Seydou Doumbia's brace helped CSKA Moscow to a crucial 2-1 victory over the blues who, theoretically, should have been desperate for three points to kick-start their push for progression from Group E, but their performance lacked the urgency, desire and resolve required to succeed in the world's most reputable club football competition.
Watching Manchester City in the Champions League has become similar to what watching England is like for an English football fan. We support the team, we hope they'll succeed; but ultimately, that hope is false, and we concede that the team will find a way to disappoint us and misrepresent the undeniable quality available to them. Experiencing defeats to the likes of Huddersfield and Northampton Town just over a decade ago initiated an irrepressible craving for the glamour of European football; now, in a way, we'd rather it would just go away.
The disaster commenced well before Fernandinho and Yaya Touré were sent off for respective misdemeanours late in the second half. Touré stood static as his Ivorian compatriot Doumbia headed the visitors into the lead after just two minutes, and the early set-back encouraged a humiliating exhibition of misplaced passes and mistimed tackles. Gaël Clichy, brilliant against Manchester United last weekend, made a return to the form that labeled him a liability earlier in the season, and Stevan Jovetić churned out another underwhelming 45-minute showing just behind Sergio Agüero in a 4-4-2 formation that continues to fail.
City rely on David Silva too much for creativity, and when Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero don't reach their highest performance levels, the blues look worryingly average. The former has failed to replicate the scorching form he hit last season, and his fall from grace has left City short in the midfield and incredibly vulnerable to the counter attack. His partner, Fernandinho, is another player suffering from an unpleasant summer break, and the authoritative partnership the Brazilian established with Touré last term seems to be a thing of the past. The pair no longer play in unison and the centre of City's midfield, even with the addition of the bullish Fernando, has become a vulnerable area in Manuel Pellegrini's starting eleven.
Their respective trudges off the pitch served as a metaphor for where they are likely to be in the very near future, and that is far away from the first team.
The pace of City's play is beginning to reflect the age of the squad. We have, on average, the oldest squad in the Premier League and the ferocious attacking play that characterised us last season is, like the players, ageing. Although James Milner and Jesus Navas perform tenaciously on the flanks, the former is not a winger and the latter is often incapable of supplying a decent cross. A solution to this problem would be the addition of a lightning fast natural winger capable of scoring goals and crossing the ball accurately; someone like Marco Reus.
The centre of midfield lacks pace and composure, and as a result, City have been the victims of the counter attack on too many occasions this season. Yaya Touré can no longer be relied upon to drive City forward, and Pellegrini's two Brazlian holding midfielders, Fernando and Fernandinho, are too sloppy in possession. A solution to this problem would be the addition of a young, strong midfielder who loves to attack but also maintains his defensive discipline; someone like Ross Barkley.
And finally, with a player who prefers to go forward and a player who is unable to perform well on a consistent basis, the left full-back role has become a key area for improvement. Aleksandar Kolarov often neglects his defensive duties and pushes too high up the pitch, and Gaël Clichy, as demonstrated on Wednesday night, is a liability in possession and is rapidly losing his speed. A solution to this problem would be the addition of a pacey, defensive minded left-full back with the ability to support the attack when needed; someone like Ricardo Rodriguez.
Let's be honest, City will now require a miracle to progress from Champions League Group E. Ties against Bayern Munich and AS Roma await us, and if we can't see off the limited threat of CSKA Moscow, it is unlikely that we will manage to conquer the respective attacking qualities of the German champions and Italy's up and coming title challengers.
City have represented England unsatisfactorily in Europe for four years now. Our ageing squad are certainly experienced, but they lack the energy and enthusiasm necessary to clash with the heavyweights of club football. We're in desperate need of some vibrance, both in Europe and in the Premier League, and like Manchester United, we may have to brace ourselves for a turbulent transitional period in the near future.
