ARMENIA BIELEFIELD 1 CITY 0
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Friendly
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4th August 1971
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FROM THE PRESS BOX
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SHOT SHY CITY PAY THE PRICE
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PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 5TH AUGUST 1971
Manchester City have sweated through three hours of football without a goal to show for their efforts in West Germany.
They wound up their two match pre-season work-out here last night with another 1-0 reverse against Armenia.
… And again it was a double failing, in midfield and in front of goal, that basically let down City on another steamy torrid night.
However don’t blame Wyn Davies for City’ shyness in front of goal. The £60,000 newcomer has done all that has been asked of him in two arduous games in the most testing conditions.
The plain fact is that Davies just cannot go it alone, and without the driving force of Colin Bell, both in the middle and up front, City have not looked the side we know they can be when producing their exciting brand of attacking football.
Bell and Alan Oakes could be back for Monday’s game at Doncaster, the final chance manager Joe Mercer has to sort out existing problems before the season gets underway.
And one player who could be pushing hard for recognition when the City chief gets down to the task of naming a side for the opening game against Leeds United is Ian Mellor.
The former postman, who spent the summer earning extra cash by washing cars at a Cheadle garage, has been a major success in City’s tough pre-season preparations.
In addition to scoring once in the private game at Chester last week, and then hitting the only goal by which the Blues beat Third Division Port Vale on Saturday…
Manchester City have sweated through three hours of football without a goal to show for their efforts in West Germany.
They wound up their two match pre-season work-out here last night with another 1-0 reverse against Armenia.
… And again it was a double failing, in midfield and in front of goal, that basically let down City on another steamy torrid night.
However don’t blame Wyn Davies for City’ shyness in front of goal. The £60,000 newcomer has done all that has been asked of him in two arduous games in the most testing conditions.
The plain fact is that Davies just cannot go it alone, and without the driving force of Colin Bell, both in the middle and up front, City have not looked the side we know they can be when producing their exciting brand of attacking football.
Bell and Alan Oakes could be back for Monday’s game at Doncaster, the final chance manager Joe Mercer has to sort out existing problems before the season gets underway.
And one player who could be pushing hard for recognition when the City chief gets down to the task of naming a side for the opening game against Leeds United is Ian Mellor.
The former postman, who spent the summer earning extra cash by washing cars at a Cheadle garage, has been a major success in City’s tough pre-season preparations.
In addition to scoring once in the private game at Chester last week, and then hitting the only goal by which the Blues beat Third Division Port Vale on Saturday…
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