Dissenters to Manchester City’s ever increasing credentials as top four, or perhaps even title, contenders are being silenced by the week. The weight of the metaphorical albatross, hung round Hughes’ neck at the season’s outset, is being slowly but surely being offset with each successive victory as Emirate investment finds fruition at Eastlands. Missing several key players, tonight’s domineering performance against an attractive West Ham United side was yet another indication, as if English football needed informing, that the old truism ‘money can buy success’ has obtained near-axiomatic status.
The Mourinho Model
Either through design or good fortune, Mark Hughes has found a winning formula at City, one strikingly similar to the pragmatic, uncompromising, free-spending and ultimately triumphant Chelsea side of Jose Mourinho. Sacrificing much of the flair and extravagance associated with the reign of the watching Sven-Göran Eriksson, City, now established after a season under Hughes, have discovered a new found solidity which perfectly complements their attacking potency.
De Jong and Bellamy Key to City's Success
Central to this newfangled City are two players who, as tends to be the way, were, and never will be, the stars who sell the shirts, namely Craig Bellamy and Nigel De Jong. Of these winter transfer window acquisitions, it was difficult to pick a man of the match, with Bellamy’s direct runs and unerring crossing perfectly juxtaposed against De Jong’s destructive oppression of The Irons, ironically hammering their attacks into piteous passivity. The latter’s growth as a player, quiet and unassuming, has been consistent with City’s growth in strength. Assuming the fabled ‘holding-role’, combining an increased physical aura and extensive passing range with the tactical awareness and presence of mind that Makelele pioneered at Chelsea, De Jong has been a key element in City’s recent development, providing a defensive platform from which the deadly counter-attacks which were so effective against Arsenal could be built.
Counter-Attacking City
From the first of these moves ‘on-the-break’ came City’s opener: poor tracking back from Ilunga allowed the recently reinvigorated Martin Petrov to set up Carlos Tevez for the simplest of tap-ins, the first of a brace that will go some way to restoring the fans’ faith in him after his horror miss in last weekend’s Manchester Derby. From there City assumed near total domination of the fixture – hindered only by a five minute patch following West Ham’s equaliser, a goal that in itself was nulled through more poor defending, Petrov this time being the beneficiary from some shoddy goalkeeping on the part of the England number one. Indeed, despite City’s proficiency, it was West Ham that seemed intent on undoing any chances they had of gaining anything from the fixture, with City’s third again being the result of some shocking defending - Tevez standing unmarked by his ex-team mates at the back post to round off one of the simplest braces of his career.
Can Man City Win the League?
Hardly the most arduous Monday night’s jaunt for City this season, particularly with a trip to Villa Park next week, but one that sets them back on course following their belated misfortune at Old Trafford last weekend. It is becoming clear that City will not go away; following the Mourinho school of thought, Hughes has built a side with enviable squad depth – one that came through this game with ease despite the absences of Messer’s Adebayor, Ireland, Kompany, Robinho and Richards – and has developed an ‘us against them’ mentality akin to that great Chelsea side, demonstrated by English football’s continuing antipathy towards them. Whatever the thoughts of the nation, it is unlikely that City owners, just like Abramovich before them, will care, provided Hughes brings success. Not just yet anyway...
