FA Cup: No case for defence

THIRD ROUND

BLACKBURN 1 (Scott Dann 55) MAN CITY 1 (Alvaro Negredo 45)

Manuel Pellegrini already suspected his defence was the weak link in an otherwise imperious squad. Blackburn Rovers provided the confirmation at Ewood Park last night.

Their admirable 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round earned them the debatable prize of a date at Fortress Etihad. Rovers’ cup run is still likely to end there, but Pellegrini’s defensive issues have barely begun.

His numbers didn’t add up. Three out of five let him down.

Even allowing for the inevitable resting of key performers, City’s starters made a main course meal of Blackburn’s battlers and got their just desserts.

Costel Pantilimon, Dedryck Boyata and Joleon Lescott all staked a claim for regular inclusion, but the case for their defence was painfully weak.

Two blunders and a red card might make an entertaining title for a DVD highlights package of football bloopers, but they hardly ticked the boxes of three crumbling candidates.

Of the three, Pantilimon paid the heaviest price.

Only his most jaundiced of supporters would consider him ahead of Joe Hart now.

He presented the Championship side a lucrative third-round replay that their second-half showing certainly deserved with the kind of unfortunate error usually witnessed in the Championship.

After City had gone ahead through Alvaro Negredo, Pantilimon dealt with Rudy Gestede’s header from distance with all the confidence of a blindfolded croupier handing out cards.

He allowed the ball to touch so many parts of his body in quick succession, it wasn’t entirely clear if he was fumbling the header or playing Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes with himself.

The header was routine. The save wasn’t. He presented the easiest of equalisers to the onrushing Scott Dann. But Pantilimon wasn’t the only culpable party.

Lescott’s persistent exclusion from the first 11 has long been questioned, but his uncertainty up against the belligerent Gestede partially explained Pellegrini’s reluctance to pick him.

Blackburn’s bruiser toppled the tentative defender like a bowling pin, sending Lescott spinning across his own penalty box.

JITTERS

Pantilimon and Lescott’s struggles caused a replay their management could do without. Boyata caused heart palpitations in the away dugout whenever Blackburn targeted the fullback.

Still only 23, the Belgian has been farmed out on loan twice to improve his game. The loan moves didn’t improve his tackling.

Two bookings, the second a ridiculously immature and reckless foul on DJ Campbell in an innocuous position near the halfway line, cost him his place on the pitch.

He might have cost his teammates a place in the FA Cup.

For the final five minutes, Blackburn exploited their numerical advantage and threatened a winner.

Not for the first time this season, defensive shortcomings proved to be City’s undoing on the road.

Pellegrini knows his monstrous midfield and attacking automatons are beyond compare in the Premier League.

But his unpredictable defence couldn’t keep out a Championship side.

He won’t make the same mistake in the replay.

The City manager now understands the unique psyche of the FA Cup.

The third round always throws up one of those classic clashes where David meets Goliath; provincial town club hosts city powerhouse; fans froth over in the stands and the pitch is awash with the blood and guts of glory hunters.

For an hour, this was not one of those clashes.

Gary Bowyer has steadied the Blackburn boat after a turbulent period of relegation, silly sackings and surreal Shebby Singh interviews.

The Rovers manager has the club in a respectable 10th position and dreaming of the play-offs.

But 28 places separated the two sides at kick off and the first half confirmed the chasm in quality.

City appeared content to play the devilish PE teacher at primary school. They allowed the bright upstarts to run around enthusiastically before cruelly crushing their hopes with a deft blow of quality.

In the 45th minute, the tie appeared to be over when Negredo volleyed in from close range.

But the familiar defensive failures away from home soon repeated themselves.

City just about got away it.

But Pellegrini might still turn to the transfer market for a quick fix.

We were not lucky. It was a very close match and I think we had more clear options than Blackburn but we played against a very strong team who were at home. — Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini

I will analyse the game with the players, as a collective team. Maybe (he dropped the ball) but always the individual performance makes the team performance, so I analyse what the individual players do with them. — Pellegrini refuses to blame goalkeeper Pantilimon for Blackburn’s equaliser

It was an absolutely phenomenal effort from our lads playing against a world-class team and they restored some pride in the club today. — Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer.

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