Match Ratings Ratings vs Man City - 1st leg

[RichieS]

Central to this and the Pool match...is the return of the Poch press . After Soton ,Burnley etc who would have imagined that Poch could recalibrate what looked like an exhausted team into this new energetic phase .Players have stopped standing off the oppo and raced in to tackle , even Sonny ! Masterful Poch (9) . of course , as he said in the presser, all depends on whether the team can continue these effort levels .

Unfortunate about Kane (7) but he hadn't, for me , recaptured his goal machine qualities after his last injury . Yes he'll do a few wonderful long range passes and last night he battled for the team , but of rampant goalscoring Kane there has been little sign this calendar year .Nice long summer rest for him now .

Even Eriksen (8) was motivated to put in a shift in one of his last games for us (probably cos he thought himself in the shop window)

Dele (6.5) (as with all the players) put in a decent shift , but I like him further forward . When we have a transition to a sudden attack I prefer someone else on the ball . Dele has this lethargic quality in these situations that loses our impetus as he decides what to do .

Anyway , bloody marvellous , keep this energy level up and we'll make CL .

Stadium...

 

[The Scarecrow]

Hard to pick a MOTM after a display like that, but I gave it to Hugo.

 

[BSJ93]

I thought Sissoko was brilliant. He never dived in but timed his tackles to perfection. City often try to bait the holding midfielder out with a clever 'short' ball to entice a midfielder forward and to open the space up behind before nipping in and taking advantage but he never fell for it. He sat back until the moment was right and then stepped in to intercept or tackle.

Yes, at times it was scrappy and rarely pretty but all the players worked incredibly hard last night, there was not a single passenger.

 

[kungfugrip]

I think that was a true team performance. Worried that Trippier would struggle against Sterling but apart from that early run in from the left he kept him fairly quiet - no mean feat. We actually had a few opportunities to play a better final ball and score a second, but in reality, I think everyone would've settled for a 1-0 before kick off. Great result.

 

[worcestersauce]

Did anyone notice Dele? I bet a lot of people didn't because he didn't do anything spectacular and may not even make the highlights but from my perspective he played a massive part in the win. He was all over the park taking, holding and playing the ball with a sort of casual ease that belies the effort he is putting in plus he did more than anybody else to piss them off.
I accept that he didn't pull up any trees but I honestly feel he is getting back to his best, the improvement since his injury has not been fast but it is relentless, he beginning to look ominous.
I can't name a man of the match as they were all giants and anyone that can is a better man than I

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

Rose for me. When he’s in competent beast mode, he really sets the tone for the rest of the team.

Was impressed with Sissy, Eriksen, Dele, Son....all of them actually. Keep this momentum going and we should finish in the top four and maybe even at least a semifinal place

 

[Japhet]

Did anyone notice Dele? I bet a lot of people didn't because he didn't do anything spectacular and may not even make the highlights but from my perspective he played a massive part in the win. He was all over the park taking, holding and playing the ball with a sort of casual ease that belies the effort he is putting in plus he did more than anybody else to piss them off.
I accept that he didn't pull up any trees but I honestly feel he is getting back to his best, the improvement since his injury has not been fast but it is relentless, he beginning to look ominous.
I can't name a man of the match as they were all giants and anyone that can is a better man than I

And not a single nutmeg either. He's the sort of player that has the opposition continually looking over their shoulder because they know what he can do. That has a big effect on your own game. MOM though for me is between Sissoko and Winks who held everything together in the middle of the park. Sissoko shades it though for lasting the 90+.