Re: City v Palace - Official Match Thread
midday here and Ive just arisen due to the fact that I got up at some ungodly hour to watch this game (4 am, things I do for City!!) as it was screened live and then went back to bed to grab a 'couple more hours' of zezz..
First of all I noticed everyone was 100% wrong in speculation about the team and Hughes threw on a full strength team. I was very pleased about this, we have to take EVERY competition seriously this season, none of this 2nd team rubbish.
CP then began to hurl everything but the kitchen sink at us, all credit to them, they had a real go, and they're 2 young guns Moses and Sears have bags of pace and skill..
We had a discussion yesterday about the merits of Given as a 'world class' goalie and Ive now come to the conclusion that he has now morphed into THE best goalie in the prem.......THAT save against Wolves was thoroughly outstanding on Saturday and he performed with equal distinction tonight, pulling of a series of fine saves that.....well, kinda saved us.
City (and Robinho) were robbed blind of an eloquent lob for a first half goal being adjudged offside, when in fact he received the ball in his own half !!
As for 'new boy' Lescott, well well well, one word......Superb!, but also, refined, cultivated, cool, classy describe our new guy, its a real treat to see our team with not 1 but 2 superb CB's, the guys look so self assured, as if they've been together for the last 3 years, you'd never have guessed this was JL's first game AND it being an awkward cup tie away from home. I cant describe how good I feel about our defence now, I dont think City will be such a soft touch this season with these two at the heart of things.
Im sad at Dunne's departure but he just isnt in the same ball park as these guys and I cant see him being happy on the bench like say TBH (who swapped Chelsea's bench for ours) so its time to say tara...
The build up to SWP's goal was top drawer, a typical Chelsea or Arsenal build up, lovely creative and tight passes leading up to a superb finish by Shauny, who seemed to hit the ball with such force that it was bulging the back of the net before the keeper saw it......great finishing.
This changed the face of the game dramatically and City controlled things from then on in.......the class of our team shining through all the huff & puff of the 1st half.
A couple of comments;
I would have preferred if Hughes had put Petrov on the right wing and not Bellamy, who IMO is nowhere near as good as Petrov out wide (and Id like him to have a bit of game time as I dont want him to leave), so didnt understand that.
Robinho seems very good these days at sloppy misdirected passing, giving the ball away numerous times tonight, so whats going on there ? should he play against top 4 sides when we need to keep possession ?
MOM for me was Given.
Overall though an excellent result, another clean sheet, happy days!!