Wednesday, June 19, 2013

SEASON REVIEW: THROUGH OPPONENTS' EYES

PART FOUR
Continuing the series wrapping up last season with the view of Scousers, Saints, Hammers and Mackems, amongst others. This is what they had to say to Question Four

 Your side’s matches with City last season: memories that stand out, talking points?

  • Phil Lythell Chelsea ESPN correspondent, season ticket holder, writes at Shouty and Spitty 
  • "Community Shield was entertaining but was most memorable for Hazard's attempted backheel then went drastically wrong. First league meeting was Benitez's home debut - dreadful game but a point secured and a fair result. Throughly outplayed at Etihad, Chelsea never got going and City's midfield ran the show that day. Lampard's missed penalty very costly but, in truth, City were streets ahead of Chelsea..."
  • Luke O'Farrell writes for ESPN, EPL Index and blogs on all things Everton.
  • "Unlike the rest of those at the top, Everton have the hex over City and the four point return could easily have been six. The only aspect that rankled was the lack of class from Mancini and several others. This notion of the Merseyside paupers bullying the Manchester millionaires is the easy way out, there was minimal credit for the football on display...." 
  • Pete Sixsmith 's chosen dish is Sunderland (gristle and all). He writes at Salut Sunderland
  • "Talking points? Beating you at The Stadium of Light and it not being in the last minute. I thought City were poor on that day. My mate took his family there on a hospitality day out - said it was priceless to watch his Mag supporting son-in-law sit there with a rictus grin on his face. We were totally outclassed at your place. Humph!!!.."
  • Peter Thorne aka Billy Blagg has been writing on all things West Ham for ESPN for many years 
  • "The gutsy draw early on at UP really marked us down as difficult to beat (at home anyway!) but it wasn't that much of a game. The match at your place was really just another bad awayday for us but with the Premier League as it is at the moment, these are games we're just happy to compete in....."
  • Matthew Evans is a West Brom season ticket holder and ESPN correspondent
  • "Albion's home game with Man City made me believe they'd be champions again this year. Down to 10 men but still managed to come back from one goal down, admittedly West Brom didn't help themselves but it was the spirit of champions so surprised things turned out as they did...."
  • Marc Duffy follows Newcastle through thin and thinner and writes for ESPN
  • "None. Our performance at the Etihad was utterly disgusting and one of the reasons I lost faith in Pardew. I didn't expect a result, I did expect some effort....."
  • Chris Rann runs the excellent George Weah's Cousin and is Saints ESPN writer
  • "Well, nearly beating you on the opening day, and playing you off the park at home were both pretty memorable. Gareth Barry's delectable finish into his own net has to 
  • be up there, but Rickie Lambet's goal at the Emirates was a special moment for us...." 
  •  
    Gareth slots in
      
  • Simon Hughes remembers cheering Brian Labone and Gordon West from the unreconstructed Gladwys Street:
  • "Another good year against City. Robbed in the away game by a very poor decision from the ref. Home one marked by Osman being captain and scoring a beauty. A much loved and underrated player...."
  • John Wilson still has a poster of Peter Lorimer above his bed:
  • "The thrashing in the cup ! Leeds were playing terrible and City were coming back from a heavy defeat. We were obviously going to be hammered so I didn't even watch the match...."
  • James Whittaker, ESPN's Stoke reporter
  • "Not too many talking points really, we did best against you in the cup as there were no points at stake for our negative former manager. The home games were less painful and the away game followed the trend of every other away game to that point, surrender.."
  • Chris Dottie is an Evertonian child of the Kendall era and resident of the city of Gaudi and Messi
  • "Trepidation before the games, looking at City's line up and thinking that our luck had to run out. Still no - at the Etihad we were unlucky to only draw because of the type of penalty that is normally only given at Anfield or Old Trafford - a sure sign of your new status. At Goodison we got our fully deserved 3 points and even Jelavic scored. My main memory is Distin giving Dzeko a bit of a clatter early on as a loosener to see if he was up for it or not. Dzeko spent the rest of the game looking as if he was about to run off down the tunnel for his teddy....."
  • Phil Mison has been reporting on Fulham affairs across all media since the late 80s 
  • "We gave up 6 points and deserved nowt...."
  • Dave Glenn is a regular visitor to Old Trafford in hisJean Paul Gaultier tennis socks
  • Nasri ducking – just perfect....."

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

ON THE WINGS OF DESIRE

City's total domination of English football continues. Those that decried the self-styled one-sided end of football, this morning whoop...