It was the fifth time in succession that the Sky Blues have fallen to defeat away from home and the City boss found little comfort after Arsenal brushed his team aside with ease.

The score-line was only kept to 3-0 by the heroics of veteran keeper Steve Ogrizovic, but fiery Scot Strachan rounded on the rest of his team.

He said:

"That was no good. It was no good for our fans, for me as a manager and for the Arsenal fans either it was a non-event as far as I’m concerned.

"They have turned up and seen three goals and gone home again but they haven’t had any excitement and that is what the game is about.

"We had two shots in the first half and about the same in the second. I just consider this to be a waste of a game and a waste of a week’s training."

However, Strachan was quick to praise Arsenal for their display and admitted that his side were outclassed.

He said:

"We played a more intelligent, a quicker and a better side than us and we got beaten. People ask me why our form has dipped since we beat Everton and Bradford, well sometimes you come up against a better side.

"Having said that I expected the team I fielded to be capable of getting something from the game, whether that be a win or a draw but as it happens they didn’t come close."

The only consolation the former Manchester United man could draw from the game was the individual form of two or three players.

"John Eustace and Youssef Chippo did their job in the centre of midfield and Cedric Roussel worked well up front, but they were offered little help.

"Obviously Steve Ogrizovic did himself proud. I had no doubt that he was capable of that, you should see him in training, he’s magnificent, a great credit to himself.

"He is a great servant to this club and always has been, he was as nervous as a schoolboy when he found out that he would be in but that just shows his enthusiasm."

Strachan also warned City fans and players alike not to expect Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane to single-handedly banish their blues on his expected return next week.

He said:

"Robbie is an exceptional player who is capable of something special, but he cannot save us by himself, the whole team has to play well."
   

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