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From My Seat: Manchester City (H)

"What is it about our games with City. It has certainly baffled one Italian gentleman we have heard of."

We all turned up at our alehouse HQ and the conversation was of the doings of last week and the possible consequences. Today's game was a secondary thought for some time and then when discussed was simply if improvement in play and attitude was not forthcoming then we may suffer yet again. The alehouse filled up which is usually a sign of a good gate and indeed today was no exception as thirty six and a half thousand filled Goodison. The walk up was subdued today and there was even a manageable queue at the Blue Dragon. Strange to see the state of the Winslow, I guess a sign of the times.

Teams announced and Neville replaced by Gibson and Jelavic by Anichebe; Mucha continued in goal.

The game started at a bit of a pace and only a few minutes in we had Dzeko go down in an ariel challenge with Distin and when the ref gave no foul he went into a deep sulk that the ref spent at least two minutes trying to get the City man to come to him without much success, eventually he reluctantly came to the ref after the intervention of his captain.

Surely a yellow for such behaviour, no just a finger pointing telling off that took but twenty seconds and we got the game back. It does make you wonder. The next action saw Fellaini give Milner a hefty nudge as he went down the wing which resulted in a very early Yellow which takes him to ten and a two game ban, he needs a Pienaar style T-Shirt proclaiming 'Why does everybody keep picking on me'

Everton were looking the better side as we attacked the Park end, Coleman won a corner that Mirallas swung in and Distin failed with a free header. This superiority was almost rewarded when Mirallas got in and thumped a fierce left footer home only to be blown up for offside. A pity that it was a great effort and a goal would have been just reward for our play to that point.

Coleman was marauding down the right in good fashion but his crosses let his effort down a little none more than a comic episode when he left City for dead and got in a great crossing position and you could actually see him in about three minds and he floated the ball harmlessly over the bar.

City had sporadic attacks but neither Tevez or Dzeko could worry Mucha with their efforts. City were getting rattled and tackles were starting to fly in but the first to be booked in this spell was Pienaar for a foul on Barry giving City a free kick which was fired into the wall much to the delight of those assembled. Next Barry fouled Distin but no card which infuriated the home faithful, from here on in both sets of fans sussed a weak ref and started calling for everything and the ref very often obliged.

The half hour mark and our pressure paid off when the excellent Coleman found his way passed a couple of defenders, looked up and laid the ball to Osman who smashed it left footed into the top corner leaving England's finest rooted to the spot. The roar from L4 could be heard in L1 as we all celebrated the wonder strike.

Mancini came to the edge of the pitch waving his arms to change his system in response to our goal and did get a bit of joy as Tevez flashed one wide' It was the Blues on top though as Coleman got forward and put a cross deep to the far post that Hart scrambled to palm it away but straight to Mirallas who had an empty net to aim at but his header hit a fast recovering defender and went for a corner. Good attack-- good defending.

Silva booked for illegally stopping Coleman once to often as the half ended with todays Everton one up and playing in such a manner that left most further bemused regarding last weeks pathetic first half.

H/T and the chat was first about our non trip to Wembley and then the manager and his contract decision. Most I spoke to and heard seemed of the opinion he will stay. When it comes to football I never predict, wait and see that's me.

As you would expect City came out fired up and looked a tad dangerous but we soon got the measure of the situation and the game became end to end. City were dangerous on a couple of attacks and we replied by forcing corners and having a foul by big Vic on the keeper from a corner when minimal contact seemed to occur. Modern refs and rules, eh...

The next moment of note was when Pienaar was clearly fouled but the ref gave nothing more than 'play on' which infuriated Pienaar and the next chance he got he launched himself at Garcia and got a second yellow and a one game ban as red followed. Stupid really but spur and heat of the moment I suppose. The faithful did not agree with the ref and chanted loudly that he sexually abused himself.

10 men, one up, a baying crowd just what a Goodison bear pit sounds and looks like. Players and fans united, backs to the wall so the last half hour would be fast and furious and so it was. We defended with some accomplishment as we moved as a unit from side to side making City play in front of us and best of all leaving someone up for the out ball as we tried to counter whenever we could and did indeed force a few set pieces that City had some difficulty in repelling.

City had their moments of serious threat, step forward Mr Mucha who thwarted both Tevez and Milner with a fine save then a brave block to which the crowd rose. He punched them, he kicked them he held them. They shall not pass was the byword of all those in Royal Blue.

Mancini was animated and started throwing his subs on. Our manager replaced the tiring Mirallas with Naismith which brought a few gasps as if we are truthful many of us feared a City breakthrough and in one City raid the ball struck Fellaini who was in the box the City players claimed pen as one man, the ref blew, oh no we thought but to our eternal relief he gave the kick on the edge of the box. The kick hit the wall and we broke and Big Vic headed for the corner with City players scampering back. City had all their subs on and were going for it as 90mins approached and with Vic looking visibly knackered the manager replaced him with Jelavic, a very wise move as it would turn out.

City had us pinned back but we were coping well when a minute in to added time Naismith won the ball in our box and brought it out as Fellaini made a run forward, Naismith fed him and the Belgian made ground with Jelavic racing up the right, at just the right moment he fed the Croat who cut inside, twisted from right foot to left foot let fly and the ball ballooned from a deflection and over Hart and into the Gwladys street net. The scenes were euphoric as fans and players celebrated together all four sides of the ground jumped up and down, hugged and probably kissed as the Away fans disappeared as fast as Blues v Wigan. Jelavic was booked for discarding his shirt, the game restarted and was then blown up. We had won, beaten the champions and prevailed against the odds. What is it about our games with City. It has certainly baffled one Italian gentleman we have heard of. 'If yer know yer 'Istery' rang out loudly again and again. Distin came to the street end to throw his shirt in, all the players clapped and waved to the fans except Fellaini who went straight down the tunnel. Perhaps missing two games is upsetting him or something else.

The crowd eventually left and the throngs in the sunshine heading away were up-beat and many singing and chanting as well as many of us wondering why the hell we could not play with that craft, guile, work rate and sheer stubbornness last week.

M.O.tM – Coleman plus I must say both Gibson and Heitinga had their best games for some time.

I don't know how the rest of our games will go but if we could bottle our form shown against City it could be interesting. I noticed today that we still have all back when defending corners and so do City. Must be the in thing with modern coaches.

No game now until Stoke in two weeks gives us a Saturday night out. No Pienaar or Fellaini, it don't get easier does it.
Hope it is as good as today and a night under the lights can throw up a stormer.

UP THE BLUES

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