A bout de souffle

Well, what can we say about that? We certainly can't complain about a lack of excitement. I am disappointed, if not as much as Hart, that we ended up losing, but in truth it would have been something of a mugging if we had got a win. I'm really not sure what to say about the game, so I think I'll just list each player and say a few words about their performance, along with giving them a mark out of 10.

Hart. One of his best performances between the sticks, I think. Made several excellent saves and a few other correct decisions. Though I (grudgingly) agree in part with Killer Keane on ITV that he might have been slightly at fault for their second, I disagree that he could be criticised for the third. I'd give Joe 8 out of 10.

Maicon. H'mm. Clearly short of pace at 31, he nonetheless showed some creativity. Should perhaps not have been put up against Ronaldo, who was unlucky not to score two or three more. I'll give Maicon only a 5.

Nastasic. Strangely thrown into a monumental debut, he did show some good stuff, though was as guilty as many of City's back line with some incredibly casual defending. As he's young, I'll give him a 6, and think he will be an improvement on Lescott.

Clichy. Not the force he can be in Premier League games, he disappointed slightly. He can have a 5.

Kompany. Though sometimes solid, the challenge of stopping Mourinho's men eventually took its toll. He was booked, and should not have ducked when Ronaldo hit the winning goal. 5 out of 10.

Barry. Seemed like an England player in being out of his depth on occasion. I can't recall him contributing much to the game. He gets a 5 as well.

Nasri. Another disappointing outing before going off injured. Often goes missing just when you need him most, and is not the player he thinks he is, or should be. Only 4 for Samir.

Javi Garcia. Still early days. I think he has potential, but again was way too lax defensively. I can only go as far as a 5.

Silva. Struggling still to match the sublime levels he reached last season, but always lurking dangerously. Sadly, I can't give him more than a 5.

Yaya. Yet again, a truly Herculean performance, and at the heart of everything good we did. He grew into the game, and is a magnificent player. 9 out of 10.

Tevez. Although he gave the ball away a lot in the early stages, he never stopped trying. Isolated in attack, but more of a threat after Nasri went off. I'll be generous and give Carlos a 6.

Dzeko. Took his goal well, and contributed well to the team as sub. Hit and miss on times, but more of a hit last night. Deserves a 7.

Kolarov. Gives me the jitters in defence, but his dead ball skills are undeniable, evidenced by the goal from his free kick. A solid 6.

Zabaleta. A real workhorse, who tirelessly legs it up and down the field. He was there and gets a 6.

Bobby. Strange choices in team set up, though who knows what lies behind Balotelli being left out? I also have to reluctantly agree with Richard Williams' criticism that Mancini shows his anger all too readily. The ridiculous attack on Hart frames the game for the tabloids and makes him look like a twat. I don't think Hart said anything controversial, and he did have the microphone shoved in his face just minutes after losing the match so dramatically. Mancini gets 5 out of 10.

There's a lot of hard work now to stay in this, although Ajax beating Dortmund does give some cause for optimism. So far, this is proving to be one of those 'difficult second seasons'.