Forthcoming Fixtures

A single strike from John Guidetti , eight minutes from time,was enough to send City's EDS side top of the league, however the headlines from this game will be all about how City lost another player with a serious leg injury,the third of the week.

Gai Assulin was stretchered off in injury time with his right leg in a brace, following a wild challenge by Callum McMananman, which caused some friction between the two benches

The first half of this game was very similar to last week's game against Bolton; but today's was even less eventful with only a clearance off the line in the fortieth minute ,allowing me to pick my pen up and write something down. That clearance came about when City worked the ball up the left before  sixteen year old Courtney Meppen-Walter played a good cross field pass to the feet of Donal McDermott out on the right and he twisted and turned to confuse the defender before cutting inside and firing a left foot shot across the face of the goal and being blocked and cleared off the line by Roman Golobart.

The second half did not really get much better as Wigan had very few ideas and City being hampered with a player that has no right to be playing regularly for the reserves like he has wasted the ability to play the right ball as he gave away possession nearly every time he got the ball.

When the couple of substitutions were made and the wasteful player finally went off after seeing his last action of sending a free kick out of the ground,  City indeed looked a much better threat.

That threat materialised when the industrious Chris Chantler who has been a lot better this season sent out a ball on the left to Bunn who forced the play forward and had an initial shot blocked but the rebound came loose and he was able to have another strike, but was saved by Lee Nicholls in the Wigan goal however the strike was hit with enough power that Lee could only deflect the ball and there was John Guidetti to run in and force the ball over the line.

Just as the clock ticked into the ninetieth minute Gai Assulin picked the ball up just inside Wigan's half and Callum McManaman ran from City's half and dived in very late and caught Gai on his right leg with his studs showing. Had the game been a first team one then the referee might have shown a straight red but as he knew he had already been booked then he knew the second yellow would result in his sending off.

In the confusion and high spirits between the two benches I think City's coaching staff had forgotten that they had just sent on their third substitution and so City were down to ten men as Gai was stretchered off with his right leg in a modern splint system and they were unable to bring Kieran Kennedy on for his debut after he had been asked to get ready to go on.

There has in the past been many ocassions when I have considered that quite a few players have played for the reserves far more than they should have and by  doing so they have haulted the progress of younger players behind them; but those players have come through our academy and so have earned the right possibly for those extra games. However I am really embarrassed as a City supporter by the way this young player has been shoe horned into the reserve side at the expense of the development of younger players that are showing some real promise; perhaps the subordinate coaching staff should voice considered reasonable views about this situation more strongly to their superiors.

Teams:

Manchester City:

Johansen, Logan, Meppen Walter, Kay, Wabara, Veseli, Mancini (Elabdellaoui 77), Assulin, Guidetti (Robinson 85), McDermott (Bunn 62), Chantler

Subs: Karius (GK), Kennedy

Wigan Athletic:

Nicholls, Buxton, Mustoe, Golobart, Robinson,Chow, Holt, Boothman (Rugg 61),McManaman, De Riddier,  Redmond,

Subs:Lambert, Langley, Serrano, Morris,  

Attendance: 388