Well it will for me because I'm looking forward to seeing the visitors as much if not more than us. When the great Man U teams or Chelsea came to town I looked forward to seeing them but still it was us beating them that was my main motivation. Same with Arsenal and Liverpool but for me City are different. Yes I'm looking forward to seeing how we do against them but I eally am looking forward to seeing them in the flesh, dont have the same resentment that I have with the others. I also think they could really bring out the best in us and I'm looking forward to seeing how O'Neill sets about playing them. No news on Bramble and Bardo but I can see one making it, Bardo, and one not, Titus. If that happens will we see Richardson back at full back and Maclean getting a game? Will Gardner start, he did nothing wrong last week and will it be Bendtner or Wickham. Or if Richardson goes to full back will Sess go to LW and both Bedtner and Wickham start. More questions than answers again.
I will not see this one nor hear nothing about it, till my return.... Hope i return to reports of a good performsnce.
I don't think Wickham or Bendtner alone will cause Man Citys defence any problems, this is a defence containing Kompany, Richards, Kolo Toure and Clichy. We need to play them both and go for it. Stick ricco left back and keep O'shea and Brown in the middle, they look like they have a good understanding. Sess to left wing.
I think that it will take a performance of sheer effort and commitment if we are going to get anything out of this game....if we start to win the 50/50 balls and get at them, then the crowd will respond and then anything can be possible...
We will win 2-1...... Sess will tear the defence to bits. Brown will have Aguero in his back pocket. Cattermole will snap Yaya & Barry... and Larrson will whip in a free-kick. Have faith!
Hate to say this as it goes against everything I said against Bruce but, we need a fast skilful player up front and the only player that fits that bill is Sess. Man City in defence certainly at CBs are as slow as ours are and rely on their positional play and the fact that their midfield is very very good, so keeping the opposition on the back foot. Playing Sess as a second striker alongside Bendtner or Whickham if fit (and not behind them a la Bruce) could keep City pinned back enough for us to give them a scare, could!
Personally, after the weekends performance, if Wickham is fit Bendtner would be last on the squad list for me. And only because he's the only other fit striker we have! I've watched Wickham a few times and he causes defences problems. He's big, quick, good on the ball and confident. Bendtner pissed me off so many times on Monday. He blatantly is capable bit seemingly doesn't give a ****.2 or 3 times at the weekend he could have taken a shot but decided not to and wasted the opportunity. Play Wickham and Sessegnon for me. Bendtner on the bench
Any idea what has happened to Noble? he seemed to be on the verge of getting a game a few weeks back but now seems to have disappeared.
Well he hasn't been in the reserve team for a few games... Maybe the rumours of him being a d**k are true and MON has seen this.
If we get stuck into Man City giving them no time to play with the silky skill we know they have we can upset them and perhaps come away with a point or in our wild dream moments three points. When City played Chelsea a couple of weeks ago they were allowed lots of time and space for the first 25 minutes and they looked unbeatable. However, Chelsea got stuck into them and they did not like it and looked very uncomfortable. My team would be Westwood Gardner Brown O'Shea Bardsley Larrson Cattermole Colback McLean Sess Whickham Alternatively play Whicham and Bendtner up front with Sess on the left and bring on McLean for the last 30 minutes when the City back four are getting tired.
How you set up and the tactics employed will tell you an awful lot about martin oneill and his coaching ability. If you set about us as some are suggesting,I think you will lose your shape and get picked off on the break,so far the only teams to get about us and actually make life really difficult we're Chelsea and Liverpool who,without meaning to be insulting,have better players to do that.Quite a few have tried it this season but not been disciplined enough to stop us playing and got a hiding for it.We are vulnerable to balls in from the flanks and very few teams have tried it,QPR very nearly beat us doing this.WBA were tactically spot on the other day,they crowded out the space between silva,yaya and the forwards and allowed us the ball in front of their wall of defence and we never looked like scoring so it's a question of being disciplined enough to keep really tight against the likelihood of having to concede an awful lot of possession.Should be a good game,looking forward to my visit on Sunday Do you miss Roker Park,always found that place intimidating and never expected anything other than a beating there,which we usually copped for but the SOL doesn't have that fear factor somehow
Try as we may we will never, IMO, recreate Roker Park but do I miss it, in my dreams maybe but not now. The atmosphere has improved a lot under O'Neill but you would expect that. Like I said in the OP I'm looking forward to see your players nd providing we dont get stuffed I cant lose this one, I expect a defeat, a draw would be great and a win, well lets not go there.
I debated for quite a while about Richardson and finally decided on McLean with Richardson on the bench. I thought Gardner and O'Shea were very positive in defence on Monday so I'd leave the defence as we finished against Everton. Gardner also offers the possibility of a goal with his shooting. McLean does create problems when he runs at defenders and is not frightened to go in with a full blooded tackle as we saw against Everton. Richardson is certainly a much improved player on the evidence of the past few games but still has problems with distribution perhaps because of loss of concentration. I'm pleased MON has to make the decisions each week, it can't be easy.
Roker park was one of those away grounds which made you feel up against it just walking in,like Anfield used to and elland rd back in the day
I think the reason Noble hasn't been playing for the reserves is because the last game was against Manchester United, in which he scored 4 goals, on December 8 and the next game is not until January 4 away to Arsenal.