Yes there were a couple of debatable decisions during the game, but they really were close. With the naked eye, and without VAR, both the handball and penalty shout had to be looked at several times before I even made a decision.
So next up are Newcastle back in Manchester. The history of the fixture sees Newcastle with the slight advantage since the first game on October 21st 1893. City have played their opponents 177 times with Saturdays opponents winning 71 times. In recent years Manchester City have clawed their way back and now stand at 67 victories.
Most of those wins have come in recent years, with City undefeated in the League home or away, since September 25th, 2005. Our Manager at that point was Stuart Pearce, who will be most remembered for his days at Nottingham Forest and England. However, the now pundit spent a couple of seasons with them before coming to us. Playing around 40 games for each side City will remember him most for his good luck plush toy on the sidelines and bringing on Nicky Weaver so David James could play as another striker.
Going back to the head to heads, the last time City were defeated on their own ground, September 30th 2000. It was a completely different Manchester City side back then though, with Joe Royle at the helm. Finding our way back into the Premiership after two back to back promotional seasons we slipped back instantly and Joe was moved on.
Now, before I get emails and comments from the Geordie's, City did lose to Newcastle in the League Cup in 2014. City were holders of that trophy at the time, and maybe the eyes were not as focused on that as maybe the League?
Either way the two sides share some history together. And, as you might expect, players and Managers have also worn both colors. Stuart Pearce has been mentioned previously, but there are more. Some will be more associated with one side more than the other, like Peter Beardsley. Beardsley spent two terms playing in front of the Toon Army, sandwiched either side of representing both Merseyside teams.
Almost 300 appearances for Newcastle he eventually found himself moving to Manchester City on loan in 1998. City were in the second tier of English football with Beardsley's last game actually coming at home to our Carabao Cup opponents, Oxford United.
Shay Given will be fondly remembered by both sets of fans, although the majority of his career was spent at Newcastle. Twelve years there before moving to City in 2009 where he spent a couple of seasons before the emergence of a young Joe Hart.
Other names include Andy Cole, Antoine Sibierski, Gary Megson, Stephen Ireland , Darren Huckerbee, Steve Howey and Imre Varadi. Some of the names remaining will bring memories and feelings for both sets of fans. Names such as Mick Channon, Joey Barton, Dietmar Hamann and Sylvain Distin will all resonate with both sets of fans.
Finally you have the Managers you have one who has coached both sides and that is one Kevin Keegan. At City he joined at a time when the club had either been promoted or relegated every season since the 1997-98 season when we slipped from Division One to the third tier.
Promoted back as Champions, Keegan oversaw our last promotion. Critics will say he overspent on some older ex Liverpool players as we financed their retirement years. I am one of those, but he also saw our first Manchester derby victory at our new stadium, and the last one at Maine Road.
Taking over from Keegan was another ex Newcastle player, Stuart Pearce, which I've already gone in to. Manager for the majority of that 1997-98 season was Frank Clark. Manager for us, Frank also played for Newcastle from 1962 to 1975. His last season with the Magpies coming a season before Dennis Tuearts overhead kick sealed a 2-1 victory for the Blues against Newcastle in the League Cup Final.
No comments:
Post a Comment