WBA v MAN CITY – Debuts for Mee, Vidal and Guidetti
22 Sep
Roberto Mancini promised that he would changed the side but no-one quite expected the manager to name a completely different side to the one that put Wigan to the sword. Yes that’s right, my good friend has made ELEVEN changes to the team, handing debuts to John Guidetti, Javan Vidal and Ben Mee, whilst Greg Cunningham starts for the first time. Goalkeeper Shay Given and Patrick Vieira both play, whilst the, ahem, prolific Jo partners a recalled Roque Santa Cruz up front.
The team in full is:
Given
Vidal Boyata Mee Cunningham
Ibrahim Vieira A. Johnson
Guidetti Santa Cruz Jo
Subs: Taylor, Zabaleta, Kompany, Milner, Silva, Kay, Veseli
I see that the (ahem) prolific Jo scored again last night and a real strikers goal it was too.
So when do all of the snide comments stop?
As you will see in the review, I give Jo a huge amount of credit. The way he has turned around his City career has been an inspiration to us all. What you need to realise though Alphie is that blogging is about opinions, so I feel justified to have criticised him if I feel he didn’t perform. And remember, before the WBA, he scored once in two years, even that was a scuffed effort, and he had done nothing to suggest he warratned a first team place.
Acually, he has done quite a bit to have warranted a first team place in the absence of Ade and Balotelli. He worked very hard in pre-season, impressed all with his effort and demeanor and scored 5 in 6 outings was it? Since the season commenced and the real games came along, he has taken his opportunities with enthusiasm and his effort and commitment has (in my opinion) been admirable.
Now I’m not getting at you, I like your blog, the little I have seen of it up to now that is, to the extent that I have listed it on my City toolbar. I also am happy to declare myself as one who decided at an early stage that Jo did not have the attitude or application to become a PL footballer, an opinion which was underlined by his performance and antics at Goodison and in Istanbul, where he showed every sign of having blown his career for good.
I don’t know what changed, maybe it was some straight talking from Dunga or his mentor Elano, or perhaps he just woke up and realised that he was partying himself into obscurity. Whatever it was, he came back a changed lad and whilst I think he still has a long way to go to secure a starting place in this City Squad, he has secured 4th place amongst the Strikers for me and that’s always assuming that Balotelli lives up to his billing.
Keep up the good work
Many thanks Alphie, football is all about opinions so it doesn’t hurt to express contrasting ones. Obviously, I’m delighted Jo scored yesterday, but previous to that, in his limited chances for the first team this season, I felt he wasn’t interested. He just seemed to amble along, not really trying and had not looked to have improved at all.
Fortunately, that looks to have now changed, and let’s hope he can continue his good form.
However many League Cup goals he scores, it is very clear to me that Jo was a misjudgement and a big waste of money from the Manchester City management. Thankfully for you you should have no difficultly absorbing such an £18 million hit (I know some of that was add-ons).
That being said, I’m a firm believer in players being able to turn themselves around and at 23, there’s no reason that he can’t still be successful in England. I just don’t see him being given a real chance to do so, considering that the far better performing Bellamy was considered surplus to requirements.
Anyway give me an £8 million Kenwyne Jones any day.
Kenwyn Jones (ahem)
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I fairness to Mancini, it wasn’t Bedlamy’s performances on the field that saw him leave for Cardiff, it was his great big obnoxious mouth and aggresively less than attractive personality that pissed off all and sundry. Perhaps that’s why he has had 7 clubs in 10 years and that’s not counting the golf clubs he has swung at team mates
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Still, his mum thinks he’s lovely, lovely, lovely…….