That was awful…

I’m back blogging after a brief interruption when I had to trade my [not so] old PC in for a brand new bazzin’ one.

My first task? To get yesterday’s performance off my still-aching chest.

Work in progress…

I suppose any City fan who still holds onto the old concept of ‘being realistic’ – and I like to think I’m one of ‘em – was always going to go into this season knowing that it was gonna be a season of slowly moulding a side together, which has so far seen eight first team departures, either permanently or on loan, and five new faces. I’d call that, not a full, but decent-sized rebuild with likely more departures and, possibly but unlikely, another arrival in the final week of the transfer window.

13 first team changes will cause ripple effects on how a side performs, especially as you get five new guys in who have served under different coaches; using different techniques both for club and their respective countries.

In addition, we’ve brought into the first team a new Assistant Manager / Coach and an Assistant Coach. In summary, many changes indeed on top of a rather sparse pre-season, following our exit from the FIFA Club World Cup.

I can assure you, this rather pragmatic-sounding viewpoint was FAR from my mind and aching heart and I trudged very grumpily home after the match yesterday…

I’ve got a City-mad friend who told me recently that he watched our pre-season friendly against Palermo the other week and he said it was a scatty performance to say the least; with players seemingly all over the place in a largely scruffy display.

Against Wolves last weekend I think most City fans would agree that although it wasn’t perfect and clean, it was a very good performance nonetheless.

Yesterday? Good Lord what a mess.

We seemed okay for about the first 25 to 30 minutes and although both sides largely cancelled each other out in a rather cagey affair; we had the better chances to go ahead. But then, as if it was scripted, Spurs scored with their first real attack of the game.

I am SICK of that recurring theme and fault in our side – that’s something we appear to have dragged over from last season’s side. 😡

Where we had 7s, 8s and even a 9 against The Wanderers on the opening day of the Premier League season, yesterday was full of 4s, 5s and just two or three 6s.

That is PROPER City of old, unpredictability there for you on a plate.

I’m tempted not to go into detail about one area of concern that I have about our team going into a new season simply because it is likely to be something I’m going to mention in my season prediction piece; an article I can’t fully work on / complete until the summer transfer window has closed.

However, what I will say for now is that my fears about this department in our team appeared fully justified; as I watched a Spurs side pressure them into several mistakes. I think you might have guessed which area of the pitch I’m alluding to…🤔

Although I witnessed Spurs deploying some considerable gamesmanship tactics and were lucky, in my opinion, to get away with “just” 4 yellow cards yesterday; we definitely had our share of fortune too. James Trafford could easily have been sent off for, not just one, but two reasons yesterday and how the visitors didn’t get another free kick right on the edge of our box I just don’t know. Yet we still couldn’t avoid a home defeat.

It's “them” again…now boosted by a manager who, whilst at Brentford, saw his fair share of good results against us. 😒

Although I’ve mentioned sounding pragmatic in defeat as I finally calmed down enough to ‘put pen to paper’ this morning, I still feel that tight knot in my stomach.

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As I said to my wife and another footy fan after the match: As a proper, realistic supporter of any football team you don’t tend to mind, quite so much, getting beat fair ‘n’ square by a better side on the day. However, when your side massively underperforms like we did yesterday, it feels like a kick in the gut.

I added that it’d be about Tuesday when I get over this and as a very-much-seasoned Manchester City fan; at least I can take some comfort in the fact that ‘the fire’🔥must still be there for a single league defeat to hurt this much, especially so early on in the season.

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At least Pep was honest when he said after the game that, “…we missed the simple things” because it backed up what I had witnessed. There were so many misplaced and over or under hit passes it was ridiculous. Then, still no excuses, it became one of those matches towards the end where everything was bouncing off our shins and toes but was seemingly sticking like Velcro to theirs! 🫨

Our manager also said yesterday, “Step by step we will improve and make more connections.” I hope so because a trip away to any Premier League side should not be taken lightly and our next one is at a side who came within SECONDS of grabbing all-3 points in their opener last weekend; only to find themselves in shock as they had to share points with their visitors. I’m typing this before their second game of the season away at Everton’s new ground this afternoon so whether The Seagulls will have 1, 2 or 4 points when we ‘rock up’ at their place is yet to be seen.

Either way, the improvement that Pep mentioned must start on Sunday 31^st August before gaps start appearing at the top...