City 3 - Stoke 0 Robinho 3 goal stunner!

The Starting line up came as a shock today, with Jo omitted from the whole team (through illness). Evans was chosen as next choice, but to my dismay! I struggle with the lad, dont really rate him at the moment, yeah, he got a decent assist today, but otherwise he just seems to lack finesse and all round quality. Passing and general ability to take on defenders isn't really there. Sturridge now has to over take hughes golden boy, taffy evans, in the striker rankings!

City again flattered in the 1st half; a good goal from Robinho, but no real penetration afterwards tills half time. I hate it, when we pass it around like a training match, it happened against the geordies and i was worried it would happen again.

We could have had a shed full in the second half, Two more great goals form the main man robinho, but SWP, Ireland and Micah should of all netted.

Pullis felt his team should have got something from the game, disagree! They had a couple of chances that were well saved from Joe hart, who played his best of the season. They are horribly physical side and were allowed to continue by the ref, who didnt really have a bad game, but should have clamped down on the over physical challenges. We peppered Sorensen, who looks to have revived his career, looking like the top class goalie has he left behind last season. Sturridge changed the game today, someone more gifted up front to complement what we had going in the midfield. We could of been 10 nil up by the end of it, stoke were lucky we didnt score more!


Players performance
Hart: Best game of this season for me, less dodgey at set pieces, delaps's throws are quite slow and can be picked up easier than a cross. Made some cracking saves today, to top off his new contract at the club!

Richards: looked off the pace today, although brightened up towards the end of the game, glad he's fit. Should of scored, he tried to blast it, unlucky, the other players seemed to find it amusing that he missed.

Ben Haim: Couple of cock-ups, but by far his best performance, tackling was superb today and his distribution on the whole is better than dunnie.

Dunne: 1st tackle, it thought he was going to have a cracker, MEN had him down as being almost faultless, almost being the word, he made a couple of mistakes today, but is looking like he can recover form, which we need.

Garrido: Defending wise pretty average for him, got skinned a couple times and missed a sliding tackle in the box towards the end, some decent balls today, some not so great a usual performance for the lad.

Kompany- MEN gave him a 6!!! Did they watch the game, he was brilliant today, made so many tackles, dropped deep when needed and eventually moved to centre back because he was so solid today. Back on Form!

Elano: Outstanding again for me, He is the engine of our team, he creates so much through clever balls and movement, was desperate for a goal, and made some decent efforts on goal. My man of the match (usually goes to the hat trick hero!)

Ireland: quiet game today for stevie, but again came alive towards the end, great ball for swp in the build up for the final goal.

SWP: Much better from him today! Allot of effort, cocked up a big chance, but help assist another, he will be even better Vs boro!

Robinho: Outstanding, full of class today! Finished well every time. I knew from go, when he 1st broke on goal, we was going to be a handful today

Evans: Nice assist looks like a revved up nutter that will challenge anything, far from the finished article! Injury doesn’t look great

Subs
Sturridge: Changed the game, created goals, and nearly scored himself, very strange that he's 3rd choice.

Onouha: much better today, played a wicked ball in the box, glad he looked less surprised to be playing.

Gelson: it's like letting a jack Russell out of a box, he is everywhere, full of energy, running into both boxes.

Ref :

Steve Tanner: well done, the game flowed fairly well, only one card, should of gripped physical stoke more, but did well!


3-0 a good result to set us up for the REVENGE match at boro midweek. Great news about hart signing a new 5-year deal at the club. Good day all round for city, but not for juande ramos i guess!

Days Round up.

All round miserable bore Jack Charlton tells Steven Ireland to apologise and get on with it or just forget about it. He wouldnt tolerate it in his day. Not entirely sure what Stevie problem is, was it the wig, or does he just suffer under pressure. Ireland(country) would be pleased to have him back, by far, on of the best talents they have.

Mark Hughes is optomisitc over Martin Petrov's injury. He hopes to delay knee surgery for the player after consultation with Petrov's specialist in Spain. Luckly he didnt damage his ACL, but has damaged his meniscus ( often cited as torn cartiladge, it helps spread the weight ont he body and reduce friction in the knee.) They are hoping over the next few weeks to build the muscle around it, to give strength and support, andget him playing much sooner than expected.

Looks like a long shot to me!

Micah Richards looks' set to return for the Stoke game this sunday, Great news if true, as we are looking pretty bare at the back at the moment. We need him at right back, Onouha looked awful when he came on the other day.

Mark Hughes is preparing his side for the challenge of Rory Delap, who isnt that good a footballer, but has a long effective throw, that Stoke have put to good use this season (still doesnt rival Dave Challinor record breaking throw of 46.75 metres). Hughes is rightly concerned, as our defence is rubbish at the moment, no zabaleta, dunne playing some of the worst football we have seen for some time and garrido still struggling to tackle anything. We need a result in this game, or the pressure will grow on hughes. Elano needs to play, i would hate to see him a vicitm to tactics, everyone has raved over steven ireland this season, but i believe Elano has been the unsung hero, scored goals, created goals and his role with the defence means we dont lose so much ball from dunney whacking it upfield. He also has a far better final ball than ireland or anyone else and shouldnt be the one left out.

Much Loved and much Admired: the Joey Barton Story.

"the last-chance saloon"
Yes Joey is worried about it being his last chance, now he's a changed man. Joey blamed alchohol as a convienent excuse for stubbing cigars in collegues eyes, hitting kids in the far east, recking a taxi cab and battering someone outside a Mcdonalds. He doesnt have an excuse for battering a team mate so severely he had to be taken to hospital, depsite having medical staff on hand at the training ground. Nor could he excuse his awful behaviour on the pitch stamping on the heels of another player and and outright kicking dixon Etuhu, for which he escaped any punishment.

He doesnt deserve any chance. A thug, that the game should of tossed aside a long time ago. It's ironic that his return coincides with the arrival of a footballing moron at Newcastle, in joe' i'm irish' Kinnear. The perveyor of thuggish football and long ball nonsense will find Barton right up his street, a poor passer of the ball but a good at kicking the opposition.

If platani really wants to protect the game, he needs to stop thugs like Barton from getting so many chances to shame himself and the image of the game.