City vs Brum a fan review

Roberto Mancini sent out a completely changed side for Manchester City's Carling Cup tie with current holders Birmingham City wednesday night. Neither side had a good weekend with Birmingham losing and Manchester City surrendering a two goal lead but it was the City from Manchester that got back to winning ways. Last season Mancini rested some key players for their initial Carling Cup tie, they played and lost to West Brom.

It is a sign of just how deep the squad has got now with the City boss changing virtually all the team and still coming away with a 2-0 win. Kolo Toure was recalled after serving his 6 month drugs ban and he was joined in defense by Nedum Onouha, whose agent and mother was the reason Garry Cook tended his resignation two weeks ago. There were also starts for Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli who have found themselves warming the substitutes bench after the arrival of Aguero.

However the real positive story of the game was the debut of once Manchester United and Bayern Munich player, Owen Hargreaves. Owen survived for almost an hour, injury free and got on the scoresheetin the process. You could tell by his reaction to the goal how much it meant to him. His last goal came in April 2008 for United against Arsenal and his first for City was special also. After failing to clear their lines properly the ball sat up for Hargreaves on the edge of the area and the England International returned it with interest.

To be fair it was all City from the start and the defending Champions could rarely get out of their own half. However Mancinis side have been guilty in the past of having all the possession, all the shots but no goals. So it was a relief to see Balotelli slide in the second seven minutes before the half.

Twelve minutes into the second half, the Man Of The Match, Hargreaves was replaced by Milner as City looked to lock down the result. Birmingham had a few chances, and with Pantilimon looking unsure at times in the City goal it made seeing out the game more edgy than it should have been, but hold on they did.

Mancini will go into Saturdays League tie against Everton with renewed confidence. He rested key players, got Hargreaves through a game fit, reintroduced Balotelli, Bridge and Onouha back into first team competition and even had time to give a couple of youngsters a shot with Scapzzi coming on for another youngster Razak and Rekik relieving Bridge late in the second half.

Written By PA Cityboy