With no Premier League games last weekend, it’s a good time to examine the qualities Mark Hughes brings to City and consider whether it looks like being enough to take City into the Champions League and win some silverware.
Firstly, we can consider the positive contributions the Welshman and his management team have made, then we can look at the areas of concern.
Continue Reading →Taylor – Nightmare. Needless concession of a penalty when failing to deal with a backpass; followed in the second-half by gifting another chance when failing to hold a cross. An excellent stoppage time save was a crumb of comfort. 3
Trippier – The former youth team skipper showed plenty of endeavour, but to many long balls failed to reach a target. 5
Continue Reading →With Sheikh Mansour picking up the tab for a seven star hotel in a way that Darius Vassell could do with right now, City repaid this generous hospitality by allowing the host nation victory via a first-half penalty calamitously conceded by Stuart Taylor.
In many ways it was what we’ve come to expect under Mark Hughes’ tenure. Plenty of professionalism and organisation in the build-up to the game, followed by a disjointed performance once we go out on the pitch.
Continue Reading →Given – Produced an excellent reaction save to a flicked header just prior to the second goal. The Irishman couldn’t be faulted on a bad day elsewhere for the defence. 7
Zabaleta – A decent performance even if the Argentine didn’t manage to supply any of the quality crosses of which he’s capable. 7
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