It’s becoming a familiar feeling. Dominating a game and creating plenty of chances but failing to take them and ending up as losers.
This match at Upton Park against a resurgent West Ham side was a real six pointer. There seem to be several every week as half the league are involved in a relegation scrap but last night, both teams were on 25 points.
The only change to City’s line up from the Man City game was the return of Robert Snodgrass in place of Anthony Pilkington. Redmond started on the left with Snoddy on the right.
After a scrappy first ten minutes, the visitors started to get into their stride and it’s no exaggeration to say that City could’ve been three or four nil up at the break.
Spanish keeper, Adrian made a fine save from Gary Hooper’s header, defeated Snodgrass in a one on one and at the end of the half made his best save when he denied Alex Tettey.
Throughout the first half, Nathan Redmond terrorised the West Ham defence with his pace and trickery, creating the chances for Hooper and Snodgrass and only a last ditch tackle by Tomkins denied Johnson from scoring what would’ve been a contender for team goal of the season.
The home side meanwhile, we’re reduced to long balls into the corners and a couple of tame efforts from Jarvis, Noble and Nolan.
It looked promising for City at the break but would we rue the missed chances? Of course we would.
In the second half, West Ham started to slowly win the midfield battles and create more chances. Ruddy had to make a fine save from Diame, while at the other end, Hooper missed another chance for City.
After a goalmouth scramble with the scores still level, Joseph Yobo prodded a simple looking chance over the bar as another chance went begging.
Finally, in the 84th minute, City’s wastefulness of the numerous chances they had created came back to cost them as James Collins nodded a simple header past the stranded Ruddy after a quick free kick.
By this point, Hughton had made two subs – Elmander for Hooper (76) and Pilkington for Redmond (81). He responded to going a goal down by replacing Tettey with RvW.
Now, he clearly messed this right up.
Elmander never, never, never looks like scoring. RvW looks the more likely so that suggests he was looking to hold what he had. Why not use Becchio? He’d be more likely to score and is also a big strong lad.
Pilkington for Redmond is also ridiculous – Redmond is 19 and will not have been tired. He was our best player on the night and not to replace the wasteful Snodgrass instead was just crazy.
As City huffed and puffed to try to salvage something from the night, Diame made the score line look much easier for West Ham than it really was when he broke from his own half and beat Ruddy with a deflection.
Two nil.
Afterwards, Sam Allardyce said that if City continue to play like that ‘they’ll be alright’. Very patronising and if I’m honest, I’m not so sure.
The fact we are creating these chances is good and suggests that something must be working on the training grounds at Colney. The finishing cannot really be laid at the manager’s door as Hooper is a proven finisher – a off night perhaps? As he seems the only striker capable of scoring, we can’t afford too many off days.
No game now for eleven days before a tough tie at home to spurs live on Sky Sports – it doesn’t get any easier.
We are now just one point outside the relegation zone and three points off tenth place – this league is crazy.
OTBC
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