MAN CITY 1 – 0 Wigan – MY THOUGHTS
18 Apr
On a largely forgettable evening, one moment of magic from Carlos Tévez was enough to secure the victory which, rather than put any pressure on Manchester United at the top of table, merely strengthens the Blues’ hold on second place. Free of guile, pace, energy or drive, this was a woefully limp City performance, perhaps only to be expected after the two scintillating and exhausting victories in the derby and against Chelsea, but fortunately for the Blues, Wigan were wasteful and Tévez was clinical. It really was that simple.
The visiting team will feel justifiably aggrieved to have taken nothing from the game as they battle relegation. They were the better side for much of this encounter, their passing and movement in attacking areas reminiscent of City at their best, but they languish near the bottom of the table and their inability to finish off aesthetically-pleasing football with an end product offered a reason why. Still, this may prove a beneficial match for the Blues as they now know that the FA Cup final will not be a stroll in the park. Wigan are dangerous opponents.
It required one sparkling mini-dribble and curling shot from Tévez to attain the points and despite the general lethargy which engulfed City’s play, it highlighted once again how, provided you keep a clean sheet, we do have the quality of individual to produce something from nothing. The Blues were insipid, predictable and dour for 82 minutes, but all it takes is one flash of brilliance to win a game. Tévez, the only player to convey liveliness and desire, produced it.
Otherwise, it is hard to single out stars. Micah Richards made his long-awaited comeback from injury but looked painfully unfit as he struggled to advance down the right., the midfield grew more and more congested as Yaya Touré, deployed in his advanced role, dropped deeper as the first half wore on, and the reality was that the game was crying out for width and pace.
Scott Sinclair was on the bench and despite not being on the same level technically as the likes of Aguero, Tévez or Nasri, he surely would have injected some dynamism and enthusiasm into the performance. Instead, Mancini left him waiting until the final few minutes and Tévez’s marvellous strike merely shifted focus away from the manager’s stubborn reluctance to introduce Sinclair. While all supporters realised Adam Johnson was not good enough in terms of his attitude and sustained impact, Mancini at least trust him to make a difference. There is clearly a lack of belief on the manager’s behalf that the former Swansea man can change a match.
That said, to look on the positive side, it could easily be argued that the Blues did just what Manchester United have done throughout the season: win when nowhere near their best. Our rivals always seem to manage to stumble over the line - whether it be by an own goal or fortunate strike – as they labour to victory, but that has been City’s downfall this campaign. Away games have seen the Blues struggle to break through packed defences, so perhaps we should view Tévez’s strike and our eventual win as a step in the right direction. It is far too late this season to impact upon proceedings but we’ll require this sort of victory next season.
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I myself was baffled that Sinclair was not introduced earlier to inject some pace and energy. I think Mancini is being stubborn here to make a point that Sinclair is not what he wanted. He should be given his fair chance to prove himself. Not sure why players like Kolarov who fail over and over again miserably get a chance while someone like Sinclair does not get a fair chance to prove himself
Kolarov was utterly terrible. Made a few decent runs but was unbelievably wasteful in the attacking zone. This guy should not appear on the pitch again until second place is clinched. And he needs to be gone once the season is gone.