A glimpse of what is to come! Fulham 1 - 4 City: Match report

Today's performance was an answer to all the panic mongerers who would have sent Mancini packing.  It may be getting carried away to say it but in Mancini's first few months at City he said that Barcelona are the benchmark.  All top European teams build from a strong defence (the main task Mancini was given on replacing Hughes), and today City showed glimpses of where Mancini wants to take us in terms of style.  On Sky television, Jamie Redknapp enthused that it was the best performance he has seen from any side this season in the Premiership - and the twenty-four pass move that made the second goal typified City's first-half performance. 

After Kolo's rallying cry about the lack of effort some of his teammates were putting in, this was a performance where everyone worked for each other - in a display of unity that is so often touted as missing.  The formation was essentially the same as it has been throughout the season, despite the thought that Jo's introduction might mean a traditional two upfront - but the workrate meant that there were always options and the midfield did far more to support Tevez in attack.  Jo, in effect, played the Balotelli role and whilst he didn't have a hugely influential game, it meant City played in the fashion that Mancini evidently wants from his team.  In choosing Jo over Milner or Johnson, Mancini chose his system over player-names - and it works.  On a number of occasions, Mancini has said he would need Balotelli fit to play the system he wanted - but the team looked far more balanced playing that system with a SuperMario 'stand-in'.

To be fair, it makes a huge difference playing away from home where the emphasis of the opposing team is further from defending.  Fulham allowed it to be far too open for their own good and City's flowing passing football thrived in the time that was given to us. 

On a more worrying note, is the difference between the home and away support.  The support was much needed after all the negativity at the Birmingham game, but even before the goal, or any meaningful opportunities for that matter, the City fans were audibly behind Mancini and the team.  Away support is always better than home support, but it could almost be like two different sets of fans at the moment.  Most of the country would enjoy seeing City fail now, so it needs the fans to be behind the club. 

All the players put in impressive displays.  Yaya looked greatly improved, Silva was effortlessly brilliant, Tevez was everywhere, Zabaleta doubled his goal tally for the club.  It couldn't have gone much better in the first half.  Not many teams win at Craven Cottage.  With all the results going our way, we are now only three points off the league leaders - and this after being amidst a 'crisis' in the past few games - now to press on to Stoke, another difficult away game, with the same attitude.