Tom Oldfield


Frustrating. That would be the word to describe Manchester City’s season so far.

That should not be taken in an entirely negative sense, however. It simply explains the feeling that good ought to be replaced by great. City boss Mark Hughes can point to victories over Arsenal and Chelsea, a battling draw at Anfield and a place in the Carling Cup semi-finals. Not to mention a bold and gutsy performance in the Manchester derby that deserved a point. The potential is there for all to see.

So it is frustration and not despair that grips City fans as the Premier League heads into the Christmas period.

Frustration that wins have slipped to draws, that it is the smaller teams rather than the title contenders causing them problems, that they are contemplating a spot in the top six as opposed to a title surge.

The performance against Chelsea, who were at full strength it should be noted, was another reminder that City have as much talent as anyone in the league. When they are in the mood they can more than match the Blues, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal – and they have proved it.

The problem has been a failure to turn draws into wins, with City drawing their previous seven league games prior to beating Chelsea. This is an issue that Liverpool and Arsenal have dealt with over recent seasons and it harks back to the increasing demands placed on title challengers. A draw away from home often used to be a solid performance but, more often than not, it is instantly now regarded as two points dropped.

There will be an inevitable temptation to spend more money in January to revive their title hopes but, in truth, there are few weak areas to address. More than anything, it is a question of finding greater consistency in their displays.

Hughes has an outstanding keeper in Shay Given, who emphasised his value with the critical penalty save at the weekend, and an abundance of options up front. His midfield is packed with quality too with Gareth Barry impressing and the tireless Nigel De Jong proving the most underrated player of the campaign thus far.

There are two things that Hughes may consider. First, Wayne Bridge has struggled at left-back and does not look the same player that burst onto the scene at Southampton and began brightly at Chelsea. Bridge is currently out injured and Hughes may take this opportunity to play wily Brazilian Sylvinho at full-back. But there are also some quality alternatives out there and City can afford to pay top dollar. They might look at Lyon’s outstanding left-back Aly Cissokho or Arsenal’s Gael Clichy.

The bigger issue is experience – and the leadership that comes with it. For all the money that City have spent, only Kolo Toure has been a regular in a title-winning team in England – and that is apparent from watching City this season. The know-how accumulated from chasing the top prizes, and the necessary consistency to go with it, are lacking.

Arsenal’s title bids suffered in part due to Emmanuel Adebayor’s hot and cold displays while Shaun Wright-Phillips and Craig Bellamy failed at Chelsea and Liverpool respectively for similar reasons. Barry, Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards – to name just three – have never played for teams with genuine title ambitions. City are crying out for a vocal leader who can drag them over the line in tight games, especially against the lesser sides, and there is a school of thought that says City would be up with the leaders if they had a John Terry or Jamie Carragher at the back.
 
This need was clearly recognised over the summer as the club threw money towards signing Terry but, with the Chelsea skipper signing a new deal, Hughes must look elsewhere. The Toure-Lescott partnership must develop quickly and, in the meantime, the City boss should scour European football for a proven winner. Names like Barcelona’s Carlos Puyol and Juventus’ Fabio Cannavaro could be temporary solutions if enough money is sent their way.

Looking back through the title-winning sides since the Premier League began it is easy to pick out leaders. There is Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson for Manchester United, Colin Hendry and Tim Sherwood at Blackburn then back to United’s Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel. Next came Tony Adams at Arsenal, Keane again then Terry at Chelsea and a combination of Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand in United’s latest spell of dominance.
 
Such figures are hard to find – but City must do just that if they are to close the gap on the elite teams and lift the Premier League trophy. Until then, they will dazzle in patches but end up empty-handed.

 

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