Kevin Keegan has given up his attempts to fight Manchester City's glorious
unpredictability and it is just as well after the Blues followed up their FA Cup
heroics with a predictably dismal draw with Birmingham.
Barring a couple of half chances, City claimed exclusivity on attacking
invention but could not find a way past visitors keeper Maik Taylor who capped a
fine afternoon with a stunning double save late on to deny Jon Macken and
Antoine Sibierski, who had already seen one flying header pushed away.
It was not quite what another capacity crowd had expected following the 10-man
comeback win at Tottenham and means City have still only won two home games in
the league since their summer switch from Maine Road.
But, in the search for positives, the point does take the Blues four clear of
a drop zone that looks increasingly settled and the arrival of Daniel van Buyten
from Marseille helped inspire a solid defensive display that earned City their
first clean sheet in any competition for 13 matches, precisely the same unlucky
number they have gone without a Premiership victory.
The renewed sense of optimism Wednesday night's victory had injected into a
club that had gone a dozen Premiership game without a win was sorely tested by
an atrocious first-half which, in fairness, Keegan's side were only partly
responsible for.
Birmingham were the major culprits, producing virtually nothing in the way of
goalmouth action and starving top scorer Mikael Forssell of decent possession.
Sitting on the bench Christophe Dugarry, returning after a series of
injections to cure a long-standing knee problem, must have been quite pleased
not to be part of the proceedings. As one former City star inquired as he made
his way for an interval brew 'when does the football start?'
Without leading scorer Nicolas Anelka, it was always going to be tough for the
home side even if the Frenchman had been absent when they launched their
astonishing fightback at White Hart Lane.
Macken toiled manfully up front alongside Robbie Fowler but the former Preston
man's best work came from wide positions.
It was Macken who provided the cross that led to City's best chance of the
opening period. Sibierski, one of five changes to Keegan's starting line-up,
launched himself at the ball and Taylor did well to stop the Frenchman's diving
header at his near post.
Taylor produced another fine stop to deny Michael Tarnat not long afterwards
but Fowler did not test the Birmingham keeper with an overhead kick and Paul
Bosvelt screwed a half volley so badly it went out for a throw-in.
On his debut, giant Belgian defender van Buyten must have wondered what the
hype surrounding the Premiership was all about.
The loan signing from Marseille used his powerful physique to muscle his way
onto the few attacking raids Birmingham mustered and with David James yelling
instructions from behind, the City defence looked more solid that it has done
all season.
Dugarry's introduction for Stern John at the interval threatened to give
Birmingham more penetration even if there was initially no evidence to suggest
it actually had.
Instead the attacks continued to flow almost exclusively towards the visitors'
goal and Darren Purse and Robbie Savage both needed to make timely blocks to
deny goalbound efforts from Macken and Fowler.
Dugarry's arrival had given the home supporters another player to jeer in
addition to public enemy number one Savage.
The French striker did not endear himself to the City faithful when he
collapsed in a heap under pressure from Sun Jihai, although TV replays indicated
there had been contact.
Impact with Sylvain Distin 15 minutes from time looked less obvious even if
Dugarry was subsequently stretchered off, albeit returning seconds later with no
sign of lasting damage.
Dugarry's return was the prelude to 90 seconds of frenzied action round the
Birmingham goal that the hosts could not believe didn't earn them a winner
The presence of Taylor was the major reason. His double save from Macken and
Sibierski was breathtaking, especially the second effort which he clawed onto
the post when it seemed impossible to keep the Frenchman's header out.
Oliver Tebily then hooked a clearance over his own bar after an unmarked
Macken had let Jihai Sun's cross roll under his foot and finally Taylor pushed
away a Tarnat shot that flew through a crowd of bodies in the visitors' box as
City's long wait for a league win goes on.
Teams
Man City:
James, Van Buyten, Distin, Dunne (Jihai 55), Tarnat,
Sibierski, Reyna (McManaman 70), Bosvelt (Barton 70),
Wright-Phillips, Fowler, Macken.
Subs Not Used: Arason, Jordan.
Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Tebily, Cunningham, Purse,
Kenna (Clapham 70), Hughes, Savage, Johnson, Lazaridis,
Forssell (Morrison 79), John (Dugarry 45).
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Upson.
Booked: Tebily.
Att: 46,967
Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).
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