Ouch…my pride.
I’ve had many hangovers in my time but none as bad as this, and the worst thing is it isn’t alcohol-induced. There’s a long way to go etc but that will hurt for a while. And what could have been…possession dominated in the first half, Hernandez, Berbatov, Valencia et al on the bench…surely this would be another famous comeback robbing City of their moment in the sun? But alas, what happened will go down in Manchester folklore and probably be spoken about for many…many years to come. I’m trying to stay positive though:
* If that’s our worst defeat at home since 1955 that means the next one will come in 2067. I’ll be 80 by then or, if I’m lucky, dead.
* The first 30 minutes were encouraging. Young, Rooney, Welbeck, Smalling and De Gea all played reasonably.
* We’ll have three Jonny Evans free games coming up now! And with the international break that means we won’t see him until at least the Swansea game on 19th November.
* We’ve got a decent enough XI from players not starting today to eventually play a whole new team…Lindegaard; Rafael, Vidic, Jones, Fabio; Valencia, Cleverley, Giggs, Park; Hernandez, Berbatov. Can’t do any worse.
* We have a good record against Everton at Goodison and hopefully our reserves will be out to prove themselves against Aldershot in mid week. As well as those available and mentioned above give Owen and Carrick a run out with some of the promising youngsters we have…Pogba, Morrison, Fryers, Cole, Thorpe, the Keanes et al.
* I still remember losing 4-1 at home to Liverpool in 2009, 5-0 to Chelsea in 1999, 3-0 to Arsenal in 1998 and 6-3 vs. Southampton and 5-0 vs. Newcastle in the space of a week in 1996. We went on to win the league all three times.
* I don’t work with any Manchester City supporters. The beauty of migrating to London.
* Hopefully Xavi will be past it in a couple of years and Barcelona will need a David Silva shaped replacement. Either that or Madrid will need someone to help them play catch up.
* At least a certain Argentinian wasn’t on the pitch to enjoy it.
* Mario Ballotelli has the potential to do something insane…a move across the city perhaps?
* If we’re lucky James Milner will play like that at Euro 2012 and carry us to glory
* If we beat Arsenal 8-2 then we can expect a cracking City 14-2 Arsenal game. Or it will come full circle and Arsenal will win 7-3.
* After 20 years City fans might finally shut up about 5-1.
* When I switched off at 3-0 I watched a wonderful episode of the Simpsons. It was a Treehouse of Horror one where Homer made a load of clones of himself. Classic.
* Chelsea lost 1-0 to QPR and now have no Drogba or Bosingwa for a few games, and Liverpool only drew with Norwich.
* Erm…we’ve still got Darron Gibson to come back from injury
* I haven’t got a single splinter yet from all these straws I’m clutching at.
Enjoy it City, let’s hope it doesn’t last.
Jim Staples is discussing.
Jim Staples 4:28 pm on December 5, 2011 Permalink
Bring on the freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/oct/26/newsstory.gillingham?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038