MAN CITY 0 – 1 Wigan – MY THOUGHTS
12 May
It’s hard to know where to begin. How much praise should be directed towards Wigan for their enterprising, tactically-perfect and purposeful display and how much of the post-match emotion should be anger at City’s pathetically spineless performance? The winners deserve all the plaudits that are being sent in their direction but from a City perspective, it was such a desperately depressing 90 minutes.
The contrast between the sides could not have been more marked. City were inept, showing no desire or effort, no purpose or energy. Wigan were tremendous, playing a free-flowing brand of football complete with spirit, pace, width and intensity.
It wasn’t meant to be that way. We were the favourites, second in the league and coming into this fixture on the back of three Wembley FA Cup victories in recent years. Our opponents are battling relegation, concede goals aplenty and were the underdogs by quite some distance. How the tables were turned on their heads.
Roberto Martinez’s side were effervescent in their endeavours, their team shape was perfect to both nullify our strengths and impose themselves on the match and the scoreline, it could be argued, flattered City. Every time Wigan moved forward, they had a threat. They may not have tested Joe Hart too often, but they had a vibrancy in all areas and showed greater amounts of commitment and spirit.
Where was City’s heart? Where was the character this team have showed previously? Where was the quality on the ball and the ability to unlock organised defences? Where was the tempo? Where was the closing down and the collective team pressing? Where was the effort to support those of the fans, many of whom had spent small fortunes on tickets, trains and hotels? Where was the pride, the Superbia in Proelio?
Absent. All the characteristics we associate with the Blues at their best were absent. There were no players who performed to anywhere near their optimum level. The only ones to show passion yesterday were the fans arguing amongst themselves in the stands and that is something no-one wants to see. On the pitch, it was laboured and concerning. Off it, there was tension between supporters and a complete lack of atmosphere. It was a day to forget.
I was really annoyed yesterday, and all I did was to walk 500 yards from my house to the pub. I can’t begin to imagine how irked you must be coming from Madrid to watch that drivel.
I’ve seen only one City performance this season that came close to being that bad. It just so happened to be 3 weeks ago….against Wigan.
I agree in part although we did have the better chances but Wigan looked more of a threat on the break and the amount of times they were first to the ball and managed to dribble around inept tackles were surprising.
Although it looks nailed on that Mancini is to leave I think he is being harshly treated and Pellegrini’s record does not bear comparison to his as it is far inferior. I thought our owners has more class. At least the fans do with their applauding of the wigan fans and players inside and outside the ground showing we are not sore losers like United
man are you mad? pelegrini’s record is far inferior? mancini have coached inter at their best and won just a league and is coaching us who spent 100millions a year. Pelegrini with malaga was THAT close to progress to the final four of the champions league and he was managing a team with no funds at all. cazorla went to arsenal van nisterloy left maresca too. The best players left and he sighned just saviola as a free agent. Furthermore he used players from the youth team and they were a pleasure to watch. Most of all ISCO is a majestic player that pelegrini turned from an anonymous youngster to a complete player valued at 35millions. So never compare pelegrini with mancini
People are not mad, it is you that are mad. This is a blog where people can express their opinion and are rightfully entitled. If you do not agree, that is your prerogative but this does not give you the right to insult or belittle others.
Agreed. No threat whatsoever. No tempo either. With the attacking talent we started with against a depleted Wigan defence that performance was hard to take. Credit to Wigan but we really didn’t put up a fight.
@simon edwards..our owners hv done so mch n hv invested so much fa us..v hv to stick by deir decision n giv our support to whoeva our new manager is..i too like mancini bt v hv to agree dat his substitutions n tactics r not always spot on..tevez was our nly bright spot n attack n he was replaced..so let us giv mancini a fitting farewel n welcome our new manager wid support..lets nt b lyk chelsea fans..!our new manager does hv a betta record dan david moyes!!
Were do you start we were crap if these players cant be up for the cup its a bad job the manager picked a good team its not his fault he must keep teves on though just hope they keep him thanks roberto for what youve done up till now you cant keep acking managers
I saw only about half of the game, but you sum it up really well. We just weren’t hungry for the ball, for challenges, for anything. I don’t know if the manager situation affected the players, or maybe affected Mancini’s team talk and that affected the players.
The way he’s berated players this season has rankled with me, as has his total unwillingness to give any of our youngsters a go, particularly when others are underperforming.
My understanding about Pellegrini, is that he will be blooding youngsters, and tactically, particularly in Europe, no-one can doubt that he is shrewder than Roberto. It’ll be an interesting summer – not only at our club. I hope we get our players in & out early, and can have a productive pre-season. CTID
It seems as though unless Yaya or Silva boss the game, we can’t win. With the squad we possess, even if 2 or 3 players are not at their best, we should still overrun a squad like Wigan. Can’t discredit Mancini on this one because a monkey could pull 11 City names out of hat that should be able to defeat Wigan. Not really, but the players must shoulder the blame for their lack of purpose. Maybe Mancini really has lost the locker room, in which case a change may be necessary. If so, I will miss Mancini immensely, but have to support the club and the ownership who have done so much.
Hated the whole experience. From the exhorbitant ticket prices and associated costs to the disgraceful sight of thousands of drunken, foul-mouthed idiots clearly incoherent and totally inebriated hours before the kick off even those in charge of young children to the team who just looked uninspired and so out of sorts it wasn’t true. It was a day to forget for me. Credit to Wigan who were superb and outplayed us (again) and thoroughly deserved to win.
I enjoyed 2011 (both games) but I won’t ever be re-visiting Wembley. Horrible place and 5.15pm kick off times mean only one thing – too much alcohol. £115 for a ticket. Ridiculous.
Well said sir, pockets of drunken fights right behind me too ruined experience too
There were two things I was truly baffled with:
1)Mancini selection of two deep lying midfielders Barry/Yaya esp against a team who has 5 of their main defenders out and is in fight for EPL survival. This left Wigan a lot space in midfield to boss. Yaya failed miserably and Barry put the final nail in the coffin by causing Zab’s red card
2)Substitution of Rodwell for Tevez. This truly baffled me as it left Yaya and Barry paring unchanged. And I still try to see the logic of the substitution but no still to no avail.
Spot on report. Mancini has got to go purely for the fact that Wenger, Fergie, Mourinho, Martinez, Moyes, Danny effin Begara would have won 2/3 titles in three seasons with our squard. Aloofness and arrogance internally has done it.
We make it too hard on ourselves. Look at all the top clubs in the world, except for Barcelona, they have speed wingers. We aren’t Barcelona, and we make beating these lesser teams harder on ourselves because of this. When we lack speed and quality/dangerous wide play, we have to score the perfect goal, and someone like Silva has to do something magical to create a chance. Hopefully whoever is in charge next season understands and addresses this.
It hurts me that it has come to this, but this seems to be a point of no return, i have great respect for the Italian, and he has given us all fantastic memories, but we
have been well, well below par this season, for their investment the owners cannot be blamed for wanting more.
Exceptionally well-written post. Sums it all up very well. Maybe as well-put as anything I have read about this in the past day.
Nothing else to say other than “typical City.”
I know going in that I was nervous at the thought of how we had performed against these fast-playing, high-pressing pacey sides. Wigan itself a few weeks back. Ajax, Pochettino’s Soton, etc.
But I honestly thought as well – this kind of stage? Silverware? No way in hell. Our boys were going to be all over them like a house on fire. No way they break out that Zombie act from St. Mary’s back in February.
Truly baffling. Typical City. Still love ‘em. Always will. But very disappointing nonetheless.
I was at the game and I am still bewildered by what I saw
I can’t help feel Txiki Begiristain and Co. are to blame for this defeat, as speculation reached fever pitch surrounding RMs future in the week before the final. It certainly can’t have had a positive effect on the dressing room that’s for sure, so why didn’t they make a statement to the contrary or even more importantly why make the meeting with Pelligrini’s agent so public in the first place?
I believe the top brass pulled the rug from RM’s feet and Saturday is the price we all paid.
Gutted!
man one day before the match with real madrid at germany borussia dortmund made public that gotze is going to bayern. we all know the score of the match. so you can’t blame them but mancini himself