Manchester City 1 - West Bromwich Albion 1

Dave Watkin:

No shots - one goal!

It was clear from his team selection that Bryan Robson decided before the game to adopt a defensive formation aimed at thwarting City's attacking ambitions. The chances of gaining a point seemed remote when for the second game running we were reduced to ten men and when City took the lead from a disputed free kick there looked to be no chance of a positive result.

The Baggies repulsed wave after wave of attacks with Russell Hoult in outstanding form. Attacking substitutions were left until the last fifteen minutes but paid off when the pace of Earnshaw worried his marker sufficiently to force him into conceding an embarrassing own goal. This was only possible thanks to the hapless positioning of "calamity" James in the City goal.

How to sum up our performance? It's difficult, we were non existent as an attacking force and would have conceded four or five had it not been for a brilliant display by Russell Hoult. Nevertheless we deserve credit for determination after being forced to play with ten men for an hour and a quarter. I certainly wouldn't have left out Koumas and Earnshaw but Wallwork didn't do badly in his holding midfield role and the tactics did pay off in a bizarre sort of way.

Finally, whilst appreciating the fans frustrations I don't believe substitutions should be greeted with boos, we all took a great deal of time and trouble to travel to Manchester and there's little point if we don't get behind every player in the squad.

Team news

There were three changes. The suspended Cosmin Contra along with Jason Koumas and Rob Earnshaw were omitted, Paul Robinson returned at left back, Zoltan Gera on the right wing and Ronnie Wallwork in centre midfield. Neil Clement was pushed forward into a five man midfield, with Geoff Horsfield as the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation.

Highlights

The Albion team lacked attacking options and it was clear from the outset that they would be content to sit back and absorb pressure from City. This they did effectively until the 17th minute when an inch perfect pass from Wright-Phillips sent Fowler a pace clear of the Baggies rearguard and Gaardsoe clumsily pulled him down on the edge of the area. The referee awarded the free kick and had no option but to show Gaardsoe a red card. Anelka cleared the wall with his free kick but the shot also went a foot over the bar.

So the Baggies were left to play the rest of the game with ten men, as Neil Clement dropped back to take a central defensive role. Anelka was on target shortly afterwards but Hoult dived to his left to save. In the 32nd minute the home side were awarded a dubious free kick on the edge of the area, when the ball struck Andy Johnson on the arm. This time ANELKA stepped up to curl a perfect shot into the top right hand corner of the goal. There was time for Hoult to make another diving save, to his left from a wicked cross shot, before the half time whistle.

The game of Attack against Defence resumed after the break with Albion seldom crossing the halfway line. Hard work from the Baggies was restricting the number of City chances but twice Russell Hoult was called upon to make brilliant saves. Both came as players cut in from the right, first it was Wright-Phillips with a testing cross shot then Fowler with a rising point-blank drive from a narrow angle.

Martin Albrechtsen was brought on for the injured Scimeca just after the hour mark but it was not until the last quarter-of-an-hour that first Rob Hulse replaced Gera and then finally Rob Earnshaw took over from Greening, as we switched to three strikers.

The Baggies were yet to have a shot on goal but with five minutes remaining our luck changed. Paul Robinson floated a long through ball for Rob Earnshaw to chase. It cleared DUNNE but the City defender did manage to get a foot to the ball knocking it past his badly positioned keeper David James. The ball trickled towards goal but just crossed the line before Earnshaw could apply a finishing touch. A spectacular OWN GOAL.

There was still time for Manchester City to launch another series of attacks and for man-of-the-match Russell Hoult to make perhaps his best save of the game, when Fowler hit a blistering volley from penalty spot range.

ALBION FORMRATE : DETERMINED

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH : RUSSELL HOULT

LEAGUE POSITION : 20TH

STATISTICAL NOTE: The Match-of-the-Day stats showed that Albion had NO shots either on or off target. Can this be the first time ever that a team have scored a goal and gained a point without having a single goal attempt of their own?

Chiang Mai Baggie:

Albion line up 4-5-1 today. Kanu is still suffering from his virus(?), and Clement moves into midfield, with Earnshaw and Koumas on the bench. Gera starts, and Wallwork will take defensive midfield, and Horsfield will be the lone striker.

Albion broke well and put a good attack together on 13 minutes after much early pressure from City. Fowler was pulled down by Gaardsoe on the edge of the box on 16 minutes, and was sent off for a professional foul. Anelka hit the free kick badly, and over the bar.

Clement has moved back into the central defence. Hoult parried an Anelka shot away for a corner on 22 minutes. Albion cleared the cross, but City regained possession, and won another corner, which was also poor. AJ handled near the edge of the box on 31 minutes. Anelka lined up another free kick, and put it into the top right corner past a poor wall, and Hoult didn't move.

Barton ran through threatening on 34 minutes, and Robinson did well to allow Hoult to collect. Hoult saved well out for a corner from Sibierski on 38 minutes after Purse let him through. City headed wide from the cross. Wright-Phillips beat Robinson for pace in a chase on 40 minutes, but Robinson just did enough to stop him shooting dangerously. Robinson was forced to put the ball out for a corner when Hoult didn't come out to clear on 43 minutes. Scimeca was fouled from the corner. Gera headed across the face of goal in Horsfield's direction on 45 minutes in our first real chance. 1 minute added. HT 1-0.

No changes at HT for Albion but Jordan is subbed for Onuoha for City. Anelka shot on 48 minutes and Robinson cleared after a good move from Fowler. City won a corner from the next ball, but the ball was cleared. Purse and Hoult misunderstood, and his back-header went straight into the path of Anelka on 56 minutes, but luckily the ball went out for a goal kick. Albion went forwards with AJ and Horsfield on 57 minutes, but the City defenders stopped the attack. Scimeca needed treatment for a knock on 61 minutes. Hoult saved well from Wright-Phillips for a corner on 63 minutes as Scimeca limped off. Albrechtsen on for Scimeca on 63 minutes.

Albrechtsen has moved into the right back position (not being any right footed players available for that position). City won another corner on 65 minutes. The cross was headed out by Purse. Fowler ran in with the ball on the next attack, and Hoult again saved well for another corner, which was cleared. Sibierski went off for treatment, and then Purse and a City player collided and needed treatment on 67 minutes. City won another corner on 71 minutes. Purse headed out again challenged by Mills. Fowler sliced a shot on 72 minutes, and Hould collected the ball easily. Mills short wide on 74 minutes. Clement conceded a corner on 75 minutes, and Purse headed away. Hulse on for Gera on 76 minutes, with the Albion fans booing.

Robinson cleared a goalmouth scramble well on 77 minutes. Fowler shot wide after pressure with some good defending from Albrechtsen. Albion kept possession well and pressuerd on 81 minutes. Earnshaw on for Greening on 82 minutes.

Earnshaw chased a ball which went into the net off Dunn on 85 minutes.

John:

Looks I must be first back. Then again with the crap design of the new ground it's no suprise. As I parked in car park No1 it meant instead of a straight forward walk out of the away end and turn left towards the said car park. You HAVE to turn right and walk around half the ground (including walking on a narrow pavement past a small gate where most of Manchester was coming out !!) Then to a car park that is worse to get out of than Halfords Lane. Belive it, it's true.

Oh yes, the game. Well if was not for a late lucky, lucky goal I am sure we'd have been clogging up the server with more anti Robson rants. Forget the scoreline (although it helps) look at the stats. 0 shots on target. I doubt we had any off target.

Once again we go out with a 5 man midfield. Do any of the 5 have a goal in them? The worse defence in the league, shipped 9 in the last 2 and we go away from home HOPING to grab a 0-0. Wallwork returns in a defensive midfield role. This comes after doing so well at Bradford in an attacking role with both Robbo and Ronnie at the time saying how he was never played in his best position under Megson. Clement back in a central midfield role. Robson commented after the Boro game that he did not feel Clement was suited to this role. Greening back out to the left. Robson after Boro commented how you get more out of Greening in the middle of the park. AJ picked.... again!! Sorry this is sounding like a Robbo rant ain't it.

Back to the game, needless to say we did not go forward much. We sat deep. Eventually Fowler got the right side of Tommy G and there was no question the red had to follow.

I have to mention at this point, the players fitness. Is Adie Stovell still at the club? The players ALL look 2 yards short of the pace in every game. Maybe thats the confidence sapping away. But they seem so slow to react. They look knackered when chasing back or closing down.

City scored from a very dubious free kick. I will wait to see it tonight on MOTD BUT I doubt AJ could have moved his arm out of the way. I notice the ref could have given 2 similar decsions in the second half (1 for each team) and gave neither.

After that, although not quite the alamo of Liverpool, it was all City. Houlty made some fine saves. Credit to him too, he was getting a lot of stick from the fans behind the goal. Certainly in the top tier.

The players continued to make baffling choices in passes, headers and tackles that had to been seen to be belived on occassions.

On to the Robbo chants. It must be said most came from the City end (One Gary Megson, We want Robson out, Going Down etc etc) Although I think a few of us were happy to join in.

After 10 minutes of "Earnie, Earnie" he decided to bring Rob Hulse on. Thats was the que for "You don't know what your doing" and rightly so. Earnie was brought on 10 minutes later (for Greening !?!?) and his first contribution was to chase a long pass from Robinson that was flicked by David James by Dunne. Happy Days!!

To me Koumas and Earnie should have come on. When we broke it all stopped at the half way line because either a/ we hit a long ball to Horse who is too slow or offside or b/ we play it to Horse who holds it up and has no support. At least with Koumas and Earnie there was a chance of making a break work.

After the goal Hoult made a top drawer save and despite more pressure we hung on.

At full time, Horse lead the charge to the fans fist clenched and even the worst lip reader could make out "F'ing come on, get behind us" All the players came over to receive the applause, I hope for something similar at Bolton (but please a better performance)

Man Marks (sponsored by Cuzer)

• Hoult 9 Some great saves, and probably still injured
• Scimeca 6 Usual
• Purse 7 Better, but still prone to daft errors
• TG 6 Not too long to judge
• Robinson 6 Solid enough against Wright-Phillips. Can claim an assist
• Gera 6 Has totally lost early season form. 100% though
• AJ 5 Awful
• Wallwork 6 Not changed a bit, it's all someone else's fault. Did well to last 90 minutes
• Clement 7 Shifted around and adapted very well
• Greening 6 AS Gera
• Horsfield 6 Tough task against 2 big defenders. Gave it his all.

SUBS

• Hulse 5 Can't hold the ball, seems to give it away every time
• Earnie 6 Willing runner
• Albrectsen 6 Thought he did well in ANOTHER strange position, hopefully we can see a bit more of him
• Koumas SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON!!

James Bruce:

I just want to state that the fans that "started" the "Robson out" chant were a bunch of 20 or so Man City fans sat just across from me in Section L. Then it spread to lower levels where there was a mixture of man city and baggies fans down there.

The West Brom fans only booed the 2nd substitution when Robson put on Hulse, and not Earnshaw. We were just stunned by this sheer bizarre crazy substitution. I think we all wanted Earnshaw on the field, as Man City's defence looked very shaky, yet we hardly tested it during the game.

The game itself was pretty dire and neither team looked that good. The best parts of the game for me was Gaardsoe looked very good and comfortable on the ball until he got sent off, and Clement then took his place in central defence and also impressed me. Albrechtson came on in the 2nd half for Scimerca - and he looked fast. Annelka broke down the right wing and started 3-4 yards ahead of Albrechtson, who caught up with him and actually passed him, and then put the ball out to touch. We should use him against any teams that have fast strikers/midfielders. Scimerca looks awful, he did have one run down the wing, but he was up against Sun JeHi who was just awful!!!!! If Keegan had put shawn wright phillips on the left wing, he would have carved our defence open many a time against Scimerca.

We also saw Wallwork and AJ in Central Midfield together - they both did OK, but they lack any form or quality, and they both kept going for sideways or backwards passes. I did see AJ complete a 10 yard forward pass, and he did a superb tackle from behind when man City were going forward to get the ball back, and then he passed it back to them!!!!!!

Horse did the best that he could do - he held the ball up well and passed the ball around, but with one upfront and the fact that he lacks pace, there was not much else he could do.

Gera i thought looked really good - he won so many balls in the air, but there was no one there supporting him to run onto the loose ball. Where was Earnshaw? Not on the field until less than 10 mins to go. I think Gera with his flick-ons, and Earnshaw running onto the loose ball and using his pace is our best option for scoring goals.

Hoult was superb - he kept us in this game. If it wasnt for Hoult we would have lost this game. He carried off a stream of fine saves in the second half, and couldnt do much about the goal.

• Hoult - 9 - made some terrific saves
• Scimerca - 2 - looks slow, and hes always out of position, why do we play him when we have Albrechtson on the bench?
• Gaardsoe - 4 - made some good tackles, passed the ball, until his stupid sending off
• Clement - 7 - fine game, went into central defence after 20 mins and looked very comfortable
• Purse - 3 - won some headers in air, but kept booting the ball and fouling man city players in bad positions.
• Robinson - 4- had to switch to left back when Gaardsoe got sent off, and did OK. Was out of position alot, but luckily Shaun Wright-Phillips seemed to be off his game today and had no pace which allowed Robinson to keep up with him most of the time
• Wallwork - 5- did OK. Won ball and then had no one to pass too.
• AJ - 4- made one good tackle, but he keeps giving the ball away
• Greening - 4- made one good run, but pretty quiet game
• Gera - 8- he gives 100%, and when Hoult kicked the ball to him, he won almost every header, but there was no one to latch onto the loose ball. Also his header was only chance we had on goal. Also saw him track back and made a couple of great tackles
• Horsefield - 4 - couldnt do much, was on his own, did hold the ball up well and passed it well

Subs

• Hulse - 2- ineffectual - did nothing
• Earnshaw - 6- his presence on field definitely scared the Man City defence which led to them panicking and scoring an own goal. Why he wasnt playing for longer just beats me?
• Albrechtson - 6- came on to replace Scimerca, and showed that we do have 1 defender with real pace. He has to play against all the top teams, as he can match any striker/midfielder in the league for pace and skill. Why was he not playing from the start?

Oh yes how many times do we get a 1-1 draw without even managing a shot on goal? Also, i think we do have a defence - Gaardsoe, Albrechtson, Clement and Moore, though whether Robson ever picks any of them is another story.

Des:

I think it was Napoleon who said of his generals "I don't want to know if he is good, i want to know if he is lucky"

Listening to the WM commentary yesterday I thought that Robson had been born under some blighted football star and the soccer Gods must be v unhappy with him. If you think Kanu's miss, 2 goals in the last 5 minutes against Pompey, Contra's poor impression of a hand of god and then Tommy G' gets sent off after 16 minutes, even his biggest critics had to start feeling sorry for him. I really thought that fate was conspiring against Robbo and there was f**k all he could do about it.

Then the sucker gets a break and quite honestly not before time. Dunne, who apparently has been outstanding for City, puts the ball past his own keeper and we get a point having not had a shot at goal all game. Lucky or what. We all know that these things even themselves out and that "you make your own luck" is an old but true cliche. However if this single event can make the team think we are not doomed to be on the receiving end of every crap decision and bad bounce of the ball then who knows what the impact will be.

Jon Want:

This report is based on the extended highlights on Sky's Football First as I was unable to attend the game.

The optimist in me would like to look at this as a season-changing result, but then again, I viewed the win at Maine Road two seasons ago in a similar vein. The similarities are startling - in both games, Albion were reduced to ten men, rode their luck on more than one occasion and put in a tremendous backs-to-the-wall performance. Other than the difference between a draw and a win, this year Albion were down to ten men on seventeen minutes rather than eighty-one minutes, and then we had a lead to defend, today we had to come back.

Yes, Albion were fortunate and there are still plenty of reasons to worry, but if anything, this result will give the players a little bit of confidence. After conceding nine goals in two games, this game proves that they can defend, and that, on occasion, they may get the odd break.

It's a start, and no more, and maybe provides no more than false hope. But the players will be on a high, even though they know they were lucky. They will go to Bolton on Saturday, knowing that they too are on a bad run, with a desire to start an unbeaten run. The point keeps us just about in touch, and there are still 18 games to go....

Marks

• Russell Hoult - 8 - Excellent performance; you could see the confidence returning as the game went on.
• Neil Clement - 6 - Got lucky more than once but did OK.
• Thomas Gaardsoe - 5 - Did OK up to the sending off; needs to learn.
• Darren Purse - 8 - MOM. Towering performance that Big Dave could be proud of.
• Paul Robinson - 5 - Looked a bit of a weak link on occasion.
• Riccardo Scimeca - 5 - Got caught a few too many times, but got stuck in well.
• Ronnie Wallwork - 6 - Did OK without really sparkling.
• Jonathan Greening - 7 - Decent display from Jonno.
• Andy Johnson - 5 - Remains a weak link in the middle of the park.
• Zoltan Gera - 6 - Decent showing in a game that didn't suit him.
• Geoff Horsfield - 7 - Worked really hard at a pretty thankless.
• Martin Albrechtsen - 7 - Looked comfortable.
• Rob Hulse - 5 - Didn't add a great deal
• Robert Earnshaw - 6 - His presence created the goal
• Bryan Robson - 6 - Got the tactics just about right given the circumstances, although Earnie should've been on before Hulse.

For a full report and comments, visit www.jonwant.com

John Painter:

It was a first opportunity to visit the City of Manchester Stadium and let's make no bones about it it is a fine stadium for watching football. From a position high above the corner flag the sight lines were excellent and coupled with the super facilities and some "real food" other than the usual fare of pies it was worth the cheap admission fee of ?21.

But how it needs some atmosphere. The City fans don't get behind their team, maybe it is because they cannot find their positions but were very good at singing for the head of Bryan Robson and that there was "only one Gary Megson" (maybe if City play like they did they will get him at the end of the season, as Keegan cannot motivate his team! And how will Megson cope with the talented players there?)

It is of course the pantomime season and from the minute someone forgot to shout to Gaardsoe "He's behind you" and Gaardsoe pulled Fowler down it was always going to be an uphill struggle. Well only 73 minutes to play with 10 men. Clement dropped into the back 4 and the 4-5-1 became 4-4-1.

At the half hour the inevitable happened. Anelka struck a perfect free kick and it was 1-0. The referee, Andy d'Urso, signalled 1 minute added time at the end of the first half and David James (surely the only gay in the village) touched the ball for seemingly the first time. I asked why only a minute as Jordan had been injured in a challenge from AJ and play had been held up for at least 3 minutes? "To save our blushes" came the reply.

In the second half it was more of the same as we defended stoutly and resolutely. During rain of monsoon proportions the beanstalk could have grown in the City penalty area. Then Scimeca was injured and came off to be replaced by Albrechtsen but we kept our shape, Clement and Purse making some vital interceptions and Hoult making some saves of the standard we came to expect in 2001-2. Gera was replaced by Hulse and then Greening by Earnshaw. Once more shouts of "you don't know what you're doing" rang out but maybe Robson did? Gera had been poor by his standards and Greening had covered virtually every blade of grass.

With 5 minutes left a hopeful punt from Robinson aimed in the general direction of Earnie found the Ugly Sister, Dunne's shin and the ball passed by James and oh what a calamity! Earnie tried hard to get to the ball to touch it in but the ball was always going to win. We reverted to 4-4-1 for the last 5 minutes as the travelling support returned the taunts with "Keegan Out". Horsefield in midfield with Hulse, AJ and the excellent Wallwork. However hard they tried City just huffed and puffed, but couldn't blow our house down.

Everything that had been missing from the last 3 games in terms of organisation and discipline was there and at the final whistle it was the visitors who were happiest with the result. It is said that sometimes a striker will get a goal off his backside to get a scoring run going, maybe this bizarre OG will get ours going. The good fairy smiled upon us and if she continues to answer our wishes it is with some optimism that we can look forward to the trip to Bolton on New Years Day.

• Hoult 8
• Scimeca 5
• Purse 7
• Gaardsoe 5
• Robinson 6
• Gera 6
• AJ 6
• Clement 8
• Wallwork 7
• Greening 7
• Horsefield 6
• Albrechtsen 6
• Hulse 5
• Earnshaw 5
• Robson 6
• Team 8
• City 4
• Our fans 5
• City fans 4

AJ-B:

A fantastic RESULT (at last) for us, never mind we did not deserve it & we played crap etc. etc., the important thing is we got a point, and holding out with 10 men (sorry make that 9 - AJ was playing) for 75 minutes with City not able to score from open play was indeed a remarkable effort.

From the start we were full of optimism of new faces appearing as Robson had taken the full squad to their "holiday" hotel, but alas, once again a bizarre selection was submitted:- Koumas, the star against Liverpool was on the bench, replaced by WALLWORK!! Also our only likeley goalscorer Earnshaw was also seat warming. Anyway the game began with some early spine tingling moves and rapid interplay from the City stars, Anelka & Fowler whose off the ball runs were dazzling, and Wright-Phillips showing why he is such a class act, time & time again linking with Mills with intricate passing at speed. Our only efforts were again long punts- but this time with some purpose as even Hoult managed to find the leaping Gera who won every ball in the air he was given, but sadly no-one was there to take advantage of his flick ons. In fact it was Gera who had our only direct attempt at goal in the whole match when he headed goalwards into the arms of "Calamity" James, this was in the first 15 minutes of the game!

Robsons choice seemed to be paying off as I thought Wallwork our best outfield player of the first half, he did nothing wrong and actually passed to his own men, and AJ note - most of his passes were accurate & FORWARD! As the half wore on AJ was lucky to be on the field as he recklessly zoomed in a two footed lunge, he did not even get a yellow, then shortly afterwards he gave away the free kick from which Anelka simply planted in the top corner for an expected lead.

I ask questions of our "wall" - why did only Neil Clement jump to block the ball-the other 3 alongside just stood & watched! what's the point of a "wall" we might as well give the keeper a view & man mark men in the box, I still maintain a wall is a useless tactic-many cannot even score from a penalty with just the keeper to beat, and no-one applies a "wall" from corner kicks do they, so whats the difference?

Gaardsoe in his sending off was left stranded by both AJ who failed to back track & Purse who missed his tackle, leaving Fowler clean through from a perfect Wright-Phillips pass. The doom-mongers were now in full voice as again we left ourselves a mighty uphill struggle, as my neighbours were bemoaning the price of having to watch our calamitous efforts, the majority ruled however as fans began chanting in support of our team with the few belligerant ones silenced.

The second half came with thoughts of the Liverpool game when they 'outboxed' us on Boxing Day in a second half route, was this to be a repeat? We did come under the cosh and all players were camped in our half for what appeared to be hours at a time. Then came another of Robsons bizarre substitutions - for me a crazy & totally unnecessary change, OFF went Gera & ON came Rob Hulse why? sureley a more sane & thought out change would to have taken off Greening who was again poor & brought on Koumas, soon after another more welcome appearance was made by Earnshaw who replaced the injured Scimeca, but with only 10 minutes left what could now be done? Robinson answered that when he cooly dribbled round a City forward and placed a long probing ball down the centre, Earnie haired after it and clearly put Dunne in a panic as somehow he could only direct the ball towards his own goal with "Calamity" James stranded as he ran out from his line, Earnie sprinted to get a touch to claim a goal, but he was a foot short as he was tangled in the rigging! Hallelujah! There is a God up there after all as I & EVERY baggie supporter boinged ourselves silly as we levelled the score for a most precious point, but most important, a very precious confidence booster for not only us fans but the team as well, our fight back for survival must sureley now have started here at the City of Manchester's magnificent stadium.

Performance wise though we were poor but City for all their class were also very bad, they should have finished us off at a canter & would have but for the heroics of Russell Hoult, I have been his biggest critic all season, but today he came good with his best performance by far for almost 2 years, he certainly owed us a good one big time & today he gave it, why can't he play up to this standard more often? Let us hope criticism of him has finally got home & spurred him into action, we now expect similar in every game from now on. Ronnie Wallwork did very well & suprisingly lasted the pace for someone who has not played first team football for over a year. Neil Clement who again adapted brilliantly as emergency centre half & Martin Albrechsen were the only others to again come out with credit, the rest were to say the least dissapointingly poor, & AJ again- what a joke.

My Player Review:-

• HOULT - OUTSTANDING! at last gave us a game he owed us.
• SCIMECA - Another awful showing, blessing in disguise when he went off injured as we found his replacement in Albrechsen!
• PURSE - Another awful showing, I have looked at some player marks & one made him man of the match! I wish these people who do not attend games & watch highlites please not to give player markings, you cannot see off the ball positioning. Purse, as in most recent games, was dreadful.
• GAARDSOE - Left under immense pressure by AJ & Purse when he brought down Fowler, but he had to go & now our only quality centre half will miss the Bolton game, effectively leaving us without a decent centre half-unless big Dave is fit.
• ROBINSON - Not the most confident of showings, he panicked several times and made rushed clearances, did however probe for our goal.
• GERA - Superb effort, won everything in the air, including our ONLY attempt on goal, tackles back like a tiger, mystery as to why he was taken off.
• WALLWORK - Surprise inclusion, but I thought he was our best player in first half, filled a gap but needs Koumas alongside him - not AJ.
• JOHNSON - No wonder he is giving praise to the new management team, he is the luckiest player on our books to be selected game after game & offering NO CONTRIBUTION. We held on with 10 men (make that 9)- but we do that EVERY game AJ is selected, he is a nothing player who runs up & down, does not mark anybody, cannot pass water, any fool can go through the motions as he does EVERY GAME.
• CLEMENT - Another great "professional" showing his adaptability in moving back to the midfield & later as a centre half when Gaardsoe went off.
• GREENING - Another poor showing, did little created nothing, becoming more & more like his 'mate' AJ - runs around for what - to keep warm?
• HORSEFIELD - A lone raider up front, had no real service to make any threat as we hardly got over the half way line, did nothing wrong, but could not do much right.

SUBS:-

• HULSE - Replaced Gera-why? a poor change this. Rob tries hard and chases a lot but no end product.
• ALBRECHTSEN - Replaced the injured Scimeca, again in a 'foreign' position - like Clem adapted superbly. Has the pace to recover from mis-tackles, should start against Bolton.
• EARNSHAW - Chants of Earnie, Earnie went on throughout this game but it was not until the 80th minute the requests were answered and we got our goal! he panicked a very unsure City defence, something we failed to do in the 80 minutes before. You cannot keep our ONLY goalscorer on the bench.

UNUSED SUBS:-

• KUSZCZAK - After Hoults performance today, may have to be very patient to get his chance, hope he will not become another Joe Murphy.
• KOUMAS - Cannot understand the perserverance with Johnson when our ONLY class midfielder does not get a consistant showing. Should have replaced AJ or Greening, really if we are serious we MUST play our best players- or am I in cuckoo land?

BRYAN ROBSON - One could say the bringing on of Earnie was an "inspired" substitution - we did get an equaliser, methinks this should have taught Bryan a lesson, you MUST play our best players & put the dross of AJ, Scimeca, Purse out to pasture. Yes you are the boss & this was a much needed boost for moral, just don't do anything stupid on Saturday.

Kev Buckley:

Whilst not a game that will make those factions seeking to undermine the board which got rid of their hero any less vociferous in their not getting behind the new manager, those with an interest in football and not politics were given ample reason to continue with the belief that whilst it is hard to see where points are coming from, if they do come, there is still hope of survival in what must be one of the worst top flights in ages.

Bryan Robson did himself no favours by taking off Gera and not only replacing him with Hulse but in using Hulse as a wide right midfielder, when he had a wide right midfiled player, Koumas, on the bench. Odder still, given that goals are seemingly so hard to come by, were the quotes in the press that implied he thought that Earnshaw should be saved for the last ten mimutes of the game - he looks to be the only forward capable of scoring in the sqaud, Horsefiled spending most of the match falling to the ground in a vain attempt to win a free kick upfield.

The bloke next to me said, shortly after we had conceded, that we would have only one shot and that it would go in and whilst at the time I thought him slightly optimistic he was mostly right in that we only had the one chance, however it didn't come from one of our players and wasn't really a shot, the ball shooting along the ground past Calamity James who, for some unknown reason, presumably for the same unknomn reasons that have made him England's number one, advanced much too far from his goal and could only watch as the ball went past him having recieved a knock from the city defender under some pressure as he chased yet another of our hopeful balls upfield.

Serves James right for not concentrating for the whole ninety minutes, though in his defence he hadn't really had to think much about anything to do with football for most of the afternoon, as the players in front of him in a City side lying comfortable mid-table failed to kill off an Albion team which once again found themselves down to ten men after Gaardsoe had prevented Folwer with a clean run on goal near the twenty-minute mark, despite having what seemed like 99% of the game.

If that City side are comfortably mid table and a woeful Portsmouth can go ninth by beating us with an equally dreadful display, then there is every reason to believe that we can survive in what is fast making a mockery of what SKY and Radip 5 have the gall to call the best league in the world, but please, Bryan, a word in your ear.

I know we are away from home on New Year's Day but we are playing Bolton not Arsenal, there no need to go 451. Bolton have lost six on the bounce and their only tactic at present is to punt it long the way we used to under the last manager. You might have seen, or even been told, how the sides we tried that against simply came back at us, playing the ball along the ground and piling on ther pressure until our gallant defence could hold out no more. so lets get two strikers, including our one goalscorer, Earnnie and some midfield players who can pass the ball on thre field and do the same to Bolton that every side used to do to us.

PS: If they are likely to punt it long to a big forward you might want to drop Darren Purse who obvioulsy couldn't cope with such a tactic against the Blooze and wont really help in the distribution department.

Rob Hewlitt:

Random observations on today's game:

• Best ground in the country.
• Most disappointing atmosphere in the country.
• Most novel way of escaping relegation - drawing your way to safety.
• Most fans would love to get behind the team and the manager, even if they don't agree with his appointmant (myself included), but are totally dumbfounded by what they see in front of them.
• It is very unlikely you will ever get out of the relgation zone by playing one up front and continually select players who don't merit a starting position.
• Russell Hoult had the sort of game that reminded us why he was touted as a potential England keeper - superb throughout and kept us in the game.
• 2 games in a row where the only player booked has played for the same team and received a red card.
• Should we start without Johnson for the game against Bolton as we seem better with 10 men?
• Our lack of fire power is very evident - we may stop leaking goals one day but when will we score some - 2 of our last 3 goals have been own goals and the other was a defensive cock up!

Player ratings

• Hoult 9 Outstanding if injured. Confidence should return.
• Scimeca 5 Average at best.
• Purse 6 Too many school boy errors and seems to panic on the ball
• TG 5 Poor positioning for sending off.
• Robinson 6 Better. Wright-Phillips had little success. Quality through ball(?)
• Gera 5 Out of his depth today - not a shadow of early season form.
• AJ 5 Busy doing nothing as the song goes.
• Wallwork 6 More assured on ball than most in team - would pick him in place of Johnson in 4 man midfield.
• Clement 7 Usual reliability that we have come to expect from him this season - much better game than against Liverpool
• Greening 6 See Wallwork (first bit obviously!)
• Horsfield 6 Chasing shadows most of the day and, if the sun had appeared, by full time he could have been chasing rainbows as York's finest once sang.

SUBS

• Hulse 5 No contribution to game.
• Earnie 5 8 minutes to play for top scorer
• Albrectsen 6 Demostrated great pace and must start against Bolton at centre half

Team to play Bolton

• Hoult (based on last performance only!)
• Contra
• Albrechtsen
• Moore (if fit, Purse if not)
• Clement
• Gera
• Koumas
• Wallwork
• Greening
• Earnshaw
• Horsefield

Subs

• Kuskack (excuse spelling)
• Kanu
• Robinson
• Hulse
• Dyer