11/11/06: City 0 Newcastle 0Updated: October 3rd, 2007
Their manager has failed at all his previous three clubs and his team can’t either defend or score goals.
Newcastle were there for the taking and yet again our strikers failed to capitalise.
Corradi, Dickov and Vassell have between them now played more than 25 hours of Premiership football this season without a single goal, while Samaras is averaging a goal every six hours.
Not that the blame lies only with them. The lack of service they’ve endured all season was again apparent on Saturday, with City managing only two crosses all game - from Barton and Thatcher.
Which brings me to an anecdote I found in Niall Quinn’s autobiography. When Quinn was in the Arsenal youth team, coach Malcolm Macdonald called him into his office one day to tell him: “Son, as long as you have a hole in your arse you’ll never make it as a professional footballer.”
The story sprung to mind after reading Mancityfans poster Wonderwall comment that Trevor Sinclair “will never be a left sided midfielder as long as I have a hole in my arse”. The difference being, of course, that not only was that comment fair, but Sinclair’s inability to play on the left was clear for all to see three seasons ago. Miller, too, will never be a left winger, while lastminute.com purchase Beasley is renowned for his wayward crossing.
Which leaves us with precisely no-one who we can rely on to whip in a dangerous ball from the left flank.
Let’s just hope the four players Pearce is hoping to buy in January include a left winger who can cross and a predator who can get on the end of it.
~ Pearce’s post-match interview can be found here, while rtfract and Getty Images have pictures from the game.
Match stats
Some tinkering with the match stats this week, which sees the full details for the opposition included for the first time.
I’ve noticed that the match analysis also gets posted on Newsnow’s Newcastle feed, so if any Newcastle fans are visiting, welcome to the site.
The stats are compiled from the live commentary and differ slightly from Sky’s stats, which can be found here.
Season-on-season table
City slide back into the relegation zone in the season-on-season table, which compares results to the corresponding fixtures from last year.
After dropping 2pts in the last three games against struggling sides, our next three games are all against sides showing some sort of form.
Here are the upcoming fixtures with the results from last season:
(H) Sat Nov 18: Fulham (lost 2-1)
(A) Sat Nov 25: Liverpool (lost 1-0)
(A) Wed Nov 29: Villa (won 1-0).
(Results against last season’s relegated clubs - Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham - are compared to Sheff Utd, Watford and Reading respectively.)
~ The latest Premiership table can be found here.
Match reports
City 0 Newcastle 0 (MEN)
It did not take much but undoubtedly, City were the better side.
Barton pulls all the strings but City still draw a blank (Observer)
‘We’ve ground out a result and we’ve got to be pleased,’ Barton said after a desperately poor struggle was partly relieved by a final few minutes that bordered on the exciting.
Battle of strugglers offers precious little to tax Poll (independent)
Manchester City maintained their pristine defensive record at home and Newcastle United got a rare away point, but you would have needed crime scene investigators to search for other plus points.
Poll has stage all to himself (Telegraph)
City supporters and neutrals alike had spent the first half being pathetically grateful for Barton, who had prevented it from becoming a complete waste of time. Enjoying the better of a manly duel with Parker, who was shown the yellow card for a foul on him shortly before the interval, Barton showed what damage a holding midfielder can do if he is also prepared to burst forward with purpose.
Dyer return lifts Roeder (Sunday Times)
Graham Poll, chanted the incensed Eastlands crowd, is not fit to referee. That was in between accusing him of unnatural vices after the man from Tring disallowed what the Manchester City supporters considered to be a perfectly fair winner in a game that, for 85 minutes, plumbed new depths of mediocrity.
Man City 0 Newcastle 0 (The People)
Take Joey Barton, Scott Parker and Micah Richards out of the equation and there wasn’t a single player in either sky blue or black and white who had as good a game as Poll. He wasn’t slipshod and sloppy. He wasn’t pathetically inadequate under pressure. He wasn’t mistake-ridden and hopeless … unlike far too many of the players who pick up a weekly wage almost equal to Poll’s annual salary.
Man City 0 Newcastle 0 (Sunday Mirror)
It is going to be a bleak winter of discontent in the North West and North East on the evidence of this sterile clash at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Player ratings
This week’s award goes to Grob at Mancityfans for describing Dickov as “our best player when they have the ball, and our worst player when we have it”.
Citymancs posters are clearly bored with rating City’s players, so this week have rated each other instead.
The ratings come from (in order): Grob, Dr Spectrum, Wonderwall, King Kev, rtfract, MEN, Sunday Times, Sky and Sky Your Rating.
Weaver: 7, 7, 6, 7, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7.3 (av: 6.5 )
Precious little to do as City stretched their record to six successive home games without conceding. (MEN)
Had little to do but good handling when called upon. Doesn’t fill me with much confidence. (Grob)
Not many saves but clean sheet and good command of the area. Looks confident. (Dr Spectrum)
Didn’t have much to do until the last 4 minutes, but he did what he needed to. (Wonderwall)
Didn’t have much to do, kept a clean sheet, can’t complain really. (King Kev)
Richards: 7, 8, 7, 6, 6.5, 6, 6, 8, 8.2 (av: 7.0)
Celebrated his England call up with a polished display though hardly tested until saved day with block from Dyer. (MEN)
Was anonymous as an attacking force for much of the game and really should have got forward more. He doesnt seem to have much confidence in his attacking abilities. Defended well and made a great block at the end. (Grob)
We hardly saw anything of Duff and that clearance was worth a goal. (Dr Spectrum)
Was very accomplished and played well, but was only really tested whe N’Zogbia came on. (Wonderwall)
Brilliant in the 1st half but was hopelessly out of position a couple of times in the 2nd. (King Kev)
Dunne: 9, 8, 8, 8, 6.5, 6, 6, 7, 7.4 (av: 7.3)
Totally dominant throughout one-sided contest and a major threat in the Magpies box too on occasions. (MEN)
Outstanding. Defensively brilliant. Still pumps the ball long too much for me but he was captain immaculate out there. (Grob)
Just his sort of game, endless hoofs up to Sibierski and Ameobi, easy pickings. Good job. (Dr Spectrum)
Had a good game and kept the ‘outstanding in the air’ Antoine Sibierski quiet! (Wonderwall)
Saved us several times in the last 15 minutes and generally had his usual awesome game. (King Kev)
Distin: 7, 8, 8, 7, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7.0 (av: 6.9)
If he were contemplating a move back to St James he wouldn’t find it hard to get back into the starting line up. Impressive. (MEN)
Didn’t have much to do and went missing when the pressure came in injury time. A few hairy moments at the start of the game but nothing came from them. Didn’t exert himself but didnt have to. (Grob)
Again very comfortable - a few early wobbles but that cross he put across the face of the goal was excellent. (Dr Spectrum)
Had a good game and it is going to be a shame to see him leave the club in the summer. (Wonderwall)
Have I mentioned how much we will miss him if he goes! (King Kev)
Thatcher: 7, 7, 6, 8, 6.5, 6, 6, 6, 6.3 (av: 6.5)
Another step nearer full fitness and another competent performance from left back that included decent crosses (MEN)
Was solid for the most part. Milner beat him once when he overcommited but he did well. (Grob)
Was not tested too much, again he was ok but he needs to get forward more. (Wonderwall)
Contender for MotM in my opinion, he has hardly put a foot wrong since returning from suspension. (King Kev)
Trabelsi: 6, 7, 6, 6, 7.5, 7, 5, 7, 7.0 (av: 6.5)
If they can keep his fragile legs in one piece then the Tunisian is going to be a big player for Blues this season. (MEN)
Would be a top right back for a top club. He isn’t a great wide midfielder but he’s much more effective there than anyone else in the squad. (Grob)
Massive improvement over Sinclair, looked lively at times. (Dr Spectrum)
Looked our best threat going forward. Not bad for a defender! (Wonderwall)
Class player but spent too much time on his backside! (King Kev)
Barton: 6, 7, 6, 6, 7.5, 8, 7, 8, 7.8 (av: 7.0)
If only his finishing was a little more composed the Blues could have been out of sight. Best midfielder on view. (MEN)
Worked hard but he is the best of an average set of central midfielders at this club. Didn’t do anything of note and failed to take the game by the scruff of its neck when it was there for the taking. (Grob)
Best central midfielder on the park from start to finish - shame about the miss early on. (Dr Spectrum)
Another athletic display with no creativity. Why he didn’t pass the ball when he went on the long run is beyond me, he ran the length of the pitch to pass the ball to Steve Harper. (Wonderwall)
Distribution was bad even by his standards. (King Kev)
Reyna (Corradi 60): 6, 6, 5, 7, 6, 6, 5, 7, 6.3 (av: 6.0)
Took a whack in the first half when he might have won a penalty and worked hard without shining above the pack. (MEN)
Got forward for a change, should have scored, tired badly, didn’t excel or make a fool of himself. Average. (Grob)
Tidy in possesion, not got the legs, would like to see more of Ireland. (Dr Spectrum)
For some reason I don’t like Reyna and I dont know why. He is very pedestrian and doesn’t seem to create anything. (Wonderwall)
The best in a very poor midfield. (King Kev)
Sinclair: 6, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 6.5 (av: 5.6)
Doesn’t really like life out on the left flank but a mark of his professionalism that he makes such good fist of it. (MEN)
We would be better with the invisible man on the pitch. I would love to see him taken out of the team so we can see whether anyone else can do any better. Doesn’t create anything. (Grob)
Thanks for turning up, Trev. (Dr Spectrum)
Played out of position today and will never be a left sided midfielder as long as I have a hole in my arse. Trev seems to be getting slower with each appearance. (Wonderwall)
His unwillingness to take players on is infuriating. (King Kev)
Dickov (Samaras 60): 5, 5, 4, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 5.9 (av: 5.3)
In the side to set the tempo and did just that as well as producing decent second half effort well saved by Harper. (MEN)
Our best player when they have the ball, and our worst player when we have it. He isn’t good enough. (Grob)
For running a lot, offers us nothing. Can’t see why he is playing so much when we are struggling for goals. (Dr Spectrum)
I cannot understand how a striker who hasn’t scored is your first choice over our only striker who does score! (Wonderwall)
Gets points for being the only player in the starting XI who actually looked like he cares! (King Kev)
Vassell: 6, 6, 5, 5, 6.5, 6, 5, 6, 6.3 (av: 5.8)
Tends to drift out too wide so he can use his pace and he’s probably more suited to that than central role. (MEN)
Toiled hard and used his pace well but looked off the pace and didn’t really get much service. Decent return to the side. He’s no left winger either. (Grob)
Good outlet. (Dr Spectrum)
Looks like he needs games. Is it me or is he a right lazy bastard at getting back on side? Plus he doesn’t seem to use his blistering pace to good effect. Also he looked lost and didn’t seem to know where to play when Samaras and Corradi came on. (Wonderwall)
Largely ineffective. (King Kev)
Subs:
Samaras (Dickov 60): 5, 6, 5, 6, 6, 6, 5, 6, 6.3 (av: 5.7)
Pepped up attack at time when Magpies were flagging. Unlucky to have goal ruled out (MEN)
Had a goal disallowed, then I didn’t see him again. (Grob)
Hard to be too critical when in reality he scored the winner. (Dr Spectrum)
Had more impact than a poor Dickov. (Wonderwall)
Looked more dangerous than any of the other forwards we tried today. (King Kev)
Corradi (Reyna 60): 6, 6, 5, 6, 7, 6, 5, 7, 7.1 (av: 6.1)
Lacks pace and luck but won his fair share of headers. Much better. (MEN)
Caused some mayhem but can’t score to save his life. (Grob)
Made an impact, got on the end of a few crosses, could be utilised more in the future as a target coming off the bench. (Dr Spectrum)
Could have scored with his first touch, certainly looked a bigger threat than Dickov. (Wonderwall)
Nearly scored with his 1st touch and put himself about a bit, if only he had some pace! (King Kev)
Subs not used:
Hart, Ireland and Onuoha.