Off the pitch at the KC Stadium

Article by Dave Wilkinson

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Well, that’s it. Our European adventure is over… for this season, at least. And in the absence of enough positives to fill a 500 word article, I thought I’d look at the off-the-pitch stories from the last few days.

International Tigers

Gone are the days of having to play league matches without one or two players who had been called up for international duty (notably the ‘Reggae Boyz – Ian Goodison and Theo Whitmore). We’re now in the big league and so international breaks are a common occurrence. However, these days, they’re not really a break for much of our squad. At the time of writing, no fewer than 11 players have already been called up for international duty. So far Allan McGregor (Scotland), Andrew Robertson (Scotland), James Chester (Wales), Sone Aluko (Nigeria), Paul McShane (Rep. Ireland), Robbie Brady (Rep. Ireland), Stephen Quinn (Rep. Ireland), David Meyler (Rep. Ireland), Alex Bruce (N. Ireland), Ahmed Elmohamady (Egypt) and Tom Ince (England U21) have all been named in squads.

The number of Tigers playing for their country, and also the number of players who will be disappointed not to have been (George Boyd, for example) not only illustrates how far we’ve come in recent years, but it also demonstrates the quality that we have within the squad. The above list of players has 151 full international caps between them (153 if you include Alex Bruce’s for Rep. Ireland before he switched allegiances) and that number is bound to climb as they establish themselves amongst their countries’ elite.

Two days to go

It’ll soon be that time when the Sky Sports News viewing figures go through the roof as we all momentarily forget that any other TV channel exists. I’m talking, of course, about transfer deadline day. You know, that time when Jim White becomes the most popular man in the country (on Twitter at least) as he seamlessly brings us news from every ground in the country. But I wonder if he’ll be beaming down to a reporter stood outside the KC Stadium on Sunday night? As I write this, I’m hearing more and more confirmation that a deal to bring Abel Hernandez in from Palermo is nearing completion and could be done in time for the weekend’s match at Villa Park. Other potentials include Mo Diame from West Ham and the worrying interest in Manchester United’s punch line, Tom Cleverley.

The Tom Cleverley deal worries me for a number of reasons. One of the main concerns amongst most City fans so far this season has been the midfield’s apparent inability to keep the ball – something that they were largely praised for last season. Cleverley’s style tends to be rushed, panicked and sometimes downright careless. Is this the type of player who’s going to come in and settle down the midfield to allow them to play at their own pace? However, Elmohamady, Meyler and Jelavic (to name but a few) hardly came with the highest recommendations from fans of their previous employers so who knows? Maybe young Tom will do better without the added pressure of expectation that playing for Man United brings.

There are rumours of some players going out of the door before next week. Steve Bruce’s son, Alex, and the ever popular Paul McShane have allegedly been the subject of interest from a few clubs and the recent signing of Michael Dawson from Tottenham might pave the way for at least one of them to exit. Personally, I think there’s room in the squad to keep both of them. Bruce will put his body on the line for this team and McShane can play anywhere across a back line. In a season that has already seen us lose James Chester through suspension and switch between three and four at the back, these are attributes that might come in handy. Then again, without the burden of European football to contend with, Bruce Sr. might see an extra defender as a luxury he can do without.

Even after the sale of Shane Long to Southampton, I’m not surprised to hear suggestions that Sone Aluko or Yannick Sagbo might be on their way out. Neither player impressed against KSC Lokeren and Aluko’s hesitance in front of goal nor his poor decision making in attacking positions certainly won’t be missed. But in a side that infamously struggles to score goals, City can never have too many strikers. And in Aluko’s defence, he is capable of a moment of magic. Just think back to last season at St. James’ Park.

Focus on the league?

The old cliché that all managers say after elimination from a cup competition comes with a bittersweet taste at the minute. Let’s be honest, we all wanted a trip to the San Siro, didn’t we? That being said, it does relieve some of the demands of additional fixtures on an already stretched squad but I do fancy a cup run of some sort this season. Just so, if nothing else, we could have another crack at Europe next season.

DW

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