Amber Nectar

April 30, 2012

Things We Think We Think #47

1. Eighth place is a very respectable finish for City, and one we should be proud of. With an unwanted change of manager in November, a young side, no money to spend and an untried replacement boss, lesser outfits would have folded. Not City: to stay in the play-off race until the very end of the season speaks volumes for the determination of team and management, and we salute them.

2. The defeat at West Ham will have been a valuable learning exercise. Rarely will we come up against such a physically strong side playing such ugly football, but its effectiveness was undeniable and a couple of City’s side let themselves be bullied a bit in the first half. Standing up to such agricultural football isn’t always easy, but it is important.

3. Nonetheless, it was a fairly enjoyable outing. The atmosphere is always better when everyone is stood, and Upton Park is one of those grounds where this always seems to happen. Even a defeat, an early kick-off and the grimness of East London didn’t prevent a fine send-off to the season and rightful appreciation of the players’ efforts.

4. Vito Mannone and Richard Garcia were given the ovation their unceasing application merited at full-time – sadly it seems likely we won’t see either next season. There was a definite note of farewell at the end.

5. It’s none of our direct business, but West Ham look a good bet for the play-offs. Their football may be next to unwatchable, but they’re on form, scoring goals and do have genuine Premier League class in several areas. Allardyce is a tedious clown, but he does get results for his sides and they’ll be rightful favourites. It’s irritating to see Ricardo Vaz Te look like a useful footballer, considering how spectacularly abysmal he was during his brief loan spell with the Tigers five seasons ago.

6. Once Carlton Cole went off, mercifully early in the match, Liam Cooper was able to defend a bit more freely and confidently. It’s a pity for Cooper especially that the season has ended as he was starting to get into a comfortable routine. Cole is a Premier League attacker in the Championship and most weeks a fit and confident Cooper, given a mandate by his manager, should be fine at this level. The manager may well look for another centre back in the summer, especially as Jack Hobbs is out until October at the earliest, but Cooper should feel pleased with himself.

7. Talking of centre backs who should be pleased with themselves, congratulations to James Chester, who has topped the Amber Nectar player ratings for the season with an average of precisely 7 for the campaign. We’ll list, explain and analyse the ratings in full in the next couple of days.

8. It’s a long time until football restarts – August 18th is the scheduled start of the 2012/13 Championship season, owing to the Olympics. That’ll be our latest start since 1990, and with next season’s play-off final dates already published and looking similar to this, means a season being compressed by two weeks. So, more midweek games to look forward to. Lovely…

9. Bransholme’s Number One has retired after a 22 year career. Good luck Willo.

10. This tweet from the HDM’s Phil Buckingham amused: “owner Assem Allam worth £417m according to ST Rich List, up by £130m in the last year. Nick Barmby makes note ahead of meetings.”

Filed under: Opinion — Amber Nectar @ 7:15 am

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April 29, 2012

MATCH REPORT: West Ham United 2 City 1

In all kinds of space at the far post, Richard Garcia came steaming in to meet the dropping ball. With the grace and stylishness that would be expected of any player daring enough to attempt a fully airborne header, he timed his plunge magnificently, connecting via the receding meat of his forehead and arrowing it beyond a startled, unnerved Robert Green into the corner.

The perfect sign-off. His last game after illustriously serving Hull City for five years, and conversely his first game back at West Ham United, the club that nursed him as a precocious Aussie teenager in digs before letting him go with barely a scratch on his playing record. And not just a textbook diving header and brilliant goal, but a late equaliser as the Tigers fought back from 2-0 down at arguably the most intimidating ground in the Championship to secure a superb last-day point.

Well, all of that was momentarily true, until an assistant referee ruined it. But if Garcia does go – and plenty of City fans still hope that with a good pre-season and a modicum of better luck with injuries the (still only) 30 year old would be a corking member of the squad next season – it was still a quite stunning last act after 125 appearances for the club since Phil Brown signed him for free from Colchester United, the team he’d joined after those in the know at the Boleyn Ground decided he wouldn’t make it.

The assistant was, on reflection, correct (marginally) to raise his flag; one of those occasions where it becomes irritating to have an official who is totally on the ball. The score stayed at 2-1 to the home team with the last couple of minutes ticking by. At the final whistle, Garcia was the first to applaud the travelling Tiger Nation but, not one for sentiment, quickly vanished down the tunnel, probably not to be seen in a City shirt again until Justin Whittle rings him up in five years’ time and asks if he has a couple of Sunday evenings free and a stout pair of trainers.

Garcia’s bit of photographer-friendly springboardery was the highlight of a fine last 20 minutes for the Tigers in an otherwise one-sided game, typical of City in this bustling area of East London in recent times, which had had all the intrigue and nailbiting potential removed from it quickly by Southampton’s steamrollering job on the useless Coventry a little further south. Yer Actual West ‘Aaam, the club that won the World Cup, of course, needed to win and hoped Southampton lost, or at the very worst needed to win heavily and hope for a goalless draw in coastal Hampshire. A slip-up by the Saints, despite their mild wobbles of recent weeks, seemed most unlikely, however, and soon the game became little more than an end of season session of posturing and aimlessness, even though West Ham were miles and miles better.

Nick Barmby, hoping to end the season unbeaten in five, made one enforced alteration from last week’s win over Nottingham Forest, with Tom Cairney returning to replace Robert Koren who, despite much hopeful pre-match noise from the gaffer, was not fit to continue after his early whack last week. As well as the out of contract Garcia, there were final appearances on the teamsheet for three loanees of varying success as City lined up thus: Mannone; Rosenior, Chester, Cooper, Dawson; King, Evans, McKenna, Cairney, Garcia; Fryatt. Robbie Brady and Cameron Stewart were on the bench alongside the three largely unusable youngsters Mark Oxley, Sonny Bradley and Mark Cullen. West Ham had two ex-City loanees in their ranks with Mark Noble and Ricardo Vaz Te starting the game. (more…)

Filed under: Match Reports — Matt @ 4:45 pm

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April 28, 2012

RESULT: West Ham 2 City 1

City have ended the npower Championship season in a thoroughly respectable eighth place after a last-day defeat at West Ham.

The Tigers didn’t look much into the game for the most part, with Carlton Cole scoring twice for the Hammers, who were hoping to still clinch the second automatic promotion place, although Southampton’s early flurry of goals against Coventry soon put paid to that.

City rallied in the last 20 minutes and Corry Evans climbed above an oddly uncommitted Robert Green to head the Tigers back into it, then Richard Garcia aimed a spectacular flying header into the back of the net which was ruled out for offside.

Matt Fryatt miskicked in front of goal in added time, but in truth a point for City would have been very fortunate (and extremely funny) as the home side were considerably dominant.

The Tigers’ eighth spot, ultimately seven points adrift of the play-offs, represents a most satisfactory campaign considering the inexperience and size of the squad, plus the potential for disruption caused by the change of manager back in November. That said, the handful of goalless draws, plus the concession of two-goal leads at home against Burnley and Ipswich, will nag in the minds of staff and supporters alike when considering where the campaign to make the top six ultimately faltered. Match report later.

Filed under: Results — Matt @ 7:29 pm

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April 27, 2012

PREVIEW: West Ham v City

Have you ever turned up at someone else’s party, uninvited and unwanted, trashed the place, mocked the horrified attendees and cleared off triumphantly leaving horror, mess and seething ill-will behind, all for no reason other than that you fancied it?

Of course you haven’t. You’re polite, well-mannered and thoroughly considerate of the feelings of others. You obey the unwritten rules society lays down about hospitality. But admit it: there’s a bit of you that’s always wanted to, isn’t there?

That’s what City can do tomorrow. There purely to provide some token opposition for West Ham and their legions of media admirers, our intended role is not to stay for the party. We’re the delivery boys: there to drop off the goods, maybe do a spot of genuflection and sidle meekly away. That may very well be what we do. Yet there surely lurks within this City side the devilment to want to spoil things – to barge in, kick off and then piss off, laughing manically.

It’ll be a fearfully tall order. At this time of the season, you should always favour the side that wants it over the one that doesn’t need it. City are secure in a finish of 7^th to 9^th – eminently respectable and a platform upon which to build. There isn’t that urgent, all-consuming need to win, or even draw. However much Nick Barmby may attempt to instil focus, footballers are humans, and we weak humans can’t help dreaming of the beach on the last day at work.

So, West Ham start as powerful favourites. Yet even the widely-anticipated victory may not be enough. Already-relegated Coventry must avoid defeat at Southampton to render the Tigers’ game a live concern, otherwise the Saints will join Reading in next season’s Premier League. How the Coventry fare at St Mary’s is therefore certain to have a bearing on our game. Should Southampton score a couple of early goals, the intensity will seep from our encounter, probably to City’s benefit. Even if we discount the mean-spirited crowing we can do, Ricky Lambert beasting Coventry’s makeshift defence would be no bad thing.

For City deserve to finish this season on a high. Before 2011/12 commenced, we’d have been happy with a tilt at the play-offs while the club continued to put its finances in order. Both of those things happened. We ought to be content with how it’s turned out. If we can end the season with five matches unbeaten, it’ll at least leaven the disappointment caused by that ruinous run of five successive defeats. We’ve already finished above Leicester and Leeds, which has gladdened many. There’s an outside chance we can pinch Middlesbrough’s 7^th spot, and finish as Yorkshire’s undisputed top club. That’d be nice. Be selfish, City.

Nick Barmby has two of his previously doubtful midfielders available for selection tomorrow. Player of the Season Robert Koren is fit, while Tom Cairney has overcome his foot injury. The former is certain to start, though the latter may be on the bench in favour of Corry Evans. With West Ham likely to pouring forward in search of the goals they need to overcome Southampton’s goal difference advantage, gaps are likely to present themselves – that hints at a start for Josh King, whose phenomenal pace would be ideally suited to exploiting large expanses of green.

West Ham will have George McCartney fit, though O’Brien, Carew and Maynard are all out. It’ll be fascinating to see how both sides approach it. City’s possession football has been a joy to watch this season, and there’s no reason to suggest we’ll be defending tomorrow. That’s probably what West Ham would prefer. It’s hard to see the game finishing goalless.

So one more time, we assemble to bid farewell to an interesting season. We’ve no reason to expect anything more from this exciting young side, but one more result would be a great way to end. Never mind if you spoil someone else’s party – come on City.

Filed under: Match Previews — Andy @ 7:10 pm

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April 25, 2012

NEWS: Championship clubs vote in favour of “Financial Fair Play”

The Football League has this afternoon confirmed that its Championship clubs have voted in favour of a breakeven approach modelled upon the Financial Fair Play concept unveiled by UEFA three years ago. This means that clubs recording losses in excess of £6m in the 2014/15 season will risk having a transfer embargo imposed, while clubs promoted to the Premier League risk having fines levied that could run into seven figures, with the proceeds being shared among the more financially prudent.

Just three of the division’s 24 clubs voted against the proposals – it’d be interesting to learn their identities. There will be exceptions to the rules, however. Money spent on youth development, stadium improvement and past player transfers will be excluded. 2011/12 will constitute the first reporting period, though no sanctions will be imposed until 2013/14 on clubs contravening the new regulations.

It’s an interesting experiment aimed at cajoling clubs to impose financial discipline among themselves. A slew of clubs have experienced administration in recent times, and it’s a minor miracle that none have gone bust. Full details on the new rules can be found here.

Filed under: News — Andy @ 2:02 pm

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April 23, 2012

Things We Think We Think #46

1: Seventh, eighth or ninth is where City will end the season. Considering the youth of the squad, the managerial upheaval, the general unpredictability of the divisions and the strain of Mad March, this is pretty satisfying.

2: And yet, and yet, and yet… the goalless draws that should have been wins, the defeats snatched from the jaws of victory, the profligacy in front of goal… if we’re not careful, it will still feel principally like a season of regrets.

3: The Forest game wasn’t up to much but nevertheless it was good to see City have the appetite to go on and win it, and there’s little to be sniffed at in winning the final three home matches of the campaign. Matt Fryatt’s hat-trick against Barnsley in the previous victory was, meanwhile, a timely reminder that we do have a very good goalscorer at this level. If City let him go because of his familial issues, then he will be very, very hard to replace.

4: Richard Garcia has tweeted that he has “possibly” played his last game at the KC. The use of that word might just be an act of typical conscientiousness from a player not wanting to let any cats out of the bag until the club officially announces its retained list, but if the alternative is true – ie, the decision on Garcia’s future has yet to be made – then one hopes the Aussie’s form and attitude in recent weeks has shown the paymasters that he’s more than worth keeping.

5: If West Ham beat Leicester tonight, then City’s finale at Upton Park next week becomes an “active” game. It’d be fantastic to be the club that prevents the execrable, ludicrously indulged Hammers from getting automatic promotion – and pretty much everybody, including West Ham fans themselves, know they are likely to flunk the play-offs.

6: Paul Anderson, formerly a youth of this parish, was barely noticeable for Forest yesterday. Wonder if his dad is regretting his insistence that City let his lad go to Liverpool, whereupon his devlopment promptly stalled?

7: The decision to host the Player of the Year awards on the pitch at full-time on Saturday wasn’t a bad one, but it needed doing more promptly. A thirty minute wait for the players to re-emerge was just a bit long.

8: Robert Koren is a deserving winner of the Player of the Season award. We’d argue that James Chester has been 2011/12′s star performer, but Koren’s worth is so much more than simply conducting his own personal goal of the season contest – rarely can a City player have looked so serenely assured in possession, so skilful with the weighting of his passing and more visionary in what he sees before anyone else. It’s a pleasure to be able to watch him doing his thing for the Tigers, and we desperately hope he’s here next season.

9: Come on City, let’s do a pre-season tour somewhere interesting in the summer. Norway, for instance.

10: Where the bloody hell are the season ticket renewal forms?

Filed under: Opinion — Amber Nectar @ 7:45 am

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April 22, 2012

MATCH REPORT : Tigers 2 Forest 1

There was a pervading sense of ambivalence over the KC for the final home game of 2011/12, and though the match generated three goals, there was no escaping the sense that this was a game between two sides with little of real value to play for. As a consequence, this report shall be brief.

A moment of silence (it didn’t feel like a minute) was observed in respect of Hilary Needler, wife of the beloved Harold, mother of the loathed Christopher, who passed away recently. That sombreness added to the overall sense of ’meh’ as the Tiger Nation contemplated the season.

Thoughts of 2011/12 are undoubtedly tinged with regret at what could have been, we occupied a play off spot for much of the campaign so to end our season in April seems somewhat premature, and there is a nagging sense that adding depth to the side in the January transfer window could have paid dividends when the fixtures piled up in March. We didn’t, and those 9 games were a bit of a back-breaker.

Nonetheless, it’s been a pretty good campaign. Let’s put this into some perspective, the highest we can now finish is 7th (27th out of 92), the worst we can do is 10th (30th out of 92).

In our less than stellar post WW2 history we’ve finished within the top 30 clubs in the land on just 7 occasions: 17th – 2008/09, 19th – 2009/10, 23rd – 2007/08, 27th – 1970/71, 28th – 1985/86, 29th – 1949/50, 30th – 1974/75.

In terms of placement in the league pyramid, this season will end as our joint-fourth to joint-seventh best campaign in 67 years. That’s not bad, considering we are still hampered financially by the post-Premier League meltdown and changed manager mid season.

Anyway, back to this game, and Nick Barmby fielded the following XI: Mannone; Rosenior, Dawson, Chester, Cooper; Evans, McKenna, Koren; Stewart, Garcia, Fryatt. (more…)

Filed under: Match Reports — Les @ 1:05 pm

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April 21, 2012

RESULT: City 2 Forest 1

An own goal and a penalty proved enough for the Tigers to defeat Nottingham Forest and wave farewell to the KC Stadium for another season with a win.

The game was uneventful and sluggish, as befitting an end-of-season clash between two sides whose destinies were already known, but the Tigers finally took the lead just before the hour when Liam Rosenior’s shot cannoned off a post and then into the net via defender Chris Gunter.

Forest, who had forced a magnificent save out of Vito Mannone just before conceding, then giftwrapped a second with a soft foul by Gunter on James Chester. Matt Fryatt then smashed home the pen.

Radoslaw Majewski scored from close range deep into injury time, Forest’s first goal against City for 35 years, but the Tigers hung on.

Though City’s hopes of the play-offs are now mathematically defunct, it’s still up in the air at this stage as to where they’ll finish. If Leicester win against West Ham on Monday night then they could still push the Tigers down to ninth next week; if they lose, then City will finish either seventh or eighth depending on their own performance against Sam Allardyce’s men next week, and Middlesbrough’s result against Watford. One last thing: defeat for Southampton today means that a Hammers win at Leicester keeps the game against the Tigers next week active, allowing City the possibility of ruining West Ham’s hopes of automatic promotion. And that would be nice.

After a 20-minute wait, the players re-emerged to be greeted by about an eighth of the 20,000 crowd and, in driving rain, the end of season awards were handed to Robert Koren (Goal of the Season, his winner versus Leicester); James Chester (Players’ Player of the Season) and Koren again (Player of the Season). Both Chester and Koren made encouraging, if slightly echoey, noises down the stadium microphone about being happy at the club and wanting to do better for the Tigers next season.

Match report later, then.

Filed under: Results — Matt @ 9:07 pm

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April 20, 2012

PREVIEW: City v Nottingham Forest

Before this game actually kicks off, we’ll know if promotion has deserted us. City are six behind sixth place and with six to play for, but the target team, Cardiff City, kick off early. If they avoid defeat to Leeds United in their lunchtime knuckledragathon, then we’re all pretty much thinking ahead to August. Maths won’t allow us to think that completely while Blackpool also remain six points ahead, but their goal difference is definitely insurmountable.

But wait! Imagine if you will that Leeds manage to win, and maybe win well, in Wales. Difficult and gruesome though it may be to feel well disposed to football’s most unclean, morally vacant club, but it’s not impossible for a couple of three-nillers – one for Leeds, then one for us – to sow some doubtful seeds in the minds of Cardiff City supporters and players.

All that’s then required is for the Tigers to turn round a meagre three goals on the last day. We’ve done that to Cardiff this season already, by winning on their own turf. And by then, West Ham United will know they’re not going up automatically. So we put three unanswered goals past them at Upton Park while Cardiff lose at Crystal Palace. Amidst all this, Middlesbrough continue to drop points, and…

… okay, enough.

It seems pretty clear to anyone whose optimism threshold is set to ‘standard’ that City’s play-off dream is over. But seventh or eighth would be a pleasing final spot, if tinged with regret when thinking back through some of the performances that didn’t yield what they should. Nick Barmby is starting to be heard regarding his plans for the squad and we hope his paymasters are noting what he says as much as the Tiger Nation is. There is the basis of a gifted, watchable group of players on the payroll right now; just a bit more ruthlessness, guile and actual suitability for Championship football needs adding.

The KC closes for business with the visit of Nottingham Forest, who have had a decent 2012 under the maligned Steve Cotterill and, despite losing at Reading in midweek, secured their safety for another year courtesy of other results. It took 33 years for the two teams to play each other prior to last season, and so far, Forest have not scored a goal. The Tigers won at the City Ground in absolutely identical manner by a solitary second half goal both last season and this, while Forest’s visit to the KC last year ended goalless.

Barmby hasn’t ruled out keeping Tom Cairney in the team, despite the badly bruised foot which saw him stretchered off against Barnsley on Tuesday night, but nonetheless it seems obvious that Paul McKenna will begin against the club that freed him last summer. Beyond that, there seems little reason to change the team, though it isn’t impossible to envisage Josh King starting ahead of Cameron Stewart. For King, Robbie Brady and Vito Mannone, it represents their final games at the Circle before they return to their parent clubs. Unless we make the pla… no.

Forest could recall Irish winger Andy Reid after he missed out at the Madejski Stadium, while former City trainee Paul Anderson will continue in place of Gareth McCleary, who completes a three-match ban.

The 23rd and final game at the Circle in this season’s Championship will, hopefully, produce a 12th victory, which would also be a third in a row. Forest, however, have stacked up eight away wins this season which is some tally for a side that has never been out of the bottom six – indeed, City have won one fewer away game and gained overall just one more point on the road than their opponents this season. There will be even starker statistics that prove the adage that the Championship is actually quite equal, but it’s still an interesting one. The bookies offer 6/5 on City winning and 9/4 on both a Forest success and a draw.

There might be a quick lap of honour after the game, though given that the Player of the Year awards begin only half an hour or so after the final whistle goes, the players may be required to encircle the pitch at a canter rather than with a slow stroll, to give them time to put on suits, boots and Brut. After that’s over, we’ll think about Upton Park and then a long, hot sporting summer ahead. Or maybe the pla… (you’re fired. Ed.)

Filed under: Match Previews — Matt @ 4:00 pm

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April 18, 2012

MATCH REPORT: City 3 Barnsley 1

You know that striker we needed in January? The one that would get us 15 goals or more in a season and be cool and ruthless in front of goal? Seems we had him all along.

Matt Fryatt’s hat-trick against Barnsley was masterful, just masterful. Two instinctive finishes in the first half and one glorious, self-made effort late in the second.

Fryatt’s dry spell around the turn of the year, during which time he even lost his place in the starting XI, wasn’t just about his being unable to score. It was about the team being unable to create, for him, or for anyone else. City have struggled to score consistently this season, and as we look at the Championship table today that paucity of goals is now absolutely what will keep the Tigers from the top six. The very “best” we can realistically get now, with two more wins, is seventh place and missing out on goal difference (though the consolation of beating West Ham United in east London would be considerable). Goal difference, and the actual goal tally, is our ultimate undoing, and suddenly the significance of those 0-0 draws against Doncaster Rovers, Brighton and Leeds United become clear.

Nevertheless, this was a thoroughly enjoyable game of football, against a Barnsley side that knew they were pretty much safe even in defeat, something they had confirmed to them as they sloped off the pitch, well-beaten. Sloped is a choice word, in fact, given the biblical rain and hail that clattered the stadium during the pre-match period and up to well after the game started, leaving the KC surface most slippery. Fortunately, the Tigers seemed to cope with it more quickly than their distinctly unfussed opponents, who had brought with them a paltry number considering the shortness of the trip.

Nick Barmby was expected to make one change. He obliged, but not with the change most assumed. Cameron Stewart was back in the team to replace Josh King, while the influential Paul McKenna was, surprisingly, only shown the bench after the completion of his ban. City carded thus: Mannone; Rosenior, Chester, Cooper, Dawson; Stewart, Evans, Koren, Cairney, Garcia; Fryatt.

A minor and brief moment of conversation was prompted by the selection of youth team custodian Joe Cracknell as sub keeper. Mark Oxley’s last four years really have been something of a waste, then. Barnsley included former City full backs Scott Wiseman (blooded and indulged by Peter Taylor, released by Phil Parkinson the moment he took over) and Nathan Doyle (lest we forget, owner of a play-off winner’s medal and scorer of a goal en route to Wembley) in their defence.