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It seems an age since I last went to an away game, six weeks to be exact because the last one could hardly be considered a day out given the way we were treated by the police and our club.
Six weeks since we were last able to attend an away game independently, that one coming at White Hart Lane against Spurs at the end of September, so I'm looking forward to the day out again when I'll be allowed to make my own way there again.
It is quite some time since we last won at Manchester City, back in 1973 when we lifted the then named FA Charity Shield. And our previous visit at Maine Road was one to shout about too, our last league win against the Sky Blues coming on 2nd May 1960 as we clinched the Football League title.
What word best describes our opponents? I'd say rich. They are apparently just about the wealthiest club around since the latest take over and that has allowed them to make massive changes to their squad.
They've had two transfer windows where it has been a case of money no object and they've made the most of it. Last January they spent £12 million on Wayne Bridge and £14 million on Craig Bellamy from Chelsea and West Ham respectively whilst also capturing the signings of Hamburg's Nigel de Jong and Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given.
In the summer they beat that sort of transfer dealing hands down. The big signings were Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal for £25 million and Everton defender Joleon Lescott for £22 million.
They were the two most expensive but add Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Kolo Toure and Gareth Barry and it all adds up somewhat. Even Jose Mourinho couldn't spend Abramovich's money at Chelsea so quickly.
The new look City team have started the season well and are currently fourth in the table with a game in hand on the top two. Their only defeat this season was the 4-3 reverse against Manchester United at Old Trafford although they have drawn their last four league games.
One of those four draws was at home against Fulham and they are the only two points they've dropped on home soil. Fulham in fact are the only team to have taken points at Eastlands during 2009. Apart from the recent draw they won there in April. City's home record in the Premier League in 2009 is played 13, won 11, drawn 1, lost 1.
City boss Mark Hughes has doubts over left back Wayne Bridge and striker Roque Santa Cruz who are suffering from knee and ankle injuries respectively and he will be without Robinho who has resumed training this week although the game has come too soon for him to be involved.
Last week Manchester City drew 0-0 at Birmingham and their team was: Shay Given, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz. Subs: Stuart Taylor, Micah Richards, Sylvinho, Vladimir Weiss, Michael Johnson, Stephen Ireland, Martin Petrov.
Owen Coyle has no new problems ahead of the game and virtually announced the team yesterday. He said it would be the same squad and I would expect it to be the same starting line up with the same substitutes as last week.
We should line up: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Andre Bikey, Chris Eagles, Wade Elliott, Robbie Blake, Steven Fletcher. Subs: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Fernando Guerrero, Steven Thompson, David Nugent.
The last time we visited Manchester City was between Christmas and New Year 2001. We were top of the Championship at the time and with 50 points already in the bag looked likely promotion candidates and almost certainties for the play offs.
City, who ended the season as Champions, had beaten us 4-2 at the Turf earlier in the season and they comfortably did the double over us with a 5-1 win.
Paulo Wanchope gave them the lead but Glen Little should have equalised from the penalty spot. He didn't and then it all went wrong. Two more from Wanchope and one between them from Eyal Berkovic saw us go in 4-0 down at half time.
Ian Moore pulled one back in the second half but a late goal from Darren Huckerby completed the scoring.
The teams were;
Manchester City: Carlo Nash, Steve Howey, Lucien Mettomo, Richard Edghill (Shaun Wright-Phillips 81), Gerard Wiekens (Richard Dunne 21), Kevin Horlock, Ali Benarbia, Eyal Berkovic, Danny Tiatto, Paolo Wanchope, Shaun Goater (Darren Huckerby 65). Subs not used: Nicky Weaver, Alf Inge Haaland.
Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Dean West (Dimitri Papadopoulos 71), Ian Cox, Arthur Gnohere, Lee Briscoe, Glen Little, Kevin Ball, Tony Grant, Alan Moore, Ian Moore (Tony Ellis 81), Gareth Taylor. Subs not used: Luigi Cennamo, Gordon Armstrong, Lenny Johnrose.
Our last game at Maine Road in the top flight came in our last First Division season of 1975/76 and we came home with a point from a 0-0 draw.
The game was played in October and a week earlier we'd recorded just our second win of the season at Coventry. But this was a game we could so easily have won and I can recall ITV co-commentator for the afternoon, Bill Shankly, selecting his man of the match form Burnley players only so dominant were we.
Our team that day was: Alan Stevenson, Mick Docherty, Keith Newton, Peter Noble, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Willie Morgan, Ray Hankin, Mike Summerbee, Brian Flynn, Leighton James.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1990/91 | FAC | h | 0-1 | 20,331 | . |
1998/99 | 2 | a | 2-2 | 30,722 | Payton Cooke |
. | . | h | 0-6 | 17,251 | . |
1999/2000 | LC | a | 0-5 | 11,074 | . |
| . | . | h | 0-1 | 3,647 | . |
2001/02 | 1 | h | 2-4 | 19,602 | Davis Briscoe |
. | . | a | 1-5 | 34,250 | I Moore |