So I cought the Key 103 radio cast for the last match (first time looking for it. I usually prefer TV), but I go on the site today, and maybe it's my poor navigation skills, but I can't find any audio link for the Wolves match. Will they carry it? We look tantalizingly close to the top four. I hope this coaching switch doesn't prove to be a point of regret.
There are many places you can watch the match live on line as well NT. Try these sites: http://iraqgoals.net | http://atdhe.net | http://livefooty.doctor-serv.com/ Also, depending on where you live and if you have cable or satelite television many of the sports stations have bought the rights to broadcast this game. I imagine this will be the case for many of ours from now. This is because some of the deals are more flexible and allow broadcast companies to choose from a defined package of matches to show based upon their assessment of potential viewer interest. Broadcast stations showing today's match: Sky Sports 1 (England, but will be licensed for viewing in other countries, such as Spain) ESPN 2 (US) Setanta Sports (Canada) Hope this helpful. As far as the match goes I don't think the usual prediction is in order as we are tired, have lost many key players, and are still finding out feet under Mancini. It should be interesting if McCarthy decided to "rest" most of his first team against us as he did against United. I doubt he does and I am still convinced there was more to that than just preventing "unneeded injuries".
I might go that route, but I was specifically asking about Key because I'm going to be busy with some computer work, and will likely have my back turned. For audio, I liked their commentators. Oh well. I'll check in later. Indeed, good thinking on your part. As much as this coaching switch of ours may be needed, we're maybe at our most vulnerable right now in getting used to the new scheme.
This is the type of match that makes any City fan nervous, the type that would have slotted perfectly into our "epic" drawing streak under Hughes. Let's see how Mancini handles it as his first away game. As mentioned, Wolves won't play their reserve team against us like they did against the rags (surprise, surprise) and will be hungry for a result at home. Could be tough, hopefully isn't... we need 3pts to keep pace on 4th place though after Spurs won. We have two games in hand on them but being 5pts behind, need to win both games in hand really.
I looked at the all time head to head stats on soccerway.com. This team has had our numbers at its home field. It will be tough.
Starting 11, Robinho benched after his performance against Stoke. 01 Given 02 Richards 05 Zabaleta 28 Toure 33 Kompany 07 Ireland 17 Petrov 18 Barry 34 De Jong 32 Tevez 39 Bellamy Substitutes 12 Taylor, 15 Garrido, 16 Sylvinho, 36 Vidal, 44 Boyata, 40 Weiss, 10 Robinho
OK, so I just answered my own question. MCFC seems to have just put up that "Match Day Centre" link, so they will carry it on radio, as I was looking for. Didn't see the MDC link before. Game on. Let's get 3. We can unless we say we can't.
Interesting to see Richards playing at left back, although I think he's good enough to handle that. Bellamy and Tevez should be a handful for the Wolves defence. I don't really rate the Wolves keeper but as a unit their team is motivated, solid and workmanlike, but that's the only string they really have to their bow. As long as City match Wolves for workrate, I reckon they will have the quality where it counts to win the match.
Nice first half, as it comes to organization... it looks like a we actually have some for once in a season. Micky's game plan is so simple it's scary, pack it in... and send high balls into that big dude. Mancini on the other hand, was wise in getting players to there more natural positions... mainly petrov on the left. A bit lucky on the goal. But the way our front three have been working on Offense and defense... I believe they deserved it. Lets get the three !!
Quality told in the end. Wolves huffed and puffed but City were simply too good for them. I would dearly love to have seen the one-touch move from end to end, in which Tevez chipped the keeper but agonizingly missed, go in. What a sublime passing move that was. It deserved a goal. When any team plays football like that, it really is a beautiful game. Wolves are not a bad team. McCarthy is a decent coach. They should stay up and nobody can complain with that, but if City are to become a top four side, then it is teams like Wolves that City have to put in their place and that is what they did tonight. I think this game goes into the "Job done" file. Who's next..? .
Is anyone watching the game on ESPN? If so, do you know who the commentators are? Particularly, the "pundit" commentator. I think he also did the Arsenal-Hull match, all did was to rubbish Arsenal throughout the match. In this match he hardly gave any credit to Manchester city, but instead kept talking about the "offside goal," (His words not mine). I think he hates foreign players or teams managed by foreign manager.
I was watching it on Setanta, british commentators, they did talk about Mick's reaction to the offside but didn't really discredit city. Great plan by Mancini, nice subs, Javier comes in and scores, Robinho has an assist, Sylvinho didn't have much time to do anything.
Mancini showed very simply why he is a much better manager than Hughes today. It comes down to: Hughes: If things are going wrong, hope they get better and make a straight swap sub in the last 25 minutes at most. Mancini: If things are going wrong, change the formation, switch players, make substitutions, FIX the team. And he's done it two games in a row now. Excellent managing, these were tricky matches we might have lost or drawn a few months ago. Today they threw a lot at us but our so often woeful defence stood strong and barely let them in. We bided our time then hit them hard. If Tevez had finished that chance, it would have been one of the greatest goals in Premier League history. Sublime football, we have one of the most attractive brand of attacking football nowadays. Tevez proving with the right management and positioning that he can score plenty of goals, never stops working for the team. We weren't even at our best today but won 3-0. It's a mentality like that from our "mercenary" players along with an ever thinking manager (and a very able assistant in Kidd) that give us renewed hope for a top four finish.
Pure Press Bullshit... Well Done! picking that up. Offside goal?????... what the ******** was that all about. He was (barely) offside 6 touches before getting the ball and passing it to Barry who got legitimately fouled... Garrido hits an amzing curling free kick... but all they want to talk about i some phantom offside offside goal... just mindless, anti-new era nonsense.
Exactly. When I used to critize hughes. It wasn't the results, but HOW we got the results. Set Pieces are looking better. The spacing is much much more even. People are getting back now. Barry looks like the one that was at Aston Villa. And honesly that second half... I havent seen a better single half from city in years!! Completely demoralizing. Great Subs. Great Movement Great Possesion... I need a new pair of pants for christ sake. I cant wait to watch this again if the tevo worked properly. Just a great job by Mancini!! Garrido... who saw that coming!!
Another thing of note that is vastly different between Mancini and Hughes is that these are the same players defensively that were giving up 2 or 3 goals under Hughes against bottom tables sides. Under Mancini 2 clean sheets against teams that shouldn't score against us. Well done Roberto.
Agree w/ the consensus about Mancini. Did not like his initial system, but he didn't waste time fixing the jumbled mess of a 4-1-4-1. Substitutions were either brilliant as hell or lucky as hell, but for me the evidence seemed to be the overall feeling at the end of the match. I didn't miss the "clenching my butt-cheeks with fear" feeling that I usually get at the end of every game. I actually enjoyed the last part of the game where we killed the game with attacking and creative flair. In short, the team has confidence despite he goofy way that Mancini wears his scarf.
Under Hughes, Man City conceded 9 goals in three games against teams that were, well with maybe the exception of Spurs @ WHL very average.... Mancity w/ Mancini (sorry I just love writing it like that) are yet to concede after two games. Okay, Wolves + Stoke are two sides that many had picked for relegation at the beginning of the season so it's hard to read too much into the results but there is definitely a huge improvement in the performances and in the way the team is playing.