Player of the Year 2011-12

So the voting for City's Player of the Year award is now open and we have not 5, but 6 players to choose from, such has been the level of performance this season.

Who gets your vote? I've no idea at the time of writing this who will get mine but here are the nominees in full to start with.

Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Sergio Aguero

6 players, 6 different positions, 6 different ways to measure their worth to the team. For someone who has a tendency to second-guess himself and who likes to analyse a player's individual performances you can see why this could be, and is, such a difficult thing for me to decide.

We will take a look at each of the nominees and believe me, if you haven't already cast your vote, this is as much a benefit to myself than it is to anyone in deciding who to vote for. Of course any statistical input can only be to the time of writing this. For example when I mention appearances, I'm no psychic so they are the number of appearances up to the point of publication.

Joe HART

Age: 24

Position: Goalkeeper

Season Apps: 46 (34 league)

Total minutes: 4230

Still a baby in goalkeeping terms and already a nailed on first choice pick for club and country, and has been for the last 2 seasons.

For the most part of this season, Joe freely admits that he hasn't had much to do. When you look at the number of saves he's had to make compared to other keepers, you'll see that he isn't anywhere near the top because City have conceded so few chances to start with. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer shots on goal.

But here's the thing, when he does have to make a save he's ready. For a player who's concentration levels were being questioned only 2 years ago, it is one of the strongest parts of his game. It's easy to concentrate when you're having shots fired at you from all angles and right in the thick of it. It's when you're only called upon a few times per match that you really have to be alert and he hasn't disappointed, pulling off world class save after world class save.

Joe has got to be the best £600k (or so) that City have ever spent, quite possibly the best bit of business full stop. Now ranked among the best in the world by pundits and even neutral fans. There are still areas of his game that need a bit of work, his distribution being the main one, but at just 24 he has a long time to learn.

Micah RICHARDS

Age: 23

Position: Right-back

Season Apps: 32(4) (23(4) league)

Total minutes: 2750

Micah upped his game last season which drew cries of disbelief whenever he wasn't included in the England squad. Those cries turned to deafening roars until Capello finally left the post and Stuart Pearce recalled him.

He has improved greatly since Mancini arrived and has once again become a regular feature of the first team and almost integral to the way City play. His pace and power to exploit the space out wide created by others has been a big part of his game this season.

His contribution early in the season saw him quickly rack up 5 assists, which he unfortunately hasn't added to. Even so, he still the 2nd highest number of assists for a full-back in the league, behind Ashley Cole (6). A little more composure in front of goal could have also seen him bag a couple more than his 1 goal.

Of course as a defender you would expect him to have to do at least a little defending, and he has done this superbly too. Micah's 53 tackles, 35 interceptions, 90 clearances, 12 shots blocked and 53/72 aerial duels won aren't figure to be sniffed at.

Vincent KOMPANY

Age: 26

Position: Centre-back

Season Apps: 37 (27 league)

Total minutes: 3247

Last year saw VK walk away with the fan's and players' player of the year awards. He instantly got my vote, such was his attitude and contribution both on and off the pitch and many others quite clearly agreed with me.

He didn't get off to a flying start this season though, a hugely mistimed tackle lead to a goal in the Charity Shield and there were a number of slightly below par performances to follow. I say below par, when in reality he was still playing better than about 90% of players in the same position.

But those are the standards he sets, a model professional who isn't happy with anything but the best from himself and his teammates. That is part of what makes Vinny, well, Vinny and quite possibly the best club captain I've witnessed in my lifetime.

He worked his way back to his imperious best after the first couple of months of the season and has stayed there, proving himself to be one of the very best centre-backs, not just in the league, but the world. Not bad considering that we wont see the best of him for nearly another 4 years.

Yaya TOURE

Age: 28

Position: Midfiled

Season Apps: 37 (1) (27(1) league)

Tota minutes: 3202

Although there are parts of his game that annoy me to high heaven, not least the amount of complaining he does, he is an integral part of the squad Mancini has assembled.

Playing ahead Gareth Barry or Nigel De Jong, Yaya can cause havoc in opposition defences with his strength and bursting runs. He has also become the fulcrum of the team, with the majority of the passing in midfield played to and through him.

Even after missing a month due to international duty he has still notched up the 3rd most attempted passes in the league behind Mikel Arteta and Ashley Williams, with a success rate of 90.2%. Yaya also has 7 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season. Incidentally he scored 10 and assisted 7 in all competitions last season.

His contribution in defence is questioned and the number of needless goals City were conceding earlier in the season were partly down to a lack of defensive cover compared to last season when both Barry and De Jong played in the centre. But that's the price you pay if you want a more attacking side.

David SILVA

Age: 26

Position: Attacking-midfield

Season Apps: 40 (3) (29 (3) league)

Total minutes: 3542

There's not much that I could say that hasn't already been said about David Silva. It's unfortunate it took an actual injury for him to be given the rest he needed to gather himself and rest his ankle.

Even with a large dip in form in the last 2-3 months he was hardly useless, and created almost as many chances as he was when he was playing at his best.

Silva has had more game time than any other City outfield player and that was beginning to take its toll on the diminutive Spaniard and the ankle that needs constant attention. But having had a week off, he has come back reinvigorated and looks to be back to the form he showed before January, scoring 1 assisting 1 and instrumental in several of the 10 goals in the last 2 games.

He has created 90 scoring chances for teammates, 2nd only to Juan Mata, and considering such a dip in form you begin to see just how good he was when on song. He has 13 assists in the league and 4 in other competitions and 8 goals in total. Despite a difficult few months, Silva has been simply outstanding.

Sergio AGUERO

Age: 23

Position: Centre-forward/Attacking-midfield

Season Apps: 36 (9) (27 (3) league)

Total minutes: 3099

I think it's fair to say that Aguero has proved any doubters to be talking out of their backsides. Some areas of the media questioned whether Aguero was going to be worth the £35m City shelled out on him but 28 goals in all competitions with 4 games left to play suggests he was.

For his first season with the club and a brand new league, he didn't take long to settle in. In fact it took a few minutes after he walked onto the pitch against Swansea, and he hasn't looked back.

Consider that Tevez at his peak has averaged a goal every 132 minutes after having 3 seasons in England prior to coming to City. Aguero, at 5 years Carlos' junior, is currently scoring a goal every 110 minutes. That is quite simply staggering.

As well as the goals, he is also providing for others, having 11 assists so far and has created 50 chances in the league alone. This all adds up to one hell of a player having one hell of a debut season.

You know what? I'm not much closer to deciding. Who gets your vote?


Twitter: @MikeWalshMCFC or @mcfcDSLeftFoot
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot 

Captain Kompany, the perfect role model

Dear all,

I appealed because I obviously completely disagreed with the interpretation of the officials on the day but that happens in football and we move on. I wonder though if we are now going to see an unprecedented wave of red cards on match days because we sanction "if's" and "maybe's"? Are we going to look back at video evidence for every single challenge that goes unnoticed by the officials, look at different scenarios and potential outcomes of what could have been considered a good tackle and then sanction it? Players and managers are starting to expect more sending offs from referees and I think it's for the wrong reasons. My understanding is that English football prides itself on the hardness, the fairness and the tradition of its game. That is why hundreds of millions of people tune in to watch Premier League football and English referees have always been a key factor to that success in my opinion. So I don't agree with people saying that referees in this country aren't doing well as I think they are the best in the world. Hopefully common sense will prevail again in the future and I for one hope not to see consistency in sending offs and suspensions when the intent of a player is to win the ball.

I'd like to add to this that I waited for the suspension to be confirmed before making any comments on the matter as I didn't want to give the impression that I was using the media as a tool to benefit my own personal agenda in this case. I'm not speaking on behalf of the club or anybody else, this isn't me defending myself, this is just me raising a genuine concern.

If football fans decide I'm wrong in raising these concerns then I will have no problem in accepting the fact that times are changing again for our game.

This was Vincent Kompany rather eloquently airing his views on the straight red dismissal during the early minutes of the FA Cup 3rd round tie with Manchester United. The majority reaction to the sending off was sheer disbelief that a player can be shown a straight red for a tackle that doesn't touch another player. I share that sentiment completely and as you can see from the passage above, so does Kompany.

But this isn't going to be another ramble on the incident itself, the actual rules regarding tackling, the general decline in standards of officials, or the inability of the FA to use a little common sense. I'm not even going to mention that both Andy Carroll and Glen Johnson made very similar challenges last night and weren't even penalised with free kicks just like Kompany shouldn't have been which raises yet more questions about the state of current guidance surrounding interpretation of supposed intent... oh dammit, never mind. Anyway, this is to show my complete admiration for our Club captain.

Both on and off the pitch, Kompany is an outstanding professional. Forget this nonsense from the increasingly dithering Alex Ferguson implying that Kompany is a dirty player and intent on causing injury to others. That is quite simply a ludicrous statement intended to influence others into a negative opinion of a footballer who's moral standing is infinitely higher than anyone at his club.

At the time of the red card, Rooney and several other United ran to surround the referee waving their arms about, brandishing imaginary cards and generally screaming in the ref's face demanding immediate and harsh punitive measures.

What followed then was a player on the brink of losing it, it was written all over Kompany's face that he was absolutely furious with the referee for this shocking decision. But what was his reaction? As incensed as he was, he didn't give in to screaming abuse at the officials. Yes he demanded an explanation from Chris Foy, and rightly so, but at no point was he seen giving abuse directly to the officials.

Now how many times have we seen players of certain teams and even club captains verbally abuse officials directly to their face? Plenty, is the answer. Now I'm not saying it never happens with City players, all I am saying is it happens an awful lot with certain other teams in the league. I will leave you to fill in the blanks as I think we all know which teams and players I am talking about.

On the note of having a go at referees or arguing with other players, next time the ref gives a contentious decision or players get wound up and Kompany is on the pitch, have a look where he ends up. When things get heated you can be certain that Kompany will sprint the length of the pitch to try and make sure the tensions of his players don't boil over.  

We are supposed to have a system now whereby the referees are not surrounded by players at every decision made and that only the captains are to converse with the officials. Unfortunately that seems to have been forgotten completely by many players. Not Kompany. As already mentioned, in a heated situation Vinnie will be there to quell the storm.

On the pitch there are few who are more driven, competitive or as professional as Kompany which is why Mancini chose to give him the armband, and contrary to the usual, not a single person objected. He is a player that leads by example, never gives less than 100% on the pitch and is never caught up in controversy of his own making.

Kompany is a true captain in every sense. A captain shouldn't just lead for the 90 minutes of a game, they should be role models behind the scenes and in their personal lives. This can not be said for every captain out there that's for sure. But you guessed it, Kompany is one of them.

During public post and pre-match interviews he is always respectful of the opposition, never does he give in to boastful talk of how City will do this or do that even if they will. It is always "we can" achieve a certain goal, never "we will" as that is far too presumptuous for a man of Vinnies nature to speak of.

His commitment to the fans has recently been underpinned by his facebook and twitter accounts where he has begun to regularly update the fans with bits of information about training, and even held a fantastic competition to win his shirt and captain's armband from the FA Cup derby.

I will say one thing about that; if you read this Vinnie, you should've picked my speech ;)

There are a number of players who don't mind airing their opinions on social networking sites such as Twitter, and it was no different after that game with Rooney and Ferdinand logging on at the earliest opportunity to state categorically that they thought it was a definite red card.

Wayne Rooney

"Funny how people think i got kompany sent off. Im not ref. i didnt give red card. But it was a clear red card. 2 footed tackle"

Rio Ferdinand

"By the way how can there be any debate about the red card yesterday?? You leave the ground with a #2footTackle = Red card #fact"

And what was Kompany's immediate response after the game?

Vincent Kompany

"Thanks for the support I'm getting from everyone. Surprised at Sir Alex Ferguson's post match comments. Maybe that's a sign..."

Nothing about the decision at all, just a thank you to the fans and disappointment that Ferguson basically said Kompany goes out to hurt players on a regular basis. No tit for tat tweets to players, no arguing with opposition morons who send him vile messages. Even from the wording of the tweets the evident difference in dignity and intelligence is there for all to see. The gulf in class is like a yawning chasm, it's massive.

Manchester City really couldn't ask for a better captain.




Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880 or @mcfcDSLeftFoot
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

Keep calm and carry on

Well, what can I say about today? Disappointing if not predictable just about sums it up in a polite way. If you haven't heard yet, where have you been? The FA have upheld Vinnie's 4 match ban after an independent panel felt that the wholly inept Chris Foy was right in sending off Vincent Kompany in the Manchester derby.

Now for all the people saying "#twofoottackle = red card" and the line "by the letter of the law it was a red" you really should know better and check "the letter of the law". In fact you can do it right HERE. Also to quote Referee Development Officer, Peter Roberts with reference to two footed tackles; "If he takes the ball cleanly, it is a free kick and a caution." I rest my case your honour.

But anyway the damage is done, now City should use this as motivation to push harder to bring the Premier League title to the Etihad Stadium. Over the last few weeks there has been a growing siege mentality surrounding the squad with all the talk of City's season collapsing and some rather dubious red card decisions and officiating that has had a say on certain results.

We saw this mentality in full force in the FA Cup against United and much has been said about the performance that day. What City need to do now is continue that same determination right up to the end of the season, starting with Liverpool's visit to the Etihad in the Carling Cup.

I know for a fact there are fans of every team that don't feel the competition is worth winning. I beg to differ, silverware is silverware and although the big prize is ultimately the Premier League trophy, the Carling Cup is important for the players and the teams taking part regardless of what the fans think.

How Mancini will go about the starting 11 is anyone's guess as although Komapny's dismissal is a massive blow there are players waiting to step up to the challenge. Micah Richards and Stefan Savic are the 2 other players that can play at centre-back alongside Joleon lescott whilst Kolo Toure is away.

Savic put in a great performance when required to against United and even picked up a nasty blood injury that was quickly wrapped up for him to battle on. To be fair to the lad, he didn't put a foot wrong and will be itching to prove his worth to the team now he has a chance for a short run in the starting 11.

There is also a question surrounding the fitness of David Silva, although the Twitter rumours of a broken ankle a just a little wide of the mark.

One plus point to take note of is that Gareth Barry has served his ban which was picked up against Liverpool in the Premier League, and will no doubt return to action straight away to bolster the options in the centre of midfield and provide cover for the roaming full-backs. Barry has been the most consistent player so far in this campaign and will hopefully pick up where he left off.

Another positive is that both Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko took full part in training and will hopefully be in contention for a return tomorrow or against Wigan.

On the transfer front, Kompany's ban may mean Onuoha gets another 6 months at the club as he may well be needed for cover should the unthinkable happen to any more defenders before the transfer window closes. Although Mancini showed little intent on giving him another chance as he opted to name 16 year old Karim Rekik on the bench ahead of him on Sunday.

The fans certainly have their part to play. The 2nd half of Sunday's game showed what can be done when the crowd gets behind the team. Several of the players commented on it after the match and clearly respond to the noise levels in the stadium as we have seen several times this season. The louder the crowd, the bigger the performance has been. So you know what to do.




Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880 or @mcfcDSLeftFoot
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

Manchester City v Liverpool: Post Match

I said it would be one of the toughest games of the season and despite the score I think it was. Playing a game against one of the top teams in the country only 2 days after playing another game was never going to be a walk in the park.

City never really got into any sort of rhythm at any point in the 90 minutes and the possession and passing stats show just that as Liverpool had around 2/3 of it with City completing only 77% of their passes. Going down to 10 men after 73 minutes didn't help but the pattern had already been set. It was never a 2nd yellow either.

Mike Jones is just another in a line of referees who don't appear to be up to the standard required of a Premier League official. Gareth Barry received 2 yellow cards and was given his marching orders, while Adam and Skrtel was free to do pretty much whatever they like for the majority of the game. Even Skrtel giving away a penalty straight after Barry got sent off couldn't get Mike Jones to dip his hand in his pocket to give Liverpool a card after Glenn Johnson's solitary 55th minute booking for quite clearly pulling back Aguero.

I have complained about City's poor finishing in their recent few games as a number of good chances have gone begging, but imagine how Liverpool fans feel? They've had to put up with it from the very start of the season and now Liverpool and Suarez have accepted the ban (if not his guilt) the task of converting the majority of chances falls to Andy Carroll.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, Carroll is almost totally one dimensional, simply asking for the ball to be whipped into the box for him to try and stick his head onto. That was the plan against City anyway. Unfortunately again for Liverpool is that they came up against a Vincent Kompany that has regained his best form in recent weeks and 10 of Kompany's 14 clearances came from crosses aimed at Carroll. In fact, Carroll may as well have not been on the pitch for all he offered. Kompany on the other hand was awarded man of the match.

Although not the kind of game people have come to expect from City, it was a great defensive display with everyone mucking in. Even the forwards stuck a few tackles in albeit with rather mixed results, they are forwards after all. A lot of players had to put a shift in, and although it was rarely spectacular it was full of grit and determination. Not exactly the performance you would expect from a group of over payed, uninterested mercenaries on a cold and wet Manchester evening.

City did concede more chances than they would have liked but Joe Hart rarely looked out of his comfort zone as he put in another commanding performance. The players in front of him handled themselves well, and Joe mopped up any mistakes they did make.

Yaya had possibly his best performance of the season as he gave City a driving force on the counter attack on a number of occasions, one surge won the penalty after going down to 10 men which James Milner converted His goal to make it 2-0 was my goal of the match. It was a fantastic header that went in off the bar, not only for how it went in, but because he was moving backwards at the times and managed to get decent power on it as well as direction.

Aguero's opportunistic shot from the edge of the box was also quite stunning as he hit the ball with enough top spin which made the ball dip very quickly in front of Pepe Reina. The Spanish keeper, who has had a very good season so far, couldn't get down quick enough and the ball shot underneath him into the ball of the net.

All in all it was a solid performance from the squad and full of the determination that was required to silence the growing number of critics all too ready to write off City's season. City proved they can grind out results despite not playing particularly well. I say 'grind out results' but 3-0 isn't really what I'd call a close result. So much for City's season falling apart eh?




Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880 or @mcfcDSLeftFoot
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

Manchester City v Liverpool

A very quick turnaround for City now as Liverpool visit the Etihad Stadium only 2 days after City's dramatic loss against Sunderland. When questioned about the fixture list, Mancini was clearly unhappy that Liverpool got an extra 48 hours rest before what is one of the big fixtures in City's Premier League calendar.

Kenny Daglish will be hoping to capitalise on Arsenal's loss to Fulham as a win would take them above the Gunners into 5th place, level on points with 4th place Chelsea.

Although it isn't title challenging form, Liverpool don't have a particularly bad away form (W5-D1-L3) and despite not scoring as many as at home, they have conceded fewer goals on their travels. They beat Chelsea and Aston Villa away, but also lost to Fulham and drew to Wigan in recent away fixtures. However City haven't lost at home in any competition since a rather frustrating 1-2 defeat to Everton on December 20th 2010

Suarez returns from a one match ban for his one finger salute to Fulham fans on December 5th, but also knowing he almost certainly faces a minimum 8 match suspension starting in the next couple of weeks for racially abusing Patrice Evra. Another charge of the same nature could see him banned from English association football indefinitely.

Despite what has gone on recently and even though he hasn't been in goal scoring form, he is one of the Liverpool players who can really cause problems for defenses up and down the league. Whether he causes problems through his ability to dribble or his ability to feign a foul or injury is another question.

Craig Bellamy is another player who could cause problems if he plays, and after scoring 2 goals against Newcastle the chances are he will feature. It's no secret that he didn't get on with Mancini and putting one over on him will bean appealing prospect for the combative Welshman.

David Silva, Mario Balotelli, James Milner, Micah Richards, and Gael Clichy are almost dead certs to return to the starting lineup. Kolo Toure is a possible other due to playing 2 games in such a short space of time. Mancini will be hoping these players will make the difference against Liverpool.

Vincent Kompany's return to form in recent weeks couldn't have come soon enough as this is the 1st of 3 times City play Liverpool in the next month as well as the 2nd Manchester derby of the season. Although his long passing was a little wayward against Sunderland he has shown he has a fantastic range in his arsenal which helps City attack from the back.

I really hope Gareth Barry plays, as he for me should be getting the player of the month award for December after a string of top draw performances. He is as important to the team as any other player in the squad and City really do notice the difference when he's not in it.

After a couple of disappointing results City will be looking to strike back and continue their great home form with a win against Liverpool, but this may prove to be the toughest game of the season so far.




Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880 or @mcfcDSLeftFoot
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

Sunderland v Manchester City: Post Match

How on earth did City manage to lose that game? It was the kind of end to the game that City fans of a certain standing will have been fearing, virtually the last kick of the game from a goal that was offside.

That's the way City have generally gone about their business for more years than I care to remember. In previous years fans would have just laughed it off as 'typical City', but with the squad City now have and the money that has been spent it's more difficult to accept results like that when there is so much to play for. Still, it's something we have to do. Perhaps not laugh it off, but accept the result and move on.

City had round 60% possession of the ball, 10 corners, and 25 attempts on goal. Sunderland had their backs to the wall on a number of occasions and played almost entirely on the break which is something City are going to have to quickly learn to overcome if they are to continue on their title challenge.

Mancini was clearly unimpressed that the opportunity to go 3 points clear wasn't taken as several players simply did not perform up to the required standard that Roberto has come to expect from his players despite the match stats. In fact Mancini was so unhappy he left the touchline and headed down the tunnel after the goal was conceded and before the game ended. He looked like a man who had been let down in a big way.

Most of the players in question are those that have had to watch from the sidelines in recent weeks and you would have thought they would have grabbed the chance with both hands, but that didn't happen. The passing in the final third of the pitch was pretty poor almost throughout the 90 minutes and it got worse the closer to goal it got.

Yaya, Nasri, Johnson, Kolarov and Kompany were all guilty of playing the ball into the box with little to no conviction or purpose. Dzeko's passing was pretty bad throughout too, and unfortunately his shooting was even worse. 1/3 of his passes were wayward and only 1 of his 10 shots were on target.

One player who can hold his head high despite the defeat is Gareth Barry who was as dependable as ever. Despite losing, Kompany and Lescott also played well defensively overall.

I'm not sure I can recall feeling this disappointed about a result in the last 12 months or so, and we're still top of the league! Perhaps the result against Everton last December was as close to the same frustration many have exhibited after this result. I suppose that's an indication of just how far City have come in the last 3 years.

City may well be going through the sticky patch that all teams go through at some point in the season, although the results themselves other than this one against Sunderland haven't actually been that bad. A loss at Stamford Bridge, a draw at the Hawthorns and two wins at home isn't too much to be worried about at this point.

A big kick up the backside is needed after this performance before Liverpool in 2 days, and some players will be kicking themselves as they have missed an opportunity to really show their worth to the squad today. Plenty of games are coming up though in the next couple of months so they will get another chance. Lets hope they take it.

In brief summary of the game it was a story of poor passing in the final third, extremely poor finishing from all involved, some good defending from Sunderland and an offside goal that stole the 3 points at the death. I probably should have put that first so you didn't have to read all of the above. It'd have saved a minute or two of your time anyway.

Thankfully, most other teams in the title and top 4 challenges also slipped up this week. Manchester United lost at home to Blackburn, Chelsea lost at home to Aston Villa, and Spurs drew away to Swansea. Only Liverpool and Arsenal picked up 3 points so it's not all bad.




Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City

The season's festivities climaxed yesterday but as joyous as the occasion may be, many Blues throughout the land will have had a portion of their thoughts on something other than the Turkey; Boxing Day Football. City travel to the Hawthorns to take on West Brom in the next game of a tightly packed Christmas and New Year schedule.

After the rather unexpected cake walk that was City v Stoke earlier at the Etihad 5 days ago you would expect and maybe hope West Brom to put up a little more of a fight with them being on home turf. Sadly I half expect them to play like the away side and sit and defend in the hope they can withstand City's attacks for 90 minutes. I hope I'm wrong.

Woy Hodgson is tasked with stabilising the somewhat yo yo existence seen in recent years at the Hawthorns and at this stage of the season they are mid-table, and around halfway to safety with 21 points.

Unfortunately for West Brom, their home form isn't exactly exemplary, having lost 5 of their 8 games there this season. West Brom have also failed to get any points from any games against teams in the top 6. City have won 5 of their away games, only losing to Chelsea with 10 men 2 weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, the odds are clearly stacked heavily against the Baggies in this fixture.

Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie bare the majority of the responsibility when it comes to scoring goals. Both have scored 5 and 4 league goals respectively. England international Ben Foster will be hoping his defence can limit the number of chances City create, but I would think he may be a little busy.

His opposite number, and England number 1, Joe Hart, will also be hoping for a clean sheet which would be the 3rd in succession after shutting out Arsenal and Stoke prior to this game. Kompany returned to his imperious best in those games too, and will be wanting to continue and build on that form.

After impressing against Stoke, possibly partly due to the lack of defending he was required to do, Adam Johnson will also be hoping for another start. Mancini was clearly pleased with his contribution during the game though. Whether he gets his start or not is another matter. At the moment I would think he would take any time he can get and has a habit of coming on from the bench to score late on in games.

Who starts up front is a mystery and will partly depend on whether Dzeko is fit enough to play after turning his ankle in training before the Stoke game. Both Aguero and Balotelli have been in fine form though so either one should be able to do a job up front.

Micah Richards is the only other injury concern and with the number of games coming up it may be once again down to the man for all seasons, Zabaleta, to fill in at right back.

With all due respect to West Brom, I hope they put up more of a fight than Stoke, but unless they play out of their skin or City have a really off game then City should have another 3 points by the end of the day.




Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

Manchester City v Arsenal: Post Match

What a game that was! Quite possibly the mos t exciting game I've seen this season. With a 1-0 scoreline you would be forgiven for thinking this was an edgy, nervous game with few chances, but you would be very wrong.

It was blatantly clear from the moment the whistle went that both teams were up for this game. City's season was falling apart according to large sections of the media after losing to Chelsea, and with Manchester United beating QPR earlier on in the day City really needed a result to stay top of the league.

Within the first 10 minutes City could have been 1-0 up as Zabaleta (playing at left back) received the ball out wide from a perfectly weighted pass from Barry. With the Arsenal defence retreating,  Zaba placed a wonderful first time pass across the top of the 18 yard box which was collected expertly by Aguero. Sergio's first touch was sublime, his shot however wasn't as he blasted the ball over the bar.

As well as Zabaleta comng in for Kolarov and Clichy (injured and suspended), this game also saw Kolo Toure return to action, chosen ahead of Joleon Lescott. Noteably though, it was Kopmpany who occupied the left side of the central pairing. With the threat of Walcott cutting inside and causing trouble it was up to Kompany and Zaba to make so he didn't have any influence on the game.

That's exactly what they did. Both Zabaleta and Kompany has absolutely superb games. Amongst the best I've ever seen either of them play. Komapny was a giant in defence, nothing was getting past him and he even showed a few deft touches going forward when the opportunity arose. Zabaleta was sensational at left back both in defence and going forward, even hitting the post with a drive from outside the area later in the game.

After his previous performances this season I was a little worried when I saw Kolo's name on the team sheet. But I will hand it to him, he also had a fine game. Perhaps the most notable contribution was executing a perfectly times tackle on Aaron Ramsey with the young gunner 6 yards from goal and certain to score. The look on Ramsey's face said it all, he wouldn't get a better opportunity to score all season.

Balotelli came close to scoring after 25 minutes as he brought the ball down between two Arsenal defenders and shot on the turn from around 8 yards. Unfortunately for City, Szczesny was in fine form, and closed the gap quickly to stop the shot heading into the back of the net.

The first half was exhilarating as both sides seemingly took turns in trading blows. City attacked, then Arsenal attacked, back and forth it went. Joe Hart made a number of fantastic saves to keep City in the game, the best performance from him so far this season as he was clearly desperate to keep a clean sheet. Both teams went in level at 0-0 at the halfway mark.

The deadlock was finally broken on 52 minutes after Zabaleta intercepted a pass on the edge of his own area. Gareth Barry picked up the ball and passed quickly to Samir Nasri who then quickly turned and ran past the halfway line, spotting Balotelli in acres of space to run into on the left wing. Balo took control of the ball 6 yards from the byline, worked his way to the 18 yard box and jinked passed song before firing off a low drive. Szczesny parried the shot but Aguero managed to get his head to the rebound which then fell neatly to Silva who tapped the ball home with his right foot.

Both sides had a number of good chances in the second half. Robin Van Persie had the ball in the back of the net at one point but the assistant flagged for offside. Arsenal may well feel aggrieved after seeing the reply though.  It was a mixture of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from both teams that kept the score down before time was called on a simply breathtaking game.

An outstanding performance from all players. Nasri was given man of the match at the Etihad, Kompany was given it by Sky, although Zabaleta and Gareth Barry were two other very strong shouts for the award.

City remain top of the table despite their season apparently falling apart after the Chelsea game. Stoke visit the Etihad Stadium in the next few days, a different sort of test altogether awaits.




 
Twitter: @MikeWalsh1880
Facebook: David Silva's Left Foot

The 'new' City mentality.

Since joining City from Shrewsbury, Joe Hart has worked his way up to be both club and country's 1st choice goalkeeper. This was no mean feat either, and I'd say it was even more of an achievement to do it at City as he had one of the best keepers to grace the Premier League fighting him for it.

Although other players generally stand out for their performances or attitude towards the club I do think Charles gets a little overlooked (more so this season than last and a little like his 1st name) but epitomises the desire within the squad.

He was interviewed by mcfc.co.uk after the derby, where City romped away as 6-1 winners, did I ment1-6n they won 6-1? 6-1 at the swamp, don't think I ment1-6ned it. Anyway... In the interview Joe describes how annoyed they won 6-1. Why? Because it was 6-ONE.

"I was annoyed. You can get carried away with the result and the three points, but we let in a goal. It kills me to let one in, it kills all of us.

"I'm so angry because we've hammered teams and then we've let a stupid goal in. It's frustrating, and we're trying for perfection at the moment."

That sums up the mentality Mancini is instilling within the squad. He's a perfectionist and we've all heard him talk about the players never resting on their laurels, always striving to do better and even after a good win there is always something to improve on. It's important you see. Bobby has also mentioned (on a number of occasions) after City have let in the odd goal that this is one thing that bugs him. It seems to bug all the players too.

Now I certainly can't speak for every team's attitude but I should imagine there are a few that don't mind conceding the odd goal if they score more than the opposition. For some teams and managers that may be fine, not City.

When Sheikh Mansour took over and installed Khaldoon Al Mubarak as Chairman they wanted to create a football dynasty. They wanted to take a club and make it the best in the world. Then they installed a manager who was absolutely driven and as demanding and focused as they were. Roberto Mancini.

That focus and drive has gradually permeated the squad and now looks weaved into the fabric of the players. Joe Hart is no exception there. Just look at his reaction to conceding a goal (or the next time he concedes), even at 3-0 up at the time, he absolutely hates it. 

"So he should, he's a goalkeeper" I hear you say, well yes, but I've not seen too many keepers look like that when they're already 3-0 up and just had a goal put past them. And the sheer look of disappointment can also be seen on many other players in the squad too. Although it will only be for a fleeting moment.

Hart also gives us a little insight into the dressing room in an interview after opening a new club house for AFC Urmston in mid-week after being asked about the derby.

"There was a lot of talk about the Charity Shield, when we were 2-0 up at the break... We were telling each other not to back off, to go for it. And we did."

We've read it a few times before that it's not just the Manager that gets a word in at half time, it seems the lads are encouraged to make their views known to each other and to encourage each other during the break. There are a number of very strong characters in the squad now and that seems to be paying dividends.

If there's one thing that City aren't short of, it's leaders. Joe Hart is a commanding and confident presence at the back. Vincent Kompany is a born leader and club captain. Nigel De Jong is another strong and influential character in the team. Gareth Barry has captained England at times, has a steady head and is a fantastic professional. Micah Richards, despite his age he is a big character and as determined as anyone at the club when he steps on that pitch. Kolo Toure can be added to that as he was club captain at one point. I should Imagine Kolo's brother Yaya, will also be one of those to get their say as he is one of the most experienced players in the squad.

Some teams struggle to find 1 good leader, City have at least 6 or 7 to choose from, and it shows. No longer are we seeing the team put their heads down after a goal, we're seeing them push from the first to the last whistle, we're also seeing them push even harder to finish the game in a strong manner.

A wonderful example of this new resolve and mental strength they seem to find themselves with is the  3-1 Premier League win against Wolves. From the moment the first whistle went City were playing against 14 men; The 11 Wolves players, the ref and the two linesmen. If you watched the game you will no doubt be of a similar opinion that it was undoubtedly one of the worst and most one sided performances from any set of officials I've ever witnessed.

Wolves, a team well known for their 'physical' approach to the game only had 5 fouls called against them all game. City on the other hand had 17. An example of one of these 'fouls' was a Wolves player leaping over and into the back of Mario Balotelli to head the ball, which caused Mario to double over (a little theatrically, but still...). What was the refs decision? Foul... to Wolves, because Stuart Attwell decided Mario had backed into the player. Ok then Stuart.

Another example would be the blatant penalty call that both the ref and linesman conveniently missed/flat-out ignored when Nasri lifted the ball into the box. Dzeko at this point was almost in a choke hold but nothing was called.

I could go on and on about the ref but the point of this piece isn't to describe how the ref was a grossly incompetent prick (just look at his record and you'll see) that couldn't referee an U10's game let alone a Premier League match.

Anyway, what affect did this have on the team? Very little in the grand scheme of things. The lads plugged away, toughed it out, gave Wolves very few chances to score and even when down to 10 men they managed an injury time goal to stretch their lead.

Mick McCarthy told the BBC the they "let [City] off the hook" in that game, but I'm not entirely sure which game he was watching. City were not at their best by any stretch of the imagination but as Alan Hansen correctly put it (yes you did read that right) at the moment even when City aren't at their best "they're still impressive".

Yes City were and are still impressive despite not being at their best, despite playing against a ref that simply refused to acknowledge any foul against a City player even if that left them on the floor clutching their ankle in pain, despite going down to 10 men (for what is increasingly looking like a 50/50 after watching it on several replays, but we'll not argue) City were still impressive. They locked out Wolves and still got themselves a goal. Maybe Fergie could learn something there.

The 'old' City would have crumbled after going down to 10 men and conceded 2 or 3 goals late on. But the team now has such a balance and mental strength that even though they hadn't been playing to their full potential it barely affected them in the end. Being able to win games when playing 'poor' is what Champions do, isn't that what Hansen said last week? I noticed there was no mention of it this week though. But City proved they can do it, and do it well under very difficult circumstance

Oh and just one more thing seeing as I've seen it in a few places this morning. The fans were NOT booing the players. Any moron with half a brain should be able to figure out that the booing was for the ref. That is all... 



@MikeWalsh1880