The City of Manchester Stadium- part football stadium, part theatre. Since the Blues’ move from Maine Road in 2003 it has- much like its predecessor- housed the sublime and the ridiculous in almost equal measure. What better encapsulates that notion than eleven months ago, when on Boxing Day Hull City came to visit. Within 50 minutes on the clock, 18th placed City were beating 6th placed Hull 4-0, Felipe Caicedo the unlikely hero, and this enraged Tigers boss Phil Brown to such an extent that sensationally, he marched his players to the corner of the East Stand and berated them in front of the travelling support. Part theatre? Absolutely.
Phil Brown motivation class
So with £250million or thereabouts clocked up by one side and six months of misery culminating in impregnating Chairmen’s daughters for the other, what can we expect on this occasion? Remarkably, it’s Hull who enter the tie in better form with 7 points from their last three games, comparative to 3 from 3 for the Blues. One thing both sides have demonstrated is the ability to entertain- scoring and conceding by the bucketload with regularity- so while it’s always dangerous to predict any Eastlands outcome, goals would surely be a safe bet. This is aided and abetted for the home side by the long awaited return of a certain Robinho, who of course scored a fabulous brace in the same fixture last year. Hull, meanwhile, will have schemer Jimmy Bullard available, and if the past is anything to go by, the London born midfielder knows how to irritate City.
Maybe Thierry Henry wants a bit of Phill brown action
Despite the gulf in resources and a home advantage, right back Pablo Zabaleta is taking a pragmatic viewpoint in anticipation of Saturday’s tie. Speaking to mcfc.co.uk, the Argentinean said
“We cannot even think about what else is coming up, because we have to get three points from the Hull game. It will be tough but we have to win because we’ve lost points in our last six games. They are all difficult games but we’re at home and must make that count. Arsenal and Chelsea will be hard – we have a good chance in front of our own fans, but we must concentrate on Hull first”.
One would hope that Zabaleta’s teammates adopt this approach because complacency has cost the Blues dearly at times this season, Fulham and Burnley the most notable examples so far.
Key players-
City- Shaun Wright-Phillips. It will be very interesting to see Wright-Phillips’ reaction to last Sunday’s encounter between Spurs and Wigan, in which his competitor for a seat on the plane to South Africa, Aaron Lennon, played magnificently and had a hand in nearly all of the home side’s nine goals. Hull are a poor side defensively and if City’s iconic winger is to convince England boss Fabio Capello he is deserving of inclusion, a big performance on Saturday is of vital importance. Having played well against Liverpool last week, if he raises his game an extra notch, it could prove an early Christmas feast for the Blues.
shauns form is looking good at last
Hull- Jimmy Bullard. As alluded to earlier, Bullard is a key figure in the Hull side and essentially their focal point. His inclusion against a talented City midfield could make all the difference. Without his guile and exceptional passing range it could be a stale afternoon for the Tigers. He will, if included, look to take advantage of City’s fragility on set pieces, his ability from corners and free kicks second to none.
We hope jimmy Bullard rolls over and is caught napping tomorrow
Ultimately, City’s vulnerability in defence pales in comparison to Hull’s ability to ship goals. With 30 conceded from only 14 games, compared to 16 in 13 from City, a home win should certainly be expected. The sequence of draws has been frustrating, and it is essential if City have genuine designs on a Champions League place for three points to be claimed here- especially with a run of games featuring Chelsea, Spurs and that dreaded trip to Bolton to follow.
Expectations have rightly risen due to City’s expenditure but seven, or less, points from seven games would be a poor return by anyone’s standards, in any circumstance. A performance similar to the second half at Anfield last week would almost certainly be too much for Hull, but lapses in concentration can and have lead to disappointment. If the home side’s effort is focussed and spirited, I can only see one winner.
Prediction- City 3-0 Hull
This week saw the very unfortunate loss of another true, true blue in Steve Kay. Steve ran the mcfcstats website, which is a fantastic resource for fans, and I used the site many times in writing these previews. I’d like to dedicate this effort to his memory and wish his family my sincerest condolences.
Thank you to “Colin The King” from www.mancityfans.net for this match preview