RESURGENT Nick Weaver insists Manchester City's confidence hasn't been shattered by the Monday night defeat at Reading.
And the Blues keeper, whose brilliant form is sure to leave Sweden No 1 Andreas Isaksson on the sidelines for a little longer, is adamant that there is no self-pity in the camp after losing a game they should have won.
Instead Weaver, who was City's man of the match with three stunning saves and some impressive handling, reckons the lessons have been learned and adds that the players are already focusing on Sunday's short trip to Blackburn.
"We worked really hard and came away with nothing when we perhaps deserved something - but that's football," said long-serving Weaver, who is heading towards 200 career starts for City after losing more than two seasons to injury.
"Monday was annoying, because we know it was a game we should have won. But there is no point dwelling on it, except to take out the positives and make sure we don't repeat mistakes.
Disappointed
"We're very disappointed because, with no disrespect to Reading, those are places that we should be visiting and at least getting a point. They were points that went begging.
"What we can take from the game is that, at times, we passed the ball very well and played some very good stuff. Reading didn't really open us up until the last 10 minutes, when we were a man down and chasing an equaliser."
Weaver won back his place in the starting XI after nearly five years out of the top-flight limelight when é2m new boy Isaksson needed a minor ankle operation after arriving from Rennes.
He is now holding down the slot on merit and has no plans to be shifted.
The 27-year-old has returned to the iconic status he achieved with Blues fans in his early days at the club as a raw teenager helping City through the divisions.
Pearce would be a brave man to axe the keeper, even when Isaksson declares himself fit, and the manager has hinted that will not happen while Weaver remains in top form.
"I have four goalkeepers all performing well at the moment and that is utopia for a manager," reckoned the City chief.
Progress
"Nick has been terrific, Joe Hart is progressing well and all the reports suggest that Kasper Schmeichel is performing well on loan at Bury.
"I like tough calls such as the one Nick is giving me, because it means more than one player is doing well in a position."
Weaver, meanwhile, is sticking to the old adage of taking one game at a time and enjoying every minute on the pitch, though he admits he would have liked a couple more points from the opening quartet of matches.
"What has gone has gone and now we have to turn our minds to Blackburn on Sunday," declared the former England Under-21 star.
"They will be tough opponents. They have had an indifferent start to the season and will be determined but so will we.
"Our confidence in our ability to have a good season has not been knocked out of us by the loss to Reading.
"We fancy ourselves and we will be well prepared for Sunday's game.
"Blackburn will be chasing their first win of the season and we will be out to make sure that they do not get it."
Has Weaver's form surprised you? Have your say.
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With only one goal from the penalty spot in three games, the team has got to find the back of the net, shoot on sight
with accuracy and power.
Come on you BLUES!
Less talk and more action please. Starting at Blackburn.
form is temporary, class is permanent. weaver has always been class! and he just so happens to be in form.
come on city, put one over the wollybacks, and let me go into work on monday head held high
It concerns me greatly that we played very well, passed nice, should have won, very unlucky not to get anything out of the game etc which reflects our control of the game. And yet, our man of the match was the goalie (no disrespect to NW as I thought he was magnificent). It just doesn't add up.
Weaver has done very well, I'm pleased he has proved me wrong.Just about the only positive thing about the season so far.As far as bouncing back is concerned,when was the last time this lot bounced back from a poor result? It's all talk,spin and PR. Pearce does it,the players do it and I'm sick of hearing it after games like the Reading one(ie the last 15 games). I'd rather they just shut up and play with some conviction,I just can't stand this stench of capitulation that has been hanging around this once proud club since last terms FA cup debacle. I don't mind us losing(well I do actually) as much as the manner in which we lose.
pearce out
The only place we'll be bouncing back ti is th'owd 1st division.
bounce back? Nope - bad mentality. If as a team they're thinking there's something to be bounced back from then their confidence is already too low. The fact is they've been affected by this defeat because it highlights real problems at the club - they are unable to score from open play and unable score from set-pieces. They can't score, simple as that. The ball isn't going in the net - that's something Pearce needs to address. It's not just confidence, there's something more fundamental. The passing was good on Monday but for all the "shots" on target we never looked like scoring. We are looking woeful infront of goal and if that is not the prime concern for Pearce then something is wrong. I'm not too worried myself. If we get relegated I'll still support the club no matter what but the people in charge and the people who've put money into the club are going to lose their investment - they're the ones who need to be worrying.
It's great to see Weaver back. I am really pleased for him. No disrespect is intended to him when I say we need results, not more talk.
Congratulations to Nick, after all he's been through he deserves a chance, and he's done very well. So now, Andreas Isaksson, he's the same height as Peter Crouch, heavier than Crouch, and we have 4 strikers who can't score. The rubbish crosses we have delivered so far have been too high for the forwards to head properly. And Pearce once played David James (2 inches shorter) as Centre Forward. Could this be the answer? Let's say he's on the bench on Sunday, and as usual we are 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go in an away game. It may happen. Some people who make these decisions think Claudio Reyna is a left winger, that Ben Thatcher was a little unlucky, and that Andy Cole would have retired if he hadn't been allowed to join Portsmouth. After all Isaksson is City's joint second top scorer...
i have to hold my hands up and say that i've been surprised and also say that the one man that called it was hince. i'm not his biggest fan but he did write an article saying how good weaver was and we all castigated him for it. this time though he looks to have got it spot on. shame on us for doubting weaver - memories are coming flooding back of penalty heroics and a bizzare weaving, weaver run at wembley.
This fella is a true, loyal City legend already. Everybody goes on about Dickovs goal against Gillingham, that only earned us extra time, Weaver saved us in the penalties! He will make the England squad so long as he stays fit. All this makes you wonder where Andy Cole got his silly ideas from about pompey. We sold a keeper who isn't better than Nicky and 11 years older than Isaakson.
theres only 1 NICKY WEAVER, only 1 NICKY WEAVER..!!!!!!! city number 1 again:D
To anyone with comments about returning to the Championship.........Please stay away, MCFC has always had NEGATIVITY and the one thing we seem to lack is POSITIVITY so if you have any comments please make them worthwhile otherwise go and support some other team including you Andy from France
I feel smug. I said he was a class premiership keeper and i was ridiculed for saying it by most of you lot.
Come on Weaver! - the jobs yours for keeps!
This might come as a shock, but if he continues to play like he is then surely an England call is on the cards! It may sound daft, but just look at the lack of competition!!!!! Carson, Kirkland, James, Green!!! Who on current form would you have?
As long as we remain completely lightweight upfront, with a bunch of strikers who don't appear to care between them (coz they are on a nice little earner anyaway), prima donnas who believe in themselves far more than the club, and also continue to have a management team devoid of tactical awareness, the only place we are going to bounce is at the foot of the table.
SP needs a mentor, a bit like El Tel for Robson when at Boro, otherwise we are going nowhere.
What no Corradi press release?
You've got your premiership pay day pal now start doing what you are paid for and score goals.
Fancy selling off your primary goal scorer and not replacing him. Shades of Anelka who himself was never replaced. Shawny scored more goals than any of our so-called strikers but of course we didn't spend any of the money to replace him.
Fire the Bean-Counter! Mackintosh out.
There are plenty of other teams that have had a poor start to the PL season who were expected to do well. Not one has sacked the manager / replaced the board and are probably not even considering it.
Lets give Pearce time and the current regime time to get it right. We've brought in new players that will take a number of games to gel and we're still to see Beasley and Trebelsi play 90 minutes, both of which will considerably improve our attacking capability down the wings and supply the crosses. I admit we don't look like scoring, but for christ sake we're only four games into a new season and we've played Arsenal and Chelsea.
I would like to see Sturridge on the bench. I know he's only 16 but from I've seen in the reserves and youth side he looks like he's got the raw talent to score a bag full (goal in the Youth Cup Final was a touch of class!)
Lets back the manager, club and players and if we're in trouble after 10 games we can start asking questions. Until then I think they all deserve the benefit of the doubt!
I hope we all keep turning out in numbers and give the side maximum vocal support.
Oh and Weaver has always had class, he just hasn't had any luck!
geordie blue were in newcast6le are you?
I'd be happy wiv 11 Nicky Weavers, we wouldn't look like scoring but thats nothing new! Gotta agree wiv these posts about SP talking too much, still rate him but its about time we saw some end product and start scoring. We could have had 99.9% possesion against Reading, if you ain't gonna score whats the point. Take a chance Pearce n go wiv 3 up front including Sam. Who's gonna get our goals this season?
Glad to see some people who slagged Weaver are owning up to it. I've said before that he is one of the best young keepers that I have ever seen. He's demonstrated already this season that his ability is pretty much still in tact. He still have to prove himself at Premier League level over an extended period but fro me the big question is can his knee hold up? If only we had this strength in depth throughout the squad.
Maybe yours hasnt Nicky but mine has. COME ON YOU BLUES .See you all there on sunday plenty of beer and noise rewarded with 3 points
bounce back? mmmmm we have heard that phrase before on many occassions!!!! yes our strike force is lightweight and in essence USELESS,our midfield lack creativity and controlled aggression they all lack a winning mentality, mmm who's fault is it? PEARCE of course please go Stuart before the situation becomes irreverseable!!!!!compare SPs last 42 games to Keegan's and you'll discover KK has a better record!
Nicky has mostly been playing very well, but ready for England? Some may disagree, but NW should have made contact with the ball for both the Reading goal and the similar goal from Chelski. There were both good kicks, but any ball placed in those areas should be the keepers. Against Chelski we would have lost anyway and NW actually kept the score what it was, but against Reading it would have changed the game entirely. Mistakes like that cost us games and hopefully Isakkson will not make the same ones.