QPR 2 Manchester City 3:MICAH RICHARDS was droll when asked what Manchester City would do when Yaya Toure is with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea early next year. "We'll just go and buy someone else," he said casually of the man who had notched the winner against Queens Park Rangers. The full back was parodying the idea that a club of such means has the answer to every problem. Richards probably talked, too, out of relief after this testing match.
Goals continue to come in abundance for City but this was not one of those occasions when a spree leaves the opposition disheartened. The visitors were counting down the seconds in stoppage time. There are days when City still find themselves acclimatising to a new status and the trouble that accompanies it. QPR had the animation of a club relishing a fixture that is now to be seen as a grand occasion.
Whether the goals occur as part of an extravaganza or, in this case, a necessity, the prolific City line-up causes confusion and panic. With 11 Premier League fixtures completed, they have 39 goals. Should they somehow continue at the same rate they will find the net 133 times in this competition. City were at least revealed to be normal in certain aspects and their hold on the lead was tenuous towards the close when Heidar Helguson’s header struck the crossbar. For all the means at hand, Roberto Mancini’s line-up was shaken by the absence of the suspended centre half and captain, Vincent Kompany.
Richards, sporting the armband, has prominence thanks to the rise of City and is unlikely to take the status for granted. While a teenager he became a regular in Steve McClaren’s England side and went on to collect 11 caps then. His sole appearance for the England team in Fabio Capello’s time came in November 2010 as a substitute in a friendly with France. “If (Capello) wants to give me a shout,” said Richards. “I am always there. If (it’s not) my time, I’ll just wait.”
Should challenges improve a footballer, he will encounter a multitude of them even if his country goes on discounting him. Practice sessions at City are gruelling. “You have got to concentrate all the time and now and then give them a crack,” he said. “Even Balotelli. Playing with them is helping my game as well, for sure.”
Neil Warnock’s admirable QPR side made great demands on Richards and the others by fielding wingers and a pair of forwards. “There have been games when you’re winning 5-1 and you’re sat there with that Ready Brek glow around you,” said City assistant manager David Platt, “but we didn’t have that luxury here. In the cold light of day that’s a great performance for us to look back on because it shows we can win games without being at our best.”
No follower of the club will be nostalgic for the pragmatism of last season, yet Platt would appreciate a little more rigour will be essential in matches of a higher order. The firepower is winning games but a leading side has to maintain a sternness that lapsed a little at the weekend.
The visitors’ centre half Stefan Savic, on his first Premier League start was uneasy and could not stop Jay Bothroyd heading home a Joey Barton free-kick after 28 minutes. Edin Dzeko took a pass from James Milner to level in the 43rd minute. The City expertise was on the rise and David Silva’s touch was beautiful when he moved into space as he controlled a ball from Dzeko and tucked it home in the 52nd minute.
Even so QPR had it in them to level the score at 2-2 after 69 minutes when a Bothroyd header went home off Helguson. City, all the same, have deep resources and Yaya Toure, pushing into an attacking position, headed in Aleksandar Kolarov’s cross five minutes later. The victors had appeared a little jaded but they still reached their destination at Loftus Road.
- Guardian Service
