Manchester City 2 Portsmouth 0:ANYONE WHO believes footballers are entirely unshockable, cynical and self-interested should have been at Eastlands yesterday. Underneath their official shirts, some Manchester City players wore specially made vests emblazoned with the logo "Team Bridge". As they trooped off at the end, outer layers were deliberately shed and this message displayed to delighted cameramen by Carlos Tevez, Stephen Ireland and Nigel de Jong.
“We are all very close to Wayne, he’s a good guy,” said Roberto Mancini. “It was a fantastic gesture, a nice touch.”
Considering that some of Bridge’s colleagues, including Gareth Barry, play for England too it must also raise significant questions about the viability of Terry continuing as Fabio Capello’s captain. Perhaps aware of the potential fallout, Barry was among those who did not wear the T-shirt on a day when goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Vincent Kompany kept City in contention for a Champions League place while leaving Portsmouth rock bottom and debt racked.
Right now Pompey are so cash-strapped they probably could not afford a consignment of new vests but, publicly at least, club officials maintained confidence that players and staff will be paid today on the back of Younes Kaboul’s €5.75 million sale to Spurs. Those funds could be boosted should Stoke City’s €3.5 million offer for their goalkeeper Asmir Begovic also be accepted.
Portsmouth insisted Avram Grant’s no-show at the post-match press conference did not mean he was poised to resign as manager. Shoulders hunched and hands thrust deep in pockets, Grant looked utterly despondent but, considering the uncertainty swirling around the club, his side exerted commendable effort.
Indeed after a low-tempo 45 minutes City were somewhat flattered by a two-goal half-time lead. With their usual attacking catalyst, Craig Bellamy, benched and Barry taking time to reacquaint himself with the wide left-midfield role, Mancini’s team stuttered.
They could easily have fallen behind when Shay Given dropped a cross and Javier Garrido desperately hacked the ball clear. Shortly afterwards Garrido looked relieved not to concede a penalty as the referee failed to spot his blatant shove on Danny Webber.
Ireland seemed to be hitting his stride, not to mention supplying a few defence-bisecting passes. One such long-range delivery created Adebayor’s opening goal. After cleverly timing his advance to spring Portsmouth’s offside trap the Togo striker took one touch of the dropping ball, let it bounce and then beat David James courtesy of a perfectly executed, right-footed half-volley.
Adebayor’s celebrations were muted but that seemed wholly appropriate in the wake of the recent attack on the Togo team bus during the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. Mancini said Adebayor – who began each half with a brief prayer and a heavenwards point of the fingers – has been “very quiet” since his return from compassionate leave following the attack but that he finds playing a release. “It’s a very difficult situation and I know it was a very difficult game for him but he needed to play,” said Mancini. “I was happy for him, he needs time but he’s okay.”
Portsmouth are far from fine and began falling apart after Kompany outmuscled Tal Ben Haim to meet Martin Petrov’s corner and head powerfully past James.
“We were so-so,” said a downbeat Mancini. “We were tired after losing the (League Cup) semi-final to Manchester United.”
What Grant would give to have similar problems.
Guardian Service
