Newsletter #1297

City eased through to the 5th round of the FA Cup on Sunday as we managed to fight back from going a goal down, and avoid an all-too-predictable cup upset. We are now rewarded with an away tie to Preston North End, which has made the Pickup clan very happy (until the day of the game that is).

We have a match report tonight on the Southampton game, thanks to Colin, opinion on recent performances, attendances and the need for some quality signings at just 2 days to go.

There’s also a terrific Why Blue from Down Under via Harpurhey thanks to Stephen.

It was revealed over the weekend that Pearce has been offered the job of coaching the England U21 team – but MCFC are apparently stalling. Surely it’s a tremendous accolade to have your manager approached for this sort of role, and Pearce is certainly a great advocate of youth players.

Finally, many thanks to Mads for coming to the rescue of MCIVTA 1296 – and thanks for the “get well” messages. Ouch, I now have some sympathy for Messrs Reyna, Weaver et al!

MATCH REPORT “LIVE”: MCFC 3 SFC 1

It was a bit worrying that there had been no “giant-killing” results over the Cup weekend and, with only Arsenal-Bolton kicking off after us, we were the last chance. Throw into that mixture the return of old boy Bradley Wright-Phillips and there were a few nervous Blues this afternoon. A further sideshow was the news that Stuart Pearce had been offered the England U-21 job and clearly was keen to accept.

A relatively sparse crowd was in place, including about 3,000 Saints fans, to see City line up in a true 3-5-2 with Weaver, Distin, Dunne, Richards, Beasley, Barton, Dabo, Ireland, Trabelsi, Vassell, and Samaras. New boy Djamel Abdoun was on the bench as was BWP for the opposition. Gareth Bale played at left back for Southampton, facing Micah Richards, and this game had been billed as the battle of the wonder-kids.

There was little meaningful action in the first five minutes, with the ball in the air most of the time but City had the first chances. A Barton free kick was wasted then Vassell was tackled by Saints’ full back Ostlund. Barton was then through on the right and crossed for Samaras but his header was weak. Then Samaras received a great ball and put in a low cross but no one could get on the end of it. However, Southampton now got a foothold in the game and had the better of the next few minutes, winning a free kick and succession of corners and also winning the midfield battle.

City came back with Samaras played free in the area by Ireland and it looked like it must be 1-0 but he failed to control the ball. Things got worse as Saints cleared the ball downfield and Jones and Distin battled for the ball. Jones just got there first but there should have been little danger at that point except for the fact that Weaver had come rushing out and left himself stranded. Jones looped the ball over him and that giant-killing act suddenly looked more likely.

City nerves were steadied a few minutes later when Trabelsi did well to win a ball and fed Vassell, who turned well to make it 1-1. A couple of minutes later, Vassell was away down the left but tripped by Ostlund, a man whose hairstyle makes Samaras’ look like a short back and sides, earning the defender a yellow card. City were well in control now but, as ever, it was a case of scoring the goals to make it count. Barton just failed to get on the end of a low cross into the box from Samaras and there was a bit of a scramble before the ball was cleared for a throw-in. It had been a decent first half of cup football but in injury time there was some great inter-play between Distin, Beasley, and Ireland, who did well to hold on to the ball under pressure before laying the ball to Barton who had found space in the area. Joey finished well, placing the ball past the ‘keeper to make it 2-1.

There were no changes in the second half, which started quietly. After eight minutes Dabo gave away a free kick, which was taken quickly and played in low from the left wing. Weaver seemed to hesitate as the ball bounced around like a pin-ball before cannoning off a Southampton leg and going just wide. It was then City’s turn again when Trabelsi fed Samaras on the left edge of the area. His shot looked weak but it got turned away for a corner. Wright-Phillips then came on for Rasiak to a decent reception from both sets of fans. However, it was City who were next in action when Barton played a great pass to Samaras but he took too long when in the clear and then had to hold off a couple of defenders before letting a weak shot go. Southampton were under the cosh but nearly got back in the game when an under pressure Distin played a back pass to Weaver, who sliced his clearance. Barton had the ball but gave it away in a bad position but fortunately it came to nothing.

With the game in the last quarter, Ireland and Trabelsi combined to give Beasley a chance but his shot under pressure was off target. He made amends a minute later when a stupendous forty yard, inch perfect pass from Dunne split the defence and Beasley did superbly to bring the ball down in front of the onrushing ‘keeper who was left in no-mans land as Beasley scored in an empty net.

With the game seemingly safe now, Miller replaced Samaras and was in action soon after, with a surging run into the area. It was all City now and Barton played the ball to Trabelsi who fired in a low cross that Ireland got on the end of but the ‘keeper turned it round. Barton was involved again when he ran into space cleverly on the right and put in a deep cross that was again met by Ireland who put a powerful shot just wide.

The last few minutes were full of action as Abdoun made his début and was involved in some good moves. Bale had a good run down the left but was smartly tackled by Richards. Dunne had to clear a dangerous attack but it was City who finished the stronger with a few chances. The best fell to Miller, from a Trabelsi cross, and his header from close range was on target but superbly turned onto the bar by the Saints’ ‘keeper. That was pretty well the last action and City had competently disposed of a workaday Championship side that had given them less trouble than Sheffield Wednesday and were in the fifth round draw.

Performances:
Weaver – 5. Not inspiring. Time for Issaksson to be given a chance?
Richards – 7. Not a great game but he rarely lets us down. Looked better than Bale.
Dunne – 9. Immense in defence and superb pass for the third goal.
Distin – 8. Like Dunne, he largely kept the Southampton forwards out of the game.
Trabelsi – 8. Had a pretty good game, probably his best yet for us.
Barton – 8. Great to have him back and he did the job we expect.
Dabo – 5. Not so good. Too many simple passes went astray and rarely seemed in control of the midfield.
Ireland – 8. Another one who possibly had his best game for us and seems to be growing into the ball playing rôle.
Beasley – 7. Starting to reap the benefit of a run of games and superbly taken goal.
Samaras – 6. Still a lot to put right in his game but did OK most of the time.
Vassell – 8. It’s starting to come good for him. Full of running and a well-taken goal.
Subs:
Miller – 7. Looked fresh and imposed himself in a striker’s rôle.
Abdoun – 7. Not on long but impressed in that short time.

Overall Out-of-the-Seat Factor – 7. A good cup tie and performance from City and well worth £20 of anyone’s money.

OPINION: HOW MANY?

I am not a Manchester City season ticket holder. I have been sequestered in Canada since 1967 yet have lived and died with the Blues since my dad hijacked me to watch City play Sheffield Wednesday at Maine Road in 1956 (we won 3-1). Yet I can’t imagine paying out money on a weekly basis to see this group of non-achievers.

I have never in all the 48 years I have supported City witnessed a line-up that is so incompetent at scoring goals. Even in the worst of times we had players like Joe Hayes, Derek Kevan, Alec Harley, Jim Murray, Uwe Rösler and yes Shaun Goater who could actually put the ball in the net.

On Saturday’s broadcast, the announcer noted that there was not one City player on the pitch who had scored more that two goals, and how many games have we played… 23!

Thank goodness we’ve had great goalkeeping and a steady defensive corps that has held other teams scoreless and poached the odd goal. You don’t have to be Kreskin to know that we need a creative midfielder and a couple of players who can actually score a goal!

I can’t see this happening this year. We will probably limp along as we are, hold a few more teams scoreless and poach enough goals to stay up. But some major surgery has to be executed in the off-season. Otherwise City fans will vote by their absence, which is becoming clearer every home game with the sea of empty seats.

Still hanging in there.

OPINION: PERFORMANCES

It’s been over ten years since I held my season ticket at Maine Road, and whenever I’m back in the UK I always try to get to all the matches I can, both home and away; Fulham, Newcastle, and Liverpool on my last trip in November. I was more than a little deflated to see the way our team lined up at Anfield, and weren’t really ‘going for it’ until after the break when we changed our formation because of the scoreline.

Although I’m no longer in the position of paying to see every home game like I used to, it’s easy to understand what Howard Gruber (MCIVTA 1296) and others have been saying concerning certain performances from City players questioning their motivation, and also how much it costs to attend a football match these days.

Perhaps Stuart Pearce could stick a few of the best letters on the wall of the dressing room if he hasn’t already – especially when they come from supporters of Howard’s calibre.

With the exception of a few players like Joey Barton (who has particularly impressed both on and off the pitch recently) there are a few of our playing staff who might benefit from considering the sentiments expressed by people that have been supporting the club for nearly five decades.

Let’s hope that our performance against Blackburn isn’t repeated, we play a blinder in the next round of the FA Cup, the team rallies with fantastic support from the crowd, and we get back on track for a strong finish to the latter part of the season.

P.S. If our chairman wants to pay for SWP out of his own pocket (as suggested maybe tongue in cheek by our manager), wouldn’t the investment more than likely pay itself off in goals scored from midfield, chances created for our forwards, extra bums on seats, and higher prize money at the end of the season? If he owned the player himself (à la Argentinians down at West Ham) and SWP’s stock went up, I’m sure the actual risk or exposure he’d be taking on wouldn’t be more than a couple of million quid if that, as there’s always going to be a market for players like Shaun as long as he’s in the spotlight. SWP might also make the club a much more attractive investment target. Now what an inspired move that could be… maybe someone might stick this note up on Mr W’s desk? ;o)

OPINION: TICKET PRICES & ATTENDANCES

I applaud the M.E.N. campaign to get ticket prices reduced for all football fans. I fear though that the campaign will fall on deaf ears at Eastlands, as the people in charge already think they are doing their bit by giving some kids tickets for a fiver and dropping the prices for cup games.

The fans though certainly don’t think enough is being done and are staying away in their thousands. I have written many times to the club on the issue of ticket prices and the last reply I received from the club was that they were doing a great job for the fans and then went on to try to give me a history lesson of attendances since the second world war!

I was hoping the people in charge at City would sit down with supporters’ club officals, fanzine editors, PoB reps, website editors, reps from Bluewatch and any other interested party with a view to widen the debate into why City fans are staying away and then to find a long term solution to get City fans back into the ground. Unfortunately this suggestion appears to have been dismissed out of hand. It’s obvious certain people at City don’t give a monkey’s about our views or the embarrassing spectacle of thousands of empty seats otherwise they would have done something about it ages ago; shame on them.

OPINION: HELLO SAILOR!

With his new do and beard, Nicky Weaver now looks like the “Sailor” Action Man I once owned. Top Man. Do I win a fiver?

Come on you Blues.

WHY BLUE?

Born in Harpurhey in 1947 to a City family, I was lucky having an older sister and brother – Joan and Keith. It meant I got to Maine Road young. At seven, seeing Charles Buchan’s postcard players in the flesh. First game was against Charlton with the two best goalies in the league – Trautmann and Bartram. Poor Sam lets in 5 and I wonder how can he be so good. One week I run on the pitch before the game to get my hero Bert’s autograph and next fortnight, unbelievably, he is standing next to me on the bus to the game. No flash cars then.

The first taste of that special exhilaration and fear when we play United. We beat them in the cup and Joan celebrates by dismantling two of Keith’s teeth with her rattle.

Going to the reserves, where we are kings of a deserted Maine Road running from Platt Lane to Scoreboard end. One day a copper stops us in the middle of Kippax and tells us to walk – why? For some reason, we always had pork pies and Oxo at the reserves. Ken Branagan’s haircut comes to mind.

There were round the block queues in the city for buses to see Stanley Matthews, who we wanted to play well, but not too well and we hoped he didn’t get kicked too hard by our big full back. Games against Bolton with Ewing and Leivers versus Higgins and Hartley – no need for a midfield here – the ball rarely getting any lower than Bobby Johnstone’s head.

Those early years have goals and players engraved in the memory forever. Jacky Milburn’s goal for Newcastle in the Cup final of ’55 and Roy Little’s despairing leap, Roy Clarke’s header in the semi-final. I can still name all the City players of the ’56 cup final – “Bless em all, bless em all, Don Revie, Bert Trautmann, Roy Paul…”.

My support was not perfect – I did stop going when we sold Dave Wagstaff and was not at the Swindon game.

Getting older and going to away games – three or four of us in my mate Allan’s old Humber – all smoking and singing to the Supremes going down the motorway. I was fearful going to Liverpool, I felt rough and crude in London, but loved the friendly pubs in Newcastle and Southampton. Poor Allan was the only driver and sometimes we would get back about midnight and head for the Andaz restaurant in Middleton for a late night curry and a few more drinks – perfect preparation for playing in the local Sunday morning pub league.

Quick forward remembering: Ken Barnes’ penalty kicks, Denis Law, Alex Harley, Allan Oakes’ left foot, Mercer & (early) Allison, Colin Bell, Newcastle 4-3, Mike Doyle, Nellie Young and Leicester 1-0, Gornik and the Prater stadium in the rain (and getting drunk on beer and schliverwitz after).

Trying to forget Poyser, the Marsden Plan, Fenerbahce and Allan Oakes’ right foot.

And so living in Melbourne for the last 34 years. Visiting Manchester every couple of years and trying to tie it in with the Blues’ fixture list. I was the lucky charm for a time, going seven years without seeing a “live” defeat, including the 5-1 drubbing of United, where my Melbourne born wife was too scared to talk and was terrified by the intensity of the fans – and we were among the City supporters. There were the five goals against Charlton to clinch promotion and then all the joy evaporating on the way home down Lloyd Street hearing the news of the Bradford fire.

I go to the Australian Rules football here in Melbourne, and superstition means I wear a City T-shirt to all the Carlton Blues’ games. Carlton have finished bottom of the league the last two years, which upsets all the fans used to success. My years following City enable me to handle it well.

RESULTS

League table to 28 January 2007 inclusive

                             HOME          AWAY        OVERALL
                    P  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F   A   GD Pts
 1 Manchester Utd  24 10  1  1 29  8  8  2  2 24 10 18  3  3  53  18  35  57
 2 Chelsea         24  8  4  0 24  8  7  2  3 17 11 15  6  3  41  19  22  51
 3 Liverpool       24 10  2  0 25  3  4  2  6 12 13 14  4  6  37  16  21  46
 4 Arsenal         24  7  5  0 30  9  6  1  5 15 11 13  6  5  45  20  25  45
 5 Bolton Wndrs    24  7  2  3 17 10  5  2  5 11 16 12  4  8  28  26   2  40
 6 Portsmouth      24  7  3  2 20  9  3  4  5 14 15 10  7  7  34  24  10  37
 7 Everton         24  6  4  2 19  9  3  4  5 12 14  9  8  7  31  23   8  35
 8 Reading         24  7  1  4 21 14  3  3  6 13 18 10  4 10  34  32   2  34
 9 Tottenham H.    24  8  1  3 21 12  1  5  6  8 20  9  6  9  29  32  -3  33
10 Blackburn R.    24  5  2  5 14 15  4  2  6 14 18  9  4 11  28  33  -5  31
11 Middlesbrough   24  7  2  3 18 12  1  4  7 11 17  8  6 10  29  29   0  30
12 Newcastle Utd   24  5  4  3 18 15  3  2  7 10 17  8  6 10  28  32  -4  30
13 Manchester City 24  5  4  3 10  9  3  2  7  9 19  8  6 10  19  28  -9  30
14 Aston Villa     24  5  4  3 14 11  1  7  4 12 17  6 11  7  26  28  -2  29
15 Fulham          24  5  4  3 10  9  1  7  4 16 27  6 11  7  26  36 -10  29
16 Sheff. United   24  3  5  4 13 15  3  1  8  6 18  6  6 12  19  33 -14  24
17 Wigan Athletic  23  3  2  7 12 20  3  2  6 11 18  6  4 13  23  38 -15  22
18 West Ham United 24  5  2  5 13 14  0  3  9  4 24  5  5 14  17  38 -21  20
19 Charlton Ath.   24  4  3  5 11 16  1  1 10  8 27  5  4 15  19  43 -24  19
20 Watford         23  2  5  4 10 13  0  4  8  4 19  2  9 12  14  32 -18  15

MCIVTA FAQ [v0607.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour (Don Barrie)         : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings bu email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page

http://www.uit.no/mancity/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters’ home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site.

[4] What is the club’s official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

Manchester City FC recognises three supporters’ clubs: The “Official Supporters Club” (http://www.mcfcosc.com/); the “Centenary Supporters’ Association” (http://www.reddishblues.com/CSAWebsite/CSA.htm) and “The International Supporters’ Club”.

[6] Where can I find out about the fans’ committee?

The Fans’ Committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. The Fans’ Committee has been relaunched as “Points of Blue”. It has appeared on the club website as a minor entry under “Fans Zone”.

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

The Radio Manchester (née GMR) pre and post match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/sport/manchester_city/index.shtml.

Live match commentaries and archives of games, reports and interviews can be found at http://mcfc.videoloungetv.com/do/preLogin?clubSiteCode=MCFC&CMP=AFC-003.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/pl.html provides a listing of Premiership games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. Useful sites for North American viewers are http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer, http://www.soccertv.com/, and http://www.livesoccertv.com/.

[9] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci213262,00.html

[10] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.uit.no/mancity/players/

[11] Can I buy shares in the club?

Yes you can: Shares in Manchester City PLC are traded on OFEX. The latest prices can be on found the Plus Markets Group web site http://www.plusmarketsgroup.com/ or in the business section of the Manchester Evening News.

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth analysis try http://www.mcfcstats.com/.

[13] I hear there is a TV programme specifically about City?

InsideMCFC is broadcasted by ChannelM. It is available on the SkyDigital (ch.203) and NTL (ch.26) platforms as well as being transmittedtraditionally within the Manchester area (ch.39). In addition, theprogramme is available to watch via the web. More details and schedule:http://www.channelm.co.uk/features/city.html

DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in MCIVTA are entirely those of the subscribersand there is no intention to represent these opinions as being thoseof Manchester City Football Club, nor of any of the companies anduniversities by whom the subscribers are employed. It is not inany way whatsoever connected to the club or any other relatedorganisation and is simply a group of supporters using this mediumas a means of disseminating news and exchanging opinions.

Heidi Pickup, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: