01/01/07: City 2 Everton 1Updated: October 3rd, 2007
I love football.
Was there a single City fan who thought we could get the full nine points over the holiday period? I doubt it.
From worry and doubt to relief mixed with hope in just seven short days. We’re 11 points off relegation and 10 points off the Champions League.
Mid-table mediocrity has never felt so good.
Now the question is: do we look up or do we look down? I suppose we’ll have to wait for the end of the January transfer window for that answer. Samaras’s two goals yesterday don’t alter the fact that our strike-force has failed to deliver this season. A proven 20-goal-a-season striker is a must, but how we pay for him is another matter.
Later in the week I’ll be running a ‘Transfer window special’, which will examine our financial options (which don’t look good) and profile potential targets.
~ Pearce’s post-match interview
~ Getty Images photos
~ Latest Premiership table.
Match stats
The stats (below) are compiled from the live commentary and differ slightly from Sky’s stats:
Match reports
City 2 Everton 1 (MEN)
So threadbare is Stuart Pearce’s midfield just now that Richards has been pressed into emergency service at the heart of City’s engine room. It is hardly the 18-year-old’s best position but even against experienced opponents such as Lee Carsley and Mikel Arteta, Richards held his own, which says something about his blossoming talent.
Samaras makes City better by half (The Guardian)
When Manchester City’s manager, Stuart Pearce, first informed the board that he wanted to sign a 20-year-old Greek by the name of Georgios Samaras, the chairman, John Wardle, blankly replied: “George who?” There have been times since then when Samaras has looked horribly overpriced at £6m, but the striker occasionally flickers into life and his introduction at half-time yesterday was decisive in City’s third successive victory.
Samaras wakes Pearce’s men from slumber (Independent)
“We looked weary. We looked tired,” Pearce admitted, “but we were a totally different side in the second half. The pleasing thing is that this team responds, it has character.”
Season-on-season table
Last season’s 2-0 home win against Everton means there’s little change in the season-on-season table, which compares results to the corresponding fixtures from last year:
(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) Sat Jan 13: Bolton (lost 2-0)
(H) Sat Jan 20: Blackburn (drew 0-0)
(A) Tues Jan 30: Arsenal (lost (1-0)
Player ratings
Ratings come from (in order): ReverendJeff (Wookie’s Lair), MEN, Sky and Sky Your Rating.
Weaver: 7, 7, 6, 8.2 (av: 7.1)
One great save from Anichebe and some fine handling in the swirling wind and the rain. (MEN)
Onuoha: 7, 7, 6, 7.6 (av: 6.9)
Always looks as though he was playing within himself but can be pleased with his holiday showing. (MEN)
Dunne: 7, 7, 5, 7.6 (av: 6.7)
Again hard to fault at the heart of a back three. System seems to suit the skipper well. (MEN)
Distin: 7, 7, 6, 7.3 (av: 6.8)
The same applies to Distin who wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line against robust opposition. (MEN)
Trabelsi: 6, 7, 6, 7.3 (av: 6.6)
Ran out of legs towards the end of the game but not before he had made telling contribution. (MEN)
Richards: 6, 6, 7, 7.8 (av: 6.7)
Best showing so far in a midfield role and twice tested Howard with decent shots. (MEN)
Dabo: 8, 6, 6, 7.5 (av: 6.9)
Looks increasingly more comfortable in his anchorman role. His pass set up the penalty challenge. (MEN)
Beasley: 7, 6, 7, 7.4 (av: 6.9)
After his heroics at Upton Park this was another step in the right direction. Made the first goal. (MEN)
Jordan: 7, 7, 5, 7.2 (av: 6.6)
Best showing for sometime by the defender pressed into service in midfield. Tenacious and capable. (MEN)
Corradi: (Samaras 45): 3, 4, 5, 5.4 (av: 4.4)
Seems to be going backwards and taken off at break for the second time in three games. (MEN)
Vassell: 6, 7, 7, 7.4 (av: 6.9)
None stop effort from the former Villa man whose pace won the second half penalty. (MEN)
Subs:
Samaras (Corradi 45): 8 ,8, 8, 9.2
Joint top scorer after his fine double. (MEN)
Miller (Trabelsi 85):
Subs not used:
Iasksson, Dickov, M Mills,