please log in to view this image BUILD UP:TEAM NEWSREDICTIONS:UPDATES Facts and figures ahead of the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City have won 24 of their last 25 Premier League home games including the last 20 in a row. Roberto Manciniâs side have kept six clean sheets in their last eight Premier League home games. Sunderlandâs last two wins over Man City have been by a 1-0 scoreline with the only goal being a 90th minute winner. Carlos Tevez has scored a penalty in each of the last two meetings between these two sides at the Etihad Stadium. 82% of the goals Manchester City have conceded have come in the second half of games, the highest proportion in the top flight and they havenât conceded a first half goal since December against Chelsea. 18% of the goals Sunderland have conceded have been shipped in the opening 15 minutes of games, the joint-highest proportion in the top flight. Nicklas Bendtner has scored in three of his last four Premier League games and also in his last appearance at the Etihad Stadium in a 3-0 over City. The Black Cats have won just one of their last five Premier League away games (W1 D1 L3). Sunderland have had players sent off in three of their last five Premier League visits to the Etihad Stadium.
I remember a game, early in the MON days, when we had lost Brown then Bardo and Richardson pulled out, you will never guess what MON did then, he played two midfielder at full back. But hang on, it gets better, O'Shea was injured early on so he only went and put on a player who did not even have a squad number Cant remember who we played that day but I know it was a team we all knew would hammer us, we won 1-0. Tomorrow history almost repeats itself, O'Shea, Brown, Richardson and Zorba out and Bridge cant play. My predicted team.. MIG BARDSLEY..TURNER..KILGALLON..COLEBACK CAMPBELL..CATTERMOLE..GARDNER..MCLEAN SESS..BENDTNER Larsson needs a spell warming the bench.
I like the above but I would go: BARDSLEY..TURNER..KILGALLON..COLEBACK SESS..CATTERMOLE..GARDNER..MCLEAN CAMPBELL..BENDTNER[/QUOTE] Campbell is most effective on the shoulder of the last man and we want to keep him away from our box defending. I say take it too them, if we defend we will eventually get broken down and lose 1 or 2 nil. I say **** or bust we might lose 4-0 but we might just surprise them. Manchini must be expecting us to defend and counter.
By Graeme Anderson Published on Friday 30 March 2012 10:30 THERE’S a suggestion Sunderland have nothing to lose this weekend when they take on a Manchester City side invincible at the Etihad Stadium this season, simply because there’ll be no pressure or expectation on Martin O’Neill’s men. It’s muddled thinking. Firstly, Sunderland can lose the Premier League point they start the game with – all games beginning as a draw at kick-off! Secondly, they could lose their confidence, if they are hammered. And thirdly, they could lose their pride if they’re drubbed by a team who are becoming increasingly desperate to haul back Man United and reclaim top spot. No one should fool themselves either that City are not more than capable of handing out said drubbing. Over the course of October and November they notched up a nine-game winning sequence, home and away, which saw them score 33 goals at an average of 3.6 goals per game. That sequence included knocking six past Man United and five past Wolves in consecutive games and although City have stuttered in recent weeks, you wouldn’t bet against them returning to the goal standard this weekend. They’ll certainly be highly motivated – and not just by their pursuit of the title. They won’t have forgotten their damaging 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day which really hit their momentum. It all means Sunderland have it all do in this game against a City side that, astonishingly, have still to drop a point at home this season – 15 games played; 15 games won. Sunderland’s best bet on Saturday is to focus on defensive solidity, first, second and last. Whether they will be buoyed by the return of any of their three, currently crocked former Manchester United players, remains to be seen. But Kieran Richardson, John O’Shea and Wes Brown would certainly add strength to a back four that were sorely tested by Everton. The smart money is on it being an unchanged back four this Saturday, with Martin O’Neill’s options limited. And that brings us to the area where the game will be lost or won – midfield. Sunderland are likely to string five across the middle and Martin O’Neill’s choice seems to be less about whether or not he plays five in midfield, as so much which five? He could play Sessegnon on his own up front and fill the midfield with terriers Lee Cattermole, Craig Gardner and Jack Colback, looking for creativity on the left flank from McClean and a dead-ball threat from Seb Lasson on the right. The manager is aware though that height can be an issue and might prefer to have 6ft 3in Nicklas Bendtner in the side. That would mean dropping Sesegnon back to a link-role between attack and midfield, seeing as it is hard to imagine the Benin international not making it into the starting 11. Whatever the Sunderland manager decides to do though, he will know that on top of raising his players after the disappointment of losing to Everton, he’ll also need them to raise their game if they are to compete with a super-rich side packed with world talent. I think what we can expect from Sunderland though is a True Grit performance, especially from the likes of Cattermole, Colback and Bardsley in a fixture where an honourable defeat might be the height of the Black Cats hopes realistically. Surely Sunderland can’t do the double over Manchester City? Can they? VERDICT: Home win. Don’t expect lightning to strike twice.
http://http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/143593.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Carlos Tevez's return for Manchester City looks to have been a timely one after Sergio Aguero was ruled out of their home clash against Sunderland with an injury. Aguero missed City's draw against Stoke last weekend, and he has failed to recover in time for the Black Cats' visit on Saturday. City boss Roberto Mancini refused to reveal the cause of the problem, merely commenting that it was a "stupid injury". "It was not his fault but he can't play with this injury; for one day, 10 days or two weeks. I don't know," Mancini said. "He couldn't play against Stoke and can't play tomorrow. I hope he can recover for Arsenal next weekend." After two appearances from the bench, Tevez continued his comeback with a goal for the reserves in midweek, but Mancini fears his former skipper is not ready to make his first start since September. "He is improved," he said. "I don't think he can start, but I think maybe he can play [longer]. He improves every week." good news for us
Well if they are being forced to play the reserves an easy win for us. Big names out and relying on that Johnson, Trevez, Baroltelli and that diki Fella, he is so bad they may sell him for 27mil. No fear
only game this season im not even looking forward too...we were humilated midweek and im still seething from it then to go to a team which havent lost at home this season is not somthing i feel like doing
Manchester City ready to launch sensational bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid this summer Abu Dhabi powerbrokers willing to match £80 million world-record transfer fee and sanction salary of between £400,000-a-week and £500,000-a-week to land Portuguese icon.... Seems they are determined to win the title sooner or later.
The twists and turns of the football calender often produce some wonderful retrospective ironys, but can we see the beauty before it arrives? Sunderland pinch 3 points from the Etihad stadium along with a win for Man United over Blackburn Rovers and 6 points clear they go, followed by a media overdrive when they shall all be hailing Man United as having won the title. Alan Green shall spill his prawn sandwich all over his microphone on five live! A few weeks later Man City beat Man United at the Etihad and suddenly the gap is closed to 3 points once again. Up step the 1700 travelling fans from Man United (Most of which will be boarding a train from Kings Cross) hoping to celebrate upon the soil of the SOL as the champions of the premier league, only for Sunderland to beat Man United and Man City to spank an ex Man United superstar and QPR's Mark Hughes, once touted as a manager of Sunderland. If only Carlsberg could write the future.... I would buy a four pack! Anyway back in the land of the known. If we can come away from City with a point it will obviously be an excellent result and I'm sure every team that travels to the Etihad will be doing thier utmost to stop Man City ending the season having won every home game throughout the season. Aguero is out so he will be a big miss for Man City this weekend. Infact, we could be about to do the double over the premier league champions! Haway the lads!!!!! Mig Bardsley Kilgallon Turner Colback Larsson Vaughan Cattermole McClean Sessegnon Bendtner
Hopefully it's a good time to play you as the early MON form seems to have dipped.Hope you try and park the bus,we've battered every team that's tried that.Its the teams that have been up for a scrap like Everton who have caused us most trouble.Glad to see you finally got rid of Busface,pity Niall Quinn didn't stay on as chairman,an utter gent if ever there was one
As with the home game, I'd be delighted with a narrow defeat. Considering we've already done the double over QPR, who are clearly better than City in every department, who knows. I have one of those feelings about this one, that always make you very disappointed when they are proved wrong. My feeling is...... 1-1. We Are Sunderland.
I'm not expecting anything from this game apart from maximum fight and effort from the lads..Thet do need to show some true grit after the midweek shambles against Everton...
On SSN a doubt with knee problem so could see a Vaughan/Gardner midfield with Coleback at LB. Would prefer Meyler in for Catts to see how he does.
