Charmed I'm Sure

There's bound to be enough news (digital and hard) spewed out about the Arsenal match that my puny voice will melt into the background, Take this guff, spouted by Paul Hayward in the Guardian today:
"To see Jô starting in a wide position ahead of Adam Johnson was the clearest proof that Mancini has his own clear ideas about who can be relied upon for the most daunting assignments. Johnson, who eventually replaced Jô on 65 minutes, has slipped from that list. Some pure talent has been sacrificed in favour of greater toughness and cohesion. With City so well‑placed in the league on the homeward stretch Mancini, who has increased the attacking quota, is within his rights now to advance by stealth, especially as all his major rivals display vulnerability."

But all that crap (and there's more, so much more, of it, let me tell you) aside, it wasn't the greatest performance ever put on by a City team, was it? Either Martin Tyler or Andy Gray made the bullshit statement that Joe Hart - as well as being a good goalkeeper - was also born lucky as the ball bounced once again off both posts and somehow ended up not in the net off Walcott's pretty boots. A combination then, of Hart's luck and Arsenal's profligacy in front of goal allowed us to come away with a point and avoid a potential banana skin.

Yet it was going forward that we most disappointed. Once Yaya had fucked himself (it must be tiring after all to carry those sacks of money around) with that one barnstorming run in the first half, we never looked to be at the races, and the second half - though never plumbing the depths of the game against the Rags - was a dour grind. Mr Hayward's burbling above notwithstanding, the presence of Jô in our team is continually exasperating, and it's difficult to see what possible value a player such as he could bring to any club. Tevez looked out of sorts, curiously subdued, and though De Jong's presence grew steadily he was also quiet in the opening stages, when it looked as if we were going to take a right tonking. Hart - lucky or not - gets my vote for man of the match, and that of course speaks volumes for the overall performance of the team, although Zabaleta again put on a great show, and should never have been red carded for that fracas with Sagna.

So, looking at the Rags up the top, and with Chelsea and Spurs slipping up, I think it must be seen as an opportunity lost. And that's without even going into the area of 'customer satisfaction' with the paltry entertainment served up to the City fans.