The Rambling view from the City perspective

Boxing Day has come and gone. And in some ways the thrashing of Hull typifies everything that is right and wrong about City. This squad, as it is composed at the moment, is capable of doing that any particular week. That it doesn't is what drives some of us nuts. It would be too easy to point out that Vassell didn't start and Elano did and that was also the case when City knocked six past Portsmouth.

But instead letâ..s look at what City did. Nominally you could say that the team lined up in a 4-5-1. The standard Zabaleta, Dunne, Richards and Ball across the back. Kompany as the midfield anchor with Ireland to his right and Elano to his left with Robinho and SWP on the wings and Caicedo up front. I say nominally because as the game got under way there was a real ebb and flow to the formation.

Elano played a much more withdrawn role, closer to Kompany than I'd seen him before while Ireland roamed from the middle to the right making run after impressive run. Zabaleta would occasionally join on this right side with Kompany providing cover and even Elano would stray towards the middle and right.

What this did, and I have to believe this was by design, was overload the right side of midfield where you could have as many as four City players all interchanging. Forced to defend this tactic, there was left acres of space between Ball at left back and Robinho who was playing almost as an old fashioned winger.

When the ball was switched to Robinho he was invariably one on one with his defender, Bernard Mendy, and constant goodness occurred. Better yet was the fourth goal where City brought five players onto the right side with Caicedo also collecting the ball at midfield. McShane suicidally went with him allow SWP to run into space created and Elano found SWP with the through ball.

Now I don't think that would work every week as a good team would keep their shape and exploit that hole between Ball and Robinho. However Hull are a battling, chasing side. City appeared to take advantage of the spirit by channelling that aggression into certain areas of the field and then exploiting it. Who knows, maybe I'm reading too much into City's play and tactics but it was lovely to watch.

And a special word about Stephen Ireland. Yes he was Man of the Match and yes he played well. But City's second goal indicated just how far he has come. When you play professional sport at a high level it is said that the game appears to slow down. That you understand everything and everyone around you and start to see the flow of the game before it happens. Zabaleta punches the ball forward where it is defended by a header from Kamil Zayatte in a challenge with SWP.

The ball pops up in the air where a second player defender, I believe Ian Ashbee, goes to head the ball also challenged by SWP. Before, and this is the important part, before Ashbee has headed the ball Ireland has already started to move to the location where he expects the ball to end up and he's at least a yard ahead of Paul McShane in this realization. At that point the Irishman is away and after a great pull back it's 2-0 City.

On this form, and again let me emphasize, on this form there isn't anyone in the Premier League that you would trade Ireland for. Certainly there are quote unquote better players in the Premier League but Ireland is playing in some rarefied air at the moment.