So, I am a Manchester City fan. My aim is to set up a blog where I can regularly jot down my outpourings of extreme feelings, which are set in motion by the day to day events at this club.
First thing first, I would like to introduce the team and my personal opinion on each of its players. You can learn all about them on the official MCFC website or wikipedia. Here, my intention is to just point out my views on them.
GOALKEEPERS :
1. Joe Hart :
Joe is the current England national team's first choice keeper. That fact tells you a lot about his quality. He has been in the first team since 2009. Funnily,he has been parodied by Man City supporters for appearing in shampoo commercials.
Strengths :
1.He is very tall, about 6'5. Strong in the air while collecting crosses. His shot stopping is amazing. When he is on form, he is capable of producing exceptional, acrobatic saves.
2. He is good when faced with one on one's with an opponent striker. I have rarely seen him beaten in such scenarios. Here's a link to his performance in the match against Dortmund, where he single handedly saved city from a loss with some terrific goalkeeping .
Weaknesses:
1. His positioning. Normally he is quite well positioned, but there are instances in a match where you can see that he is not positioned well, and is standing too far towards one side of the goal. He has been beaten quite easily with a well placed shot in some cases.
2. Ball distribution. His goal kicks seldom reach the target man. His ball skills and passing are quite good, but his clearances very often are over or under hit. I have watched many times in exasperation as he hoofs up a goal kick which sails over Dzeko's (the target man's) head. I compared it with David Degea of United. That boy is known for his goal kicks, and every time i see him, all his clearances fall right on top of the receiving player, who is also usually free and unmarked.
3. At times when he is off form, his performances can be quite frustrating. A couple of times in the 2012-13 season, I saw an opposing striker hit a thunderous shot, and he just let it past him without moving a muscle.
I get it, that was an unstoppable shot, but a lack of effort from such a quality goalkeeper does make me quite angry.
Summary:
All in all, I am pro- Hart. Not only is he a deserving number one, football wise, but i also admire him as a human being. He is always competitive and shows pride and courage. His sportsman spirit is also of note. I hope he continues with this club for a long time.
2. Costel Pantilimon :
The very tall (6'7) competition for Joe Hart. He is not first team quality in my opinion. His performances have been shaky, to say the least. His shot stopping , ball handling and passing are nervy. He often fumbles the ball, not catching it cleanly and dropping it. Every time I see him play, I feel like closing my eyes and praying for safety. He is erratic. It is rumoured that he might leave this summer. I think that is a good idea, partly for the player's growth, and partly so that we can buy a better keeper. A better keeper will provide competion to Joe Hart and keep him on his toes.
3. Richard Wright :
He is an experienced player, over the 30 year old mark. His basic function is of the reserve keeper. I have not seen him play yet but I will not make the mistake of writing him off. I have done a bit of research, and found out that he was highly thought of as a youngster. He has played for clubs like Arsenal and Everton. Hopefully, though, he will never be called into service.
First thing first, I would like to introduce the team and my personal opinion on each of its players. You can learn all about them on the official MCFC website or wikipedia. Here, my intention is to just point out my views on them.
GOALKEEPERS :
1. Joe Hart :
Joe is the current England national team's first choice keeper. That fact tells you a lot about his quality. He has been in the first team since 2009. Funnily,he has been parodied by Man City supporters for appearing in shampoo commercials.
Strengths :
1.He is very tall, about 6'5. Strong in the air while collecting crosses. His shot stopping is amazing. When he is on form, he is capable of producing exceptional, acrobatic saves.
2. He is good when faced with one on one's with an opponent striker. I have rarely seen him beaten in such scenarios. Here's a link to his performance in the match against Dortmund, where he single handedly saved city from a loss with some terrific goalkeeping .
Weaknesses:
1. His positioning. Normally he is quite well positioned, but there are instances in a match where you can see that he is not positioned well, and is standing too far towards one side of the goal. He has been beaten quite easily with a well placed shot in some cases.
2. Ball distribution. His goal kicks seldom reach the target man. His ball skills and passing are quite good, but his clearances very often are over or under hit. I have watched many times in exasperation as he hoofs up a goal kick which sails over Dzeko's (the target man's) head. I compared it with David Degea of United. That boy is known for his goal kicks, and every time i see him, all his clearances fall right on top of the receiving player, who is also usually free and unmarked.
3. At times when he is off form, his performances can be quite frustrating. A couple of times in the 2012-13 season, I saw an opposing striker hit a thunderous shot, and he just let it past him without moving a muscle.
I get it, that was an unstoppable shot, but a lack of effort from such a quality goalkeeper does make me quite angry.
Summary:
All in all, I am pro- Hart. Not only is he a deserving number one, football wise, but i also admire him as a human being. He is always competitive and shows pride and courage. His sportsman spirit is also of note. I hope he continues with this club for a long time.
2. Costel Pantilimon :
The very tall (6'7) competition for Joe Hart. He is not first team quality in my opinion. His performances have been shaky, to say the least. His shot stopping , ball handling and passing are nervy. He often fumbles the ball, not catching it cleanly and dropping it. Every time I see him play, I feel like closing my eyes and praying for safety. He is erratic. It is rumoured that he might leave this summer. I think that is a good idea, partly for the player's growth, and partly so that we can buy a better keeper. A better keeper will provide competion to Joe Hart and keep him on his toes.
3. Richard Wright :
He is an experienced player, over the 30 year old mark. His basic function is of the reserve keeper. I have not seen him play yet but I will not make the mistake of writing him off. I have done a bit of research, and found out that he was highly thought of as a youngster. He has played for clubs like Arsenal and Everton. Hopefully, though, he will never be called into service.
