Saturday 22 August 2009

City 1 - 0 Wolves

  • If we are to do as well as we want to this season it is imperative that we continue last season's habit of winning our home games. As you all know, we won the second most away games in the Premier League last year - thirteen - and this must, at the least, be maintained this season. And so in that sense, today was a success. In others, though, it was rather disappointing.
  • I hate watching City when we're 1-0 up. Every missed chance brings more fear of subsequent punishment, and so our profligate finishing made for a very worrying ninety minutes. The worst was probably Stephen Ireland's miscue when through on goal in the second half, but let's not spare from criticism Adebayor's rounding Hennessey and missing, Adebayor's weak shot from Ireland's backheel, Tévez's first half header, Bellamy's failure to make contact from Robinho's cross, or any of Robinho's first half shots. Of course, it is to our credit that we created those chances, and some of our attacking movement in the first half was beautiful. But chances are meant to be taken.
  • That parade of missed chances was made all the more worrying by our midfield surrender in the second half. Wolves changed their system at half time and soon started to boss the game. We did continue to create opportunities on the break, but at we were at home against a promoted club and failing to string passes together. What is the point of Gareth Barry if not to maintain cool heads and possession of the ball? By the time Nigel de Jong was introduced Wolves had already hit the bar and forced a few saves from Shay Given.
  • It is a truism to say that Everton's defence is unsettled due to the impending Joleon Lescott transfer, but can the same now be said of City's back line? Richard Dunne is about to be replaced by a £22m England international, and with Nedum Onuoha recently signing a new deal Dunne's future surely lies away from Eastlands. Today, when we needed leadership and solidity from the back we got neither, as Wolves pounced on our discomfort under the high ball. Our defence is still in transition, and it shows.

2 comments:

Steven McInerney said...

Perhaps a tad negative there, lad. On another day this would have been 4-0. Just one of those days!

ChrisR said...

I would add that I felt Barry did all he could to calm things down with the chaos around him, with reasonable success. Numerous times Barry either aided us to break quickly, or slowed down our own possession nicely, only to be let down by the man taking the ball. Barry can't take the blame for those decisions