Having watched Liverpool outplay City for much of this afternoons game I'm positive we can get a result next week but who should play? Defence picks itself and Jrod I think deserves to stay up front with Rickie. So the questions are about which four in midfield. Do we start with Adam and Gaston alongside Cork and Morgan or should Davis, JWP or even maybe Guly get a shot? Views
Davis in for Ramirez, otherwise the same. Davis has been outstanding since Poch came in and deserves a start. I think we can give them a real go and I too am slightly optimistic about this one, but I won't build my hopes up.
This s the sort of game Gaston should really excel in and be really up for. However, bringing Steve Davis on in the last 2 matches has made a positive difference - maybe he should be on from the start? So many choices to make! In cricket, Geoff Boycott often says 'what would the oposition least like you to do?' I think if you are a Man City defender, you don't want to see Rickie Lambert winning headers with Rodriguez making runs off him - so somehow we need to get them working together in a formation.
Davis and Lallana in for Gaston and Punch for me. Partly riding the form horses, partly tweaking the formation a touch with Davis playing a bit deeper than Gaston. And they should be good impacts off the bench so win/win.
If Guly is back fit, then this would be my team: Boruc Clyne - Yoshida - Hooiveld - Shaw Davis - Schneiderlin - Cork Guly - Lambert - Lallana If we're still in the game after an hour we have options on the bench with Puncheon & Ramirez to change the game. EDIT - completely forgot about Rodriguez, so him in instead of Guly.
Oh yeah, forgot about Lallana! Lallana and Davis in. Ramirez and Punch out. I think they could both do a job from the bench
Will Fonte be ready? I'd like to see him back with Maya. I have a bad feeling they are going to make Jos look bad and take a pen when they go past him. As for the midfield I think Davis should start. Punch on the right with Clyne and Lallana on the left.
Lallana on the left, Rodriguez on the right, Gaston in the number 10 role. Cork/Schneiderlin playing their typical role.
Forren's got to be fit enough to feature somehow next week. off topic, I'm going to the Bompey Pompey game next week.
I definitely do not agree with leaving Ramirez out for this game. This is exactly the kind of game we want him for. I have no idea which defenders will actually be available, but I'd like to see a midfield and attack like this: Cork Schneiderlin Rodriguez Ramirez Lallana Lambert Attack and press high up from the start. City won't like that judging by today's performance.
Anyone think we could bench Lambert and bring him on in the second half? It worked in the reverse fixture!
Personally my team is: Boruc Clyne Yoshida Hooiveld Shaw Cork - Schneiderlin Puncheon - Davis - Lallana Lambert We will need to counter as Liverpool did yesterday. Everytime Suarez, Sturridge or Gerrard got the ball, everyone ran forward and the Man City defence was no where to be seen. Liverpools defence was shocking but Man City didnt have any ideas to really break it down and both Barry and Garcia wanted to force it by pushing forward, perfect space for Davis to run into and Lambert to drop deep into. We can guarantee that Milner will be starting with Zabaleta behind him, so Lallana and Shaw on that side as both have exceptional work rates, and Schneiderlin can help out. My ideas? Get 6 men behind the ball. Davis, Puncheon and Lallana are all very hard workers (this season more-so) and can really push their midfield about, while Cork will be better against Toure than James Ward Prowse (nothing wrong last night though) I think Lambert will exploit the wings better than Rodriguez when Zaba and Clichy venture forwards, even though Rod is the more mobile. I'm going for a heavy loss, as our defence doesnt look as organised as it does with Fonte. Im hoping Forren comes in and really pushes his authority and makes the spot his own, because we need that sorta figure. As much as I love Fonte, he's not the most commanding imo. We'll give City a good game though and it might not be till last second half when City get their goals.
It is very difficult to mark a player with a spark of genius, Aguero can be having a bad game and suddenly, bang a goal from nothing. Clyne must be a doubt as he is out of the Internationals along with Rambo, so we may be struggling for cover in this game.
Bottom line is that if Aguero, Tevez et al are on a going day any defence will struggle. We just have to be positive and press them hard from the whistle. They do leak goals.
Whoever plays on the wings for us will have to be prepared to put in a shift. Zaba and Clichy spend most of the time in opponents half and have the stamina to track back as well. I'd want to play 3 centre mids Schneids, Cork and Davis, but that would leave our striker isolated. Tempted to start with Rodriguez over Lambert, have him do all the running and then bring Lambert on. We have to look for the diagonal ball to the back post to create mismatches for Lambert on either one of Zaba and Clichy, that is City's weakness. Also if Nastasic plays then we would have to exploit that as well. I think we can get a 1-1, and would be happy with a point.
Boruc Clyne - Yoshida - Hooiveld - Shaw Schneiderlin Cork - Davis Rodriguez --------------- Lallana Lambert Subs: K.Davis, Forren, Fox, Ramirez, Ward-Prowse, Mayuka, Lee I guess that's the best we can do, I'd rather play Davis deeper than Ramirez to shore up the midfield, and JRod has been excellent recently.
-------------Boruc Clyne-Yoshida-Hoovield-Shaw ------Cork----Schneiderlin -Rodriguez-Ramirez--Lallana--- ------------Lambert------------
