MAN CITY 1 – 0 Man Utd – MY THOUGHTS
1 May
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It was every bit as nerve-wracking as expected. The tension was unbearable, the drama too much to take. But we came through as victors. On a night which could potentially prove decisive, this was a result which moved us ever closer to achieving our Premier League dreams. We showed character, pride, resilience, togetherness, bottle and more. It may not have been vintage. The significance of the game made that impossible. But it was a successful night, one in which we displayed our true force.
It was a night in which the team was exactly that. There was no individual brilliance, but a collection of Blue heroes. Led by inspirational captain Vincent Kompany, this was a display which sent a message to Manchester United, one which they already knew but wished to postpone: the tide is turning.
A note of caution must be added. We are now top, goal difference seeing to that, and should we win our remaining two games we will surely lift the Premier League trophy. But that pair of fixtures is by no means straightforward. A trip to face Newcastle away next weekend will pose a number of challenges, though with the belief and confidence taken from yesterday, the advantage in the title race is ours.
On a night where the whole team were together as one, it seems almost irrelevant to single out individuals, but Gareth Barry is worthy of special mention. Thought of at the start of this season as a touch one-dimensional, a plodder in midfield who was too slow and technically lacking for the top level, he has rammed those words down the throat of his critics.
His display last night was the sort of which he has been producing all season. Quietly going about his business in the centre, he was the protective foil that allowed the likes of Samir Nasri, Yaya Touré and David Silva to express themselves. He was the one making interceptions, shielding the defence and mopping up any loose ball. He was the one who provided the balance, the reassuring presence that if an attack broke down, he’d be there to start another one. Criminally underrated, it’s finally time the rest of footballing world started to appreciate just how good Barry is.
Opposition View: For the first time in many a year, United came with the sole intention of stopping us from playing. Their tactics were not based around their strengths, but in trying to nullify ours and that says something about how they now view us. The omission of Antiono Valencia was surprising to say the least, whilst Wayne Rooney was isolated for large sections of the game and the fact United didn’t even have a shot on target highlights just how dominant we were.
Up next, it’s that afore-mentioned tricky fixture against Newcastle before the final game of the season at home QPR. The advantage is now ours and it promises to be a tense, anxious and nerve-wracking last couple of weeks. More of the same from last night, really.
You are right to emphasize caution…..We could blow this o easily
A true trait of a Champion is to get results where it matters most. And now it is time for City to do the same. Two games stands between them and the Cup and no matter how tricky, the upcoming games may sound, it is as tricky as our last fixture. City should approach both games with the same mentality of “must-win” as it did against United.
Yhis tide is turning business is laughable really. Credit to you for knocking at the door after what £300 million + on players? Should it have taken so long? We have issues, the Glazers holding us back in the transfer market, the loss of Vidic early in the season, injuries right the way through but should you be so proud that a club plucked out of obscurity that is running at a loss of about £70 million a year, ie being bank-rolled has taken so long and is being run so close? Believe me my friend blow this and you’ve blown your best chance because we’ll have Vidic back and will strengthen in the summer. Come on you Geordies! We’ll never die….
Deluded. If city don’t do it this year, we will in the very near future. We have the resources to do so. And all this talk about us buying the league is pathetic, Uniteds squad is about the same cost as Cities, give or take a few million, just because we have done it over a shorter space of time changes nothing. Rooney is the third highest paid player in the world, deluded, hypocrites.
So long? Are you on drugs? Have you ever played a football match in your life? 3 years to build a team virtually from scratch, from being mid table hopefuls to potential champions in one of the best leagues in the world aint bad mate. I think you better take off those bitter hate tinted glasses your wearing see that we are waaaaay ahead of schedule. It took your lot a lot longer then 3 years and a lot more money (in relative terms) to knock the great Liverpool from the top (or are you old enough to remember football without premier league and sky T.V.) As for blowing chances…ehem, 8 points in 10 fucking days? Cop on and grow up you tit.
Issues? All you have is excuses. Are you really suggesting that the mighty Manchester United’s are so much of a one-man team that losing Vidic will cost you the title? FFS.
Frankly I tire of hearing this £300 million crap from clueless Rag after clueless Rag. I mean, it’s not like you lot ever bought a player, or poached one from another club’s youth system, is it? It’s not like you lot pay big wages, is it?
The Manchester City project is exactly that, a long-term PROJECT. Of course there’s been a large initial spend on players, but in the longer term success and international marketing will make the club sustainable. Anyway, you should be more worried about *your* owners than ours – the Glazers care not one jot about MUFC and are only interested in how much money they can extract from the club. With a bit of luck you’ll go the same way as Glasgow Rangers, now wouldn’t that be funny.
Teamwork and a winning frame of mind will carry us to victory. These 2 remaining games are A MUST WIN. Lets not make changes to this team – this is NOT THE TIME TO EXPERIMENT
Put simply, that Barry paragraph is a BEAUTY….one of the best things ive ever seen written on the blog, it’s brilliant and hopefully the rest of the country will realise how good a player he actually is