That they are missing someone else other than Vincent Kompany
and the Toure brothers.
Carlos Tevez. Sorry to mention the c-word.
You first started thinking along these lines when City were
beaten 2-1 in Naples — also the night Roberto Mancini chose not to
start with Sergio Aguero.
And again when they went down by the same score at Chelsea.
And yet again when they were knocked out of the FA Cup by
Manchester United.
And finally when Liverpool placed one foot in the Carling Cup
final on Wednesday night.
It was the first time City had suffered back-to-back home
defeats since February 2008.
City supporters would rather not be reminded of the disaffected
Argentine.
Nor would the rest of us, seeing how badly he has let down
himself, his club and his entire profession.
But City's 1-0 defeat by Liverpool, one of their poorest
displays under Mancini, was significant in that on the night they
lacked everything Tevez once gave them.
Pace, drive, energy, determination and attitude. No team that
ever played against one containing Tevez could rest easy.
The Argentine got under your feet and in your hair — and scored
44 times in 63 games for City. Unlike Mario Balotelli, he didn't
pick and choose his games, either. Well, until he upped sticks.
Aguero is a fantastic professional, a huge talent and has 18
goals in 28 matches.
But he needs help. He might even have benefited from a rest on
Wednesday, after running himself into the ground against United
three days earlier.
Yet he has had to soldier on. Mancini can hardly trust
Balotelli, while Edin Dzeko's goals have dried up.
Balotelli was a waste of space against Liverpool in a
performance that was a joke.
His heart was clearly not in it and he was eventually taken off
after squaring up to Charlie Adam and then striking the free-kick
he had just been awarded with such power he appeared to aggravate
an old ankle injury.
Who knows if he really was injured.
Samir Nasri, his replacement, once more failed to make any
impression. Like James Milner, he doesn't hurt teams.
Then there's Dzeko. A second-half substitute for Adam Johnson,
he completed his 11th appearance without finding the net.
We all laughed when Mancini said he needed replacements in the
transfer window. But it's becoming increasingly evident City are
carrying players, however ridiculous that might appear.
In the absence of Yaya Toure and the injured David Silva,
players like Nasri should be stepping up to the plate.
The same goes for Milner. Yet neither seems to respond to the
burden of responsibility.
Tottenham have had injuries. But the likes of Sandro and Jake
Livermore have come in without any effect on the impetus of a Spurs
run that has seen them join United in second place in the Premier
League, after 14 wins, four draws and just one defeat since City
thrashed them 5-1 at White Hart Lane.
For years, Spurs have had a reputation for being flaky, the
whole house of cards tumbling down when real pressure is put on
them. Right now, though, it's City, at the top for so long, having
trouble with both altitude sickness and self-belief.
Even Mancini is having a wobble, almost Keegan-esque in his
card-waving response to Glen Johnson's challenge on Joleon
Lescott.
With Spurs due at the Etihad on Sunday week — the same day
United travel to Arsenal — the Italian has to get the show back on
the road.
Yes, Spurs have a run now that also includes trips to Liverpool
and Arsenal and home games with Newcastle and United. Plus they
won't be able to play Emmanuel Adebayor against City.
But, unlike City and United, the Londoners don't have European
football to distract them.
And while both Manchester clubs meet at the Etihad on April 28,
Spurs have a final fixture list of Swansea (h), Sunderland (a),
Norwich (h), Bolton (a), QPR (a), Blackburn (h), Aston Villa (a)
and Fulham (h).
Tottenham champions? Even their own fans can't quite believe
that. Yet if City and United continue throwing away points,
anything is possible.
from the sun