Boxing Day and Yaya comes out fighting!

I sit here putting one of my New Years resolution into force namely posting my reports earlier! This one I have actually started in stoppage time due to the eventual comfort we have ended this game with! Oh, and there's another!

So, Boxing Day it is and no home game which is always a shame when it happens, but not to get the next game at home well that's just bollocks, bah humbug! Anyway I sit in the warm comfort of my back room and wait for the line-up on Forza. A line up I am happy with only if King Kev is playing up front as neither Nolito or Sterling are good enough to do it! However what follows for the first half is no obvious striker playing up their and I guess if you had to call it Nolito, who I don't mind on his debut season but runs very strange and can't shoot for shit! So what a surprise loads of possession and no penetration and I ask the question why aren't we playing an actual striker in Iheanacho?? Now I know he hasn't delivered in the last couple of starts he had but surely here against bottom of the league is an opportunity to give the kid another chance, whilst giving us better shape and balance.

Other things from a frustrating first half were  Stones started which I agreed with (for as I have already stated when paired with Otamendi in a back 4 earlier in the season all looked good), but he was soon back on the bench after a seemingly superficial knee injury. Now what was interesting was the frosty passing of Pep on the touch line, maybe it's something and nothing but it didn't seem warm and Christmassy. Anyway I think he should come good and does help us play football, and besides Kolarov came on and did a job at his better position of centre back, who would have thought hey! Again a player much better with 4 at the back. Let's just stick to that for now!

So, the second half started and it inevitably started to open up a bit as Hull tired, however Hull had a couple of chances as well early on. Then Pep makes the right decision that I think should have been from the start and takes Nolito off replacing him with Iheanacho and unsurprisingly the game starts to change as De Bruyne starts to dictate properly and Silva delivers on the wing. Soon after Sterling makes them make a mistake with his new found form and Yaya keeps his nerve to sort it out and everything changes. Next the ginger prince, Silva and Iheanacho combine to create a proper football goal highlighting again players in the right position making good decisions, with Iheanacho's natural striker positions being an obvious change from the first half for all to see. Finally Sterling again twists and turns to create the 3rd and the score line eventually flatters somewhat, but with the team at the end actually starting the game it would have been more.

Other things of note being again Yaya solid, looking hungry and a real refreshing change from the past 2 years. The Pep effect, for your manager has to be bigger than your players!

Till next time!

The sofa, back room.

Back on track and guns firing!

So, I sit here writing this a bit late an hour before the Boxing Day game as unfortunately I wasn't one of those '3 weeker' Christmas holiday makers off from the Friday before, rather working up to the death! And who has time on Christmas Eve and day to write with family to please and feed!

So, I sat in my seat for the Arsenal game apprehensive, excited but you know what not that nervous! I wasn't that nervous because I know we are good and as already stated we just need some luck and to finish a few to show people we are actually 3 or 4 goals better than the lucky league leaders! However my nerves raised a little when I saw Sterling up front and turned to the kid next to me and stated that is a really bad idea! Don't get me wrong Sterling has improved a great deal this season from someone I stated last year I wouldn't even pay 50p for, but he has improved as a winger and as yet he is still not polished with his main shortcomings still being composure and finishing! So don't put him up front, almost immediately proved by his poor header that could have been an immediate response to their early counter attack goal.

Also, once again at the same time I beat the drum of don't marginalise Kev to the wing something I have been saying all year!

So, the first half finishes we have played ok in terms of possession taking the lions share but we are again behind with what really matters the score, and then low and behold he swaps Sterling to the wing and The Ginger Prince up front and what a surprise the 2nd half comes and everything changes! Who would have thought of that hey??!!

We now look more like Chelsea first half, Barcelona second half, showing glimpses of the Old Trafford game, as we responded immediately with Sane bursting through the middle after having a poor first half!

We then finish the victory with a great ball from the ginger prince, now even more in the thick of it and dictating play, to none other than Sterling on the wing! Who came inside to finish a great winner! Job done as we managed to see this one out and get ourselves back on track for we are the best team in the league by far this year, no matter how much the press looks to drag us down.

Other things of note were the new skinny enthused Yaya again, who played really well, which I am once again warming to, and is maybe shaping up for a great 'rising from the ashes' story and who doesn't like one of them.

Finally, Zaba injured which never makes me happy!

Colin bell stand, Third Tier.

Men against boys?!

So, it's a Wednesday night and it's Watford a team I don't really know that much about to be honest! I can barely name a player, so when they came out on the pitch I turned to Jim and stated: 'is it just me or are they fucking massive?!' Turns out it wasn't just me! Physically they were huge and this was the attribute they pushed to the forefront of their contribution to the spectacle of this mid-week game. Indeed I think they are the most physical side to come to the Etihad in the past couple of years, way tougher than Stoke! However the referee Kevin Friend proved to be no kind of Friend to us (like pretty much all the football establishment at the moment) as he let foul after foul go unpunished and when he did blow his card was out far too infrequently, Watford acting like it was open season chopping us down at will.

Eventually are class told and Watford were left looking like boys in terms of vision/skill with Sterling's tenacity, and king Kev's delightful little stood up cross for no one better for me than Zaba! Happy days!

From then on we applied the pressure, in terms of skill, as they did physically, with the ref just floating around like a member of the crowd! Taking his seat like most this season in the away end. However like all season we just didn't convert our chances and simply couldn't kill off another game we dominated. So this season as a city fan that makes you very nervous and inevitably as feared squeaky bum time arrived with a good save from our under pressure keeper and then a glaring miss from one of their players I don't know, who for the purposes of this I will call lump no. 11! Anyway thank god he missed, we rode it out, and eventually got the second to kill it off, even if it was a little late! With again good work from Sterling who had a solid game, and I am starting to like again as he set up Silva, another crowd favourite goal scorer.

So, job done with a reasonable day at the office - but you'd still say we aren't taking enough of our chances which is the story of our season this year. With other things of note being: There was 4 at the back, with the correct two full backs, and Yaya playing the whole game and not trotting for a change, which is finally good to see if a little late! Hopefully with Gundogan now out injured and Fernandhinio still out suspended he can show us what we have been missing! Now if rumours are true and he has lost 2 stone and is fitter than he has ever been then he can show us not just what we have been missing this season, but also what we have actually been missing from him his whole career at City! Me I am one to forgive and forget if it is still salvageable, and this is, besides wouldn't it be a great story if he could train himself into the player Pep actually always wanted! For no one has ever doubted his touch and vision rather his ego and laziness!

Well, with Watford done I am now writing this on Sunday morning as I get ready to go to the ground for Arsenal. What will that bring hey? Well, I hope we keep playing our football - take our chances this time, play 4 at the back and finally and most importantly catch a few breaks and a bit of luck!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier.

On my knees in a Belfast Garden!

So, I miss watching another game this time due to work as I fly to Belfast to install a Garden lighting scheme and only have Forza on my phone to keep me informed of the dreadful events that were unfolding the other side of the Irish Sea! I couldn't believe it as notification after notification came in, what the hell was happening I asked?!

Since looking at the team sheet and some of the reports it wasn't hard to understand!

1. I repeat again I don't rate Fernandho as a city player and never have. Yes Fernandhinio is suspended but why not play Gundogan holding, play Silva and Kev in the middle and start either Sane or Sterling on the other wing instead, keeping us exciting in the middle.

2. With Zaba roaming it seems like a 3 at the back again like Chelsea, don't play this at the moment after the Chelsea 2nd half crumble and our suspensions/injuries play a normal back 4 and stay solid and safe.

For life is about momentum and our media won't give any team a minutes rest-bite least of all us. I continue to beat the drum that we are the best team in the league, it was only a few weeks ago we tore Barcelona apart in that second half! But poor timing, not taking our chances, and bad luck are putting pay to us getting on a role. Again I emphasise fine lines and narrow margins between success and failure for we tore Chelsea a new one for 60 minutes of that game last week but we didn't take our chances and now there manager is a God in the medias eyes and ours can't cope with the premiership! Piss off you narrow minded pundits we are still the best team in the league and to date have played the best football we just can't get momentum because of a few questionable team sheets, loads of missed opportunities, and as a result a lack of consistency. Pep's still the man for me though, we just need to focus, ride it out and catch a break.

Finally. my prediction at this point in the season is no league, top 3, but we win the champions league. For we can beat anyone on our day and string together a couple of performances in a row and that title can be ours, but I fear missed opportunities and a lack of consistency will prevent the league being ours this year. Watch this space!

Muddy Belfast flower bed, on my knees!

Winter's coming!

So, Europe again and it means absolutely nothing, just no one told the jocks who turned up in their droves! Walking to the game from Ancoats after a lovely Pizza with Jim and Rudy's pizza, which I thoroughly recommend, it felt at times like we were the minority. Once in the ground in my section nothing changed which I found strange and begs the question of ticket allocation. The odd time I have gone in the wrong end you sit on your hands, but not these lot! They were all around us with there distinctive tones. Behind they must have brought a mini bus of kids and kids are kids, but in front of us was a group of pissed up pricks who were soon taken out after the first goal before they were going to cause an inevitable kick off! Indeed as I looked around the ground from our high vantage point I could see it kicking off everywhere as their goal highlighted those who had snuck in, and like I say if you have done that just sit on your hands.

Anyway the crowd was the only interesting bit of a very dull 1-1, as we put out a much changed B team and them, well they are just a pub side, enough said on the game itself!

At this point I want to highlight how much of a bitter failure prick Brendan Rodgers is, something I always knew, but was confirmed by his bullshit bitter dross in the pre-match press conference! I hope you rot for eternity in trumped up Scottish mediocracy Brendan! Yes Celtic do have a strong loyal support, but the Scottish league is a joke and they along with Rangers should really do a Cardiff and Swansea, but their biggest strength is also their biggest downfall as with the way they are there is no chance they could ever be let into the premiership, so the wildlings will have to stay north of the wall even if winter is coming!

Colin Bell stand, Third Tier, annoyingly surrounded by jocks!

Oh what could have been!

So, ticket given away to Jim to bring a friend, wife and other friends packed off up a mountain walk whilst me, Phil (another city fan) and Charlie the birthday boy (who's a Liverpool fan, but also a fan of a beer and the football in a pub) bombed around the Derbyshire countryside desperately trying to find a pub with sky sports! After the 5th try and a few pointers along the way on our treasure hunt we found 'The Shoulder of Mutton' and had thankfully only missed the first 5 minutes! For we hadn't computed that most countryside pubs don't get there footfall from whether they have the footy or not, with there abundance of a captive ramblers market, few interested in the most interesting game of the season!

Anyway, we settle down to watch it and it is so entertaining and I am loving it, wishing I was there! In that first half we played some beautiful football, but as we began to not take our chances it just felt like our demise was somewhat inevitable! However at this point I want to point out that Taylor the referee was absolutely disgraceful, he should be ashamed of himself! With his worst decision being bottling sending of David Luiz for that challenge on Sergio. On top of this bent referee we missed loads of chances ourselves and we could literally have easily been 5-0 up at half time such was our domination. Like I say though when we don't take our chances you just know what is going to happen it just seems somewhat fated that way for us. Nonetheless we catch a break for all our pressure, as Cahill makes a dogs dinner of a cross smashed into the danger area and we go in at half time at least ahead!

Second half and we continue with where we left off with more of the same pressure and even more missed chances, even a sitter from the ginger prince! Which would have made it a completely different game! They say there is a fine line between winning and losing and on this occasion it was the cross bar! You just knew at that moment it wasn't going to be our day and as sure as night follows day our inevitable demise ensued! This section of the game was just a joke! Highlighted that the little practiced 3 at the back may have been a tinker too far and most importantly highlighted that our keeper has a lot to learn! With goal 2 he looked like a matador ushering the ball past him into the left hand corner! Shit is an understatement for that attempt at goal keeping!

The rest is history and one I don't really want to re-live so I will just skip to the end and say I blame it all on Taylor, for Luiz shouldn't still be on the pitch and he didn't stop him kicking lumps out of Sergio all day! Also Fabregas is a pathetic little baby! Well done Taylor you were truly useless on this day you should never have got out of bed. However in conclusion it was our own fault once more, a game of missed chances, to add to a season of missed chances and opportunities! We have shown on our day we can beat anyone and I still hold hope for Europe, but I can already imagine myself at the end of the season saying we didn't win it again because we spent all season not taking our opportunities to score and ultimately win. For you can win cups playing like that if you are lucky, but not leagues and especially not this year!

The Shoulder of Mutton, Bar Stool!

Home and Away!

So, I chose to go to the other side of the world to good friends is Australia for my birthday at the perfect time! As over a three week period I don't miss one home game due to the international break and our premiership schedule, and how by chance it has fallen.

Unable to get feeds due to some remote locations on our travels, the time difference and appeasing the Mrs' holiday schedule, this post is just a broad comment on a few key topics of worth!

First and foremost - Palace and Yaya! Interesting to say the least and once again highlighting for all his faults he most have done good karma to always just pop up at the right time and right place! So he's finally apologised and for the first time in his City career highlighting he is not bigger than the team or manager. Good on you Pep and things like this is why I am especially glad you are with us. I hope Yaya looked at the Barcelona game and thought I still want to try and play some part in this, for it definitely doesn't reek of you are lost without me like the old days. Then you hear he is fitter than he has ever been! Well that excites me a lot if it is true as regulars know years of my opinions on his lazy attitude. However regulars also know that although my destain for his work rate was at times heated, I have never hidden from complementing his raw natural talent in skills and vision. So if he did decide to actually tow the line and get seriously fit, if that is still possible at his age, and then apply that fitness into determination for the team then that is still an exciting prospect. Offering another dimension to our title aspirations. Anyway let's see, I'm not counting my chickens where Yaya is concerned.

Next, Europe and a side we could have put ten past at home make it difficult for us away stopping us play, but at least we held on for the draw and got that all important point something we probably wouldn't have done over the past few seasons. Job sort of done!

Then Burnley, not much to say here as I don't know much so job again done! Nothing amazing but grinding it out and slowly putting us back on track.

So... Chelsea at the weekend, massive game and I have to give my ticket away again as it is my good mates 50th birthday weekend and we are all away at a cottage in the country, friendship before footy. However a country pub to watch it must be found, I draw the line at that!

Sydney, Blind.