Match Report 2001-2002

Sunday 16 December, 2001, Division One

Manchester City Away

They think it is Mc-All over

Skip the game, get to the real question: Stuart McCall vs Jim Jefferies.

The basics seem to be this. Jim Jefferies has decided that he does not want to use Stuart McCall in the centre of the midfield for the rest of the season, ergo the rest of McCall's contract. He sees more worth in building next season's team and would point to the inconsistent half season as mandate to make changes.

In this one can see Jefferies point. His job still hangs in the balance, a second half of the season that is like the first will result in Jim Jefferies being unlikely to start next term as City boss and the promised funds for doing well at Christmas, Paul Jewell's Dean Windass money, will not now materialise. If JJ is to die by the team he has a right to pick it as he chooses. Stuart McCall could be afforded the same right, but has said in the past he does not want to be manager.

The training ground bust up would seem to have come when Jefferies informed McCall that he would be playing right back. McCall was not best pleased. McCall can do no wrong for City fans, nor should he be able to. So much of what is good in City is embodied in Stuart McCall, so much of what City fans like in a player. Lee Makel, Jim Jefferies short term McCall replacement lacks the fight and pride that McCall is loved for. Gary Locke, JJ's long term replacement does not and while he lacks Stuart's abilities, he is a decent player.

Of course the course of action should be for McCall and Jefferies to make up. For McCall and Locke, once he is fit, to share midfield duties. Who should be the bigger man? The man to apologise? Stuart of course. I have little time for manager's who fall out with players to the detriment of the team, the Chris Kamara/Tommy Wright spat almost cost City a place in Division One a few years back, but the manager has the right to pick players in the positions he sees fit. If a player does not like that he may spit feathers and want to pick the team himself, but unlike most McCall has been give the chance to do this but did not take it.

Stuart McCall was missed today. Missed in the team, the middle of which was paper thin despite a good return from Lee Sharpe, but mostly missed by Jefferies whop needs better results in the reverses of the season than in the first half.

For the record City should have had the game wrapped up within thirty minutes. Andy Myers header early on looked good at the ground and those watching at home say that there was little for Man City keeper Carlo Nash to complain about. Nevertheless Myers' goal was chalked off.

Ashley Ward rose well to head home an inswinging Lee Sharpe cross from the right ten minutes later to give City a deserved early lead. Eoin Jess raced through later and should have had a second to give City something to hold onto but his shot lacked the conviction the club's top scorer should have had.

[TV pictures later insisted that Richard Dunne got the decisive, indeed only touch on Sharpe's cross that Ward claimed. Of course they sources still insist that Ledley King scored the fasted Premiership goal with his shot that would have gone for a throw had Andy O'Brien not got a touch...]

Man City got back into the game pressing the midfield that with Sharpe and Lee Makel manning the centre was ripe to be over run. Makel is an especially average player. Good at hitting a pass but little else and the idea that he would be able to fill any gap left by Stuart McCall is plainly ludicrous. In long term a central pairing without McCall could be Gary Locke and Lee Sharpe, or Gary Locke and Gareth Whalley, or even Gary Locke and Lee Makel, but a ball player and no ball winner spells trouble.

So Lee Sharpe is trying to ball win because Lee Makel is not and from a free kick he gives away Ali Benrabia centres for Mettomo to head home. Second half and Sharpe is backing off in midfield. McCall would be snapping into the gap left, Makel is not, Man City turn the resultant chance into a corner that Kevin Horlock lashes home Paul Scholes style. Minutes later and another corner sees Aidan Davison suffering no less and indeed quiet a bit more than Nash had earlier, but no whistle and Shaun Wright-Phillips lashes home. "Got that from his Dad", says one behind us, "You're born with finishing like that." Geneticists everywhere start to speak but can not be bothered.

Jess sees one shot cleared off the line but City never look like getting back on terms.

All of which leaves City in an interesting place. A finish in the bottom half of the table, which does not look unlikely for this side but would have been thought impossible for the team that murdered Barnsley., is a major underachievement and may see Jim Jefferies on his way. His natural replacement is Stuart McCall but the 3-1 win over Rotherham may have been the leader's final game for the club, unless a bridge is built between manager and captain.

A decision needs to be made. City are not going to make the Premiership this term unless there is a major shift in the team's displays. If Geoffrey Richmond thinks that in May 2003 Jim Jefferies will have lead the team back to the promised land then McCall must either make up or shut up and get on with his job. If Richmond can not see Jefferies doing any better then it might be worth making sure that McCall's nose is not left too much out of joint.

These are worrying times at Valley Parade. The storm is brewing, the future uncertain.

Man of the Match

Andy Myers

Good defender who needed more in front of him.

City Team:

Davison
Halle Caldwell Myers Emanuel
Jess Makel Sharpe Etherington
Ward Blake

Subs: Tod for Ward, Juanjo for Makel