until 1990, now he cries all the time, thats how long ago Spurs last won at Old Trafford.
Spurs, playing there first league game of the season, following the postponement of their home game to Everton following the civil unrest in the area looked a bit of the pace by the end of the game, but for an hour more than held their own against the Champions. Good in possession, creating chances and with Van der Vaart employing a shoot on sight policy against the ropey David de Gea, Tottenham looked good for a point. Until the hour mark when a cross from the ever stable Tom Cleverley was met by the head of Danny Welbeck who again started with Rooney.
After that, the wind fell out of Tottenham and the fight left them and United with the lead and the superiority and a typical boisterous crowd roaring them on, had the wind in their sails. And it was scary at how good United looked, the last half hour was a passage of irresistible passing and movement, never more apparent than the second goal when Welbeck in a one-two with scorer, Anderson, backheeled to the Brazilian who had an easy task of scoring past Brad Friedel, who was impressive in goal on his Spurs' debut and was blameless for any of the goals.
Jermain Defoe hit the post on 88 minutes, and that might have made it interesting but the introduction of a trifecta subs of Hernandez, Park and youngster Giggs meant United could keep possession of the ball and Giggs duly teed up Rooney for the third with a well-placed header.
City may be going to plan at the moment, but United worryingly look a better side at this stage with a stronger squad this season compared to last year's Champions League finalists. With Vidic and Ferdinand injured, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans did an admirable job and maintained a clean sheet, no matter how many times De Gea fumbled the ball - Cleverley is growing slowly in stature, Ashley Young is offering something different on the wing and Welbeck's loan spell at Sunderland has paid dividends as he looks stronger and hungry to impress up front this season. And Fergie has Chicarito and Berbatov available on the bench, and he could still add to the squad with nine days left of the transfer window.
United were my prediction for the title and so far (apart from that worrying keeper) they remain the favourites in that degree.
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