Sunday 5 October 2008

City 2 - 3 Liverpool

  • It's obvious which game this reminded us of, and although the backlash from it will not be as significant as it was in April, I honestly did not think this was going to happen for a long time. Of course, when it went to 2-1, defeat for City was inevitable, written in the stars. But I thought that under Hughes, a solid, dependable character, City would stop conceding leads in trademark fashion. One problem is that Hughes is controlling a squad of players more known for their flair than their fight. The other is that City are the sort of club that this always happens to - in short, a comedy club. Beating Portsmouth 6-0 and then losing to Brighton - with City, victory or defeat is never cetrain, as demonstrated today. Strange things happen when they play - luckily, it works both ways.
  • It seems unlikely that Hughes will make us more of a solid team. Our position in the league may not fluctuate much, unlike last year, but the team itself will probably score and concede more goals than it did last year. Eriksson's reign was built on a formidable defensive diamond - in goal, the emerging Hart, Dunne and Richards at the back, and the superb Hamann in defensive midfield. City played good football last year but did not create many chances. Hughes' has picked up on Sven's philosophy of beautiful football and run with it, adding several quality forward players, but his defence may suffer as a result of this. So this might not be the only 3-2 of the season.
  • Amid all the euphoria, City are lower in the league than several poor teams - Blackburn, West Brom, Hull, and West Ham.

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