CHARACTER

Remember remember the 5th of November because tonight City may have shown something different to show the world that we may just have what it takes to see this through and possibly be champions elect. Tonight we went to loftus road to face QPR and old boys Shaun Wright Phillips and Joey Barton. Talk from some fans of a walk over were far from my mind because i know we have to drop points somewhere, and in QPR i could see a potential banana skin. The team to play at loftus road were Joe in goal (as ever). Richards started at right back and as captain in the absence of Kompany (which was nice to see). Savic Filled in for the absent Vinny along side Lescott with Kolarov completed the back four. Yaya and Barry were the holding midfield, with Silva, Milner, Aguero and Dzeko as the front four.

As expected the home team really stepped up and came after us as it is becoming more and more apparent that we are the big scalp this season up to now, and QPR had lots of early chances as City seemed to struggle. The shape we were playing in just didn't look or feel right and the passing and movement that has served us so well up to now just wasn't there and it wasn't really a surprise that QPR took a deserved lead. On 28 minutes, a great cross form a free kick (that never should have been a free kick) saw Bothroyd head QPR ahead. The city defenders didn't seem to know who they were supposed to be marking and that uncertainty saw the home team 1-0 up. Could have been worse but for some quality goal keeping from England's number 1. City weren't really creating and nothing seemed to be falling for us until the 43rd minute. A ball down the wing saw Dzeko race free. He cut inside into the box and had players crying out for a lay off, but Dzeko had other ideas, and as the QPR defender dived in, Dzeko breezed past him to fire a great goal into the bottom left corner to make it 1-1. Edins 10th goal of the season brought us in at half time level.

Mancini must have rollocked them because after an early left footed scare from Barton and a change of shape to a 4-4-2, city seemed to settle better into the game, and in the 52nd minute City were ahead through the magician Silva.  Milner broke on the counter attack, Gave the ball wide to Dzeko and his ball into the box was taken by Silva, 1 touch and bang, low into the near post to put us 2-1 up. Would QPR crumble now after being in front and now being behind ? Would they hell. I'm not sure if City sat back or if QPR stepped up but they came at us again, applying more and more pressure until that pressure finally told. Helguson heading home from close range to make it 2-2.

Now i fully believe that the city of old, Typical city if you like, would have crumbled and ended up losing this game, but City are a different animal these days and again, weather QPR sat back or we stepped up i'm unsure, but we fought back and grabbed the lead again. An absolutely brilliant left footed cross from Kolarov saw Yaya rise in the box to power home a powerful header to make it 3-2 and win us the game. We hadn't played well here tonight but we had managed to grind out a result and show the character to come from behind also for the first time in the league this season. For years I've watched United play badly and win and for years I've listened to United fans tell me that's the mark of champions but tonight I'm hearing from United fans that we were lucky. Lucky ? Or molding into a team of champions ? Still way to early to tell with so long to go in the season, but we go into the international break still top and still 5 points clear. Happy. Thanks for reading.