Blackburn 0 – 1 MAN CITY – PLAYER RATINGS
26 Apr
Hart - Not forced into making too many saves, although got down well in the final few minutes to keep out Olsson’s freekick. Distribution very poor though - 6
Zabaleta - Showed the same battling spirit as he did last Saturday at Wembley. Never shirked a tackle, got forward well and was a solid force at the back - 7
Kompany - Led by example as Blackburn resorted to launching the ball forward to Samba in the closing stages. Very calm under pressure and even brought the ball forward on a couple of occasions - 7.5
Lescott - Coped well in the aerial challenges but looked jittery in possession at times. But helped to keep a clean sheet, so job done - 7
Kolarov - Tried to get forward as often as possible, although tends to shoot far too often when passing would be a better option. Looked ropey defensively, allowed crosses to come into the box far too easily- 6
De Jong - The most underrated player in the Premier League? Very calm and assured in possession, always keeps it simple. Interceptions aplenty and quickly turning into one of our most important players - 8
Barry - Good first half in which he harried the Blackburn midfield, but was anonymous in second period. Drifted totally out of it when we needed someone to get a foothold in the middle - 6
Y. Touré - After such a strong performance against United, he reverted back to type here. In this formation, the onus is on him to provide thrust going forward, but he offered nothing in the first half. Wasn’t much better after the break - 5.5
A. Johnson - Started brightly in opening 25 minutes but rapidly fell off the pace. We couldn’t get the ball to him enough and when we did, Blackburn marked him tightly, especially in second half - 6
Silva - Instrumental in our initial dominance. Ran the game in the opening half an hour but then drifted out. Regained control in the latter stages - 7.5
Balotelli - His first half performance was fantastic. Held the ball up really well, brought others into play and looked very bright. But was virtually absent in second half. Temper began to get the better of him, but overall, a decent shift - 6.5
Subs
Džeko - Delighted for him. First Premier League goal and brilliantly taken, although it’s worth remembering that since February, he’s scored more goals than Tévez, Torres, Anelka and Berbatov - 7
Vieira - Typical Paddy V to be honest. Brought on to shore up the midfield. We didn’t concede, so therefore job done - No time to mark
Boyata - Won a header and then cleared the ball. No errors! - No time to mark
Personally, I thought Vinny had one of the poorest games he has had in a City shirt (not saying he was bad though). He just looked very shaky and not at all his usual self.
I thought there would be a little comment on Kolarov. I looked specifically for him all game at every attribute that we expect of him and I saw him misplace 2 passes, shoot once when he should have passed (another shot seemed to have Robinson in a bit of trouble) and allowed 2 crosses in (if I remember rightly). As you may have worked out, I am going to disagree here – 7.
How we didn’t score in the first 20 minutes, I suppose we will never know. Silva in that period, as you have pointed out, was utterly magnificent.
Finally, why does Yaya never cease to amaze me……at just how poor he is. He looked less arsed to be there than Balotelli (in 2nd half) – that is quite an achevement
Barry has to be the biggest talking point about this game. It is obvious that he has not got to the pace to keep up wtih the shifts in the pace of being a midfielder. He seems to get booked just as much as Mario and Nigel, this should surely be a worry.
The obvious soloution would be to bring in his more youthful doppelganger in Milner as a replacement. He has the same attributes but with more pace and could possibly link better with Silva and Toure. However Milner should simply never be used as a winger again.
Another thing that you strangely did not mention was Johnson’s reaction to being subbed. This is an embarrassment and even more so after Milner’s stropping at Stamford bridge. I have to say like most City fans i have alot of love for Johnson and put some of his previous moans down to a combination of his naiveity, desire to play and the media blowing it out of porportion. But he has to change his attitude for both his and our sake.
Totally agree with you with Adam Johnson. I felt absolutely disgusted seeing his reaction to being subbed on camera.
Barry was outstanding against Blackburn, what are you on? he doesnt get booked for horrendous challenegs though like De Jong, he gets booked for taking a hit for the team and stopping someones run. he was superb on Monday night.
Steven also disagree with Kompany rating, he looked very shakey and tired, was a poor performance by the big man.
As for Kolarov he did well, take your blinkers off?!
For 18 million pounds, he is crap. May be if we had him for 5 million pounds, he would be okay. To be the devil’s advocate, any one of Nedum Onuoha, McGivern, Boyata or Reece will do as well as Kolarov [even if some of them are not LB]. And their cost is not even a fraction of what City pays to this overrated, overpriced creature.
When I read your analysis of Barry and DeLong comparison, I though it is April’s 1st!
I would completely disagree with you about replacing kolorov with thos players. Mcgivern is a poor player and will never make it in the prem, certainly no where near good enough to be our left back over kolarov. As you point out the other three are not even LB’s and none of them have even played there for us (or any other team) so I’m not sure how you can justify you’re statement.
Don’t get me wrong I dislike kolarov and think he has been terrible value for money (same can be said about Milner/lescott) but he’s still the best left back at our club and head and shoulders above any of the young players we could play there.
You will never know till you try. Many also thought David Silva is not EPL material and Yaya toure is made for EPL.
You know none of them will never be a good centre forward, hoever should we try them there as well?!?
Onuoha will never play for the club again, so lets rule him out. Boyata has proven himself to be a promising centre back though struggles at right back so doubt putting him there, even as a trial would be a good idea. Mcgivern has not proven himself on loan at either leicester or Walsall so dont think he really deserves a chance in the prem. Wabara is a young, up and coming right footed centre half, why play him out of position, a position he’s never played in, where he’d be up against some of the best right wingers in the country, it could only be detremental to his development.
If you play Wabara he has to come on at centre back (or centre mid as he’s played there) as its a position he knows and understands.
I totally understand your point of view and you are absolutely right. However; the point I was trying to make was not how well they perform as LB but would they be as bad as Kolarov as a temporary fix. Up to this point, though Kolarov is labled as LB but one thing he lacks is “defending skills” that a defender should possess.
I was expecting to see the Milner in place of Yaya when Yaya’s effect on the game started to dwindle but at the same time his unpredictability in producing something in a blink of an eye makes the substitution decision hard. He got very close in netting two goals.
Kolarov seem like a liability at this moment. I know the lad has great potential but at this stage what matter is what you can offer as opposed to what can potentially offer.
As for Barry, I do not think he is a 90-minutes player we need a bit of Youth and freshness in the middle.
Overall, ends justifies the means. If City can get the results to qualify for Champions league, I could care less who are the starting 11. Great and crucial win and I am looking forward for repeats in coming games. Well done guys!
The ends justify the means.
There can easily be a counter arguement to that in the fact that we are once again competing with Spurs for a qualifying position. As i have wrote before Mancini has cut back on the great attacking quartet that were so thrilling at the end of laast season. I’m not sure most other managers would have bothered with Barry in the middle beside De Jong. And certainly not Toure as link to the attack and as a sometime secondary striker.
I have also been thinking of Spurs recently, for me they have had a terribly dissapointing season and have consistently underperformed in the league. I am not saying this as a lament for Tottenham but to illustrate that i do not believe Mancini’s signings have been wholly successful. Toure and Kolorov have been dogged with contoversy in regards to fan reactions from there performances. Milner has been a jounreyman at best most often been utilised in an uncomfterble position for him. Boetang has beeen a hard luck story. In truth Mario has been hit and miss. Only David Silva has been wholly effective this season (I am discounting Johnson as he was surely scouted before the management change over). But he has been no more effective than van der Vart. To sum up if Spurs where any better they could have capatilised on our sometimes mediocre perfomances this season. Only one away win since the game at ST James park, REMEMBER.
On the one hand this proves that it is nonsense when ten chin redknapp claims that he cannot compete with us because of our investment. But also that when the financial fair play rules come in we may be stuck woth some players who may not be fit for the task at hand to drag city back to former glories!
Then again Dzecko scored last night so i could be all wrong.