Newsletter #1577

Opinion tonight on the Wigan game, a view from afar and defence. Also information on a new group of Blues in business.

Alex’s news round up isn’t available yet, let’s hope it is not caught up in the mail dispute!

OPINION: EARLY DOORS

On Sunday I watched the performance against Wigan on Fox Sports here in the US fortunately with ‘proper’ British commentary. We have been on live here a few times this season so far and I’m glad to say that go forward we look truly threatening. Watching SWP, Ade, Tevez, Robbie / Bellamy with support from Barry and Ireland we look certain to destroy opposition. Despite the comments of others, in general we look relatively solid at the back and it is clear that Toure and Given are worth every penny and more. It is great to see de Jong, Barry and Ade back defending showing a commitment to the entire team. Honestly, how can any City supporter be unhappy with 5th place and the performances we have put it this season?

On a constructive criticism note I can see two areas where we clearly need to work on:

1. Concentration: Owen’s goal is obvious. But the Wigan goal you could seecoming and they could have scored earlier. When that injury time number goes upis should be a kick in the pants to everyone to sharpen up and wake up, not tojust say “OK let’s see out the next few minutes and go and rest”. Just likeafter scoring, injury time is a key time to be careful.
2. Finishing: the international break aside, we have a potent scoring‘potential’. I use potential because despite our goals so far there are timewhen we should have put games to rest and been able to bring on youngsters(Weiss) and also improve our goal difference. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal andUnited are all capable of killing off the opposition. We need to work on finishingand composure in and around the 18 yard box. We can score and do score, we justneed one or two more to make our life a little easier.

Overall, City this season are a revelation. Teams are up for us as the big spenders and we are showing we can live with them. Chelsea and Liverpool are the real tests to come but we should have greater understanding and consistency as the year and season more forward.

Still cheering from the US as a Manc Blue.

OPINION: VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER

I am Australian and have played and loved football all my life (and have the knees and ankles to prove it!) and have been a City support since I was about 8 years old (I’m 45 now). My first football coach (Jack Ashmead) was from Manchester and he always told us that Manchester City was the only real Football Club in Manchester because the Reds were located in Salford. It didn’t mean much to me at the time but I loved the sky blue shirts and I have been committed ever since.

I have been subscribing to MCIVTA now for a few years and find the articles, news and rumours provide a lot of insight into the game of football and a deep understanding about the fans and the club they follow. I suppose I am a “glass half full man” and always see the positive side despite some of the problems City have faced in recent times. At the moment my glass is overflowing as I marvel at the rapid changes that have taken place in the last 12 months. I believe Sparky has the makings of a manager who can take City on to great heights and win many trophies over the comings years. From what I see he has the football nous and the man-management skills to transform a team who was mediocre in the Premier League last year to being consistent force who can challenge for a top four position. We need to remember that Mark Hughes has added a number of quality players to a squad who lacked the talent to go to the next level. I know it is early days but his recent acquisitions and our recent form suggest to me that we will see the best of this team as the season progresses.

There are definitely areas to improve on (name me a team that doesn’t!) and I believe these deficiencies will be rectified in subsequent transfer windows. Mark Hughes has advanced the team about 2 years in one transfer window and each new player is proven at both club and international level. I am confident more players of that ilk will follow and the Manager will be able to lure those new players with a vision of a future that is exciting.

I would also like to make a quick comment about the new owners of the club. With all the turmoil that can come with foreign ownership I have never seen a more confident, focussed or gracious new owner as Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He has given the club back to supporters (one example is the new shirts that hark back to more successful time) and he is forceful in wanting the club to succeed in both a football and a business sense. He believes in Mark Hughes and backs him to make the right managerial decisions. I know it is early days but all the signs are good and I look to the future with excitement.

Last year I went to my first live game at the COMS and saw us draw 1-1 with West Ham. It was an exciting experience having watched Match of the Day for many years to catch a glimpse of my team. It is totally different now if you subscribe to Foxtel here as you can get every Premier League game live, even if it is at 2am (and if I am sleepy I can record it and watch the rest in the morning). I believe the Premier League is unique because the crowds add so much humour and excitement to the game and those loyal fans who attend make the Premier League the best club football competition in the world.

I will be visiting the UK again in a few weeks and will be in Manchester when we play Liverpool at the Kop on 21 November and I would love to go to the match. I would appreciate anyone getting in touch with me if they have a ticket I can buy or know how I can get hold of a ticket for the game. If that is not possible I would love to know the best venues in Manchester to watch the game over a beer.

Keep the interesting articles coming and keep the faith because City is definitely on the way up!

OPINION: ON TARGET!

I don’t disagree with Kevin Williamson in MCIVTA 1576 about our defence.

Let me explain: Manchester City are building a team in phases; the players that we have in the squad right now are capable of being in the top six, and if they can break into the top four City will be a season ahead of schedule.

City could not attract the very best players in the world right away; the club has got to get there bit by bit, and gradually get the very best players in a squad who will take City to the top. Let’s not forget that City learnt it the hard way when they found themselves in an embarrassing situation when they failed to sign Kaka.

The players Mark Hughes has got in the squad on paper should be good enough for this phase that we are now in; this is how I came about by naming the defence one by one with my comments.

So Kevin I am sorry I should have explained myself a little better, and even then I know that I would still have been wrong, for our defence have been making some glaring mistakes; the goal that Wigan scored was because of a defensive mistake, and that’s how most goals are scored – through someone in the defence making a mistake, and when it is the same player all the time, come the January window something will have to be done about it.

Other teams will be watching videos of City’s games in preparation of a game against us; it will not take an expert to see the same weakness in our defence, and continue to hit on it when they play against City.

I, like everyone else, has read how Mark Hughes is now going to bring in quality players and not quantity during the January transfer window. Who, we shall have to wait and see.

City as I write this are in fifth position in the Premier League with a game in hand. A good start to the season, not perfect, but on target where the club wants to be heading for, and to maintain that a couple of quality players should be added to the squad come the January transfer window.

As regards to Lescott, yes City did pay too much for him, but that is no fault of the player. I still think he deserves more time to gel into the team; we have seen him play for Everton, and know that he can do better. In fairness, how many goals against can we blame on Lescott?

A real test will be against Liverpool on November 21. Beat them and it will show that we are worthy of taking their place in the top four. Until then, do well in our other games, and beyond.

Up front when Adebayor is on form he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League, but he is not a consistent player, he has his days off.

So we can pick on different players all day long, and players in every team in the world gets that from their fans; football is a beautiful game, and fans can be for a player one week and against the next, but when the same player does not show up week in week out, it’s time to part company.

Kevin, I put my hands up and apologize: I, like some players, can be off form too.

OPINION: DEAD CERT

I’ve just caught up with a couple of weeks’ newsletters, and have one thing to say today.

All, stop getting at yourselves for Dunney scoring against us. Old Blues always score in their début against us. So it is written and so it shall always be. Just keep a good attitude towards our players and they’ll treat us fans with the respect Dunney did last week.

REQUEST: BLUES IN BUSINESS

Fellow Citizens might be interested to know that we have formed a business networking group for Blues. The web site is http://www.bluesin.biz/ and you can also read the MEN article at http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1168345_manchester_city_supporters_aim_to_do_business_off_the_pitch

If anybody would like any further details, please get in touch!

RESULTS

19 October 2009

Fulham                2 - 0  Hull City             22,943

League table to 21 October 2009 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   9  4  1  0 11  7  3  0  1 10  2  7  1  1  21   9  12  22
 2 Chelsea          9  4  0  0 10  1  3  0  2  9  7  7  0  2  19   8  11  21
 3 Tottenham H.     9  3  0  1 10  5  3  1  1 11  8  6  1  2  21  13   8  19
 4 Arsenal          8  4  0  0 17  4  2  0  2 10  7  6  0  2  27  11  16  18
 5 Manchester City  8  3  0  0  8  3  2  2  1  8  6  5  2  1  16   9   7  17
 6 Aston Villa      8  3  1  1  7  4  2  0  1  5  3  5  1  2  12   7   5  16
 7 Sunderland       9  4  0  1 13  7  1  1  2  4  6  5  1  3  17  13   4  16
 8 Liverpool        9  3  0  1 15  4  2  0  3  7  9  5  0  4  22  13   9  15
 9 Stoke City       9  3  0  2  6  5  0  3  1  2  6  3  3  3   8  11  -3  12
10 Burnley          9  4  0  0  7  2  0  0  5  2 17  4  0  5   9  19 -10  12
11 Everton          8  2  2  1  8  9  1  0  2  2  3  3  2  3  10  12  -2  11
12 Fulham           8  2  0  2  4  4  1  1  2  4  6  3  1  4   8  10  -2  10
13 Blackburn R.     8  3  1  1  8  6  0  0  3  3 11  3  1  4  11  17  -6  10
14 Wigan Athletic   9  2  1  2  5  8  1  0  3  4  8  3  1  5   9  16  -7  10
15 Bolton Wndrs     8  0  2  2  5  7  2  0  2  6  6  2  2  4  11  13  -2   8
16 Wolves           9  1  1  2  3  5  1  1  3  5 10  2  2  5   8  15  -7   8
17 Birmingham City  9  1  1  2  2  3  1  0  4  4  8  2  1  6   6  11  -5   7
18 Hull City        9  2  0  2  4  7  0  1  4  4 15  2  1  6   8  22 -14   7
19 West Ham United  8  0  1  2  5  7  1  1  3  4  6  1  2  5   9  13  -4   5
20 Portsmouth       9  0  0  5  3  8  1  0  3  2  7  1  0  8   5  15 -10   3

MCIVTA FAQ [v0910.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Heidi Pickup)          : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour (Alex Rowen)         : 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 by email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

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

http://www.mcivta.com/ 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. You can also follow on www.twitter.com/mcivta to get the latest updates.

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

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/ and the official club Twitter page at www.twitter.com/mcfc. The club also has a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mcfcofficial

[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.mancitycsa.com/) and “The International Supporters’ Club”.

[6] Where can I find out about Points of Blue (formerly the Fans’ Committee)?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears 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.mcivta.com/players/

[11] 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/.

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: