The big three of Cavani, Hamsik, and Lavezzi were a handful City just couldn’t handle, and they took the game to them with gusto. City on the other hand, well I can’t put it more simply, just looked like they couldn’t be arsed for most of the game. They seemed almost intent to play out a draw, knowing they’d only have to do the same against Bayern the following week. In other words, City intentionally made it difficult for themselves, when they could have had everything wrapped up and sorted by ten o’clock, no worry about Bayern, focus on the Liverpool game at the weekend.
Now City have to contend with the fact that they have Liverpool away at the weekend, in what is obviously going to be a tough game against a resolute Red side, and then go all out for the win against Bayern, a team yet to lose a game in the competition, and hope that Villareal, a team who prior to this evening had only scored once in the group stages, do a number over Napoli. Sorry City fans, but the odds are hilariously slim.
Positives can be taken from what could potentially be a season changing night however; I’ve never liked the guy in the past, but I must admit I felt a certain admiration for Mario Balotelli in Naples. The guy looked ready to spew his guts up walking off at half time (and reportedly he did whilst on the pitch) but manned up and still came out for the second half.
Setting a good example to the side when a certain Klingon-faced Argentine wouldn’t have even thought to have entertained the idea of going back on the pitch after throwing up, using the excuse “my head isn’t in the right place”. David Silva was again the best City player by a country mile, he was just lacking the finishing touch, or a player to provide the finishing touch to one of his dazzling runs. He needed Sergio Aguero tonight, the Bosnian enigma Edin Dzeko simply not good enough.
City fans of course will have their excuses; first time round against Napoli was down to nerves, Munich was because Tevez disrupted the team by not coming on, they trounced Villareal, we’ve got unlimited potential for success. Well that’s all well and good, but excuses don’t get you anywhere amongst Europe’s elite, and you don’t win things based on potential; you’ve got to get out there and get it done.
I almost don’t want to admit it, but I actually WANT Man City to bring the form they’ve been displaying in the Premier League to Europe. Why they stutter so unbelievably is beyond me, but it’s proof to this writer’s theory, and many other people’s theory out there that money doesn’t buy you happiness. It’s almost certain based on their domestic form that they’ll get to have another go next year, but in the meantime I’d call on Mancini to offload the fat that he doesn’t need; the players that he must be forced to admit that he only bought because he wanted to stifle out the competition, cut back on his rotation system appeasing the many egos at the club, and form a team that can take the Premier League AND Europe by storm.
In the meantime, you might want to reshuffle your schedules to accommodate Thursday evenings in Bruges; Tuesdays might turn out to be a bit bare. And one last time; I told you so. Now get your Thursday frock ready, you sexy monster.
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