Man City

They have just been beaten in a friendly by Arsenal. Sure, we've had some miserable pre-season performances, but their result is quite illuminating for several reasons;

1. They played a pretty much full strength team, even their replacements are the usual candidates, and the newbies played as they probably will versus us.

2. The pace and movement of Arsenal tore them apart (particularly Walcott and Ramsey, who Arsenal fans struggle to rate). Mancini was very defensive at Citeh, to the point where he probably cost them the title last year, or at least a title push. This year things appear to be different stylistically, and the best way to play them might well be hitting on the counter regularly with actual pace, rather than trying to "Stoke" them. We need wing play, and incisive forward play. Glad we've been sorting this so readily in the window

-------------Cisse-------------

--Ben Arfa---------------Gouffran


-------------Cabaye-------

------------Tiote--Sissoko----

--Santon--Colo---Mbiwa----Debuchy

--------------Krul----------------

That would be my 11 for the game. I don't especially rate Obertan, but I'm glad he's still here because we need the pace and he could be deployed usefully, and he should be coming on second half (in truth, I'd be tempted to drop Cisse to the bench and start Gabby upfront, because I think he'll cause more problems than Cisse lurching about). Marv to come on second half too if we are a goal down, Anita on if we're level or by some major miracle, a goal up! Seeing as Saylor didn't start tonight, I assume he's not starting vs City.

I think sitting back deep when we have possession will be suicide, though, and we need to employ similar tactics to Chris Hughton's first away game against them when we came up. If Remy can play that's helpful, but I've heard he can't. We desperately could do with another striking option and more pace on the flanks. But alas, we say the same year after year after year after year...

3. Arsenal are not by any stretch of the imagination a defensively impressive team. They put pressure on the ball, but are vulnerable in key areas outside the box, and lets be honest their defense is usually weak as piss when challenging in the air. Yet they restricted City's danger-men pretty well. I think between Taylor, Colo and Yanga Mbiwa we actually have a capable defensive line-up, hopefully issue free and ready to start the season well. To me they are as capable as the Arsenal defence, and should employ similar tactics to close off space for the more creative Man City players.

4. We might have obvious weaknesses, especially in front of goal and consistency in the middle, but Man City aren't going to be at their best in the first game either. It's probably the best time we could play them. If we get spanked, we know where this season is going.

I will add that I'm very concerned Ameobi is playing in everyone of our friendly games. Unless he is going to be used this season, that's utterly farcical, and it's utterly farcical to play him at all this season... What an utterly farcical paradox.

 

That team looks good enough to win, they're actually starting to look as if they know each other and we could have a better season than most of us expected. Even Shola has been playing quite decent and he scored a cracker against Blackpool.

 

I'm quite determined to be down about our chances this year, but when you look through the squad and the missing European fixtures, we really should do better. If we brought in a quality left back and another striker (Cisse can't be the main man to power us up the league in my opinion), we'd be good top 8 contenders, better still if e get another winger to make absolutely sure Jonas has played his last game for us. But for me we'll scrape top 10 this year, or at least flirt with it, make it buy us some meals, get to that deal clinching final date, then insist we're not ready for a stable relationship and back out.

Also... If Shola starts, or even gets in the squad for Man City, I'd rather have JFK as manager again than persist with Pardew (I'd rather have neither, for the record). There's just no excuse. Last season we had striker troubles and playing him was barely excusable (and I still think he has a game left in him at lower league level), but even with that categorically not sorted for this season, the younger ones coming through would be more useful this year for us. We can't afford to carry a passenger and play hoofball with the rest of the squad the way it is, it just won't work.

 

Man City are a car crash waiting to happen.

 

But are they a Hummer, and are we an uninsured Ford Ka?

 

We're talking Skoda vs Sherman.

Are you working next Saturday?

 

Very probably fella

I've not been booked to work next weekend, but I'll more than likely be press ganged during the week. Hopefully not though, it'd be nice to watch us get humped on a ****ty internet link.

 

We have no Chance because pardew Is a bad Manager for a variety of reasons .

 

Very true

 

Sounds like the kind of thing Tash would watch.

 

Pre season means jack ****. They also went 5-0 up against AC Milan in half an hour. We'll get smashed.

 

Most likely. The only benefit of playing them first match is that nobody is properly into their stride yet as a team, so we might just catch them on an off day. But not likely.

 

Thought we were playing on the monday and not saturday?

 

Never understood this attitude to be honest. It clearly doesn't, otherwise they wouldn't have one!

The purpose is to prepare fitness, tactics and mentally for the Premier League season. While results are often seen as being unimportant, I'd suggest no manager is saying to his team before a pre-season friendly, "Let's lose this game lads so nobody is onto how good we are". Therefore when they lose a pre-season game there's a certain amount of calibration and reflection that is absolutely worthwhile.

Arsenal are Premier League opposition who also put out a really good side, and they outclassed City and showed their weaknesses. What's more, they did it with only a few DAYS left til the start of the season. This is when pre-season preparation is supposed to be culminating in early season readiness. Note how we played versus Braga.

If Man City had torn Arsenal apart and won 6-0, I'd guarantee the "it's only pre-season" attitude wouldn't exist and the board would be ****ting it's pants.

Pre-season games are POINTLESS, they don't win you anything unless you beat the FA Cup or Premier League winners, but they certainly aren't meaningless. Certainly you can find us having pre-seasons where we've tanked and then done well in the league and conversely, done well in pre-season then tanked in the league (due to poor fixture selection pre-season it must be stated). However, the point is to be tested and fix the errors. With days left til our fixture, Man City have little time to fix theirs.

 

The results give you little indication how a season will go is what I meant. Clearly they mean something. You get your base fitness for a season and managers work on all sorts of things from tactics to shape etc etc. However players never go full tilt pre season or in friendlies in general. How a manager prepares a team mentally for a competitive fixture is very different. You never want to lose any game but a quick look through all the PL teams pre seasons results (against a variety of opposition) tells you all you need to know. Results are meaningless and whilst you like to see good performance levels, its still pretty insignificant. Come game time Monday, the Arsenal game will mean jack ****. I'd love us to get something but I'd be very surprised if we don't get taken to the cleaners.

 

I've got a feeling that nice Mr Pardew will outwit his Man City counterpart and we'll win 3-1.

 

I honestly believe we'll do well to get ZERO.

Let's get it out the way, write off the result and pretend the season starts a week later!

 

Team that will start:

GK: Krul

RB: Santon
CB: Colo
CB: Taylor
LB: Mbiwa

DM: Cabaye
DM: Tiote

LW: Jonas
AM: Sissoko
RW: HBA

ST: Cissé

 

Nobody mentioned Anita, think he's close to a call up.

 

Will Jonas be fit? Thought he picked up a knock against Braga.