Reserve's Loose Title Chance

MCFC Reserves 2 - 4 MUFC Reserves

For the second week running City let a two goal start slip away to our close bitter rivals, Manchester United of all teams as well. City will never win games playing with the likes of Marc Laird and Antoine Sibierski in midfield. Their positioning was atrocious, this put more pressure on the back line, who for once both Micah Richards and Nedum Onuoha left far too big a gaps at times which allowed both Louis Saha and Giuseppe Rossi to get in behind the defence, where Rossi was able to gain his hat-trick and take his reserve goal tally into double figures and cancel out Sibierski and Bradley Wright-Phillips' goals in the first half.
The sooner Stuart Pearce and Steve Wigley realise that any match against United at any level means a great deal to the fans, the sooner they will put a team out that will fight for every ball. There was no passion or commitment from too many players tonight, mainly the senior pros, who just strolled around and were very lazy with their movement and thought they could play the fancy ball all the time.
The need for a team to be able to create chances spells from a good strong midfield. Micah is a good defender, but he's a great central midfielder. Had he played in his best position the chances of us loosing this contest against a very average United team would have I'm sure greatly reduced.
We play Bolton next tuesday in our re-arranged fixture after the game was abandoned due to floodlight failure from a fire in the plant room.


City: Schmeichel(GK), Logan, Collins, Onuoha, Richards(Capt.), Sibierski(Johnson 84), Fowler, Sinclair(Etuhu 46), Wright-Phillips, Laird, Miller.

Subs: Matthewson(GK), Bermingham, Ward.


United: Howard(GK), Neville(Simpson 73), Eckersley, Pique, Bardsley, Fox(Capt.), Neumayr, Richardson(Cooper 73), Saha, Rossi, Martin(Jones 46).

Subs: Steele(GK), Ebanks-Blake.

Att: 1122.

MoM: Wright-Phillips - worked hard up front and got his goal, but was offered little support.