14/10/06: City 0 Sheff Utd 0Updated: October 3rd, 2007
A dismal game that left a sour taste. We might be top of the injury table at PhysioRoom, but that is no excuse for this shockingly poor display.
“I’ve been coming to City since 1968 and it’s never been as bad as this,” said the guy sitting next to me.
The fact that we’ve been relegated four times since the 1960s means things have certainly been a lot worse than this. We’re mid-table in the Premiership and unbeaten in three.
Yet I suspect this guy is by no means alone is his assessment.
Part of it is down to the sheer lack of finesse on display. I’m trying to think of a City team that had as little skill or guile as this one. Joe Royle’s team is the only one that springs to mind, but what they lacked in skill they more than made up for with spirit.
But I suspect there is something deeper than that, a feeling that we have been moving backwards as a club for far too long.
This summer, six first team players with an average age of under 25 left the club, while five players with an average age of 31 were signed.
The fruits of our transfer dealings were clear to see on Saturday.
Lining up in midfield alongside the 24-year-old Barton were Trabelsi (29yr 9mo) Hamann (33yr 2mo) and Sinclair (33yr 7mo). Our three substitutes were Reyna (33yr 3mo), Dickov (33yr 11mo) and the 19-year-old Miller, a striker playing as a left winger.
The bright spot of the game for me was Micah Richard’s performance. Playing a young centre-half at right-back then switching him to the left is normally a sure-fire way to halt his progress, yet Richards just seems accomplished wherever he plays.
But most fans I’ve spoken to are now resigned to losing him. Like the other first-team regulars who have left the club, his replacement would undoubtedly be a lesser player.
Anelka, SWP, James and Cole.
It’s like our hope is being stripped away, one transfer window at a time.
~ Pearce’s post-match interview can be found here, while you can see pictures of the game at rtfract and Getty Images.
Match stats
The stats, below, are compiled from the live commentary. One stat I’d love to see is “shoves in the box that go unpunished” as I counted a least two blatant pushes in the backs of City players that drew no response from the officials.
Match reports
City 0 Sheffield United 0 (MEN)
In the end, United will look back as the more satisfied, with City wondering how they let this one get away.
Blades bag point at City (Sky)
The contest opened up after the interval although neither side managed to forge ahead, but the home side can take heart from yet another clean sheet at Eastlands.
Little excitement to stir the Hart (The Guardian)
Until the closing stages there was little evidence of the passion and commitment associated with the two managers, whose cuddly toys accompanying them on the touchline must have wished they could have been spared the punishment.
Warnock and Pearce draw on reserves of patience (Independent)
If a team was to blame for a generally poor match it was City. Lethargic until the final stages, and hampered by substandard contributions from their strikers, Georgios Samaras and Bernardo Corradi, their performance gave repeated encouragement to the visitors.
Problems mounting for Pearce (Telegraph)
If the City manager was hoping for some much-needed respite against Premiership strugglers Sheffield United, he did not get it as he watched his side labour to a point they hardly deserved.
Pearce rues City’s lack of finishing class (Sunday Times)
It is 32 years since United last won a game on City soil and rarely did they threaten to break the sequence. But it was the profligacy of Georgios Samaras and Bernardo Corradi, City’s front pair, which most marked this game.
Man City 0-0 Sheff Utd (BBC)
The Blades must have felt fortunate to have taken anything away from Eastlands after seeing City squander numerous chances.
Pearce and Warnock hit wrong notes (Daily Mail)
Cordial but unsmiling, Neil Warnock and Stuart Pearce shook hands at the final whistle and reflected on the points that were there for the taking but ultimately ignored.
Man City 0 Sheff Utd 0 (The People)
A gutsy display by the visitors saw them end a run of three successive away defeats to grab their first Premiership point outside Bramall Lane.
Manchester City 0 Sheffield United 0 (Man City MAD)
Stuart Pearce’s side lacked creativity and spark and their only cheer was that they maintained their unbeaten home record.
Player ratings
Another set of erratic player ratings. The Sunday Times’ Brian Doogan gave Jordan the same score as Richards, but then he inexplicably gave a six to 24 of the 26 players in the game.
Mancityfans poster Arjan Van Schotte retains his place in the line-up after a promising debut last game, and is joined by fellow posters bluemoon and Grob.
Also worth a look is the nerdic indicator at Wookie’s Lair
The ratings come from (in order): AVS, bluemoon, The People, Sunday Times, rtfract.com, Sky and Sky Your Rating
Hart: 7, 6, 7, 6, 6, 6, 6.9 (av: 6.4)
Steady (Sky)
Rarely tested. Fluffed a throw out to Distin and fumbled a long throw. Looked confident though (Grob)
Virtually nothing to do (AVS)
Had little to do and looked comfortable, could have released the ball quicker on several occasions (bluemoon)
Richards: 7, 8, 6, 6, 7, 7, 6.7 (av: 6.8)
All over the park (Sky)
Did well in both defense and attack (Grob)
Still impresses in attack and defence (AVS)
Played well, made a crucial tackle to stop them from scoring (bluemoon)
Dunne: 7, 7, 6, 6, 7.5, 7, 6.9 (av: 6.8)
Solid (Sky)
Never overrun. Good display but hit too many long balls (Grob)
Usual steady self. Resorted to long balls due to invisible midfield (AVS)
Solid performance (bluemoon)
Distin: 6, 7, 7, 6, 7, 8, 6.9 (av: 6.8)
Commanding (Sky)
Never overrun. Good display but hit too many long balls (Grob)
Usual odd fuck up but rectified them. Otherwise good (AVS)
Decent performance, made the one fuck up, but recovered well (bluemoon)
Jordan (Miller 45): 3, 4, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5.6 (av: 4.9)
No impact (Sky)
Barely in the game first half (Grob)
Fucking shocking (AVS)
Poor performance and too many lapses in concentration (bluemoon)
Trabelsi: 7, 7, 6, 6, 6.5, 7, 6.8 (av: 6.6)
Attacked well (Sky)
Encouraging display. Looks comfortable in defence and midfield (Grob)
Looks comfortable on the ball and always looked for s good option (AVS)
Impressed again. Looks the business though and was just as good in midfield and defence (bluemoon)
Barton: 6, 7, 7, 7, 6, 7, 7.4 (av: 6.8)
Good from set-pieces (Sky)
Looked subdued. Lacked energy (Grob)
Appeared to be the only player in a 4-1-2 midfield (AVS)
Kept trying, but when the rest of the midfield is AWOL, there’s very little he can do. Very impressed with his set pieces today (bluemoon)
Hamann (Reyna 58): 4, 4, 7, 6, 5.5, 6, 6.2 (av: 5.5)
Neat passes (Sky)
Knocking it around nicely and bossing the midfield (Grob)
Looked like an old age chain smoking passenger. Very good at passing 5 yards to a blue shirt to be fair (AVS)
Oh dear me, should have known better than to listen to the scousers. Too slow and created nothing, we’d have been better off with my grandad in midfield (bluemoon)
Sinclair: 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 6, 5.6 (av: 5.5)
Little creativity (Sky)
Anonymous…until the last 10 minutes. A passenger (Grob)
Trevor who? was he playing? (AVS)
Looked out of sorts again, really hate to say it, but doesn’t seem to have the pace and looked lost for the entire game (bluemoon)
Samaras: 5, 6, 6, 6, 6.5, 5, 6.3 (av: 5.8)
Poor finishing (Sky)
Tried hard, made some good runs, missed a good chance and a couple of half ones (Grob)
Enthusiastic, little service, rarely won a ball or made a decent pass (AVS)
Kept plugging away, but never looked threatening. First touch let him down several times and at times was doing the job the midfielders are supposed to do (bluemoon)
Corradi (Dickov 70): 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 4, 4.9 (av: 4.7)
Off the pace (Sky)
Hopeless is being kind (Grob)
Made Paul Dickov look like a good substitution. Can I say more (AVS)
Holds the ball up well and passing game is good, however he’s piss poor infront of goal and shows no conviction. Missed a couple of great chances (bluemoon)
Subs:
Miller (Jordan 45): 5, 5, 6, 6, 6.5, 6, 6.7 (av: 5.9)
Squandered good chance (Sky)
Looks reluctant to take people on and very clumsy on the ball (Grob)
One good run followed by the customary ten minute rest on the half way line (AVS)
Only player in midfield/attack that showed any pace, but didn’t have much impact today (bluemoon)
Reyna (Hamann 57): 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5.9 (av: 5.8)
Offered little (Sky)
Knocked the ball around well without doing anything of note (Grob)
His arrival actually coincided with the only vaguely bright spell of the game. was better than Hamann anyway (AVS)
Better than Hamman and got the basics right, dissapointed to hear some muppets boo him again (bluemoon)
Dickov (Corradi 69): 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6.1 (av: 5.7)
Lively (Sky)
Provided some urgency upfront but little else (Grob)
Was very dickovy (AVS)
I ask myself everytime I see his name, why oh fucking why did we bring him back! He’s crap, end of! (bluemoon)
Subs not used:
Schmeichel, Johnson