Comparisons in defence between the two games are immediately flawed for a number of reasons. Firstly, the lack of attacking threat by Newcastle and then the absence of Vincent Kompany against Cardiff, where City had to settle for a makeshift pairing of third-choice centre-back, Lescott and defensive midfielder, Javi Garcia. Kompany's aura on the pitch is massive he is a born leader and the team unsurprisingly are far more settled at the back with his presence. Lescott is the prime example of this, as he's really not the same player without the City skipper playing alongside him. He's less assured, less confident and never seems too far away from a blunder. Garcia really hasn't lived up to the expectations since completing his move last summer and has seemingly become the scapegoat for the fan's frustrations. Whilst he didn't excel in the game, he wasn't solely to blame for any of the goals either. Nevertheless, his ability in midfield and defence is limited to say the least. Then there's the corner issue. Again, as Newcastle rarely broke forward, we can't compare here either, but by conceding two goals to sloppy defending on corners against Cardiff, City proved that the transition from Mancini's zonal-marking to Pellegrini's man-marking isn't quite yet complete.
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.
