It's snow joke for City as fans seal solitary win at the Britannia
FIRST the good news. Stoke at least won the post-match snowball fight which broke out between the Potters fans on their way home and the Manchester City supporters who were in the pen behind the away end.
A Britannia bombardment is what Stoke have become famous for serving up on the pitch, but there was no such ordeal for Manchester City to suffer before Pablo Zabaleta's 85th-minute strike secured a narrow, but deserved, victory for Roberto Mancini's side.
Stoke weren't poor, but they weren't much better than average and while that might be enough to beat QPR, they'd have to strike it lucky to beat the champions of England.
In fact, the game wasn't the best lunchtime fare for ITV's live audience, but the whole game had a typically early-kick-off kind of feel, lacking the usual Britannia va-va-voom.
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The empty seats seemed to drain the atmosphere from the home ends, while even the 4,700 travelling supporters were fairly subdued until Zabaleta scored the only goal.
There were still the usual pleasantries, as Tony Pulis endured some light-hearted mockery from the travelling supporters.
Mind you, I'm not sure the shell-suited Stoke boss will worry too much about having his sense of style questioned by a gentleman who was gesturing towards him with a large inflatable banana.
The understandable gloating in the dying moments would no doubt have lasted much longer had Manchester City been able to cash in on their first-half superiority.
The visitors were so comfortable before the break that Mancini felt able to play with 10 men for seven minutes before eventually sending on a replacement for the injured Vincent Kompany.
In a league game, Stoke might well have counted their blessings at half-time, tightened up and ground out a draw in the second half.
But with no points at stake, only a replay at the Etihad, Stoke had to gamble on committing men forward.
They duly did, but found they couldn't create chances themselves and were leaving gaps at the back for the visitors to exploit.
Manchester City finally took advantage when Ryan Shotton slipped, but considering Stoke's record at the Etihad, the defender's mishap didn't knock the Potters out of the FA Cup, merely hastened their exit by 90 minutes.
There wasn't any lack of effort from the Stoke players.
Also, by playing Jon Walters behind Kenwyne Jones and fielding two genuine wingers in Michael Kightly and Matthew Etherington, Pulis picked the same midfield and strike-pair which beat Liverpool on Boxing Day in Stoke's best performance of the season.
However, there's a lack of confidence in a team which peaked in the 3-1 win over Liverpool and has been scratching around for form ever since.
There are issues over squad strength too. Stoke need a left-back so have to decide whether to bring one in before Thursday's transfer deadline or continue playing Andy Wilkinson, pictured, Ryan Shotton or Geoff Cameron out of position there until Marc Wilson, who is back in light training, can return to the first team after breaking his leg against Sunderland in October.
Cameron was rested on Saturday, which isn't surprising considering his form has dropped a little having played pretty much non-stop for the last year in the MLS and the Premier League.
Central midfield is looking stronger, but Glenn Whelan must wait to see if he is to be charged after what TV replays suggested was a poor challenge on Javi Garcia.
Stoke could do without losing the much-underrated Whelan for a three-game ban.
He was their best player going forward on Saturday and was only rivalled for the home man of the match by the ever-reliable Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross.
Either of Stoke's centre-halves would have looked at home in the Manchester City line-up, but in most other areas the champions had more quality than their hosts.
That's only to be expected, although it has to be said the visitors also matched Stoke's work-rate, just as they did in the FA Cup final two years ago.
Losing to them is no disgrace because Mancini has assembled an excellent side, and it's not sour grapes to suggest the money has helped a bit.
Next year they'll probably turn up with a snow machine and win the snowball fight too.
5 Comments
by Pottersruleok
Monday, January 28 2013, 2:56PM
“A strange accounting of the game by Mr Baggaley really, except for the great snow ball fight after the game. When we attacked, the increasingly useless Etherington couldn't get past Zabaleta (or most right backs)if his life depended on it and the mission he is given to just bomb down the sideline and head for the corner flag to try and cross it to a waiting defender, I mean Jones really tells it all. How many times he had the opportunity to cut into the box and try something different was amazing and to be honest he did it twice and both time he stopped as if to shoot, but lobbed it both times, one to Walters, out for a goal kick, the other to Jones out for a goal kick.Whelan has become quite the enigma as he continues to be mister inconsistent. He had a very good game Saturday, his first one for about 5-6 games and also his first one in a while where he had no passes to the opposition. In his last game against Man City, he had 9 passes direct to their players.”
by roob57
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:46PM
“If you listen to the Radio Stoke reports then you will notice that Dennis Smith always says Stoke played well and were on top, I think he must borrow TP's glasses for the game.”
by bertieboy
Monday, January 28 2013, 1:12PM
“good report this. i watched the game on tv and disagree with you on one point, man city fans gave great vocal support and outsang the potters who just like the team couldn,t get going. now on the tv the commentaor and his side kick [the boring andy townsend] were correct in saying man city were well on top at half time, so i put radio stoke on at half time and the reporter and dennis smith thought it was an even game and also an entertaining game [had i been watching the wrong game] to me man city were well on top . i thought the second half was a bit better but not much. and the end of the game i put radio stoke on again and dennis again said what a good game it had been, now i like and respect dennis ,but good game, come on. now in contrast what a good game we saw in oldham and liverpool , a proper cup tie”
by redsaturday
Monday, January 28 2013, 12:37PM
“Mama Sidibie was among those throwing snowballs, most of his hit the back of the stand.”
by bexhillpotter
Monday, January 28 2013, 12:22PM
“We surrendered to a weak Man City side who only look good with Yaya Toure in midfield, and he was absent in Africa. We should have browbeaten them for 90 minutes, but we didn't show any will to win. Shameful!”