Mancini changed the winning side from the Fulham trip, dropping point man RSC and Vieira to the bench probably due to fitness and making a surprise move replacing left back Garrido with Zabaleta. Steven Ireland returned to the team after a prolonged absence in his favoured position behind the striker.
City started brightly dominated a large part of the 1st half. Ireland's passing was good, although he still lacked the energy and grit in the middle that won him the adoration of city fans last season. We had chances, but simply failed to capitalise on a good spell of possession. Our lack of finishing nearly cost us at Fulham and it certainly cost us last night! It's here, where i feel Spurs have an advantage, with Pavlyuchenko and Defoe , they have two players who would take advantage of the many chances we make in front of goal.
The game changed when Barry gave away a very contentious free kick outside the box. He appeared to win the ball fairly. Even if the free-kick was contentious, it still didn't excuse the defending. Cahill is brilliant in the air, yet was allowed to easily get his head to the ball. City finished the half in a disappointing manner, a lead Everton generally didn't deserve, but were allowed a chance on goal and took it!
City had to change shape with the withdrawal of Steven Ireland through injury, and we didn't look good. SWP came on the right, moving Johnson out left and Bellamy through the middle. It didn't work! Johnson was having some success on the right, being both footed he made life very difficult for Baines, but we didn't really utilise his ability on the left. RSC came on and gave us a focal point, but at that point, the midfield was simply non existent. Vieira's introduction came too late, we needed his ability to keep the ball and pass. I thought Barry was exceptionally poor.
City tried to pile on the pressure, with little result, good chances going amiss with poor finishing and no luck. It was inevitable that Everton would score a second on the break and that sealed city's fate, confirming City 1st loss at home since last Easter.
Once again we were undone by a side that came to disrupt and be overly physical. I thought Everton were pretty disgraceful in their conduct, using a tactic that is popular amongst lower level sides. Disruptive football, a lot of low grade fouls, time wasting, diving and arguing, this conduct highlighted by actions of their Manager who was more than happy to join in the time wasting charade. City lost momentum in the game because of this tactic, something that happened against Stoke as well. Everton are very similar to likes of Stoke and Blackburn, but with the ability to pay 15 million for one player. They were of course allowed to deploy this tactics with the aid of weak refereeing performance from Walton. His performance was deeply suspect, allowing Everton to get away with a great deal and not punishing players enough to limit them. City don't cope well with this pressure from these low-grade tactics and it's something other lower-level sides with be keen to implement when they face us.
An ultimately disappointing result and performance leaves a bitter taste after what appeared to be a turning point at Fulham. The Wigan performance will have to be of the highest calibre. Adebayor should be ready for a return, without much competition! To finish we an over used football cliché, 'it's a must win.'
19 comments:
I see the untold Arab riches have done nothing for City bitterness.
Arsenal/Utd/Spurs/Villa is an "incredibly hard run" too
I've read some crap on football blogs but never such drivel as this
In what way, apart from Teves, are Everton Football Club, lower level than us?
Carlos is the only player who'd get a place in the Everton team
And it was painful to watch those giants Arteta, Pienaar and Osman bully our little cherubs
If we hade half their pluck, we might've done better
Started well but totally fell apart midway through. A lot like City last night.
Ha what a load of crap! Everton dominated the first 15 minutes of the game, then as city were getting on top Everton scored at around the half hour mark. I no you are upset because how ever many millions you lot have spent you still cant beat us.. but at least tell the truth :).
spot on they bullied us off the park, if you think low grade fouls is being plucky then thats fine.
We have a very good squad winsford! Everton are well organised but certainly are not as good as you seem to think they are. Osman for one isn't a player of good ability. Everton scored 2 but only had one more shot on target. the stats show just under half of their tackles were given as fouls. Prolonged time wasting, from the goalkeepr, manager alike, showed a clear tactic to disrupt our game. It's not good to watch, and i dont look on it fondly. It's exactly what Stoke did us. It's a low grade and low standard tactic for teams of lesser ability. As i pointed out, Moyes has a squad which is has spent a fair amount on, yet continues this tactic of disruption.
And yes we have a hard run, but utd, spurs, villa are all at home! Spurs have to go to united at home, and consecutively host arsenal and chelsea.
Ha what a load of crap! Everton dominated the first 15 minutes of the game, then as city were getting on top Everton scored at around the half hour mark. I no you are upset because how ever many millions you lot have spent you still cant beat us.. but at least tell the truth :).
City were better for a large part of the 1st half, better chance, better passing.!
thomas, apart from being totally deluded, you clearly know nothing about football. One of the worst written articles i have ever read.
Complete Idiot
Bin dipper always gobby, but lacking in any sembelance of worth! Gollem is no different to allerdyce, if your proud of that football scousers, it shows what low standards you have!
thomas
"...scored 2 and one more shot on target"
That's 3 more than we managed
And you've got be joking about Everton's mini-bullies - the 3 together don't weigh more than Vierra - they're tiny players
i do look these things through before hand, city had 4 shots on target, and 6 off target. A great deal more than everton That was my point in the article, if we had been more clinical in our possession, we would be beating teams like Everton. And it was their destructive play, that tempered our progress, and allowed them into the game!
Pienaar, heitinga, neville , cahill all got away with a series of fouls, they shouldn't of been allowed to do so by the ref. It's a pretty popular line on most city sites, that everton were dirty and the ref had a very poor game. I don't see why that's so difficult to understand.
But thanks Winsfordblue for having the decency to argue the point rather than just criticise.
johnnyspace- what makes my article so abhorrent and wrong? Can you articulate this rather than just 'criticising'. You may not like my opinion, but so what this isn't the Everton fan club!
http://bit.ly/cuT4cc
link to bluemoon, if you think im in the minority that thought walton had a terrible game and let everton get away with it.
The ref was terrible, tevez getting hacked down, ireland taken out of the game, Arteta should of been shown at second yellow. But booked our players for being justified in outrage.
The second time walton has done us over against a liverpool side.
Everton were reckless at times and we lost the plot, with the continued lack of support from the ref.
mostonblue.
You sad bunch of deluded spoilt tits.
Better side won, simple as that.
Oh and as for being over-physical, I think most neutrals would agree that it was your set of overpaid wanabes that were the more physical.
Show some dignity and accept your two defeats against a better club than you lot will ever be, even with your Arab millions.
Set back nothing more. Win against Wigan on monday will be crucial
What angered me most was post-match phone call with Nigel Gleghorn on BBC Manchester, mentioning the ref had decent game and found nth wrong with his decision. He might as go back to Stoke, if he wants to pundit!
I think most neutrals would agree that it was your set of overpaid wanabes that were the more physical.
the stats prove you wrong.
surely the better team has more possession and chances...
and as for you being a better club, look at the league!
Evertons disgraceful tactics? Errr don't quite follow you. How can u possibly compare everton to Stoke/Blackburn? Bear in mind we scored a fantastic goal from a fine PASSING move. Best move of the game.
Don't forget we where the AWAY team last night playing against a side unbeaten at home this season. Man City created 1 chance all night. Our defence and midfield dominated the game and this was probably one of the easiest wins of the season for Everton.
Oh and by the way did we play the way Stoke and Blackburn do when we thumped u 2-0 at goodison? or when we battered Man U and Chelsea? Face facts last night City where outplayed in EVERY department and everton thoroughly deserved to win. This is just typical bitterness from a side who hasn't won a trophy since the 1970's and seems to think they are now god's gift because they have a bit of money. City are a very very very predictable team to play against and last night it showed
Thomas, read the post - I said the better club. How many titles have you won, how many fa cups etc etc etc.
You as a club have no class and despite all the millions you now have you will still most likely bottle it again this season and miss out on finishing 4th.
With all the money you lot have you should be winning the league anyway, you are pathetic.
The saddest aspect of it all is that when you got the Arab millions i was genuinely delighted that the money had gone to what I thought was a proper club with proper fans - I saw many similarities between City and Everton. However the way you have behaved since getting the money has been typical behaviour of a school ground bully.
You now behave in exactly the same way as the fans of teams like Man U and Liverpool - you have turned in to a stereotype of the very fans you detested before your lottery win.
school ground bull- because we signed a player from everton, who wanted to leave your club for ours?
It's surely your petty reaction out of jealousy that has leads you to a city blog right now...
What makes us different now, we were still one of the biggest finanical clubs in europe before the take -over and we havn't changed. You protest at citys not liking your style in the match is more than justified.
City actually had more chances on and off target than everton, more possession, less long ball tactics, disruptive tackling and time wasting, in which from goalkeeper to manager, you all engaged in. Everton are as i pointed out, a higher grade version of stoke, as you had more money to build a team rather than the likes of stoke and Blackburn, neither manager have had anything near the 80 odd million moyes has spent, yet the tactics remain very similar.
wow you beat united once, and chelsea... great! we put 4 past chelsea at stamford bridge, we must be the best team in the league.
The comments on here clearly show the everton fan's have a huge chip on your shoulders, deluded ideas of grandeur and rights, despite having a manager who hasnt won anything, couldn't cut in the europe and cant compete financially anymore with villa, spurs, city...
good day!
thread closed
Post a Comment