Whilst City's performances in the two games were contrasting, the same can be said for the two opponents. Over the summer, Newcastle endured another chapter in the long-running soap opera that is Mike Ashley's ownership of the club. Joe Kinnear was drafted in the controvertible role of Director of Football, with the intentions of utilising his apparent wealth of global experience and contacts to bring in the very best possible players to Tyneside. So far, this has equated to a 17-year old lad from Metz and the loan signing of a striker who spent the second half of last season at the Premier League's bottom club - hardly overwhelming. In addition to that, their star midfielder was the subject of a bid from Arsenal and subsequently pulled out of the game in the 11th hour, so it's no real surprise that the Geordie's team had more of a resemblance to a weary end-of-season squad looking forward to their respective holidays, rather than a side pumped and charged for the challenges that await in the season ahead. To see the latter, you needed to go to South Wales six days later. Cardiff were playing their first home game in the Premier League, and their ever-vocal crowd were enjoying every minute of it. The Welsh side were a model example to how smaller clubs should line up against the so-called 'Big 3'; lashings of organisation and grittiness, blended with a slight thriftiness with their chances in front of goal the perfect recipe if you ask me. For their near perfect performance, Cardiff fully deserved their victory. They seem to have bought well over the pre-season and they should have no issues with staying up if they can replicate those efforts week-after-week.
Originally from Manchester, I'm currently residing in Melbourne as part of a round the world trip that I embarked on in November 2011.
I primarily write on football and I'm a lifelong Man City fan and current season ticket holder. I'll try to share my views from an unbiased perspective, but I can't promise anything.
