Pearce happy with Wright-Phillips return
Stuart Pearce is confident Shaun Wright-Phillips will improve on last night’s impressive return to arms by the time Manchester City face Blackburn on Saturday.
On his first start since a six-week lay-off following a knee operation, Wright-Phillips provided the inventive spark that saw City record a 3-0 win - their biggest Premiership triumph since August.
The result took them within four points of an unlikely UEFA Cup spot, while enhancing Pearce’s claims of landing the manager’s job on a full-time basis.
And Pearce is predicting Blackburn will be the next to suffer when he takes his team to Ewood Park at the weekend.
“Shaun is not fully there yet,” said Pearce.
“He has been out for a few weeks but I felt it was the right time to bring him back.
“I am sure he will be sharper for the game and I expect him to be better again on Saturday.”
Wright-Phillips may not have got his name on the scoresheet, or even been credited with an assist, but his pace and trickery helped unhinge a Birmingham defence that otherwise would probably have held out for a 0-0 draw.
Instead, the home side were able to take advantage of two slices of good fortune at the start of the second period.
First, Clinton Morrison had a goal disallowed for an offside Bruce felt was debatable. Then, Robbie Fowler saw his header bounce back off a post, strike Maik Taylor on the back and roll into the Birmingham net.
Once in front, City never looked back.
Richard Dunne brushed off a weak challenge from woeful visitors’ striker Emile Heskey to nod home a second before Antoine Sibierski converted a late penalty to secure back-to-back home wins for only the third time since the switch to Eastlands in 2003.
“I was pretty disappointed with our first-half performance,” said Pearce.
“We didn’t impose ourselves as much as I hoped. But we stuck at it, produced a bit more quality and got the goals.
“But while the performance wasn’t the best, we can’t complain at the result.”
City chairman John Wardle has pledged not to rush into an appointing a permanent successor to Kevin Keegan, preferring to wait until the dust has settled in the summer before he makes a final decision.
But unless Martin O’Neill suddenly decides to leave Celtic, it is virtually inconceivable Wardle will look elsewhere, although Pearce is just concentrating on trying to gain the maximum number of points from a four-game run-in that includes tussles with fellow European contenders Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.
“We have four games left and the aim is to try and win them all,” said Pearce.
“If we can do that, we will just have to see where it takes us.”
While Pearce was in celebratory mood, Bruce could only complain at the offside decision he felt cost Birmingham any chance of the win they needed to raise hopes of equalling last season’s 10th-place finish.
“There is supposed to be daylight between the players and I didn’t see any,” moaned Bruce.
“In that situation the forward is supposed to get the decision. I didn’t feel he was offside but the linesman shot his flag up and changed the whole game.”
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