Manchester City: Full Report Card for Every Position for September
Earth Wind & Fire sang in their defining hit song "September": "Only blue talk and love, remember how we knew love was here to stay."
The talk at Manchester City is certainly blue these days. Blue like sad, or blue as in swearing a blue streak.
September saw City fall even further behind Chelsea in the Premier League race. Far worse, City took only one point from their first two Champions League group stage matches.
You could argue yourself blue in the face (see what I did there?) trying to figure out whether City's loss to Bayern Munich or their draw with Roma was more damaging to City's Champions League hopes.
City have to be thrilled to turn the page to October, but the reckoning from their woeful September is still due.
Goalkeepers
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Joe Hart
The best and fairest thing I have read about Joe Hart was written recently by Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail in his match report following City's draw with Roma in the Champions League:
"Quite why there continues to be questions about Hart’s future here is bizarre. Consistently in Europe this season he has been City’s best performer–and has needed to be–and it might be an idea to focus on alternatives to the players that leave him so exposed. Too often Roma were allowed to cut to the heart of City’s defences. The goalkeeper of an elite team–the Premier League champions no less–should not have to work this hard.
"
I aggressively co-sign this paragraph. Why were City playing like scared mice at Bayern Munich? Why were they getting dominated by Roma at the Etihad for the better part of the 90 minutes? How come Hart is so busy if the team in front of him is so good?
Maybe Manuel Pellegrini undermined Hart (again) because it deflects attention away from the manager's own tactical and personnel problems. Regardless, Hart is not the reason City had a poor month. Without Hart, it could have been a lot worse.
Grade: A-
Willy Caballero
Similarly, Caballero is not at all to blame for the present problems at City. He played twice in September, keeping a clean sheet against Sheffield Wednesday and being breached by a City own goal and a spot kick against Hull City. That is functionally perfect goalkeeping from where I sit.
Grade: A
Right-Backs
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Pablo Zabaleta
It sort of hurts to say this, but Zabaleta's effectiveness really seems to be on the wane.
City's opponents regularly wait for Zabaleta to pour forward and make that previously devastating overlapping run, such that when the Argentine gets forward he rarely has space or time to get anything done.
But the real issue with Zabaleta's September came down to one match.
Especially when the referee was having a spotty day, Zabaleta had to be professional enough not to get himself sent off against Chelsea. That was an inexcusable lapse that quite possibly cost City two invaluable points in the league table. And it almost cost them three.
By the way, this grade also takes into account Zabaleta's absence from the Bayern Munich match that was the result of (that's right) the red card he saw against Barcelona last winter. What a mess.
Grade: C
Bacary Sagna
Sagna has been Pellegrini's second choice at right back, but he has not played like a backup. City did not miss Zabaleta defensively against Bayern thanks to Sagna's solid performance. After years of playing Zabaleta in too many matches and wearing him down, City have the luxury of replacing Zabaleta with an excellent player in Sagna.
Grade: A-
Dedryck Boyata
Boyata played only 21 minutes against Sheffield Wednesday in a Capital One Cup match that was long decided by the time he entered it, so his grade for September is Incomplete.
Left-Backs
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Aleksandar Kolarov
In a world where there are lies, damn lies and statistics, relying on raw numbers can be dangerous. But in Kolarov's case, the numbers tell a fair but harsh story about his September.
Kolarov had one assist in September, and it was a big one as his corner found Martin Demichelis' head to earn City a precious draw at the Emirates against Arsenal.
After that, though, Kolarov played sparingly against Bayern Munich, not all that effectively against Chelsea and then was not used at all against Hull City or Roma. This used to be Kolarov's starting job. It does not appear to be so any more.
Grade: C-
Gael Clichy
All you really need to know about Clichy is that in three of City's four most important matches in September (at Arsenal, at Bayern, Roma), he started and played the entire match. Neither Bayern's goal nor Roma's goal came through Clichy's side. City have a lot of problems (and we're getting to them) but Clichy is not one of them.
Grade: A-
Centre-Backs
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Vincent Kompany
Kompany was his normally durable and excellent self in September. He started every match City played except for the Capital One Cup drubbing of Sheffield Wednesday. Kompany has also had to deal with not knowing when Eliaquim Mangala would play, or how Mangala would play when he did.
This grade suffers mightily because of Kompany's curious decision to release Francesco Totti into the space behind him in the Champions League draw with Roma. No one picked Totti up, and seconds later the Italian scored the goal that ultimately cost City two crucial points in Group E.
Such is the life of a captain, and of a centre-back. So much great work can be undone in a moment.
Grade: B
Eliaquim Mangala
Mangala is learning the hard way how fickle Pellegrini can be. Mangala and Joe Hart probably have a lot to talk about these days. The French centre-back was spectacular against Chelsea in his City debut and looked to be a new fixture alongside Kompany in the back line.
Then Mangala was responsible for Hull City's two goals, and soon found himself benched against Roma.
That decision made no sense, by the way. City put nearly all of their summer transfer eggs in the Mangala basket. He has to play and they have to live with the results.
Grade: C+
Martin Demichelis
Demichelis went from being a starting centre-back against Bayern Munich to a forgotten man against Chelsea and back again to a starter against Roma. Unfortunately for Demichelis, two things remain true as September ends.
First, Demichelis will only play if Mangala demonstrates repeatedly that he is unreliable. Second, even when Demichelis does play, his lack of pace marks him as a substandard player at the Champions League level and against speedier Premier League sides, too.
Grade: B
Matija Nastasic's grade remains Incomplete as Pellegrini has absolutely buried Nastasic on the City bench.
Central Midfielders
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Yaya Toure
Toure has looked a step or two slow all season. Worse yet, he appears disinterested at times. City are so dependent on Toure's usual excellence (perhaps too dependent, really) that City's desultory September can fairly be attributed in large part to Toure's unacceptably poor form.
Toure has zero goals and zero assists thus far this Premier League season. As many as you have, then.
Grade: D
Lampard debuted against Arsenal and was so far off the pace that he was substituted at the interval. At that point it seemed as though Lampard would only ever see the pitch in cup competitions or as an occasional late substitute in Premier League play.
Then Lampard rescued a draw for ten-man City against his beloved Chelsea, knocked in a brace against Sheffield Wednesday and added a goal against Hull City for good measure.
Not only is Lampard not a fringe player now, he is a key member of the City rotation for whom an extension of his loan from New York City FC is almost a must for City.
Grade: A
Fernandinho
Finally at full speed after his long summer toiling for Brazil in the World Cup, Fernandinho's value was in full evidence after Fernando went down with injury. Fernandinho played in the six City matches in September that were not the Capital One Cup match with Sheffield Wednesday. In other words, if City had an important match in September, Fernandinho was out there.
Considering how bad Toure was, you'd have to say that Fernandinho put in yeoman's work covering for the heavy-legged Ivorian in the middle of the pitch.
Grade: B+
Fernando did not play in September, and thus receives no grade.
Wingers
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David Silva
Here is how you know what Silva's value to City is: Silva, like Sergio Aguero, did not even dress against Sheffield Wednesday in City's Capital One Cup match. Edin Dzeko played, Yaya Toure played, Vincent Kompany dressed but did not play, and so on. Not Silva. City know they need to save him when they can.
Silva was City's best player against Roma. He did not have much competition, of course, but he almost willed City to an undeserved win. The Spain international is healthy now and performing his midfield magic every few days. You should watch him whenever you can.
Grade: A
Samir Nasri
Nasri's nagging injuries cost him most of September, limiting the time he did play and keeping him out of half of City's non-Capital One Cup matches in the month. Only after seeing Nasri labor in training did City realise something was wrong with the Frenchman, who is now laid up following groin surgery.
Given City's Financial Fair Play-shortened Champions League roster, Nasri's absence hurts. It was not that long ago that he was scoring the first goal against West Ham United to seal the club's second Premier League title in three seasons. A lot of what Pellegrini likes to do offensively relies on a healthy Nasri. They need him back soon.
Grade: B-
Jesus Navas
Navas' effectiveness in September was even worse than Nasri's, and the former does not have an injury to point to as an excuse. Navas did assist on City's first goal at Arsenal. After that, though, he was entirely stifled save for a big game against Sheffield Wednesday, which does not merit much credit.
Navas is a defensive liability, so if he is not hitting teammates with crosses or winning corner kicks it is not worth playing him at all. Pellegrini sees this, as Navas did not play against Hull City and was taken off at the interval against Roma.
Grade: C
James Milner
It is a sad truth for Milner that he only gets opportunities when players ahead of him on City's roster get hurt or play poorly. The Englishman is currently benefitting from Nasri's injury and Navas' ineffectiveness. As usual, Milner is taking his chance and making something of it.
Milner's biggest moment came when he assisted on Lampard's equaliser against Chelsea, an assist born of grit and desire. But his play has been far better than average all season. It was a good month for Milner, and City will need more of this while Nasri heals and Navas sorts out his form.
Grade: A-
Scott Sinclair did not play in a league match or a Champions League match in September, so his grade is Incomplete.
Forwards
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Sergio Aguero
There really is not much to say about Aguero right now. He scored against Arsenal, Hull City and Roma. Aguero is healthy and scoring with sufficient regularity. If the players around him were producing up to expected standards, Aguero might even have a few more goals.
City have many very good players but few great ones. Aguero is a great player.
Grade: A
Edin Dzeko
It took Dzeko a while to open his 2014-15 account, but once he found the net he liked the feeling and got after it. A brace against Sheffield Wednesday broke Dzeko's scoring slump, and he repeated the feat against Hull City three days later.
The primary blemish against Dzeko's September was being removed against Roma after 56 minutes. But he was hardly the only Sky Blue who deserved to sit early in that match.
Grade: B+
Stevan Jovetic played 10 minutes against Roma in his only September appearance, so his grade is Incomplete.
Manager
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Manuel Pellegrini is in a very difficult spot.
City are five points behind Chelsea in the Premier League table, and their only other chance to pull the London club back toward them will occur at Stamford Bridge.
City are three points out of a Champions League knockout stage spot in Group E, and their only other chance to take those three points from Roma will take place in Italy.
Uncomfortable questions are flying around about Pellegrini's tactics, and to his discredit he is answering those questions by blaming his players.
In that last sentence, you could seamlessly insert "Mancini" for "Pellegrini" and no one would blink. That is not a good sign for City's now-embattled boss.
Grade: C
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