MCFC - A week in view

Article by e-Manchester City Correspondent Stephen Smith

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I don’t do match reviews, stats or player ratings, I write about how it feels to support this wonderful club. I write about the world class talent we have at our disposal, and how different it is now, to how it was way back then. This is my first published article so be gentle….

This week started with hopes and dreams…

Could we beat the mighty Barca? Could we draw and go to the Camp Nou with a hope?

Well as it turned out, the answer is probably no to both.

We started quite well on Tuesday night, and I feel we actually played quite well! I know we got beat 2-0 and the scoreline would suggest otherwise, and I’ve read all the stats about how many players had over 100 passes blah blah blah, but the penalty (well the free kick on the edge of the box, taken from 12 yards with no wall, after Navas was clearly fouled in the build up) and the sending off, clearly changed the game. Did Demichelis have to bring him down? I think in the cold light of day we would have all preferred he hadn't, maybe Joe Hart could have saved from a 1 on 1 situation, maybe Messi would have been forced wide and missed (doubtful but we will never know) but the worst outcome would have been a goal, and we still have 11 players on the pitch. I think it’s a tough call for any defender shoulder to shoulder with such a profound and world class player as Mr Messi, does he challenge and risk it, or does he stay on two feet and be blamed for not trying. Anyway penalty scored and man down, we played better 1-0 down with 10 men than we were with 11, but tiredness is bound to kick in at some point. Barca did have a perfectly good goal disallowed, for offside, when it wasn’t, and eventually made it 2-0 with Dani Alves in the 90th minute, and that just about capped the night off. I went to bed feeling glum, disappointed, and was left wondering on what could have been.

Strangely I woke on Wednesday morning in a really good place?? thinking if we go to Barca with no fear, and attack them with nothing to loose we could actually do quite well. I can actually see Aguero getting the early goal, in my mind, Is this logical, or is this just part of being a modern Man City fan? I'm not sure. I am ever the optimist these days, and I always think we can beat anyone. I listen avidly to talk radio sports stations and all but everyone on Wednesday has written off our chances. I then hear about Manuel Pellegrini ranting about the referee Jonas Eriksson. My god man, this is my club!! Just take the bad decisions and roll with it. We have had the lion’s share of decisions lately. You cannot have it all your own way all the time. Be graceful in defeat. They were better than us, and got the decisions. Now we are probably going to be manager less on the touchline for a few games after you receive a ban, for your actions.

Now, Wednesday night and Arsenal seem spookily to have a very similar night. I know they missed a penalty, and I know many things were different, but they lost 2-0 at home, had a man sent off, and conceded the second very late on. How strange then that some of the pundits still think they have a chance of turning their tie around? Are arsenal any better than us? Are Bayern Munich worse than Barcelona. Me thinks not. Ah well, we’ll see in a fortnight….stranger things have happened.

Fast forward Saturday lunch and I’m thinking Stoke at home. I’m thinking this is a toughie? Right? They are hard to break down and a good strong physical team. I don’t think we played particularly well, but hey, Yaya pop’s up with the winner on 70, and it’s all good again. Chelsea have already won 1-0 and Arsenal have hammered Sunderland 4-1 so nothing has really changed. We are still 3rd by virtue of the weather, but a win in that game in hand, would still put us top of the league by goal difference 14 better than Arsenal.

The league takes a back seat for us now as we have 3 consecutive cup games, Sunderland at Wembley next Sunday, Wigan in the FA cup rematch at the Etihad the Sunday after, and Barca return leg away on Wednesday 12th. Our next Pemier League match is Hull City AFC Tigers not Tigers yet? On the 15th of March, a full 3 weeks away. The mad thing is we could be Capital One Cup winners, FA Cup Semi Finalists and Champions League favourites, (Dreamland), or we could be beaten finalists, out of the FA cup and out of the champions league by then? So what a next 3 weeks this will be for the club. It’s a roller coaster again, but I think we will win the Capital One Cup against Sunderland, Overcome Wigan by 2 or more goals, and we will attack Barca, but just get edged out by the odd goal, beating them 2-1 on the night but losing 3-2 on aggregate.

Oh the joys! The ups and the downs, and the OK we won 1-0 but didn’t play that well’s. But hey, let’s be positive, we have come along way in a short space of time.

Stay blue, keep the faith….steve…@goatersgoals

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