When they were thrashed 6-0 at Chelsea towards the end of October, they responded with three clean sheets in succession and a five-match unbeaten run.
Similarly, when Spurs came to Eastlands and ended the Blues' interest in the Carling Cup at the quarter-final stage, Sven-Goran Eriksson's men embarked on another five-game unbeaten stint that also included a hat-trick of blanks for the opposition.
They will do well to repeat that five-in-a-row feat this time around with Arsenal, United and Everton all looming in February but at least this was a decent enough start to life after the FA Cup humbling at Sheffield United.
Drawing with this woeful Derby County side is, of course, nothing to climb to the top of the Peak District hills and shout about.
Everyone - apart from Newcastle - who has visited Pride Park this season has returned home with some tangible reward.
The bonus here was the attitude of City's players who arrived with their tails between their legs after being outplayed and, more alarmingly, outfought by a Championship side at the weekend but still managed to find the reserves to come from behind against the bottom club.
Eriksson believes his troops are mentally tired but he and his staff had clearly freshened them up enough for the task of earning a point that keeps the Blues clinging on in the race for UEFA qualification.
There were casualties from the FA Cup demise - and not just the balloons that played such a pivotal role last Sunday afternoon - as Eriksson proved he has a ruthless streak.
Out went Didi Hamann, Elano, Nedum Onuoha (he didn't even make the bench) and Emile Mpenza and in their places came Jihai Sun, Stevie Ireland, Daniel Sturridge and Kelvin Etuhu.
The system changed too - to a conventional 4-4-2.
As for the home side, having lost one American Adventure Theme Park in recent years, Derbyshire may soon have another on its hands after the new investment from across the Pond announced this week.
Problems
The rides and rollercoasters at the tourist attraction near Shipley struggled to break even and suffered falling attendances - twin problems that could soon sound all too familiar to the new USA contingent in Pride Park's boardroom.
Despite Eriksson's polite pre-match assertion that Derby could still save themselves from the Championship, there really is no hope for ex-Wigan Athletic boss Paul Jewell's bottom side.
It is a matter of when they slip through the trap door, not if. And the investors who this week ploughed money into the club with the hope that they can become a top-six Premier League side may have to show the kind of patience not hitherto associated with football owners.
Derby will have to take a step back in their bid to make giant strides.
It was a new-look youthful City who made most of the early running and they would have made a dream start had Darius Vassell not scuffed a third-minute shot wide of the target.
There was another opportunity two minutes later, but Vedran Corluka was just too high with a header from Martin Petrov's cross.
Little was seen of the Rams as an attacking force until the 20th minute, when top scorer Kenny Miller volleyed straight at Joe Hart.
It was though an isolated threat from the home side and Vassell, with a little more composure and a little less commitment from Darren Moore and Davis could have had a first half hat-trick.
Home hopes were raised in the 36th minute after Sturridge gave the ball away in midfield and Robert Earnshaw went on to show considerable dexterity before rattling the post with a snap shot.
Normal service was resumed a couple of minutes later as City continued to find lots of room in the build up but carried on squandering gilt edged chances.
This time Ireland was the culprit and Davis again the hero clearing off the line.
For all their pressure, City's failure to find the net always threatened to haunt them.
And, sure enough, it did so just a minute into the second half when, after a wild scramble in the box, Miller's shot took a wicked deflection off the luckless Sun and crept into the bottom corner.
That was the signal for the introduction of Elano for young Etuhu and he made a swift impact.
The Brazilian sent Martin Petrov scurrying clear of the Derby defence to cross for dashing young Sturridge to make it two goals in two games, this time with a bit of help from the post. Tweet
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Plain and simple - we are rubbish up front. I'd bring Ched Evans back from Norwich as he's got to be better than Vassell who's had a long enough run. He's average out wide, but my god he's rubbish as a striker.
How many chances do Vas need to score.
Id love to know his chances to goals ratio, i bet its shocking.
The guy is not a striker, simple as.
Whats up with Dunne ? third game in a row that his f*up has resulted in a goal. His passing (Which was never great)was awfull, didn't clear his lines properly and resorted to the big hoof to no one.
Vassell has never been much cop,let's be honest.An average English Premiership
millionaire,with very poor technique.The fact that he's still in contention
to play should make us all realise that we really do have a long ways to go.I'm sure that had Sven's 1st choice striking options been available,Vassell would probably have been wearing a Derby County shirt last night.That's showbiz.As for Ireland and Dunne,"off the boil" doesn't really cover it,we need them both to get their form back asap.That was a game we'd have drawn last season as well.CTID
Ref: no yellow card for Pearson's late challenge with intent on Ireland, but Breadvan gets one as Luv-muffin falls over his own nose. The Derby hodcarrier handles the ball with reckless disregard, blocking it's path to goal, and the ref does nothing. Where do all these ref's (Styles, Wiley) come from?
a. Defence: shambles, confused & bewildered.
b. Midfield: shambles, confused & bewildered.
c. Attack: see a & b.
Paddy Waggon for Vassell.
I disagree with Sven. Sun was not unlucky; he stuck his leg out because he had no idea where he was relative to the goal (see a & b, above). Sven said, "the shot was going 10 yards wide" : exactly. Sven said he wasn't sure whether City's failure to score was down to "bad luck or bad skill". I am sure. For any interested City fans (that does not mean you, Jones, et al.), I've compiled an executive summary of City's recent performances (and I do mean performances): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K2Eny7V7uI
Looking to the future we've got Arsenal, United and Everton, so that's an easy nine... *cough*...darn...*cough, cough*...just...swallowed some bong water *cough*.
Must be bad luck.
Went to the game last night, anyone can see we're lacking a killer finisher, fingers crossed that's sorted by end of today. Sturridge was a huge positive. Still on for a top 8 finish.
I'm far more bothered by some of the morons who pass for fans of this club, the sort who were chanting 'Munich' songs on the train home.
However, if these idiots go to OT and interupt the silence, I won't feel a tinge of shame, and nor should the club. Football fans, of every club of our size, can be divided into percentages, just like society can - decent folk, morons, educated types in woolley sweaters, etc. I feel no affinitity with the moronic fans as much as I do their counterparts who follow Everton, Villa or Spurs.
The lads who were chanting Munich songs last night on the 10.41 train from Derby to Notts were even more of an embarrasment to themselves - spikey-haired, drunk middle-class posh boys playing at being Munich-chanting hard-men. A city fan told them to shut up, they shut up.
Some of the nutters - the minority of genuine loonies who are mentally incapable of understanding what they're uttering when they chant Munich - songs won't be bothered if Sky Sports shows them chanting at OT, or the papers print their faces for the families to see. I know I for one wouldn't stand amongst these slobs at any other time of my life other than football matches - they're not worth worrying about.
These posh lads - lets call them Johnny, Tarquin and Rowan - however, would be horrified if their families knew of their sick behavior - and it's these wimpy frauds that need targetting.
Great post Anglo Saxon rcfc,
summed up the Jihai own goal to a tee. A thought just occured to me,have we ever had a striker worthy of the name post Anelka? It's like he left us with a striker curse.Also I'm trying to track down what boots Vassell
wears so I can avoid buying them for my nephew,any thoughts?
He wears Nike Whifffs.
Avoid.
CITY OLD MAN - and to imagine Dunne is ALLEGEDLY our best player. YES YET another Dunnie Monster error punished how unlucky he is I do admit because he has put in some great performances BUttttttttt he will lose us a game as quickly as he wins one -sorry but he is a liability and not a leader of any football team really he needs to win his individual battle first of not committing SCHOOLBOY howlers in games afterall he's being paid £28K a week it takes me 6 months to earn that Hmmmmmmmmmmm - I WISH I WISH
Well at least Derby did not put about 10,000 balloons behind their goal & a point is better than nowt. The people having a go at Dunne lay off, in recent games a few have gone off the boil. Dont forget Dunne has played practically every game this season & was ever present last season,it was bound to catch up with him at some stage. At least if Benjani comes we will have a boost up
front to go with Sturridge who has taken his chance superbly.
leave Sturridge alone for the time being I WANT THE FA YOUTH CUP IN THE CABINET.BENJAMI AND ELANO UP FRONT? THAT IMPRESSES ME GEATLY!
City have lacked guile against lesser clubs like Sheffield and Derby. A common factor in the early success this season was the presence of Garrido.
I know the form of Key players has affected us but the skill of Garrido going forward when he has been used as a sub has impressed me.
I think we need to use Corluka and Garrido as wing backs again, these positions are vital in the modern game and these players have the skill and passing ability which give us better shape and more attacking options.
P.S. I thought Garrido had great game against Derby!!
anglo-saxon rcfc, Raleigh, North Carolina, in exile: You have made an excellent point again re the lack of organization and even coherency in our recent play. When did Sven, Hans, et al. stop coaching this group? I'd love to be able to view a couple of training sessions just to see what they are or are not doing in them. Yesterday's switch to a 4-4-2 is a good thing, methinks. We need to be able to play in that formation, regardless of the disposition of all our injured/former strikers. Not sure we have the midfield crew to play it consistently, either. We need someone like a Poulsen or an Appiah or a Veloso in central midfield. Let's hope that with some rest, we can rediscover the arts of passing and defending.
Phil Scroatamento
Good evening shmuck