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May - Player of the month
- Thread starter johnmc
- Start date
jay_mcfc
Well-Known Member
Bit surprised Hart hasn't got more of a mention. In each of our big games for the past couple of months he has made at least one brilliant save and usually at important moments too.
James23
Well-Known Member
Went for Joe Hart, made two saves that were crucial to our season, the one from the Pienaar header aginst Spurs and the one from Kenwyne Jones in the final. Plus he broke the record for most ever City clean sheets in a season! Deeeeecent.
Varelapinto
New Member
- Joined
- 7 Jan 2011
- Messages
- 1
I posted this on the MEN forum, a propos the City parade.
It’s been a few days since the end of the season and it’s still not sinking in. Not entirely. I still find it hard to believe that we had such a perfect end to the season. To finish level on points with 2nd spot is nothing short of tremendous for a squad and manager that have spent their first season together. The Blue Moon is rising alright…
The boys have done extremely well and can now set off for their well earned summer break… there is much to do next season and it all starts again in a matter of weeks. Much has been written about the blues’ stellar season and to what extent each player contributed to City’s success; I would respectfully like to add my own season ratings for key members of the squad. Most of the players have been immense throughout the season of course, but there are two sides to every coin which means that a few of these characters will be spending most of their holidays engineering a move for next season.
THE STARS’ LOUNGE
“The lad’s done good!”
JOE HART (9): Imagine yourself snoozing in your armchair while (not) watching Terms Of Endearment or The English Patient. Suddenly, someone throws an 1800 year old Ming Dynasty vase in your direction shouting “catch!”. You have a split second to come out of your stupor and save a priceless artefact. Joe Hart produced a feat of similar magnitude and arguably greater importance to City fans in the FA Cup final by stopping Kenwyne Jones’ effort after spending the best part of an hour as a spectator. It was not his most spectacular save of the season (and there are plenty to pick from) but undeniably the most significant. Yes, he had a few lapses in concentration but that should not detract from the fact that he never went AWOL in the big occasions. Thoroughly deserved the Golden Glove award, with the added bonus of setting a new club record for clean sheets.
MICAH RICHARDS (7): After a stuttering start, Micah has shown the kind of form that caused his stock to shoot up during his debut season. He misses out on rating 8 for threatening to leave the club “in search of regular football”… at a time when he was actually getting the nod over Boateng and Zabaleta.
JOLEON LESCOTT (7): The guy has improved so much, he can now score while looking away from goal. Lescott has had his fair share of detractors since pulling on a City shirt (myself included) but there is no denying that he now forms a very solid partnership with Kompany. Central defence is a sector that Mancini will not be losing sleep over when drawing up a list of potential signings.
VINCENT KOMPANY (9- PLAYER OF THE SEASON): City’s captain elect has barely put a foot wrong this season and I’m not just talking about his positioning and challenges in City’s box. Kompany is a reference of excellence at the club, the blueprint for achieving greatness in a City shirt. His leadership on and off the pitch are an inspiration and the expression on his face when City give away a goal tells you everything you need to know about his commitment to the club.
PABLO ZABALETA (8): He may not get as much playing time as he would like and his commitment to the cause undoubtedly deserves, but most of what I wrote about Vinny Kompany applies to this lad. Never once have you heard him moaning about being left on the bench or out of the teamsheet altogether; add to that the fact that he is willing to put himself about in any position you throw at him (he ended the season with the scars to prove it) and you will conclude that Mancini would probably trust him with Hart’s gloves if push came to shove.
DREDRYCK BOYATA (6): The lad was incredibly unlucky in that game against Arsenal. Mancini gambled and lost. It was a moment which could have wrecked a young player’s career… the fact that it didn’t suggests that the Belgian youngster is made of sterner stuff an is destined to great achievements.
NIGEL DE JONG (8): Alongside Kompany, one of the best buys of Hughes’ tenure. De Jong picked up where he left off last season, his hard craft was pivotal to City’s success this year. Deserves extra credit for surviving a smear campaign moved by the media in the wake of what was no more than an accident that resulted in Newcastle’s Ben Arfa breaking his leg. Having the bottle to commit to the kind of challenges he pulls every game when you have a swarm of wasps buzzing around you is no mean feat.
GARETH BARRY (7): Like the bass player in a rock band: you barely notice him when he’s there but the instant he stops playing, you know something’s missing. Barry has been getting some unfair stick ever since a certain Joey Barton branded him a “turtle” and “teacher’s pet”. It is probably no coincidence… but City fans that picked up on this should be wary of taking advice from a fox on how best to lock up your hen house. I do get the feeling it rolls right off Barry’s back though, as getting stick is something he got used to after leaving Villa and snubbing Liverpool’s advances to sign for City. When we consider what these three clubs have achieved in the past couple of years, Gaz Baz would be forgiven for sporting a smug little smile. Which he doesn’t.
YAYA TOURE (8): At one stage of the season there were plenty of fans in these pages branding Yaya “useless” and calling for him to be dropped. Even before the crucial goals he scored in the FA Cup semi and final, I could not understand why. Yaya Toure has had an outstanding debut season in English football. He is twice the player he was at Barcelona, having added an extra dimension to his game. If there was ever a turbo charged player, it’s him. When he engages fifth gear, you can just tell how hard it will be for any defender to stop that run… and double figures in the goal charts for a “defensive midfielder” (?) can only be a good sign.
PATRICK VIEIRA (7): The rating reflects Vieira’s influence both on and off the pitch. His legs may be slower these days, but the footballer’s brain is still there and he is reputed to have an immense influence in the dressing room. Bellamy had such a presence which unfortunately proved blinkered: the moment Hughes got his marching orders, he went from role model to instigator of dissent.
Vieira’s importance in the team should not be underestimated and I would be surprised if he is not part of Mancini’s plans to attack the club’s first season in the Champions League.
ADAM JOHNSON (7): Alongside Silva, the creative spark in the team. Johnson is usually the fall guy in potentially tricky games, when a somewhat conservative tactical approach is required and Mancini goes for the workhorse in detriment of the bag of tricks. This was particularly evident in the first half of the season but it did not stop him from bagging a few goals and making the difference when called upon. If he can improve his fitness levels he can aspire to be much more than an impact sub. As it is, he tends to trail off on the hour mark if included in the starting eleven.
DAVID SILVA (8): Written off at the start of the season as an “average player” who would “never cut it in the Premier League”, Silva has had many pundits eating copious portions of humble pie. He has been simply magnificent for the Blues and adapted perfectly to the demands of both the Premier and life in England – which includes treating reports that he feels “unsettled” with the contempt it deserves. If only he could remember where he left his shooting boots!
MARIO BALOTELLI (6): Robinho’s successor as favourite target for media snipers, he has been given stick for any reason you can think of, and many you would never imagine. The same sort of attitudes that are deemed to stem from Rooney’s “passion” for the game are classed as “unacceptable” if the young Italian is the subject of interest. It is something he will have to deal with.
Hot tempered he may be but the magnificent man of the match performance in the FA Cup final suggests that there is a lot more to come from Balotelli. He has the talent to become one of the best players in the world if Mancini can find a way to tame him- which is a challenge in itself. I had Mario rated as 7 before yesterday’s parade, where he failed to show up. One step up, two steps back…
CARLOS TEVEZ (9): There has been plenty written and spoken about Carlos Tevez, mostly nonsense and fabrication. The Argentinian committed the capital sin in the eyes of the media: he walked out on Man United to join Man City. For that he has been relentlessly persecuted and only the fact that he has performed admirably in Sky Blue shirt prevented a complete character assassination (see “Emmanuel Adebayor”).
Carlos was at the heart of everything positive that City produced in the past two seasons. Whether he stays or goes, he will be forever part of City’s History for lifting the club’s first major trophy in 35 years… and playing a major role in winning it. I sincerely hope that he will be lifting much more silverware in a Sky Blue Shirt. In any case, City fans have already thanked him for his contribution.
ALAN (10): One-hit wonder. What a hit though…
THE PADDLING ROOM
“Thank you Sir, may I have another”?
SHAY GIVEN (5): It has to be said, Shay has done nothing wrong at Eastlands. Mancini had a tough call to make and he made it. In spite of the media printing all sorts of “quotes” from his camp, repeatedly stating that he was to leave the club, he kept his dignity and the camaraderie shown after the FA Cup final was great to see. He cannot be blamed for wanting to play regularly and has been extremely fair with his assessment of Mancini’s choice.
ALEKS KOLAROV (5): What use is it having a missile launcher in your left boot if you don’t have the noggin to use it? Kolarov has been something of a disappointment in his debut season, often pulling the trigger from impossible range and angle when team mates go as far as using semaphore to signal they are in a better position. His pace is more Pepe Le Pew than Speedy Gonzalez which does not help either. While he may be given one more year to prove himself, Mancini’s decision to go with Zabaleta and, if the last game of the season is anything to go by, Boyatta (he was set to start at left back before Richards’ injury), indicates that he has some work to do before he gets back in the starting line-up.
KOLO “Does my bum look big in this” TOURE (4): The fact that everything Weight Watchers tastes like polystyrene is no excuse for a footballer turning to slimming pills- especially when you don’t know what’s in the bottle. As stupid decisions go, that was a gem. I had Kolo down as favourite to win "Footballer twit of the year"; it seems that he was pipped to the award by, ironically, a United player. Arise, "Sir" Giggs!
JEROME BOATENG (3): A debut season limited by injury and lack of opportunities to shine in his favoured role. Time will tell if he stays at Eastlands; If he does, Mancini could do worse than giving up on adapting him to full back as I believe he could be excellent alongside Kompany.
MICHAEL JOHNSON (-): Nothing to mark. Again.
JAMES MILNER (6): An even busier season next year will give him plenty of opportunities to prove himself. He needs to.
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS (5): I take no pleasure whatsoever from writing the following lines. From the start of the season, when he got a surprising starting berth at White Hart Lane, I knew his time with City was up. He had the best chance of the game when put clean through, one on one with Gomes. Any other player could probably have stopped for a coffee and still score comfortably, that’s how long he had. Instead, SWP never even managed to get a shot off and was an hour later dispossessed by a grateful Spurs defender. It turned out to be the blueprint for his season. The fans still love him (Shauny Wright Wright Wright) and he will be forever a club icon, but time has come for him to move on.
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR (4): His City career lasted a handful of games, until he proved his point by scoring against Arsenal last season. Adebayor is undeniably a gifted player – as long as he has something to prove. It took one successful season at Arsenal for him to conclude “my work is done here”- and considerable less time at Eastlands. After joining Real Madrid on loan, he treated himself to a “respectable” haircut “because it is more appropriate at an institution like Real Madrid”. It tells you all you need to know.
EDIN DZEKO (6): Many question marks in the air about the big Bosnian. Many claim that he has failed to adapt to the Premier League, supposedly more demanding than the Bundesliga. I on the other hand, would suggest that City’s tactical approach this season has not suited his game. At Wolfsburg he was getting regular service from the wings which has been in short supply at City. Johnson is often used as an impact sub while width is entrusted to the full backs. Unfortunately, Richards is often required to focus on defensive duties and you can’t get to Kolarov’s crosses without the use of an industrial sized butterfly net.
Given the fact that Mancini deposits so much faith in Dzeko, I would hazard a guess that one of the priorities for summer shopping will be at least one quality winger. If this is the case, the team’s strategic approach will become more flexible and we may see the Bosnian doing what he does best.
JO (4): He does try. Not hard enough.
ROQUE SANTA CRUZ (1): The rating is intended to make ironic reference to the one goal he scored for City this season. It is hardly his fault that injuries have all but claimed his career; the blame lies firmly with the manager who had the brilliant idea of signing a player still recovering from major knee surgery. £18m should have been taken off Hughes’ ill-deserved severance package.
It’s been a few days since the end of the season and it’s still not sinking in. Not entirely. I still find it hard to believe that we had such a perfect end to the season. To finish level on points with 2nd spot is nothing short of tremendous for a squad and manager that have spent their first season together. The Blue Moon is rising alright…
The boys have done extremely well and can now set off for their well earned summer break… there is much to do next season and it all starts again in a matter of weeks. Much has been written about the blues’ stellar season and to what extent each player contributed to City’s success; I would respectfully like to add my own season ratings for key members of the squad. Most of the players have been immense throughout the season of course, but there are two sides to every coin which means that a few of these characters will be spending most of their holidays engineering a move for next season.
THE STARS’ LOUNGE
“The lad’s done good!”
JOE HART (9): Imagine yourself snoozing in your armchair while (not) watching Terms Of Endearment or The English Patient. Suddenly, someone throws an 1800 year old Ming Dynasty vase in your direction shouting “catch!”. You have a split second to come out of your stupor and save a priceless artefact. Joe Hart produced a feat of similar magnitude and arguably greater importance to City fans in the FA Cup final by stopping Kenwyne Jones’ effort after spending the best part of an hour as a spectator. It was not his most spectacular save of the season (and there are plenty to pick from) but undeniably the most significant. Yes, he had a few lapses in concentration but that should not detract from the fact that he never went AWOL in the big occasions. Thoroughly deserved the Golden Glove award, with the added bonus of setting a new club record for clean sheets.
MICAH RICHARDS (7): After a stuttering start, Micah has shown the kind of form that caused his stock to shoot up during his debut season. He misses out on rating 8 for threatening to leave the club “in search of regular football”… at a time when he was actually getting the nod over Boateng and Zabaleta.
JOLEON LESCOTT (7): The guy has improved so much, he can now score while looking away from goal. Lescott has had his fair share of detractors since pulling on a City shirt (myself included) but there is no denying that he now forms a very solid partnership with Kompany. Central defence is a sector that Mancini will not be losing sleep over when drawing up a list of potential signings.
VINCENT KOMPANY (9- PLAYER OF THE SEASON): City’s captain elect has barely put a foot wrong this season and I’m not just talking about his positioning and challenges in City’s box. Kompany is a reference of excellence at the club, the blueprint for achieving greatness in a City shirt. His leadership on and off the pitch are an inspiration and the expression on his face when City give away a goal tells you everything you need to know about his commitment to the club.
PABLO ZABALETA (8): He may not get as much playing time as he would like and his commitment to the cause undoubtedly deserves, but most of what I wrote about Vinny Kompany applies to this lad. Never once have you heard him moaning about being left on the bench or out of the teamsheet altogether; add to that the fact that he is willing to put himself about in any position you throw at him (he ended the season with the scars to prove it) and you will conclude that Mancini would probably trust him with Hart’s gloves if push came to shove.
DREDRYCK BOYATA (6): The lad was incredibly unlucky in that game against Arsenal. Mancini gambled and lost. It was a moment which could have wrecked a young player’s career… the fact that it didn’t suggests that the Belgian youngster is made of sterner stuff an is destined to great achievements.
NIGEL DE JONG (8): Alongside Kompany, one of the best buys of Hughes’ tenure. De Jong picked up where he left off last season, his hard craft was pivotal to City’s success this year. Deserves extra credit for surviving a smear campaign moved by the media in the wake of what was no more than an accident that resulted in Newcastle’s Ben Arfa breaking his leg. Having the bottle to commit to the kind of challenges he pulls every game when you have a swarm of wasps buzzing around you is no mean feat.
GARETH BARRY (7): Like the bass player in a rock band: you barely notice him when he’s there but the instant he stops playing, you know something’s missing. Barry has been getting some unfair stick ever since a certain Joey Barton branded him a “turtle” and “teacher’s pet”. It is probably no coincidence… but City fans that picked up on this should be wary of taking advice from a fox on how best to lock up your hen house. I do get the feeling it rolls right off Barry’s back though, as getting stick is something he got used to after leaving Villa and snubbing Liverpool’s advances to sign for City. When we consider what these three clubs have achieved in the past couple of years, Gaz Baz would be forgiven for sporting a smug little smile. Which he doesn’t.
YAYA TOURE (8): At one stage of the season there were plenty of fans in these pages branding Yaya “useless” and calling for him to be dropped. Even before the crucial goals he scored in the FA Cup semi and final, I could not understand why. Yaya Toure has had an outstanding debut season in English football. He is twice the player he was at Barcelona, having added an extra dimension to his game. If there was ever a turbo charged player, it’s him. When he engages fifth gear, you can just tell how hard it will be for any defender to stop that run… and double figures in the goal charts for a “defensive midfielder” (?) can only be a good sign.
PATRICK VIEIRA (7): The rating reflects Vieira’s influence both on and off the pitch. His legs may be slower these days, but the footballer’s brain is still there and he is reputed to have an immense influence in the dressing room. Bellamy had such a presence which unfortunately proved blinkered: the moment Hughes got his marching orders, he went from role model to instigator of dissent.
Vieira’s importance in the team should not be underestimated and I would be surprised if he is not part of Mancini’s plans to attack the club’s first season in the Champions League.
ADAM JOHNSON (7): Alongside Silva, the creative spark in the team. Johnson is usually the fall guy in potentially tricky games, when a somewhat conservative tactical approach is required and Mancini goes for the workhorse in detriment of the bag of tricks. This was particularly evident in the first half of the season but it did not stop him from bagging a few goals and making the difference when called upon. If he can improve his fitness levels he can aspire to be much more than an impact sub. As it is, he tends to trail off on the hour mark if included in the starting eleven.
DAVID SILVA (8): Written off at the start of the season as an “average player” who would “never cut it in the Premier League”, Silva has had many pundits eating copious portions of humble pie. He has been simply magnificent for the Blues and adapted perfectly to the demands of both the Premier and life in England – which includes treating reports that he feels “unsettled” with the contempt it deserves. If only he could remember where he left his shooting boots!
MARIO BALOTELLI (6): Robinho’s successor as favourite target for media snipers, he has been given stick for any reason you can think of, and many you would never imagine. The same sort of attitudes that are deemed to stem from Rooney’s “passion” for the game are classed as “unacceptable” if the young Italian is the subject of interest. It is something he will have to deal with.
Hot tempered he may be but the magnificent man of the match performance in the FA Cup final suggests that there is a lot more to come from Balotelli. He has the talent to become one of the best players in the world if Mancini can find a way to tame him- which is a challenge in itself. I had Mario rated as 7 before yesterday’s parade, where he failed to show up. One step up, two steps back…
CARLOS TEVEZ (9): There has been plenty written and spoken about Carlos Tevez, mostly nonsense and fabrication. The Argentinian committed the capital sin in the eyes of the media: he walked out on Man United to join Man City. For that he has been relentlessly persecuted and only the fact that he has performed admirably in Sky Blue shirt prevented a complete character assassination (see “Emmanuel Adebayor”).
Carlos was at the heart of everything positive that City produced in the past two seasons. Whether he stays or goes, he will be forever part of City’s History for lifting the club’s first major trophy in 35 years… and playing a major role in winning it. I sincerely hope that he will be lifting much more silverware in a Sky Blue Shirt. In any case, City fans have already thanked him for his contribution.
ALAN (10): One-hit wonder. What a hit though…
THE PADDLING ROOM
“Thank you Sir, may I have another”?
SHAY GIVEN (5): It has to be said, Shay has done nothing wrong at Eastlands. Mancini had a tough call to make and he made it. In spite of the media printing all sorts of “quotes” from his camp, repeatedly stating that he was to leave the club, he kept his dignity and the camaraderie shown after the FA Cup final was great to see. He cannot be blamed for wanting to play regularly and has been extremely fair with his assessment of Mancini’s choice.
ALEKS KOLAROV (5): What use is it having a missile launcher in your left boot if you don’t have the noggin to use it? Kolarov has been something of a disappointment in his debut season, often pulling the trigger from impossible range and angle when team mates go as far as using semaphore to signal they are in a better position. His pace is more Pepe Le Pew than Speedy Gonzalez which does not help either. While he may be given one more year to prove himself, Mancini’s decision to go with Zabaleta and, if the last game of the season is anything to go by, Boyatta (he was set to start at left back before Richards’ injury), indicates that he has some work to do before he gets back in the starting line-up.
KOLO “Does my bum look big in this” TOURE (4): The fact that everything Weight Watchers tastes like polystyrene is no excuse for a footballer turning to slimming pills- especially when you don’t know what’s in the bottle. As stupid decisions go, that was a gem. I had Kolo down as favourite to win "Footballer twit of the year"; it seems that he was pipped to the award by, ironically, a United player. Arise, "Sir" Giggs!
JEROME BOATENG (3): A debut season limited by injury and lack of opportunities to shine in his favoured role. Time will tell if he stays at Eastlands; If he does, Mancini could do worse than giving up on adapting him to full back as I believe he could be excellent alongside Kompany.
MICHAEL JOHNSON (-): Nothing to mark. Again.
JAMES MILNER (6): An even busier season next year will give him plenty of opportunities to prove himself. He needs to.
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS (5): I take no pleasure whatsoever from writing the following lines. From the start of the season, when he got a surprising starting berth at White Hart Lane, I knew his time with City was up. He had the best chance of the game when put clean through, one on one with Gomes. Any other player could probably have stopped for a coffee and still score comfortably, that’s how long he had. Instead, SWP never even managed to get a shot off and was an hour later dispossessed by a grateful Spurs defender. It turned out to be the blueprint for his season. The fans still love him (Shauny Wright Wright Wright) and he will be forever a club icon, but time has come for him to move on.
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR (4): His City career lasted a handful of games, until he proved his point by scoring against Arsenal last season. Adebayor is undeniably a gifted player – as long as he has something to prove. It took one successful season at Arsenal for him to conclude “my work is done here”- and considerable less time at Eastlands. After joining Real Madrid on loan, he treated himself to a “respectable” haircut “because it is more appropriate at an institution like Real Madrid”. It tells you all you need to know.
EDIN DZEKO (6): Many question marks in the air about the big Bosnian. Many claim that he has failed to adapt to the Premier League, supposedly more demanding than the Bundesliga. I on the other hand, would suggest that City’s tactical approach this season has not suited his game. At Wolfsburg he was getting regular service from the wings which has been in short supply at City. Johnson is often used as an impact sub while width is entrusted to the full backs. Unfortunately, Richards is often required to focus on defensive duties and you can’t get to Kolarov’s crosses without the use of an industrial sized butterfly net.
Given the fact that Mancini deposits so much faith in Dzeko, I would hazard a guess that one of the priorities for summer shopping will be at least one quality winger. If this is the case, the team’s strategic approach will become more flexible and we may see the Bosnian doing what he does best.
JO (4): He does try. Not hard enough.
ROQUE SANTA CRUZ (1): The rating is intended to make ironic reference to the one goal he scored for City this season. It is hardly his fault that injuries have all but claimed his career; the blame lies firmly with the manager who had the brilliant idea of signing a player still recovering from major knee surgery. £18m should have been taken off Hughes’ ill-deserved severance package.
bobby chariots
Well-Known Member
ARE YOU ALL CRAZY!
Its the man who scored the winning goal in the FA cup final!!!!!!!!
Its the man who scored the winning goal in the FA cup final!!!!!!!!
Super_Christian_Negouai
Well-Known Member
Lescott
Solid and bagged a couple of goals.
Solid and bagged a couple of goals.
Q8-Blue
Well-Known Member
I voted for Yaya "the tank" Toure