Lost in the City

Three defeats in a row, 0 point earned from all those matches in the respective competitions, and everyone especially all those associated with Manchester City are baffled and at a complete loss with what is happening around them. The first of the three, against Arsenal might have been dismissed as a blip in an otherwise cruising form of Man City which have been threatening to be title challengers before this run of defeats started. But the next two opponents really put an end to any notions of Man City being a credible Champions League position chaser, let alone title challengers. Wolves and Lech Poznan are names that are swept aside by gusto by teams that are even remotely dubbed as a big club, again let alone the richest club in the world. But Man City have fallen to defeats to these teams, especially the latter in which personally, this writer is not even able to name just one player from that team. The next match against West Brom, yet another winnable fixture in normal circumstances is not really something to look forward to by now especially with West Brom being an in-form team lately. Actually, what Man City are suffering right now is not really a complicated and concealed problem. The problems with this team are simple and plain for all to see and observe. It simply has to do with a certain Argentine player, lack of passionate soldiers of the team, as well as criminal underutilization of certain personnel in the team.

Man City 2-1 Newcastle BPL

With the 2-1 home victory against Newcastle United, Manchester City have successfully climbed to second place in the BPL table and leapfrogging bitter rivals Manchester United in the process. It must be great to be Man City fans at the moment, and that the “Title Challenge” whispers from the victory against Chelsea last weekend have grown louder and louder. Things are looking so great at the moment. Future seems to be pristine clear like the water of an ideal oasis in the middle of a desert. However, despite the condemnations and castigation directed to me by fellow Man City fans lately no thanks to my pessimistic analysis in the past few matches on the defensive and passive tactics of Man City, as well as increasingly, the one dimensional nature of Man City’s games.

Possible Creative Sparks for Man City

The narrow 1-0 home victory against the defending champions Chelsea in Barclays Premier League is not really the massive victory ordinary fans would like all of us to believe. While that victory has spawned many Man City “fans” back, I would consider that victory as a hollow, or even a Pyrrhic victory. Ordinary fans are easily swayed by results, such as how new “West Brom fans” are suddenly spawning everywhere after their shock 3-2 away victory against the youthful and dazzling Arsenal. Fans more acquainted to football knowledge know better and Man City’s victory against Chelsea only served to put Man City’s weaknesses in the spotlight which will only be beneficial for the rich club’s future opponents, such as Sir Alex Ferguson who is sure to be licking his lips in excitement after discovering City’s weaknesses. One such huge weakness is the dearth of a creative spark in the rather rigid Man City side. As mentioned in my analysis of the match previously, Man City have yet to find a creative player who could create something out of nothing ever since the departures of the dynamic Elano, and as far as home matches are concerned, Robinho, and not forgetting the pacy but aging Craig Bellamy.

All pressure is on manager Roberto Mancini to find such wizard of a player in the upcoming transfer window, and with transfer fee not a problem at all, it is up to him to persuade a creative player to join the City revolution. I have in mind some candidates who might be able to provide Man City with that injection of creativity.

On Manchester City’s downfalls…

Alright, just like what I have been doing in my posts in the past, this post is no exception and I have to do the customary congratulation to Tottenham who have just secured the much coveted 4th spot, and in fact a possible 3rd place if they win their remaining game of the season against the already relegated Burnley and Fulham springs nasty surprises in the Emirates Stadium. That success comes at the expense of high spenders Manchester City who have been tipped all season to clinch that 4th spot and also replacing Liverpool as one of the Big Four in the Premier League this season. What went wrong? After such an obscene splurge, just like Real Madrid, they are expected to destroy everything in their path! But what went wrong with this team? The following paragraphs will show exactly why.