As requested by gillie, here is the first of the diary entries for this season, which is to be a collaborative effort.
15/08/2009: Alioune DVToure @ Blackburn Rovers
So I got to the pub at around 12 noon and the BBC showed a probable line-up which was a 4-3-3/4-1-2-2-1 with De Jong playing in the holding midfield role, SWP playing off Adebayor to the right (with Robinho playing off him to the left). This is pretty much the shape I was expecting and the expectad line-up was along the lines of the following:
-----------------------Given
Richards--------Dunne.....Toure-------Bridge
----------------------De Jong--------------------
------------Ireland-------------Barry---------------
Wright-Phillips------------------------Robinho---
---------------------Adebayor---------------------
Withe Tevez unavailable, this would certainly have been the shape (and probably the eleven players) that I myself would've gone for. Anyway, we had a few pints in my supporters club before getting on the coach and the mood was one of overwhelming optimism. I myself, usually optimistic, was being a bit more guarded. We (and I) had gone to Ewood Park almost two years ago as hot favourites and had been left wanting by Blackburn's fast, front-to-back, direct approach and we lost the game 1-0. With this in mind, coupled with the absence of form books going into an opening-day fixture, I plumped for a 1-1- draw.
Our coach arrived outside the ground at around 14:00 and we immediately hit the big pub designated for away fans right across the road called the Fernhurst. If you're into your pubs, this one is a colossal Victorian thing with two floors and big screen for the football. Add a few hundred thirsty, expectant blues into the mix and you'll understand what a good pub it is. It's also part of the reason why an away trip to Blackburn is always more fun than, say, Wigan or Bolton (although the pub scene at Everton is similarly welcoming - perhaps not this season in light of recent events!).
The only drawback at the Fernhurst was that we got stuck outside drinking three-quid-cans of Kaltenburg, a rubbish 3.8% strength lager that they serve at cricket to keep the rowdies quiet in the pavillion end. Nonetheless, we were well on the way by then and sank a couple more in the ground before getting to our seats shortly before kick-off. We were sat, facing the pitch, in the bottom right-hand corner of the away end which was fun for it's proximity to the home fans but grim in the secong half when it began to pour down. Not that we much cared - we had our beer jackets well and truly fastened by then and the team themselves were refreshingly resillient.
As for the game itself (finally!), all the things that I've come to expect from watching City away since my first experience around fifteen years ago were reassuringly absent. For long parts, Blackburn Rovers were forced to play our way. The goal on three minutes got us a real foothold in the game and, from then on, we never really looked flustered. For all BRFC's endeavour, they never once got in behind us and their chances, though notable, were restricted to hasty rebounds and 15-yard headers. Given, as ever, was imperious. The lively Kolo "Swiss" Toure and Richard Dunne loooked focussed and rock-solid, Micah Richards loked confident and Wayne Bridge like a new man. As for the midfield, both Gareth Barry and Stevie Ireland were neat and tidy if not explosive; our main threat throughout was undoubtedly Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Although Robinho, playing wider and deeper than usual, was in and out of the game, he displayed as ever his terrrific knack of killing the difficult ball dead and getting us moving forwards - it was such impresive control and speed of thought that set us on the way for the first goal, a 20-yard Adebayor piledriver from SWP's square across the edge of the area which Robinson could only tickle and which sent the 7,000-plus visiting fans barmy. Blackburn got a grip after around twenty minutes into the game and started troubling us with the effective-though-predictable high diagonal balls into the box on which Roberts and McCarthy thrive. Both have a record of scoring against us (Roberts for Wigan) and they looked like Blackburn's biggest threat. That said, it alway felt like it was going to be our day. The calamitous second goal was one of those that feels weird to celebrate as the three defenders on the line watched Ireland bamboozle Robinson and slot it into the bottom corner, before being embraced by the all-action sub Tevez and jogging sheepishly to the crowd. A pleasing game in all regards, mostly beacause we now seem to have found the perfect balance of guts (as displayed by the incessant Craig Bellamy) and the kind of Robinho-esque guile which always brings out the best in those around him.
After the game, like he did at Barnsley, Kolo Toure came over to the fans and gave his shirt to a young kid at the front. The guy seems like a real class act. Seeing this, our three "homegrown" lads SWP, Richards and Ireland ran over and threw in their own shirts, each receiving a song of praise in return. The trip home was forgettable due to the booze, but as the walking-hangover set in, we were consoled by the thought that we might not always have to lose away. We'll win next week and we won today. Come on City.
Line-up and formation:
It seemed to me to be along the lines of:
-----------------------Given
Richards-------Dunne---Toure----------Bridge
------------------------------Barry
---------------Ireland-----------------------------
Wright-Phillips-------------------------Robinho-
-------------------------------Bellamy-------------
--------------Adebayor----------------------------
SELECTION RATING: 10. We went toe-to-toe with Blackburn throughout and the surprising decision to leave out Nigel De Jong worked to our favour as we used our abundant pace to exploit the flanks and stretch Blackburn. The interchangeability and growing understanding between the "front six" coupled with our clearly superior fitness made us a constant threat on the counter-attack. Well done Hughes.
PLAYER RATINGS:
Given: 9
Bridge: 8
Toure: 9
Dunne: 8
Richards: 6
Barry: 9
Ireland: 7
Robinho: 6
Wright-Phillips: 9
Bellamy: 8
Adebayor: 8
Subs: Tevez (for Robinho): 7
MAN OF THE MATCH: Shaun Wright-Phillips
The mancityfans.net football forum
The BEST FORUM in all the land and all the world
