No respite in long-running quest for silverware

The City kit manager and former Latics star writes every week for Chron Sport
MANCHESTER City’s 1-1 draw with Fulham at Eastlands was a disappointing result, and we did not produce a particularly good performance.

It was a struggle and we were missing key players in Vincent Kompany, Nigel De Jong, Adam Johnson and David Silva.

Fulham are a decent side — Mark Hughes’ men were always going to be a harder proposition than they were at Craven Cottage in November, when we won 4-1.

The games are coming thick and fast and it is not going to let up any time soon, with Aston Villa in the FA Cup fifth round tomorrow, Wigan in the league this weekend and a trip to Dynamo Kiev the following Thursday.

That said, we need to win home games against sides in the bottom half of the table.

We must pick up maximum points against Wigan because there are several tough away trips ahead of us.

Hopefully some of the injuries clear up sooner rather than later to give us a timely boost.

Our well-publicised quest to end the silverware drought makes tomorrow’s game a big one. The fans are so desperate to see us win something and we have a genuine chance of lifting the FA Cup.

If we defeat Gerard Houllier’s men, we will face Everton or Reading at Eastlands in the quarter-finals.

Personally, I believe a top-four finish is the most important goal this term.

However, I have never been to a Wembley cup final with any of my clubs, so it would be wonderful to do so with City.

I went to the final in 1968 when West Brom beat Everton 1-0. I had just signed for Athletic and the club took all the young players down to London. We watched a show the night before, and went to the match the next day.

As a spectator I also saw Athletic lose 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the League Cup final in 1990.

But to go there with my club would be superb. Champions League qualification and a trophy in the cabinet would be a very successful end to the campaign.

Sunday’s League Cup final clashed with the visit of Fulham but I did catch the highlights, and I was pleased to see underdogs Birmingham City beat Arsenal 2-1.

Our goalkeeper, Joe Hart, was on loan at St Andrew’s last season and says manager Alex McLeish is a good guy.

It seems absolutely crazy that there has been talk about the Scot being under pressure and potentially losing his job. I suppose it is the climate we are in.

He has just won their first piece of silverware in decades and, in doing so, taken them into Europe.

I am sure they will avoid relegation as well.