Paul Merson told Soccer Saturday Man City are not top-four material after watching them blowing it at Burnley.
Merse far from impressed as moneybags City blow it
Manchester City 3-3 Burnley
Soccer Saturday analysis
Paul Merson rubbished Manchester City's top-four credentials after watching them blow a lead before being held by Burnley.
Mark Hughes' expensively-assembled side fell behind early on to a Graham Alexander penalty and a second from Steven Flather, but hit back either side of half-time through Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kolo Toure and Craig Bellamy.
But a succession of wasted chances then allowed the Clarets to snatch an unlikely point through sub Kevin McDonald three minutes from time.
It rounded off an entertaining game, but for Merson confirmed that they might have the forwards to challenge for a Champions League place, but not the defence.
"They're not top-four material for me; they're all over the place," he told
Soccer Saturday.
"They just go for it, they go and just play and you can't do that. It's a big pitch at Man City and they all just bomb forward.
"Toure, I don't think he's a great defender, I don't think Lescott is a great defender. In fact the four at the back are not great defenders and until they get some protection - and they don't get and because (Stephen) Ireland bombs forward, Barry bombs forward and they've got Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right - it doesn't matter if you've got the best four defenders in the world; if your midfielders all bomb forward you are going to get isolated and have people running at you. And that's what happened today."
Ruthless
"They weren't ruthless enough. They thought they could turn up, thought it was Burnley and they were going to wipe the floor with them. Fair play to Burnley though, they went 3-2 down but never gave up."
The point was Burnley's first on the road in six attempts and leaves them sat proudly in 10th spot, just four points behind City.
They looked well set for a first away win at half-time but, says Merson, Wright-Phillips' deflected effort just before the break was a turning point, albeit one they eventually recovered from.
"In the first half they were much better and it was only a fluke deflection that took the ball into the corner, yet they kept going for it, going for it," he said.
"But Man City should've wrapped the game up. The top, top teams do that - and you've got say it's a good result for Liverpool.
"They just kept digging in and digging in and they could easily have given up because they were 2-0 up and then 3-2 down because they have been slaughtered away from home - but they kept going.
"This is terrible result for Man City though, shocking."
