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Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 00:57, Jul 02 2014

We are told the table never lies. It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. However, the only lies being told are coming from the ones who deliver the cliché. We have have been told Manchester City are a poor away side. A quick glance of their record heading into Wednesdays match at West Brom (1 win, 1 draw and 4 losses) would suggest this but once again the league table was lying. To judge teams, at this stage of the season, solely on their results misses so many factors that go into ensuring teams sustain success in the long-term. During 90 minutes of football things happen that can have a direct effect on the result at the end of the game. It is too simplistic to say the team that won played well and the team that lost didnt and there is no better example of that this season than with Manchester City away from home. Before Wednesday at West Brom headlines, splashed across England previewing the match, called City away from home everything from rubbish to poor. It is, of course, not ideal to lose four games this season early in the season. In fact, the last team to lose four of their first eleven games (which City did) and win the title in the top flight of England was City themselves back in 1968. However, for the majority of their away matches this season City have been far from poor. On the contrary, City, in large parts of away matches, have looked like the attacking, entertaining team many dreamed they could sustain under Roberto Mancini. Two years ago under the Italian, City sprinted out of the blocks, scoring an incredible 23 goals in their first six away matches in the Premier League. Six goals at Manchester United and five at Tottenham sent messages that this team was the clear favourite to win the Premier League. Then the league started to work them out. Teams sat deeper and City couldnt adjust. They went on to win the league title, in the most dramatic ways through a late Sergio Aguero goal on the final day, but it was their atrocious away form that almost cost them. A look at their championship winning final league table shows City scored 38 goals and won 10 games away from home that season. What it fails to tell you is that half of their wins, and 23 of their 38 goals, came in those first six away matches. Ten goals, including 8 against Norwich and Wolves, and three wins also came in their last three matches, in late April and May. In the 10 away games in between, from the end of November to the middle of April, City scored just five goals (2 from open play), won 2, drew 3 and lost 5. It was a run that was far worse than the way they started this season but it didnt get the attention it deserved because the league table told a story that included Citys breathtaking start. When rivals United collapsed and handed City the title, Mancinis constant tactical changes, and failures to get his team to create as a unit away from home, was forgotten. It would play a massive part in their failure the following season, however. When City failed to win for the 7th time in their first 10 away games last season last year, on Boxing Day at Sunderland, their attempts at regaining the championship were already over. Wins later in 2013, at Arsenal and Manchester United, teams who didnt sit deep and took the game to City, werent surprising, but neither were there abysmal performances in losses at Southampton and Everton. When Mancini was replaced by Manuel Pellegrini many felt the Chilean had been hired to help turn around Citys woeful Champions League efforts under Mancini. That is certainly true, but also Pellegrini is expected to get more out of his team as an attacking unit, particularly away from home. There is no denying Citys brilliance at home and many teams will be on the wrong end of some serious hammerings this season, just as Norwich and Tottenham already have encountered. In those victories, City have shown they can score goals from quick transitions and counter-attacks, something that is sure to translate to successful away performances also. In fact, for large parts of their four away losses, City have been very impressive in attack, getting their full-backs forward and showing some useful combination play between their forwards. Their loss at Cardiff came from poor defending and goalkeeping on two corners. City were not at their best that day but did enough to win the match. Their loss at Aston Villa came from a fantastic individual free kick by Leandro Bacuna and some terrible defending and goalkeeping on a long clearance by Brad Guzan. City were absolutely magnificent that day and played far better than their past two visits to Villa Park, under Mancini, when they won 1-0 each time thanks to a goal from a set-piece (header by Joleon Lescott) and a mistimed poor back pass by Ciaran Clark (finished off by Carlos Tevez). Their loss at Chelsea came from poor defending, and, in particular, goalkeeping (there is a theme here) when Joe Hart rushed out and allowed Fernando Torres to put the ball in the back of the net in the final minute. Having gone a goal down, City were the best side in the second half, after Sergio Agueros equalizer, showing they can be equally dangerous when the Argentine plays as a lone striker with a strong midfield 3 behind him. City caused Chelsea much more of a threat than they did in their past two visits to Stamford Bridge when they were lifeless in each of those second halves. Like at Villa, it was yet more evidence, that City had improved away from home, blinded by the games result. Their loss at Sunderland was their worst of the season, highlighting the key area Pellegrini has to get right. Once again they were a real threat going forward but a second-string back four featuring Micah Richards, Martin Demichilis, Joleon Lescott, Aleksandar Kolarov let themselves down on the Phil Bardsley goal and this time their attackers could not bail them out. Citys defending, at times, away from home has clearly not been good enough but Pellegrini will know this is much less of a concern than if his attacking unit was not playing well. Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in the game and if that is not working (as we saw under Mancini) it can lead to much bigger problems. Making a team organized and better defensively, particularly with the players at his disposal (this is no Newcastle of the mid 90s), is a much less difficult job for the Chilean. "I worry about the away form," Pellegrini conceded after the Sunderland loss, but he knew the way the team is playing in an open 4-4-2 style has to stay despite the results, saying: "Weve had a lot of chances and played really well in (away) matches, I am absolutely sure we are playing the right way and know the wins will come." That attitude took the manager and his City side to the Hawthorns for a date with West Brom on Wednesday evening. City welcomed back captain Vincent Kompany at the heart of their defence and kept their 4-4-2 shape with Edin Dzeko replacing Alvaro Negredo alongside Aguero. Pellegrini had predicted the wins and performance would come and his players didnt let him down, Citys first half display will rank as one of the finest halves a team will play all season. After 24 minutes, they led 2-0 and were so dominant it should have been up by more. The first involved 14 passes, over 46 seconds, that saw the ball move to the right and to the overlapping right back Pablo Zabaleta whose cross was smashed home by Aguero. It was a sensational team goal but fifteen minutes their second one was even better, coming from 15 passes, in which the home side didnt touch the ball for 53 seconds, finishing with the left back, Kolarov, this time getting forward to cross for Yaya Toure to power home. It was a dream half of football for Pellegrini. Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri were outstanding in their movement and combination play while Aguero was just as lethal with Dzeko as it has been with Negredo this season. At the back, Kompany was a rock with key blocks denying West Brom of any real scoring threats. City were that dominant they made more successful passes in the first half than they attempted in the recent win over Swansea at home. This, as regular viewers to their away games would attest to, this was not a team who have played poorly away from home. In the second half City stepped down a few gears but still sent West Brom fans home early when they converted a third, from the spot, again created by a run by full back Kolarov down the left. "You should have gone Christmas shopping," chanted City fans to the home supporters as they dragged themselves out of their seats. Not only had they watched a superb away performance, they had also failed to see their team put a shot on goal or attempt a shot inside the penalty box for the first 81 mins. It was the perfect all-around performance for City until West Brom scored two late goals with Toure, Nasri and Aguero all resting on the bench. In many ways it was fitting that those who will judge the game solely on the scoreline will once again miss the point. City look very much like the formidable away team they need to be to contend for the title. Just dont let the scoreline or the league table tell you otherwise. cheap jerseys free shipping .J. - The weather forecast for the first Super Bowl in an outdoor stadium in a cold-weather city is nothing out of the ordinary. cheap jerseys . 5 Trade Deadline isnt that far away and teams will be making decisions on whether to buy, sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. http://www.forsalecheapjerseys.com/. Heres a breakdown of where the battles will be, the players involved and how one decision may have an effect on another. This goes without saying: Were working within the confines of the current Jays roster. wholesale jerseys . -- Andre Drummond was drafted to shore up Detroits interior defence -- and the Cleveland Cavaliers found out just how active the young big man can be around the basket. cheap jerseys wholesale . -- The first full day at the Masters turned out to be a short one Monday.MIAMI -- David Beckham hopped onto the stage, his back to sun-splashed Biscayne Bay, and a pack of photographers jostled for position as admirers cheered and chanted. "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. The deal will be finalized when the former English national team captain can secure a financing plan and location for a new stadium. Beckham attended a news conference with MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez to discuss their progress. "This is an exciting time, and something were really looking forward to bringing to Miami," Beckham told a crowd of more than 300 people on a downtown museum plaza. The event was frequently interrupted by cheers for Beckham, whos popular around the world and especially in celebrity-smitten Miami. The retired soccer icon has scouted possible stadium sites and is seeking investors to assist with startup costs such as construction and player acquisitions. Among those who might become involved is Miami Heat star LeBron James, who has had recent conversations with Beckham about bringing a team to Miami. "LeBron has become a friend over the last few years," Beckham said. "We spoke about this on the business side and also as friends. Hes very interested in this." Beckham, looking the part of a businessman in a suit and tie, said city officials have promised the teams stadium will be downtown, which is his preference. "We dont want public funding," Beckham said to applause. "We will fund the stadium ourselves. We have worked very hard to get to this stage where we can fund the stadium ourselves. We want to create a football club that is the peoples football club." Gimenez -- who at one point referred to Beckham as "Beckman" -- said theres political support for a plan. "We started our negotiations last week," Gimenez said. "We have to get rolling. Theres a time crunch. We are willing partners. We are very grateful that Mr. Beckham and MLS have chosen Miami as the site for their next franchise. Were going to do all in our power to make sure we get the stadium built in the right place as quickly as possible." New teams have been announced for 2015 iin New York City and Orlando, Fla.dddddddddddd, increasing the leagues total to 21. Beckham declined to offer a timetable regarding when Miami might play its first game, but a likely target is 2017. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Los Angeles Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain star has the right to an expansion team at a discount fee of $25 million. MLSs Miami Fusion played in Fort Lauderdale from 1998-01 before folding because of poor attendance, but this time, Beckhams star power could make a difference. "Miami is a vibrant city with a lot of passion," he said. "I know this city is ready for football -- soccer -- this time around. I know this is going to be successful." The crowd at the news conference included a throng of chanting, singing fans. "People here love this sport," Garber said. "We together have no doubt it will be a very successful MLS team." Beckham said he also wants to start a childrens soccer academy in Miami. Shareholders in the team will include Beckhams business partner Simon Fuller, the "American Idol" creator who is the driving force in franchise negotiations, and Marcelo Claure, president and CEO of Brightstar Corp. Beckham said hell finalize his group of investors over the next couple of months. He declined to say what players he would like to bring to the team. "We have a list," he said. "We want to bring some of the best players in football to Miami to play on this team. Ive seen what happens to teams when you bring great players in. Im talking about the Heat." That brought cheers from the crowd. James and the Heat have won the past two NBA titles. Beckham laughingly ruled out hiring his former manager, Alex Ferguson, to coach the team, but said he has ideas regarding that search, as well. "I kind of know what makes a great coach and what doesnt," he said. "Well have a good coach here." Beckham praised the growth in recent of years of MLS and said hes optimistic about the leagues direction. Regular-season attendance increased from an average of 15,504 in 2006 to a record 18,807 in 2012 before dropping slightly this season to 18,594. "Ive seen the change in this league," Beckham said. "Ive seen the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona come over to America. They want to play against the MLS teams. Theyre interested in this league, and thats whats changing." ' ' '