1. Reading first. If only to keep us from having to face the awfulness of Rotherham. Not that this was quite the perfect display. City put in a typically torpid first half showing and deservedly trailed at the break. It’s maddening to see this gifted side repeatedly decline the chance to seize the initiative, granting it instead to lesser sides who then overcome City with superior application and confidence born from unexpectedly matching us. It has to stop. 2. Credit does go to the manager and his side for the recovery, however. 1-0 down in a Sky fixture is a deeply unpromising position, but the second half was immeasurably improved and while the winner was late (and lucky), City deserve plenty of praise for rescuing the situation. Bruce’s substitutions were unorthodox but effective, and we left feeling that the slide of recent times had been corrected. 3. Oh dear. The debacle at Rotherham followed an unhappily similar pattern to the Leeds fiasco – slow, slovenly football coupled with an unmerited superiority complex followed by a very sharp shock with a couple of opposition goals. Rotherham were an obviously limited side, but their commitment was total. It’s to the City XI’s lasting shame that they didn’t come close to matching it. 4. The defence creaked. The midfield lumbered (and that’s without Tom Huddlestone). The wings provided limited ammunition, and what there was the attack ineptly spurned anyway. It’s rare to see a game with no-one emerge with some credit, but that was the case on Saturday. 5. Chuba Akpom’s had a horrible week. Wearing gloves is bad enough, petulantly throwing them to the ground in response to being substituted is worse, but standing motionlessly when a through-ball is yours to chase and a defender is helpfully playing you onside is inexplicable. He’d already struck the post twice and failed to make a pass to Hernández that’d have provided a goal. By the end it was hard not to feel sorry for him. He’s young, evidently very immature and there’s no hiding place any more. But his attitude and execution have got to improve, immediately. 6. The same applies to Ahmed Elmohamady, who doesn’t have the excuse of being a teenager. If he put as much effort into playing football as he does with the stroppy gesticulations he’d be about the best wide player in the division; instead, he’s sulking his way through games, presumably waiting for January to rescue him from the utter hell of having to play in the Championship. Increasingly, it’s hard not to conclude that he won’t be missed if he does depart. 7. Steve Bruce has some interesting issues to deal with in the coming weeks. Should we cash in on Davies, with whom his relationship is apparently still fractious? Can we get a few million pounds for the underperforming Huddlestone and/or Elmohamady to invest in a new forward? How to get this lavishly talented side to stop coughing up crummy defeats to lesser sides? How to play well in a first half. Unless and until he gets those things right, there’ll still be a few grumbles about his position. It’d be a poor decision to replace him, for a variety of reasons: City are very much in a promotion race whose outcome cannot be guessed at, there are no plausible alternatives that’d definitely be better, and we find it hard to place much faith in the Allams’ ability to get this sort of decision right. So, in Bruce we must trust. Meanwhile – whisper it quietly – but our demands and expectations a little unrealistically high…? 8. The club has acted quickly upon its promise to survey City fans about their preferred matchday entertainment. Why this is even necessary is never really clear, as the football ought to provide the entertainment; if you want crap pop music or cheerleaders, that’s what nightclubs and American sports are for. But no matter. The survey looks straightforward enough, and barring a repeat of the club’s infamous name change poll, ought to decisively settle the matter of goal music. 9. Burnley next, aiming for their 741st straight victory against City. Gah. Let’s not think about it for now. 10. From us all at AN, a very Merry Christmas. And be sure to listen to our next podcast, recorded this evening and available tomorrow. We’ve a guest who’ll hopefully have loads of fun stuff to tell us about… http://www.ambernectar.org/blog/2015/12/things-we-think-we-think-209/
"2. Credit does go to the manager and his side for the recovery, however. 1-0 down in a Sky fixture is a deeply unpromising position, but the second half was immeasurably improved and while the winner was late (and lucky), City deserve plenty of praise for rescuing the situation. Bruce’s substitutions were unorthodox but effective, and we left feeling that the slide of recent times had been corrected." Why does everyone keep saying the second half was much improved? It wasn't it was just as dire. Is it because we scored two goals and won? We shouldn't, one should have been disallowed for offside and both were incredibly lucky goalmouth scraps anyway. Reading stepped off the gas but still could have scored another goal or two and still caused us more problems than we did them whilst they sat back and defended. There was no recovery, there was no improvement, there was no rescue, there was no effect from anything. It was atrocious from start to finish and it'll be a long time before we get another such undeserved win. I don't know how anyone could have left that match thinking the slide had been corrected.
Bruces best chance is to clear out the deadwood and maybe get a few more fresh faces in, Davies and Elmo can go and Bruce obviously never read the instructions on how to use a Huddlestone so he might as well go too
Bruce must realise Elmo is consistently playing ****. Is it a case of keeping him in the shop window? Maybe if Elmo doesn't go in January his form might pick up.
My feelings about boxing day summed up perfectly in point 9: 9. Burnley next, aiming for their 741st straight victory against City. Gah. Let’s not think about it for now.
No 5. He's young. He is the same age as the average fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain. Older than George Best was when he played in 59 games when he won his first title with Man Utd.
Its been said by many managers and ex players that the bollocking they used to get as players would have players nowadays crying their eyes out and running to mummy. The games changed just not for the better.
Quite agree. If Man Utd hadn't been knocked out of the Cup by West Ham in 1964 Best would have shared the honour of being the youngest player in a Cup Final as he was born on the same day as Howard Kendall. He was about 3 months older than Akpom when he tore Bengica apart in the Stadium of Light. Much as I don't like Leeds look at the age how many were who broke through under Revie. I remember pointing out to my wife when she was excusing some stupidity by my lad due to him being young that at the same age Guy Gibson was piloting bombers and the gunners were 3 or 4 years younger. You only have to look at some 20 year olds, or read their posts on forums,nowadays to be grateful the 20 year olds in 1940 were made of sterner stuff.
Sadly the consequences of things like calling polytechnics universities giving today's 20 year olds an inflated opinion of their own intellect and ability as well as the influence of things like Star Wars and too many Muslim imports influencing our youth into a big headed sense of self worth. They think they're too big and clever and know it all already. The arrogance that mindset breeds makes our youth the way they are today. They think they can sit on their arse playing Xbox, watching Star Wars or acting billy big bollocks online all day because someone will always put everything on a plate for them.
I agree with you Hat about the football but not about lumping all kids together in one bracket, pretty daft statement- how do you know what kids today are getting up to or maybe I shouldn't ask that...
How many goals and assists does elmo have this season? Genuine question cos I thought it was a few and there's plenty ahead of him in the criticism stakes , but i seem to be in the minority on that one
When I was 20 being out at midnight on a Wednesday would have involved booze or females or females and booze. Now it means watching a kid's film instead of st ABC Minors on a Saturday morning.
