by Colin the King » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:29 am
Given 8- Despite being a fantastic goalkeeper overall, a lot of people have commented that one area of Shay's game that was never his strongest was commanding his area and coming out to meet the ball. Well, he improved on that tenfold this afternoon, catching, punching and harassing their forwards throughout. A couple of fantastic saves thrown into the bargain too, but we've come to take that for granted.
Zabaleta 7- Excellent distribution, in particular the cross to Barry for our second goal. He tackled very well and had Etherington in his back pocket for most of the game- but I do worry at times about his lack of pace. There were a couple of occasions today where a quicker forward might have exploited that.
Touré 8- His best game in a long time for City. Concentration was much better, he was more tenacious, read the game superbly and generally looked strong and in control at the back. No forays forward, which I was actually pleased about. His positioning was mostly spot on.
Kompany 8- After the Bolton shambles it was really important for Vinnie to respond and he did so excellently. Chewed up everything in the air with ease, outmuscled their strikers and was fantastic in possession of the ball. Composed and cool at times, and aggressive when necessary. Point off for the poor communication with Given towards the end, but that was a minor blip in an otherwise brilliant performance.
Sylvinho 7- Vastly improved on the last couple of games but I'm still looking forward to Bridge's return. It's vital to have some degree of pace at full back in the Premier League but unfortunately for Sly, he's lost that- unsurprisingly at his age! Still, in the context of this game he was solid and efficient until he was substituted.
de Jong 8- Another excellent display, I'm getting quite used to that from him at this stage. His passing has improved dramatically on last season to add to his already superb tackling and tenacity. Always, always battled for the ball and used it well. Gave us the solidity that allowed Ireland and Barry to surge forward.
Barry 9- Absolutely brilliant- that's the Barry I know we really signed. The last couple of months have been disappointing but today, he was quicker, hungrier and was outstanding in possession- his passing range on days like this is just a joy to behold. His defensive work was good as well, tracking his runner constantly and he regained possession on several occasions. My Man of the Match.
Ireland 7- Not quite as lethal as when he's really at the races, but a good showing nonetheless. His passing was mostly intelligent and forward thinking, he linked well with Tevez and made some really clever movements off the ball, which Robinho would have picked up on this time last year. I think he needs to be a little more selfish in front of goal though- the ability to strike a ball is certainly there as we've seen in the past.
Petrov 8- A brilliant all-round effort from Martin. I've never seen him put in that kind of workrate before, but his distribution was just world class. Constantly whipping inch perfect balls into the box- if RSC had been fit and playing he'd have had a hat-trick with that kind of service. Some of his long range, and cross field passes were outstanding. And of course there's the small matter of scoring!
Robinho 4- A half hearted, lethargic performance again. Fair enough, if you concede possession that can be forgiven- but he should take a leaf out of Tevez's book and at least make a conscious effort to win it back. It seemed like everything he touched turned to shit this afternoon and I just wonder how long this is going to continue. There's no denying he has incredible natural ability, but if he's only willing to use it when the sun's out, there's no place for him at this football club in my opinion. Buck up lad.
Tevez 8- Energy, vision, tenacity, awareness- he has the lot and has been proving as much with regularity over the last couple of months. Even when the ball was seemingly lost today he harried and won the battle time and time again. He's onto 10 goals for the season now but he offers so much more to the team than goals. Long may it continue.
Richards 7- Was well instructed by Mancini on what to do and did it efficiently. He won everything aerially and didn't give his man an inch for the duration. Some great no-nonsense clearances and tackling in the last few minutes too.
Bellamy 7- Plenty of pace, energy and enthusiasm but not quite the cutting edge. I think it was the right decision not to start him today though, because we'll need his battling qualities on Monday night at Wolves.
Mancini 9- We look a well organised, disciplined yet vastly talented group of players now. The work ethic was there in abundance, but so too was the quality to keep the ball and create chances. A very promising start and a clean sheet is just what the doctor ordered.
[/center]
