City’s top 20 transfer deals of all timeNovember 28th, 2006

Firstly I should make clear that this isn’t a list of the best ever players City have signed. The table (below) is worked out purely in financial terms and only includes players who were later sold by the club.

Obviously a player such as Colin Bell, who was bought for £42,000 from Bury in 1966, would have been worth several times that at the height of his career. But as it’s impossible to put a financial figure on players who aren’t sold, he ain’t on the list.

Next week we’ll be revealing City’s all-time worst transfer signings.

Reaction, stats and ratings: City v Liverpool

Pearce may believe we can win a place in Europe this season, but it certainly won’t be through the Fair Play League.

Here’s a snippet of action from the live match commentary:

(20:54) Vassell fouls Gerrard
(21:28) Richards fouls Finnan
(22:20) Barton fouls Garcia
(22:57) Vassell fouls Finnan

City had conceded five free-kicks by the time Gerrard committed Liverpool’s first foul after 12mins, and in total conceded 22 fouls to Liverpool’s 10. True, referee Rob Styles seemed to be pretty generous to Liverpool, but he can’t be blamed for last week’s tally against Fulham, where we committed 23 fouls to their 12.

But Pearce’s physical approach is certainly reaping rewards, despite the result today. The tactics against Liverpool were probably right, and with better finishing and one less wayward pass we might even have sneaked it.

My main concern was playing Micah in midfield, the fourth different position the 18-year-old has now played this season. A player of that age needs to be performing regularly in his strongest position, and I fear the constant changing of his position is doing little to help him, or our chances of keeping him.

~ Match highlights (3:23min); Pearce’s post-match interview; Getty Images photos.

Scary stuff

I know the media like to prey on our worst fears, but I thought this story linking us to Newcastle’s Titus Bramble was going a bit too far.

Hopefully the story is nonsense, and the press will now go back to reporting on less frightening things, like bird flu and terrorist attacks.

The Sunday Mirror story claiming Newcastle are lining up a January bid for Distin is of more concern, though.

The second City-related shocker of the weekend had to be David James’ new “Clark Kent” haircut, pictures of which can be seen here (page 12) and here.

Match stats

Stat of the day is that Liverpool put in 27 crosses to City’s 3, which I think tells its own own story.

The stats (below) are compiled from the live commentary:

Match reports

Pick of today’s reports is from talklfc.com’s theredfella, who describes Gerrard as ‘a six foot one captain shaped sachet’ of ketchup.

LFC 1 Man City 0 (TalkLFC)
A match of such drab and dour proportions that it may well have taken place half a mile away across Stanley Park, badly needed a dollop of Red magic. Fortunately for Liverpool, the ketchup delivery came in a six foot one captain shaped sachet.

Liverpool 1 City 0 (MEN)
City defended with organisation and resilience and restricted Liverpool to only a few genuine chances.

Gerrard breaches City’s defences to lift limp Liverpool (Observer)
This week, City’s talk was bold and of competing for a European place after last weekend’s victory over Fulham, but a total of one away point all season suggests they should be looking, somewhat more warily, at the other end of the table.

Gerrard’s rhythm from heart of midfield revives Liverpool (Independent)
They did not touch the depths at Anfield yesterday - Sylvain Distin and Richard Dunne were outstanding, just to pick out the best of several good defenders - and there was a cohesion about them that has not always been present this season.

Gerrard states his case for centre stage (Telegraph)

The Liverpool captain illuminated an otherwise gloomy afternoon on Merseyside with the kind of goal, assured and devastating, that has been his trademark. It was enough to beat a City side who justly believed, for three quarters of this dour encounter, that they would collect only their second away point of the season.

Superb Gerrard makes points (Sunday Times)
Barton had hoped to upstage his former neighbour in Huyton but, as you can imagine always happened when they kicked a ball around the estate as kids, he ended up as the support act.

Blundering Benitez is saved by Gerrard’s gem (Daily Mail)
Pearce offered a brave joke about his decision to play England defender Richards midfield, a move that so nearly came off. “We’ll push Micah front next week,” he said with hint of desperation.

Liverpool 1 Man City 1 (The People)
The goal got Liverpool out of real trouble and lifted a drab game. Before that moment, McClaren and the other 40,000 fans must have wondered why they had bothered. As a guide to the international team it was a waste of a journey even on FA mileage. As a Premiership match it was a let-down.

Liverpool 1 Man City 0 (Sunday Mirror)
Liverpool were anything but impressive against opponents who tried desperately to deny them time and space.

Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1 (Man City Mad)
An air of frustration crept in as the visitors, sensing a draw away from home was possible defended well in numbers. And they could have put themselves ahead when Ben Thatcher’s lob forward found Darius Vassell.

Reds 1-0 Man City (This Is Anfield)
The goal was better than the game, which, for the most part was tight, cagey and physical.

Season-on-season table

After losing 1-0 at Anfield last season, there’s no change in City’s position in the season-on-season table, which compares results top the corresponding fixtures from last year.

The table (below) does not include Sunday’s results.


(Results against last season’s relegated clubs - Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham - are compared to Sheff Utd, Watford and Reading respectively)

Here are the next three fixtures with the results from last season:

(A) Wed Nov 29: Villa (won 1-0).
(H) Mon Dec 04: Watford (drew 0-0)
(A) Sat Dec 09: United (drew 1-1)

~ The latest Premiership table can be found here.

Player ratings

A more uneven batch of player ratings than usual this week. The Sky Your Rating scores were so erratic they suggest someone was having a bit of fun, so I’ve excluded them from the average scores.

Ratings come from (in order): Man City Mad, The People, Sunday Times, MEN, Sky, Sky Your Rating.

Weaver: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5.4 (av: 6.0)
Onuoha (Samaras 74): 6, 5, 6, 6, 6, 4.7 (av: 5.8)
Dunne: 7, 6, 6, 8, 5, 5.1 (av: 6.4)
Distin: 6, 6, 6, 5, 7, 5.1 (av: 6.0)
Thatcher: 7, 7, 7, 6, 7, 4.9 (av: 6.8)
Trabelsi (Ireland 85): 7, 6, 6, 6, 6, 4.7 (av: 6.2)
Richards: 7, 6, 7, 6, 6, 5.0 (av: 6.4)
Reyna: 7, 6, 7, 7, 7, 4.7 (av: 6.8)
Barton: 7, 8, 6, 5, 6, 5.6 (av: 6.4)
Vassell: 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 4.9 (av: 5.6)
Corradi: 7, 5, 5, 5, 6, 4.7 (av: 5.6)

Subs:

Samaras (Onuoha 74): - , - , 6, 5, 6, 4.7 (av: 5.7)
Ireland (Trabelsi 85): - , - , 6, - , 6, 4.9 (av: 6.0)

Subs not used:
Hart, Dickov, Hamann

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