The good, the bad and the nearly boys!

So, it's been a while and the New Years resolution of regular posts is broken already, as overworking and some unfortunate circumstances mean I have little time to post. Anyway, the West Ham game I couldn't get in front of to watch and by all accounts I missed the sort of football I have been hoping we would play all season, in that: more of the same, whilst being a bit more direct and this time taking our chances!

Next, Everton and oh dear what happened there hey! From the comfort of my couch I watched us get off to a solid start dominating the possession yet again. However once more we didn't take our chances, with too many falling to Sterling. Yes he has got better than the 50p player of last year, but he is my no means a £50 million player yet! For a £50 million player has composure in front of goal and converts a team's pressure! Yes it was a penalty and yes we continue to get no decisions as united are awarded a load of crucial goals in games that shouldn't have been goals, and that seems destined not to change anytime soon, but Sterling should have dinked it over the keeper or even gone to his right away from the defender, but the simple fact is he was looking for the penalty because he is scared! Scared of finishing! Yet at the moment he is on the end of all our moves?! Again I beat the drum of a missed opportunity is like half a goal to them and drains your confidence, especially when it is happening week in week out and in a world where momentum is key you get the opposite effect. So no surprise it happened again! You then combine that with at present a dreadful keeper who couldn't stop a sloth with a hangover from getting past him and what proved to be the wrong decision of playing Stones at his former club, which actually started to ask the question is Kolarov now a more reliable choice at centre back? All this combined together lead to that disastrous score line!

So, next was Tottenham and in general I like the team sheet for firstly something I pondered the other week happened as we played all our talent in the middle, and you know what it worked for me and that's because  the ginger prince works hard, Silva although small is tenacious and Yaya is the fittest I have ever seen him. Secondly the defence was as good as we can put out at the moment. This team didn't disappoint for I though we played really well against a strong resurgent Spurs who we made to look decidedly average for most of the game. However it happened again! With everything falling to Sterling who delivered more of the same with his dreadful, woeful, appalling finishing! I can not underestimate how bad he is in front of goal and is a £15 million player at best, one that should be managed to the wings if he plays at all, not finding himself on the end of our moves. Once more he went looking for penalties as he is literally scared of the opportunity to fail! Once more it wasn't to be, but at least Loris gifted us a couple of goals later on which for our dominance was no less than we deserved and for a moment the atmosphere was back but with our fragile confidence and unshakable bad luck combined with yet more dodgy decisions we just couldn't hold on. However there was one big plus at the end, namely our new Jesus and he showed signs that he could be the Messiah and everything that Sterling is not! God it would have been sweet if that goal wasn't offside! He looks like the real deal and makes you excited to want to watch him.

So Palace away next, lets see if we can make the tweaks and catch the breaks to finally turn the corner.

Absent, the couch and the edge of my Etihad seat!

We gave them one and we were still dominant!

So Burnley arrive, but to be honest they don't really, as an unusual line up, that sees Silva and Aguero rested, sets out to face them. Again as you would expect we had the lions share of possession and we soon create two clear cut chances, but once again failed to score. At the risk of sounding like a broken record this is our major problem this season and you could feel/see the confidence drain out of the team and crowd and into the opposition! Indeed a missed opportunity is like half a goal to them in momentum and confidence, with the fact that we have not been getting traction and momentum this year being the major frustration all around the club.

Then Fernandhinio does that! My view is he was stupid in that he made Mason, who had an awful game, ask the question, and what in many games would be a strong yellow debating it could have been a red but quickly forgotten became a straight red because I am convinced for whatever reason the establishment does not want to see us do well, whether it be the officials or the media.

Anyway, he goes off and it doesn't look any different they are that poor and actually highlights in games like this we could in fact play three ball players in the middle to break through the parked bus. So with half time arriving there was still a lot of belief around the ground.

That was bolstered by the arrival of two of our main men off the bench for the second half. One was rarely aware we had 10 such was our superiority and our pressure eventually told from the unlikely source of Clichy who I was glad to see on the pitch from the start and as I said should have started the Liverpool game as well. However Kolarov was still on the pitch at his new/better position of centre back, where he played well. Creating the debate of him or Stones at that position. With my present stance being you can start him there against lower opposition but at present he hasn't got enough experience for the big games and like I have said before a mistake in him. Stones still has a lot to prove though and here's one for the mix, what about giving him a run as a wing back at times in a role swap with Kolarov?! Using his football skill down the flank more.

Anyway back to the game, the 2nd followed quickly as we finally found a bit of luck with the ball to Sterling and his weird dive thing that eventually came to Sergio and what a finish hey!

We looked like we were cruising with 10 men and then they had a number of corners which eventually resulted in a goal. We need to study how they whip it right into the mixer and clear the man on the front post because they looked dangerous every time from here.
However even with this we held out pretty comfortably and showed we are still a force to be reckoned with no matter what we have to overcome, we just need some luck and traction.

Then Pep shows his frustration with what I think is due to the medias coverage of him and us over the past few weeks. Indeed I am in a football what's app simply for arranging a Sunday game, but it seemed like a United forum with everyone seemingly catching the media bug of constant criticism of Pep. Which in my mind is jealousy and a want to attempt to destabilise us, mainly through fear of what we could be. So this was my response on that platform:

"Didn't realise I was on a United forum! We won, we beat them with 10 men. We also made United look like idiots at their home, we made Barca look like idiots 2nd half at home and for 50 odd minutes made Chelsea look like fools until our best player missed an open goal. We have missed loads of chances this season, had bad luck at times and yes Pep has made the odd mistake at times but he is new and he is still class. Yet the witch hunt for us in the media, and it seems here as well, continues, with teams with way worse problems out there! I think that is what he was getting at in his rant. I can't believe the media has been saying he is under pressure! We were loved when we were shit and now targeted because we are not, what a load of bollocks."

No one challenged this statement because it is true! The other thing that was interesting off this what's app, was my mate who I run it with is an uber driver and look who he had in the back of his cab on Tuesday:

Which was sent with this statement which was a little unsettling!

"He said he may be leaving the club" My mate is a United fan though! However he swears it is true.

So, an eventful Bank holiday game which I guess at least made it pretty exciting!

Colin Bell Stand, Third Tier.

Goodbye 2016 you won't be missed!

So, I settled down to watch the game on the couch having just talked to my mate who looks after my blog for me, he loves his sports bets and asked me if I had any tips. My response being: 'I just don't know it depends on what he puts out, but I imagine it will be close maybe a draw.'

Anyway, I see the team sheet and there are two things I disagreed with! Firstly as I have always said I would play Clichy over Kolarov every time at left back. As although he has improved significantly (especially at centre back) Kolarov always has a mistake in him, like against Spurs away. Then the game starts and they look well up for it pressuring us constantly and then from that pressure what happens what a surprise Kolarov makes not one mistake but two and they are in the lead! Who would have thought that might happen hey! The new revitalised Kolarov is still a utility player at best, not a starter for a big away game if everyone else is fit and even if you were to start him, only start him at centre back!

Secondly, I disagreed with starting Sterling here, as I don't think he has the composure for the hatred! If you look at his character he is nervous and insecure in front of goal and very much a fragile confidence player, he is not someone who can block it all out regardless and for that reason don't play him. Something again I was proven right by as the crowd and his counterpart Milner kept him on a tight leash - A player I use to love and feel sorry for in equal measures that I now hate and wish no good for in equal measures! As for me he had a lot of supporters at City who he should have just acted with a bit of decorum with! I wish we still had him and if you look up my really old post I always said he would make a great holding midfielder or fullback, for how much better is he than Kolarov! More fool us but like I say just a shame he acted like a bit of a little baby when it all played out, I guess he is a Yorkshireman though!!!!!!

Back to the game anyway! Liverpool continue to press us for all the first half and we never looked comfortable on the ball. Apart from the two selection mistakes mentioned above the rest of the team was how I would have had it, but then the next main problem was 'Kev' just didn't turn up for there was nothing royal about his performance. Indeed when he first came to us and hit the ground running I remember someone saying that his only downfall is he is known for going missing in away games and this was definitely the case here! Unable to stamp any authority on the game he was eventually marginalised to the wing in favour of Silva. With the only other question I ask myself here being if Yaya hadn't apologised and we had no other choice would we be better off with both Kev and Silva in the middle supported by Fernandhinio and then have two out and out wingers in Navas and Nolito for this match. My mind says maybe!

However at half time, like the Arsenal game I still had belief as Liverpool would definitely tire for no one can play at that tempo, and tire they did! Indeed I have also heard Klopp's teams do this in games and seasons as he eventually runs them out of energy with his tactics. Unfortunately though we are in a little bit of a funk and we couldn't capitalise on this or our pressure/possession and their tired legs were able to just hang on to their goal.

In conclusion not the best, but not the end of the world as yet and definitely fixable, but then you hear the witch hunt in the media and again I am drawn to the poison that surrounds us as a club from the outside. Hopefully though that just makes the strong get closer, hunker down and work harder together!

Finally, great to see Vinney in the crowd!

The couch, my house.