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Stoke City 1 Manchester City 1: match report

By Sandy Macaskill
Published: 9:50PM GMT 16 Feb 2010

Timing to perfection: Gareth Barry celebrates his late equaliser for Manchester City Photo: AP

Robinho might be gone, safely back in Santos, but his apathetic approach to away fixtures has pervaded the men he left behind. After drawing with Stoke City it hangs over this Manchester City side in a sepulchral gloom.

Aggression, intensity, authority — call it what you want — City lack it. After losing to Everton, Hull, and now drawing at the Britannia, we are left with one immutable fact, one which brings to mind Lance-Corporal Jones of Dad’s Army: Manchester City don’t like it up 'em.

 

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True, Roberto Mancini’s side have moved into fourth place, ahead of Liverpool, but this was not a performance that suggested they will stay there long. Mancini had ordered full attack mode, but he was rewarded with a sluggish start and a lapse in concentration just when things finally started going their way, Glenn Whelan’s shot from outside the area burying itself in the bottom corner after 71 minutes.

Gareth Barry’s equaliser was as opportunistic as they come, Thomas Sorensen fumbling a shot against the post, the midfielder sliding in at the last.

On the basis of the evidence so far, Mancini wouldn’t have been much good in the Middle Ages. He makes storming the fortress look like a forlorn hope. After abysmal away performances against Everton and Hull, what hope had they against Stoke, experts in making it uncomfortable for their guests?

Much negativity has been levelled at Stoke and their uncompromising approach, but what they do, they do well — if only Man City had just a bit of their elbow grease and can-do attitude. Relying on their trademark aerial offensive, they pinned the visiting side down in their own half, the ball finding its way back to Shay Given far too often for the liking of City supporters.

Mancini had said his side would be ready for a fight, and he led by example, viciously stabbing the air with his finger at the slightest perceived injustice, Tony Pulis, referee Alan Wiley and the fourth official all on the receiving end of his broken English at various occasions throughout the game.

Patrick Vieira was also in combative mood. The former Arsenal midfielder was booked for a grouchy challenge on Mamady Sidibe, and he can count himself lucky that Wiley — unlike the rest of the stadium — did not see him bury his boot in Whelan’s groin in an early exchange. The denizens of the Britannia are a vociferous bunch and they rewarded the 33 year-old with whistles and jeers for the duration.

Alas, this aggression was funnelled in the wrong causes. Without Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez, the former absent with a knee injury and the latter in Argentina for family reasons, Man City were devoid of energy and invention. Adebayor might cut a dash in his red boots, but he doesn’t do much in the way of carving out chances for himself when the service is slim.

Starved of possession, the result of being rushed into mistakes and poor communication, City stalled on each break, the only real opportunities of the first half falling to Barry, who sliced a volley in the area wide, and Roque Santa Cruz, whose shot was similarly errant.

Stoke, meanwhile, were going about their business with relish. Having held this lot 1-1 in the FA Cup at the weekend through a Ricardo Fuller goal from a Rory Delap throw-in, Stoke knew exactly what was needed, and within minutes were peppering the City area with every variety of aerial delivery they could think of.

Four minutes in, Liam Lawrence found Sidibe unmarked in front of the goal with a swerving free-kick. The striker was as surprised as anybody when the ball appeared at his feet and all he could muster was a tame side-foot straight to Given.

Fifteen minutes in the company of their manager did Man City some good, and for the first time in the match the statistics began to go in their favour.

The balance looked to have been well and truly tipped when Abdoulaye Faye pulled down Adebayor and was dismissed with 30 minutes remaining.

Yet Adam Johnson’s lousy clearance bumbled to the edge of the area and Whelan smashed it low into the corner of the net. Five minutes from time Barry let loose, Sorensen parried, and the midfielder scrambled it in to give Mancini a crumb of comfort.

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