Mind you the genius isn't pulling up trees for Madrid yet. Got an assist yesterday based on the fact that he couldn't reach a header and it flicked off his head on to Benezema's. This is where stats lie!
Apparently Modric is performing amazing(?), lots of people on my twitter feed have been saying how they think he's the best CM in world football right now. I've not watched Madrid as I hate them but it wouldn't surprise me if true, he's an absolute class act - on the pitch.
I think it will be Aguero too, he played the other night, so I'd expect Dzeko in the FA cup at the weekend then Aguero next Wednesday, surprised he used Negredo v Spam though. Anyway back to Daws, he has a poor time v Aguero who turns him inside out at will. Anyone thinking he must have done ok in our 3-1 win last season, Aguero didn't play, it was Tevez and Dzeko. I'm not overly concerned with MF and upfront, the defence bothers me massively though, City won't be coming here like our oppo's of late with their bus. I just hope we're fresh and at it from the start, and they're a bit jaded with 3 games in 8 days plus looking at Chelsea after us, I don't think they're going to steamroller through all those games imo, apart from last night of course. be surprised if they do, and you'd have to tip your hat to them if they did aswell.
Surely Dawson will pick up Negredo and Vlad will be on Aguero? Alright, doesn't make me feel any easier.
City look so clinical in front of goal. Most teams get four or five good chances in a game, but City always seem to take theirs. Their movement in the box had a lackustre Spurs defence chasing shadows in the 0-6 game; Dawson in particular didn't have a clue. Since then most other defences have struggled in the same way, although some teams have had relative success by attacking them rather than looking to contain them. But they've still lost 2-3 or similar. To get a result, Sherwood needs to be inventive. You can't hope to have a good game to beat them; radical tactics are needed. City have won 12 of the last 13 (only Blackburn got a draw) scoring 43 goals. Blackburn had 12 shots from 30% possession; City 14 from 70%. Perhaps the best tactics are to make the most of limited possession by getting the ball forward quickly and getting an effort in on goal. Slow build up play isn't the way.Blackburn brought on two strikers late in the game (Rhodes and DJ Campbell), who are willing runners and each had a few attempts at goal. So fresh legs against their defence late in the game might give them something to think about.
The pair will alternately target Daws all night imo, both have turned him inside out as easily as a sock. As I said further back the only way round this is to starve their supply, there's a hard shift ahead for our team, we've got 10 days prep for it, just one superhuman effort for one night, then who knows.
Yeah, makes you wonder how he could hardly get a game when Mourinho was there... and now the same has happened to Mata at Chelsea. Obviously neither of those players possess some attribute that the special one looks for... or perhaps he just hates midfielders whose name starts with M!
Yeah god knows how neither got/ gets much game time under him. The lucky thing for Mourinho is that even though I think both should be nailed on starters, he has the players to make their losses from the team easy to take. No Mata? Oh here's Hazard, Oscar and Willian. No Modric? Oh here's Xabi Alonso, Ozil (when he was there) and the small matter of the best player in the world who could play for West Ham and still hit 30 goals a season and therefore makes anyone's absence from a team feel less affected.
Dawson's a great leader, and formidable against lesser talents, but I want to cover my eyes when he's faced with top, pacy players. The first goal should be very important. If we get it, it should help our energy levels. If they do, it may start to bring back nightmares. I keep telling myself they're more afraid of us than we are of them. Not that it's true, but surely a game against a 2 ppg team that's won five and drawn one of its last six should give anyone pause. I'm starting to pair this one with the Everton game. Six points is unrealistic, four points would be very good (better if the win is against Everton), three mediocre, and anything less not good enough.
Agree with all of that The only saving grace, is that our defensive line won't be as high under Sherwood as it was with AVB, which should give Dawson more time to make the correct decision. Dawson makes up for his lack of pace with his intelligence and positioning, so hopefully that'll benefit us this time round. or maybe i'm clutching at straws!
Definitely clutching mate I agree Daws is a great reader but as Notso quite rightly said, the pair will target him due to their prior sock-turning performance against him.
Kompany is important for Man City but if you watch him in games he gets turned out fairly easy. Hes been erratic since he returned from injury and their left back kolarov has been slated constantly for the past year by City fans, its only recently since they have became more attacking that hes become fairly important as he has a superb left foot for putting in crosses and supporting the attack. Also if anyone watched MOTD a couple of weeks back Hamman pointed out Yaya Toure does have faults, and he got it spot on as Toure has focused more on his attacking game this year, for which he is superb, the negative of this is that he leaves gaps in midfield. City have areas in midfield and defence which are weak points yet because of their dominance attacking they get overlooked. Much will depend on Sherwood if he looks to exploit their weaknesses as we have the players. Although there is always a chance Aguero will destroy us in a five minute spell and game over!
True tots but Aguero was out injured, before that he was on par with Suarez for his football. Here's hoping he has an off day. Negredo was in hospital for a shoulder Injury. Unsure how serious it is yet.
No Sandro, Vertonghen and Kaboul. We are going to struggle to contain them. I just hope they don't destroy our goal difference again. Hope Ade's form continues, we have to put every chance away.
They're all back in training. No chance for Kaboul, I wouldn't have thought, but not so sure about the others.
Not so sure its the right game to throw JV or YK into for a first one back from injury, Daws and Vlad fills me with dread a bit, but at least they're match fit.
I agree. Just read on the Spurs Twitter feed that Kaboul, Vertonghen, Sandro and Paulinho all played in a behind closed doors friendly today. Beat the Spam 3-0 with Paulinho getting one and Harry Kane the other two. Sandro played one half and the rest put in an hour. Good news.
