After that first effort at West Ham, a lot of noise was made about making changes for the Man City game. Let's face it, Connolly was dire in that first game, and the Caulker/Turner CB pairing looked shaky at best, but there were reasons. Bellamy was next to hopeless defensively supporting Connolly, and the CBs were paired for the first time against a very good West Ham unit. Medel and Gunnar similarly had no experience of each other as defensive midfielders and Fraizer was hung out to dry by an ineffective supply chain. Calls were made Brayford and Hudson to be brought in at the expense of Connolly and Turner - even the local rags ran a "selection poll" to advise Malky. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23842797 All I can say is thank God Malky didn't listen. He stuck with what he thought were the right choices with only the suspended Tayls coming back for Declan. The Everton game? More of the same please Malky - don't be tempted to switch from that 5 man midfield with Fraizer up front. Everton may not be the quality side that Man City were, but to switch from that starting 11 could be a mistake. Suggestions for Cornelius to start alongside Fraizer in a 4-4-2 have been mooted, but I wouldn't at this stage. You can't take anyone out of that pivotal mid 5 - or could you? Maybe I'll throw one possibly controversial suggestion into the ring. For all the emotion, I've not been overly impressed by Bellers so far. To bench him would seem harsh, but I'd like to see Noone out wide to give us some width and have a go down the Everton flanks. For all the hype, are Baines and Coleman really that good? Just my opinion though - anyone else with a view?
Really hopeful we wont be facing Fellani or Baines this weekend. Same 11 to start, I thought Bellers was much improved over the WH performance. I'd like to see Noone given his PL chance at some stage tough. I do think Cornelius could swap with Bellers and and push Kim out to the right if MM does want to get 2 strikers on. He must be thinking of 2 up front if we're talking to Finnbogason surely.
Got to be honest Spark, I was quite vocal about Huds replacing Turner for that one for two reasons, experience and leadership. I think most saw that we were left wanting in the captaincy role at Boleyn because Bellars commands seemed mostly ignored. Sunday I saw certain players stepping up to the mark and becoming more vocal, even Medel seemed to be ranting and gesturing to stay focussed to his cohorts, though as a non English speaker God only knows what he was ranting. I would continue with basically the same team, but if anyone was to be the sacrificial lamb and benched for me it would be Whitts, and only because he still tends to back off too much in the tackle.
Agree about Whitts being vulnerable. His tackles did seem a bit half-hearted. He's never been the fastest thing on two legs, and he makes up for that with skill, but my God, he didn't half seem slow to me on Sunday. He reads the game well, but his pace over the ground is very poor.
The conundrum that is Whitts huh, Fantastic dead ball from corners and free kicks, outstanding passing range. One paced and cant tackle, will never beat a man with a bit of skill either. He had a good game Sunday though as did Bellers they both got back and helped their fullbacks.
But he doubled up with Tayls and Navas hardly got a look in and was subbed. There was one incident in front of the Ninian Stand where Whitts dived in and missed ball and man completely but that was out of context with the rest of his game. He will need to be on his mark again next weekend agaisnt another speed merchant in Mirallas. On the positive side he was regularly available for the out ball from the back or Medel/Gunnar and put several corners right under the cross bar, with Campbell notching from one. Then Cowie did the same from the other side. I thought the same about Bellers. He has definitely lost that yard of pace to get beyond the last defender although it was very noticebale second half that he was making wide, early runs to pull their defence outwide before the telling ball went centrally to Campbell. Bellers will run his heart out for the team but if his legs are failing then he won't be able to do that all season. Perhaps he could be subbed earlier to bring on Noone and a fresh, speedy pair of legs. Hope Bellers scores one soon. That will make him the first player to score for 7 different Prem clubs!!!!
OS, Baines and Coleman are that good. City will be starved of possession. Everton had 70% V Norwich. It will be a mightily difficult fixture. As for the City team selection, I still think Connelly is a weak link when up against a winger who takes him on the outside. Our full backs do not get up the pitch do they much? By comparison how many times was Phil Jones in the Chelsea final 1/3 last night? Would like to see City buy an experienced limpet like full back. Opponents will surely soon wise up to our midfield tactics. Whittingham is wasted out wide - no pace, and no opportunity to pass. Gunnarsson was unbelievable on sunday as were & Medel. As for up front, Cornelius has to start eventually but he'll be no use with balls just pumped up to him from the back, he will need crosses from the by line. Overall I think he'll go for the same 4-5-1 approach & personnel.
Man City would have been wised up to our defensive tactics, it's certainly not the first time those players have seen 2 banks of 4 in front of them. Don't under estimate how brilliant the organisation was to keep an incredibley dangerous attack to just a few efforts on goal. If Witts doesn't play wide he has to be dropped as he can't replace Medel or Gunnar and Kim bo's pace and ability to step away from a man is integral to the position he plays. Witts had 4 efforts at goal v WH. 2 v Man City and an assist. He kept the left side locked down with Taylor, the week before MC had demolised Newcastle down the left via Navas. If Witts keeps averaging 2-3 shots a game the goals will soon follow.
The weak link in the Citeh team on Sunday was the cover for Kompany. Anyone like to hazard a guess based upon their first two fixtures, where a possible weakness can be exploited in the likely Everton team?
The other weak link was Fernandinho. Man City fans must have looked at him and Medel and wished they had 'Pitbull.' As for Everton's weak links? Struggling to find any TBH. They battered WBA but couldn't score; maybe conceding 2 to Norwich can show how they can be got at. Hopefully Fellini will be a Man U player by then
I would go with same team. I think you have to although i'm still worried about connelly but fair play he had a good game. bellers was much improved from the WH game. its already been pointed out but be a great boost if fellaini and baines are gone-not that we need much boosting right now but every little helps.
Jog my memory wasn't there a recently retired player with the same attributes ? Witts just needs a funny haircut, a few tattoos and to score from inside his own half and that's England midfield sorted.
Will the real Matthew Connolly please stand up. The one from the West Ham game will cost us dearly, the one from the Man City game will do the job. Stick with the same setup with a view to mix it up if need be, they all deserve to be in the starting 11, no doubt about that. Perhaps its a testament to the other players and how they have stepped up their game as to Bellamy not showing as prominent as he was a year ago, always a 100% player but perhaps no longer for a 100% of the game.
I think an unchanged line up will be the order of the day. Sunday was a massive improvement on the West Ham game and as Sparkey said it will allow partnerships to develop. I thought the Medel - Gunnarson partnership will work out just fine. Caulker and Turner will develop a better understanding and I believe Huds may see more bench this season. I think our problem will be consistency, last season we saw some top draw performances but we also saw games like Ipswich. We will get punished more severely in the premiership and will find it harder to overturn a deficit, I know Man city were ahead, as teams in the premier generally have a better defence.
