November 2005

November 2005

Manchester City 0 Liverpool 1 City not at their Best
Saturday 26th November 2005 : William Ardern for Get Your Kits Out at the COMSTAD

John Arne Riise's blistering second-half strike maintained Liverpool's surge up the Premiership table.

The Norwegian settled a miserable contest just past the hour mark when he rifled Steven Gerrard's return pass beyond David James from the edge of the box.

It handed Rafael Benitez's men their fourth successive league win, a run which pushes them further towards the top six, with precious games in hand.

The result represented a job well done for the visitors who, despite never getting close to reaching top form, provided the few moments to savour in a game where a poor City side managed just a single shot on target.

It also sent the Liverpool fans home happy, although they were less than impressive during the minute's silence for George Best, which referee Alan Wiley cut down to barely 20 seconds to ensure audible murmurings from the visiting section did not turn into something more embarrassing.

The TV images of Best in his pomp, cutting through opposition defences in such thrilling fashion and scoring so many memorable goals is a reminder of why football is revered as the beautiful game.

True, most mere mortals, including the modern-day professionals, cannot hope to produce anywhere near the kind of skill Best boasted in his twinkling feet - but it would have been nice to see them try.

Only once in a dire opening half were a capacity crowd treated to anything beyond the mediocre, and typically it came from Gerrard.

After starting the match stationed on the right flank, the Liverpool skipper clearly decided he needed to get more involved.

Three minutes before the break, Gerrard surged onto a Peter Crouch lay-off, burst into the City area, cut inside Richard Dunne and sent a precise shot curling towards the far corner.

Wiley did not see the midfielder handle as he beat Dunne, so it was probably just as well Gerrard's effort flashed just the wrong side of James' goal.

As they currently boast tag of Champions League holders, it could be argued Liverpool are under more obligation to entertain than City, who have now won just three times in 10 games.

Yet the visitors' tactics basically relied on Crouch winning his aerial duels with Dunne and Sylvain Distin - which he did - and flicking on balls for team-mates who were supposed to run off him - which they did not.

Only once did the strategy come close to working, when Crouch rose to meet Steve Finnan's angled free-kick. Cisse got to the bouncing ball first but could only jab his first-time shot straight into James' stomach.

For their part, City produced their usual industrious efforts but too often passes went astray, with returning midfielder Joey Barton a particular culprit.

Lee Croft did start promisingly and gave Stephen Warnock plenty of problems down the City right.

However, the home side's single first-half chance came through a cross from the other wing, Kiki Musampa floating an excellent ball into the Liverpool box which Darius Vassell met in space, only to guide his header beyond Jose Reina's far post.

Benitez was clearly not impressed with Liverpool's efforts either as the second half was only five minutes old when he made his first change.

Barring Gerrard, any of his midfield or attack could have been a target to be replaced by Harry Kewell. In the end, Cisse was the man fingered, much to the Frenchman's obvious displeasure.

There has been much speculation about whether Cisse will move on during the January transfer window and there appeared little harmony between player and manager as the striker walked slowly to the touchline, shaking his head as he took his seat on the bench.

For all his disappointment, Cisse could not have much complaint given his total failure to impose himself on the contest and, while Kewell was not involved in the move which led to Liverpool's opener, Riise's goal justified Benitez's decision.

The build-up was intricate, with Riise collecting Dietmar Hamman's pass, then laying off to Gerrard before racing onto his captain's return ball. The finish was explosive as the Norwegian powered his first goal of the season past James from the edge of the area.

At least there was a touch of Best-ish class about the strike, which allowed Riise to move one ahead of Crouch in the Anfield scoring stakes as the England man's 17th appearance for the Reds ended without an end to his personal goal drought.

Teams:

Man City : James, Mills (Wright-Phillips 83), Dunne, Distin, Jordan (Jihai 75), Croft, Barton, Ireland, Musampa (Sinclair 68), Cole, Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Sibierski, Onuoha.

Liverpool : Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Warnock, Gerrard, Hamann, Sissoko, Riise (Luis Garcia 77), Cisse (Kewell 51), Crouch (Morientes 81).

Subs Not Used: Dudek, Potter.

Booked: Cisse, Crouch.

Goals: Riise 61.

Att: 47,105

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).

Manchester City 0 Blackburn Rovers 0
Saturday 19th November 2005: David Kyle for Get Your Kits Out at the COMSTAD

For the fourth time in succession in the Barclays Premiership Manchester City and Blackburn could not be separated, with their match at the COMSTAD ending goalless.

The last time there was a positive result in this fixture was August 2003 - when City won 3-2 at Ewood Park - and it seemed apparent from a lacklustre first 20 minutes the points would be shared.

City did most of the attacking and their best chances came in the first half when Kiki Musampa drove a shot wide of Brad Friedel's left-hand post and Richard Dunne fired a Danny Mills long throw into the side-netting from close range.

It was a major disappointment for the home side, who could have taken real advantage of Tottenham playing West Ham tomorrow.

Sun Jihai made only his second senior start for City since rupturing knee ligaments 13 months ago, replacing the suspended Joey Barton in midfield.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, as promised, left out his two Australia internationals Brett Emerton and Lucas Neill after their midweek World Cup celebrations so Ryan Nelsen returned to central defence after injury - Zurab Khizanishvili moving to right-back - and combative midfielder Robbie Savage slotted back into midfield.

Blackburn attacked in the first minute and won a corner off Sylvain Distin but Morten Gamst Pedersen's left-footed inswinger did too much and went harmlessly behind.

City's first real foray forward in the sixth minute saw Andy Cole, playing against his former club, head down for Darius Vassell to turn the ball out to the left where Musampa unleashed a 20-yard drive which beat goalkeeper Friedel but also the far post.

A quickly-taken Savage free-kick 30 yards from goal almost caught out City but Stephen Ireland got back to block Steven Reid's long-range shot, forcing the ball out for a throw from where the danger passed.

City were enjoying most of the possession with their strike duo of Cole and Vassell showing some neat interplay, while their opponents were yet to show the oft-criticised physical approach.

With 22 minutes gone Richard Dunne blocked a Reid cross at the near post and from the resulting corner Tugay's volley from the edge of the area deflected off Musampa and behind.

Pedersen's corner from the left this time was headed down by Nelsen but James dived on the loose ball.

Cole had a half-chance in the 30th minute when the ball dropped to him in the penalty area but just as he was about to pull the trigger Nelsen stepped in to clear the danger.

The home crowd were beginning to grow restless but when Michael Gray was forced to concede a corner from Ireland's free-kick, Musampa's cross caused panic in the Rovers defence and Nelsen only just hacked away.

Then from a long Mills throw Dunne drove into the side-netting as City finished the half brightly.

Two minutes after the restart Stephen Jordan's low cross from the left was miscontrolled by Vassell just 10 yards from goal and Andy Todd slid in to concede a corner, which City then wasted.

City began the second half as they ended the first and when Cole was given time to turn he fired in a left-footed shot from 25 yards which was deflected wide. Vassell then missed a glorious chance to open the scoring when the resulting corner dropped in the six-yard box.

Cole and Vassell then linked well again in the midfield with the former feeding the ball out to Mills, advancing from right-back, and he took a touch before unleashing a 30-yard shot which flew over Friedel's crossbar.

Lee Croft required lengthy treatment in the 62nd minute when he caught a Friedel shoulder in his face as he slid in to try to retrieve his miscontrolled pass from Ireland but he was able to continue.

Surprisingly, considering Blackburn's reputation, the first booking of the match did not arrive until the 71st minute. More surprising still was it went to City's Dunne for a foul on Bellamy.

That also coincided with the replacement of Musampa with Trevor Sinclair. A minute later former Blues striker Paul Dickov was cautioned for a hack on left-back Jordan.

In the last 10 minutes Cole was then booked for kicking the ball away after being given offside, which just about summed up City's afternoon. Even four minutes of injury time could not serve to separate the sides.

Teams

Man City : James, Mills, Dunne, Distin, Jordan, Croft, Ireland, Jihai, Musampa (Sinclair 70), Vassell, Cole (Wright-Phillips 86).

Subs Not Used: Thatcher, Sibierski, Onuoha.

Booked: Dunne, Cole.

Blackburn Rovers : Friedel, Nelsen, Todd, Khizanishvili, Gray, Reid (Thompson 73), Tugay (Mokoena 85), Savage, Pedersen, Dickov (Kuqi 85), Bellamy.

Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Bentley.

Booked: Khizanishvili, Dickov, Thompson, Savage.

Att: 44,032

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).

Fulham 2 Manchester City 1
5th November 2005 : William Hart for Get Your Kits Out at Craven Cottage

Steed Malbranque's refusal to join Manchester City came back to haunt Stuart Pearce as the French midfielder fired both goals in Fulham's deserved victory at Craven Cottage.

City boss Pearce made two offers for Malbranque in the summer, the second worth £5million, but the 25-year-old playmaker opted to remain in London in the belief a switch to Eastlands was a sideways move.

The Blues' blistering start to the Barclays Premiership dispelled that myth but at least Malbranque can take heart from his role in halting the visitors' charge up the table, if only temporarily.

He pounced in the sixth minute and on the stroke of half-time with two simple tap-ins, showing great composure in rounding City goalkeeper David James for the superbly-taken second.

Fulham captain Luis Boa Morte set-up both goals and gave a typically fiery display which saw him tangle with City midfielder Joey Barton and earn a final warning from referee Rob Styles.

Malbranque's double sandwiched a well-constructed equaliser from City with Lee Croft scoring his first Premiership goal, a fitting reward given his impressive work on the right.

Pearce will be furious at some of City's defending in the first half but will be equally thankful Fulham's finishing was not a little sharper early on as they could have been out of sight by the 10th minute.

In contrast the visitors' strike partnership of Andy Cole - returning to Craven Cottage for the first time since joining City in July - and Darius Vassell were given little chance to shine.

Danish left-back Niclas Jensen was in the thick of the action as Fulham attacked from the whistle, releasing Boa Morte into the box only for the ball to over-run the Portuguese winger.

Jensen delivered a perfect free-kick to Brian McBride but the American, recalled when Claus Jensen failed a fitness test, could not connect cleanly with his header and Tomasz Radzinski's follow-up was deflected to safety.

Jensen continued to enjoy a prominent role, taking advantage of a retreating City defence to find Collins John who manoeuvred into a shooting position only to find the arms of James.

It came as little surprise when they took a sixth-minute lead through Malbranque, who made sure City's lethargic defending was punished this time.

Richard Dunne - back in the side after missing the last four matches with a knee injury - failed to deal with a simple ball and Boa Morte leapt onto the mistake, racing ahead and presenting Malbranque with a simple tap-in.

Radzinski should have doubled Fulham's lead after being set up by McBride but he stumbled and his effort crept wide as City continued to find themselves under heavy pressure.

They weathered the storm, however, and were rewarded by a fine 20th-minute equaliser from their first meaningful attack.

Vassell made inroads down the left before cutting inside and passing to Stephen Ireland who spotted Croft unmarked on the right of the penalty area, giving the midfielder time to pick his spot and rifle home.

John tested James with a powerful 34th-minute shot from an acute angle before Boa Morte was booked five minutes later for a swinging arm on Joey Barton and then given a final warning from Styles as he continued to protest.

Styles then spoke to Coleman, who tried to calm Boa Morte, but his words were hardly needed as the winger channelled his energy in the right direction by setting up Fulham's second.

The former Arsenal marksman threaded a 45th-minute pass through to Malbranque and the Frenchman easily rounded James before slipping the ball into the back of the net.

In the second half a marauding run from Croft opened up Fulham and his pass to Cole was a good one but the former Cottagers striker just failed to get his shot off on time before heading wide shortly after.

Radzinski made inroads down the left but McBride failed to meet his cross, despite an acrobatic effort, and then Croft went on the rampage again with Vassell squandering the chance.

McBride blasted over from long range while stout defending from Fulham kept City - who looked dangerous on the counter - at bay on more than one occasion.

James prevented City going further behind with fine saves from John and McBride and then it was the turn of Fulham keeper Tony Warner to come to the rescue, tipping over a Vassell header.

City thought they had equalised in injury time through Bradley Wright-Phillips but the linesman's flag had gone up for offside and Fulham held on for their third Premiership victory of the season.

Teams:

Fulham Warner, Volz, Bocanegra, Goma, Niclas Jensen, Radzinski, Diop, Malbranque, Boa Morte, McBride (Helguson 77), John.

Subs Not Used: Knight, Batista, Rosenior, Elrich.

Booked: Boa Morte.

Goals: Malbranque 6, 45.

Man City James, Mills (Jihai 68), Dunne, Distin, Ireland, Jordan (Wright-Phillips 80), Croft, Musampa (Sibierski 43), Barton, Cole, Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Thatcher, De Vlieger.

Booked: Barton, Croft, Jordan.

Goals: Croft 20.

Att: 22,241

Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).

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