I am racking my brain all week thinking of the best formation and 11 players to pick for what is our most important game in years. I have to admit that i just can't settle on either our setup or the best 11 players to play. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. For what it's worth mine are as follows: (i am assuming that Diakite in not playing) We have to be as strong defensively as possible. This will then determine our setup. My guess is not 2 upfront, 1-4-2-3-1. Cisse on the bench. We will not see a lot of the ball, so we must play a player upfront who can hold the ball we do manage to get. Zamora is our best at this. Our midfield 5 will have to be mobile, and i guess MH will pick players with the best engines to chase the City shadows. This is where i get stuck. We have to carry some threat, particularly on the break, we must have some pace in the team. IMHO, i think SWP will start because of this. Our full backs will not venture too far forward, thus the wide players in our midfield will have an enormous amount of running to do. We need Paddy to play a blinder. Fingers crossed. Considering all these thoughts that are destroying my ability to concentrate on anything else, this is the team i would start with: --------Kenny Onouha Ferdy Hill Taiwo ------Derry Barton SWP Mackie Traore -------Zamora IMO Buz should not be considered for this game. SWP may offer us very little going forward but he will chase and run all day. He will need his pace and energy to protect Onouha. To many of you it will seem crazy not to start Adel but I believe in horses for courses. Traore has a better engine, has more pace and will protect Taiwo. I know Adel is undoubtedly our most creative player but i just about give the nod to Traore on this occasion. The minute we go behind, i would bring on Adel and Cisse to obviously give us more of a creative threat and try get us back on even terms. At that stage we might as well loose by 2-3-4 but at least we then have to try and chase the game. I would love to hear your thoughts. I know many will disagree with my team selection, and that's fine, but I am working on the assumption that MH will keep us and the match as tight as possible for as long as possible. All 3 in the middle have great engines and won't allow City to just stroll around the park. If Diakite does play then swap Diakite and Barton in DM. Barton swaps with mackie in CM and Mackie replaces SWP, who drops to the bench.
I think the 2 players we must have are Cisse up front for his pace and ability to score and Adel in midfield because he can keep the balll and create. I'd have Mackie wide right of midfield, Derry, Barton and SWP (if Diakite can't be dosed up) central, and Adel wide left in a 4-5-1 defensively, but getting forward quick on the counter.
Fair points OSLO, but i really think that if/when we start with 1 up front it will be Zamora. MH bought him for his ability to play up front alone. Would love to see Cisse start but can't see it. I dont see him playing in our midfield. 4-2 or 2-3-1 is effectively all the same, ie a 5 man midfield. Think Traore with his engine and pace is perfectly suited for this game. I love Adel, he is our best player. I'm obviously NUTS for not starting him.
We all know that MH will set us up to be defensive. We must have somebody on the bench who can come on and change it if/when we concede. Anyway, thanks, just want to see all your thoughts.
Fully agree Swords, not good enough and really inconsistent. How would you set us up and who would you start with?
How's 'bout a nice 7-4-0-0 formation? That would give each player on the line only 3 and a bit feet each to take care of! AND, bonus, Paddy would be kept nice and warm..... Mackie Derry Ferdy Kenny Hill Taiwo Barton SWP Cisse Zamora Traore
You are probably right MH will choose BZ over Cisse, but I think Cisse is a much greater threat myself. Intersting what El Tell says on another thread - I'd go with that!
Derry's out so I'd go for they usual back four with Mackie Taarabt Barton and Traore - with Cisse sitting in front of them and Zamora up top. Its far from ideal and doesn't even look balanced, certainly not away to City, but if Cisse was instructed to drop off and collect ball from midfield and use his pace then there's a 1 in 100 chance it might work.
I just want to say that in my opinion, trying to keep things too tight will be our undoing. Don't mind El Tel, that Chelsea game was a one in a million. Sunderland had a go at them and scored three. We could get one or two and maybe nick sumfink. Yes keep shape. Yes don't commit too much. Yes give respect. Yes play the simple ball and retain possession. BUT!!! Have belief in your own abilities to score too.
Just as well you're Nuts, NUTS! ( Your namesake, Nutsy, has brought Hibs to a Cup Final. Used to Manage my local side. Hope they win it.)
We are all forgetting Sunderland. If we hold City for the first 20 -30 minutes, news comes in that Sunderland are 1 or 2 up ( O'Neill will hate playing a bit part, will see this as yet another audition for a top job), what does that do to City......they may not have to win, and with an Italian manager will have no worries about slowing it all down....well, I can dream
Ok, here's my pick. Probably based on the wishful thinking that either Samba or Derry are fit. I'll take either on, but please let us have the option of one of them!! Kenny Onhoua, Ferdinand, Hill, Taiwo (sp) Mackie, Derry, Barton, Traore Tarrabt Zamora If neither can play any part, then move Taiwo into midfield, Traore to left back and have SWP or Cisse on the left. I think we need to have Adel's creativity on the park, and Traore would cover the flank better (as would SWP, hence why I'd be tempted to give him the nod over Cisse) and Mackie is the sort of player that will peg their left back a little. God, I can't believe that I've backed SWP to start in our most important game in 15 years. I'm s***ing bricks.
Is Derry definitely out? Hope not or else our midfield will be SO lightweight!! If he's fit: -----------------------Kenny--------------------- Onouha----------Ferdinand----Hill------------Taiwo ----------------Barton--------Derry--------------- Mackie--------------Taarabt----------------Traore ------------------Cisse--------------------------- I don't agree with having Zamora up top, as I believe he'll be murdered by their CBs. Cisse will stretch them with his pace. Play Adel central to give us some decent possession going forward. MH won't pick this though!!
A lot depends on who MH picks and how we play. He has some massive decisions to make. If we go at them and concede, then where do we go from there?, really think it would be better to try and keep it as tight as possible for as long as possible, and then if/when we concede we have a clear plan B in bringing on Adel and Cisse. We must have at least one good option on the bench to change it if/when needed.
NUTS, you're a football man that's for sure. Of the Brian Kerr / Trappatoni mould. If you was a General you'd be of the George Mcclelland type. You're cautious and tactical. Not wishing to give the enemy a sniff of an opportunity. Don't get beat and live to fight another day is your stratagem. Its not the way I'd approach it to be honest but its worthy of some serious consideration.
A flawed analogy maybe Swords. Didn't McClelland always refuse to attack despite overwhelming odds in his favour? I'd say it was more of a Lee approach. Use what little you've got (comparatively) to it's best advantage. I've said to colleagues this week it's a fascinating end to a season; I just wish I wasn't so personally invested in the outcome. This stuff that Cisse's come out with about forgetting about what's going in the Bolton game is nonsense. Whatever happens at the Stadium of Light, the Etihad or the Britannia will make itself felt almost immediately in the other games. For me it's vital we don't cave so abysmally, so early as we did against Chelsea. We do and Bolton get a sniff then we're sunk. Early United and Stoke goals while we keep it all square then who knows? I just wish it was over now.
NUTS ain't no Bobby Lee. NUTS would be glad to sit all day waiting for reinforcements although granted (see what I did there? ) there ain't gonna be much coming other than in the form of Jay Bothroyd and SWP . No, we gotta do a Napoleon in it and launch a surprise attack that'll hopefully catch them off guard and give 'em a bloody nose. Unfortunately NUTS will get his way with Sparky calling the shots.
