MCFC BOB
Well-Known Member
Firstly, I thought we were pretty poor for about two thirds of the two legs. Liverpool thoroughly deserved to go to Wembley because they simply wanted it more. Whether that says more about the league ambitions of both teams, I'm not sure, but Liverpool as a team and a fanbase certainly seemed more animated and excited about the prospect of Wembley than we did. Maybe when they finish outside the top 4, they'll look back on this season as "slight progress".
My main concern about us, is that we're nowhere near the team we were just two or three months ago. Where's the effortless changing of tempo we saw take us to seven wins on the spin in the Premier League? Where's the control and composure in our midfield? I'll tell you where: Africa, currently trying to help his national team win a competition they're favourites for. Yaya Toure is too fundamental our midfield, and unless he's having the best possible game, we don't tend to be anything better than "functional" (I think that's what the pundits call it). We've made Yaya as important as Silva was last season, if you follow my drift.
Despite his peach of a cross tonight, Kolarov is simply not good enough for where we want to go. He may have left Gerrard for dead tonight, but how many times have we seen him even attempt to run past the full-back and whip a ball towards the back post? Me neither. He's weak, sloppy, he doesn't think about where he's kicking the ball most of the time and he's starting to believe the hype built up around his left foot. He often makes decisions that completely mystify me when I see them, like trying to pass a ball through the middle of two players that were bearing down on him - in front of his own box.
But Kolarov isn't the only offender. Johnson isn't quite good enough for where we want to go, Dzeko's becoming ridiculously inconsistent in terms of his performances, Lescott needs to steady himself and compose himself while in possession of the ball (his unnecessary clearance lead to Liverpool's winner), abaleta has a lot of passion and a lot of love for City but he's not getting enough match practise to be used in such important games like this one and Stefan Savic ...
I feel sorry for Savic really. Had Kompany not been sent off against United, we'd still think he was a budding young centre-back learning his way in the game, and while he still is, he's now taken a huge confidence knock that will set him backs months because he is still young and inexperienced. He's been asked to fill the boots of the best centre-back in world football right now and as good as I think Savic will be, he's nowhere near the finished article. I suggest a season out on loan for Savic at another Premier League club, while we call Boyata back and decide whether he's worth keeping long-term instead of, or alongside, Savic.
We're out of the League Cup, but at least we can now concentrate on the two competitions we should be champions of come June 1st, 2012. Our squad does need a shake up some areas, and maybe we're not as strong in terms of depth as we thought we were, but our bouncebackability has been tested on a few occasions this season (vs. Blackburn after losing 2-0 to Bayern, for example) and we've passed when we've been really, really tested.
In every team there are causes for concern and weaknesses, but our wounds are slowly being healed. We've had a harsh couple of months to deal with and I'd say that from this run of fixtures:
We've made it out of the other side with just a few scratches and bruises, rather than a total capitulation of spirit and league position.
Onwards from here it appears.
My main concern about us, is that we're nowhere near the team we were just two or three months ago. Where's the effortless changing of tempo we saw take us to seven wins on the spin in the Premier League? Where's the control and composure in our midfield? I'll tell you where: Africa, currently trying to help his national team win a competition they're favourites for. Yaya Toure is too fundamental our midfield, and unless he's having the best possible game, we don't tend to be anything better than "functional" (I think that's what the pundits call it). We've made Yaya as important as Silva was last season, if you follow my drift.
Despite his peach of a cross tonight, Kolarov is simply not good enough for where we want to go. He may have left Gerrard for dead tonight, but how many times have we seen him even attempt to run past the full-back and whip a ball towards the back post? Me neither. He's weak, sloppy, he doesn't think about where he's kicking the ball most of the time and he's starting to believe the hype built up around his left foot. He often makes decisions that completely mystify me when I see them, like trying to pass a ball through the middle of two players that were bearing down on him - in front of his own box.
But Kolarov isn't the only offender. Johnson isn't quite good enough for where we want to go, Dzeko's becoming ridiculously inconsistent in terms of his performances, Lescott needs to steady himself and compose himself while in possession of the ball (his unnecessary clearance lead to Liverpool's winner), abaleta has a lot of passion and a lot of love for City but he's not getting enough match practise to be used in such important games like this one and Stefan Savic ...
I feel sorry for Savic really. Had Kompany not been sent off against United, we'd still think he was a budding young centre-back learning his way in the game, and while he still is, he's now taken a huge confidence knock that will set him backs months because he is still young and inexperienced. He's been asked to fill the boots of the best centre-back in world football right now and as good as I think Savic will be, he's nowhere near the finished article. I suggest a season out on loan for Savic at another Premier League club, while we call Boyata back and decide whether he's worth keeping long-term instead of, or alongside, Savic.
We're out of the League Cup, but at least we can now concentrate on the two competitions we should be champions of come June 1st, 2012. Our squad does need a shake up some areas, and maybe we're not as strong in terms of depth as we thought we were, but our bouncebackability has been tested on a few occasions this season (vs. Blackburn after losing 2-0 to Bayern, for example) and we've passed when we've been really, really tested.
In every team there are causes for concern and weaknesses, but our wounds are slowly being healed. We've had a harsh couple of months to deal with and I'd say that from this run of fixtures:
We've made it out of the other side with just a few scratches and bruises, rather than a total capitulation of spirit and league position.
Onwards from here it appears.