FA Cup 5th round draw

The full fifth round draw is as follows:

Wolves or Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Manchester City v Stoke
Derby v Birmingham
Bolton v Tottenham or Leeds
Chelsea v Cardiff
Fulham v Notts County or Wigan
Reading v West Brom
Southampton v Portsmouth

With Arsenal crashing out earlier today, the draw really has opened up in this seasons competition. Avoiding Chelsea I suppose was the key, so a home tie against Stoke is good draw - they are no pushover but their success has in the main been at The Britannia Stadium.

Given we have also got over the mental block this season of exiting cup competitions at the quarter-final stage, there is every reason to feel we could go a long way in this seasons FA Cup.

Yesterday's problem

As I alluded to in the match report, the major problem yesterdat was being unable to get in behind the Stoke defence, far too often forced to play across field and attack down the flanks.

The latest chalkboard from The Guardian illustrates this perfectly as for all of our possession and territorial advantage, we simply could not get close to the penalty area to create anything like a clear cut chance once Stoke were reduced to ten men.

Stoke's defense time and time again forced us out wide, a tactic which suited them perfectly as they comfortably dealt with our balls into the box time and time again.

Stoke 1 City 0

[MEN report, telegraph.co.uk report, news of the blues report, the oatcake report]

Stoke City 1 Manchester City 0

Saturday January 31, 2009, 12.45pm
Britannia Stadium, Stoke - Att: 27,236

The frustrations of following City were evident in abundance yesterday as we managed to undo some of the recent progress that we had made by crashing to defeat against a side who had been reduced to ten men for the best part of an hour.

Mark Hughes lamented the lack of a presence up front (which probably added an extra million or so to Roque Santa Cruz's price tag), but the introduction of Caicedo altered little and the better option against a Stoke side who were defending for their lives. With the quality we have in our line-up, we should have been more than capable of out playing our opponents.

Not for the first time though we seemed completely unable to break down a side who defended resolutely, and the disappointing aspect is that despite the creativity we possessed yesterday (which increased with the introduction of Elano) at no stage did we get in behind the Stoke defence, and too often we were forced to go cross field. Far too often we resorted to long range shots on Thomas Sorensen, most of which were poor efforts it has to be said.

We had started the game in positive fashion, with some excellent passing and neat movement over the first quarterof an hour but this dissipated thereafter and inexplicably we began to launch direct balls which meant the likes of Ireland and particularly Wright-Phillips were reduced to being merely spectators.

Wright-Phillips, it has to be said, was fortunate to avoid seeing red in the incident that saw Rory Delap sent off. It was a nasty kick out by Delap, and what saved Wright-Phillips was his kick out was missed when most eyes were focusing on the shoving match that ensued.

As for the goal, it was ironic that it came from a throw after Delap's dismissal which forced a short throw rather than a 'Delap special'. It was a good cross in from Etherington, but poor judgement from Wayne Bridge saw him mistime his jump which allowed James Beattie to head smartly home past Joe Hart. It is arguably the second goal Bridge has been culpable for, and whilst his play going forward is excellent, are his defensive qualities good enough to warrant his fee?

A quick word on Hart. Whether he was trying to impress ahead of the impending signing of Shay Given or not, but I thought he was very good yesterday. He had no chance with the goal, and handled everything competently, particularly the long balls and throws aimed into the box. He was confident and commanding, traits that have sometimes been missing. It appears as though the Given deal will go through, but my doubts about the necessity of the deal remain.

What could have been a good return from January (a win would have seen us just two points of seventh spot) therefore ends with the same frustrations and questions that have been asked all season. The transfer window - a more pertinently the incessant speculation - has taken some of the focus of Hughes's position.

Whilst I have no doubt that our home form will be good enough to see us win the majority of our games, our away record of one win from eleven is frankly appalling. Hughes may be talking of three or four transfer windows, but realistically he knows that with fifteen games remaining he can't afford too many more days like yesterday if he is to be around for the next one.

Stoke v Manchester City open thread

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Stoke v Manchester City preview

[news of the blues preview, MEN preview]

We take our four match unbeaten run down the M6 tomorrow to face a Stoke side who are attempting to arrest a winless streak that has seen them fail to win in nine games, including the last four at home.

Stoke's home form has been their saving grace this season, with their early season helping them stay on the fringes of the drop zone but they are in real danger of getting caught up in a relegation battle if they cannot halt their recent poor run of results.

Team wise, both Shaun Wright-Phillips and Pablo Zabaleta are set to undergo late fitness tests, but should they come through succesfully it is almost certain that Mark Hughes will stick with the side that defeated Newcastle 2-1 in midweek with no new arrivals expected in time for the game.

Stoke (from): Sorensen, Griffin, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Sonko, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Amdy Faye, Whelan, Etherington, Beattie, Fuller, Cresswell, Simonsen, Kitson, Pugh, Olofinjana, Tonge.

Man City (from): Hart, Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Ohuoha, Richards, Bridge, Ball, Garrido, Ben Haim, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Fernandes, De Jong, Elano, Ireland, Robinho, Bellamy, Jo, Vassell, Caicedo.

Much has been of Stoke's approach this season but I do feel Hughes has assembled a solid looking side and graft as well as guile has been evident in our past two victories so I don't see us likely being muscled out of the game.

Although our form has picked up of late, we are still struggling away from home but with our tails up and an eye on seventh position, I'll back our extra quality to ensure we take all three points from this one.

Some game notes:

Our Premier League games have produced 72 goals (41 for, 31 against); only those involving Hull have yielded more (73).
We have now gone 29 games without a no score draw.
Stoke have yet to beat a North-West club in the Premier League after nine attempts; failed to score in the last seven.

City 3 Stoke 0

A not entirely unexpected outcome and certainly a welcome win and three points after a recent sticky patch in the league.

Robinho of course garnered most of the headlines (and now has set himself a target of 30 goals this season), but a big winner from yesterday was surely Danny Sturridge, who profited from resh from the injury to Ched Evans to really stake a claim for a starting spot as the games come thick and fast over the coming weeks.

A positive for me also was a couple of smart saves from Joe Hart - fresh from penning a new deal, and at crucial times when the game was arguably still in the balance. A welcome return to form amidst some talk of his position.

With games coming up this week against Middlesbrough and Bolton - although both away - the win provides us with a great platform and opportunity to take a maximum return points wise which should put us right back in the mix with the top six.

Reports

At £32.5m, with a weekly salary of £160,000, Robinho might have to pull up a few more trees before anyone at Manchester City can think of him as a bargain but if these things actually matter to the club's new owners there can be no argument that their showpiece signing has thus far been value for money. >>guardian.co.uk.

On the day that the clocks went back to mark the end of British summer time, Robinho scored his first hat-trick in English football to dispel any doubts that he has the stomach to be Manchester City's man for all seasons. >>telegraph.co.uk.

Tony Pulis, the Stoke City manager, could argue that this is what £34.2 million buys you, but Manchester City’s first win in the Barclays Premier League for five weeks was down to much more than a first hat-trick in English football for Robinho. >>times online.

Stoke's fans attained official status as the Premier League's noisiest at the weekend but they were pushing their luck when, in their own choice words, they asked Robinho who he thought he was. The Brazilian's hat-trick, taking his league tally to six in eight games, answered that question. A more appropriate inquiry would have involved the whereabouts of Tony Pulis' defenders on the occasion of each goal. >>independent.co.uk,

ROBINHO produced a Brazilliant match-winning performance as City put Stoke to the sword. The £32.5m-man hit a hat-trick to send Blues fans wild at Eastlands, while Stoke were given a harsh lesson about the realities of life in the Premier League. >>MEN.

Hughes said some weeks ago that the beauty of great players is that they make the right decisions when in possession; they will happily play a short pass if it is the correct thing to do.

Robinho varied from that script at St James' Park a week ago. As his team scrapped their way to an ugly 2-2 draw, he was still trying to play the beautiful game. Yesterday, the 24-year-old was back on message at the City of Manchester Stadium. >>mail online.

Stoke were beaten by a far superior side this afternoon. For the £32.4 million they paid for Brazilian wonder Robinho, Manchester City have a player who can destroy sides. And with the former Real Madrid man on one side and Shaun Wright Phillips on the other Stoke were given a torrid time by the pace and skill of the Blues' two wide men. >>whydeliliah.co.uk.

Robinho-ed. No other word for it. Stoke City failed to build on their fine victory over Tottenham Hotspur last week and were unpicked by the British record transfer player, who was in dazzling form against the Potters. >>the oatcake.

Stoke open thread

An open thread for anyone to post comments today about the game.

Stoke prediction

Our first meeting with Stoke for a while then following their long spell out of the top flight, and there have been a few articles in the press recalling the dark days of the relegation game just over ten years ago, not to mention the two games the following seasons that were real turning points for us that year - particularly the home game around Christmas time.

A lot has changed of course since those days, and it should make for an interesting fixture tomorrow as Stoke will be full of confidence given their victory over Tottenham last Sunday - which ended a five match winless streak.

Our home form has been good, although we have had the two reversals against Chelsea and Liverpool, but we have looked threatening in attack and always looked like scoring goals. Monday's draw at Newcastle does mean that we are now winless in four though.

Plenty has been made of the 'Rory Delap effect' for Stoke, and it will be a challenge for our defence, with Hughes also sweating on the fitness of Micah Richards, as Stoke will undoubtedly bring a physical game plan.

I don't envisage many changes team wise for us, as it is clear as to what Hughes favoured side is, and I do think he may sacrifice Elano once again for either Hamman or Gelson. You do also wonder ifJo may be on a short leash at the moment given his lack of goals.

A win is really a must for us tomorrow given our return so far, and I can't see any other result apart from a home win, with a 2-0 win also bringing a much needed clean sheet.