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Only a handful of Clubs have the ability to go from the sublime to the ridiculous in 4 days as well as being taken over in-between times but City have proved yet again they are a Club like no other.
From the high of Sunday’s 6-0 demolition of Portsmouth in which City played some of the best attacking football I’ve seen, they proceeded to plumb the depths with an embarrassing defeat in the Carling Cup at yet another lower league venue.
It now seems a City tradition to get knocked out by these types of sides (remember Doncaster and Chesterfield?) yet I feel this season’s defeat could have easily been avoided.
Excusing Robinho from the Brighton game was understandable but the absence of SWP and Micah Richards severely affected City’s performance…don’t get me wrong, I still felt the squad we had at our disposal should have comfortably seen off the limited challenge of the Seagulls but this game would have been ideal for the two players who missed out.
Isn’t it better to be 2-0 up playing your strongest team in the opening 60 minutes and then take off your best players than rely too heavily on their stand-ins who haven’t played much football together?
Tricky decisions like this are probably why I’m writing this column and not managing a professional football team!!
Whilst the Blues carefully plot their way to the pinnacle of the Premier League over the next few years, the Carling and FA Cups are their only realistic targets and although I don’t think Mark Hughes completely under-valued the competition, a huge opportunity has gone begging.
I’m sure word quickly filtered through to Sheikh Mansour of City’s first defeat as the world’s wealthiest team but can I assure him that despite this set-back,he has purchased a magnificent Football Club which can go on to great things….if he can just shape the future to avoid humiliating cup defeats, I would be much obliged!
No time for the Blues to feel sorry for themselves as they face yet another Sunday game this time at the JJB and a Wigan side that we’ve recently been unable to beat.
Two consecutive draws show how tight this fixture has become and The Manager should select his strongest side and hope his mercurial Brazilians turn on the style to get the Blues back to winning ways.
Steve Bruce’s men will be in confident mood, fresh from thrashing Ipswich 4-1 in the Carling Cup and the midfield tussle will be fascinating as Kompany, Ireland and Elano do battle with Palacios,Scharner and Valencia.
Control of this game starts here and if City get on top, bank on Robinho and SWP to dazzle once again!
The Chinch predicts: Wigan 1-2 City
TOTAL FOOTBALL on Key 103 and Magic 1152 Manchester brings you EVERY Blues game this season. Join me on SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER from 3 o’clock, live from the JJB STADIUM as City face Wigan Athletic.Then have YOUR say on my after-match phone-in by calling 0161-288-0103.
TOTAL FOOTBALL…the place to be for every City game this season.
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