Although Citeh won tonight they struggled a bit against Wigan. Keep Silva quiet and press them we stand a fair chance. Sit back and try to defend we will get slaughtered. Attack is the best form of defense.
Fair comments SR, but City won't necessarily keep it on the deck. Tonight they scored a header from a free kick, very much our weak spot defensively, and how annoying City can score from them and we can't. We may have more pace if we play Lennon and JD but they'll have more strength and height. It's hard work scoring from open play most of the time, while there are so many 'cheap' goals available from set pieces. Last year we outplayed City up there but still lost, and I've no real confidence about this one. I'll watch it at home, this game will be too tense for me down the pub. I have a horrible feeling I'll be supporting Utd in the 4 pm game with Arsenal, because I'll be thinking more of 4th than 1st. Mind you 4th would be a triffic achievement, I thought we'd only get 6th
When we lost 3-0 at City we had the better part of possession and royally ****ed up to concede. Spurs are more consistent than s and I think you can get a good win here. Show the rest of the league that City really are having their blip.
Totally see where you're coming from mate, I agree. But we're exposed to this every week, not just against city. Lennon, modric, Parker, walker, Benny and VDV are all regular starters as we all know, so week in, week out were faced with the same problem in terms of height. We've just gotta deal with it. If they want to keep the ball in the air, let them. We've just gotta make sure we press them and close them down with out giving away cheap free kicks. We're more than capable of winning but we have to get control and play our game. - our possession stats over the last few games have been outstanding. This will be a real test for us. As I've said, I personally think the backbone of their team is missing right now, so let's see how they get on with out them. - some might say that when we got beaten 5-1, we were without our solid players. Now it looks like the tables might have turned. I'm quietly confident about this.
Fair comments again SR, but fact is City are much better than most of the teams we meet. We struggled against the power and aggression of Stoke, though in the end it was the officials who robbed us, again! I'm glad you're optimistic about this one, let's hope your optimism is justified, for me it's looking like a City win. We play the best football in the country, but unfortunately for us scruffy goals from set pieces count just as much as beautifully constructed works of art. It is soooo much harder to score a beautiful goal from open play, than to put the ball into the box and hope someone gets on the end of it. Though to be fair to 'percentage teams' they seem to practise harder and are undeniably better at getting that delivery in and getting the header on it. It's also a shame that good keeper that Brad is, his weakness is crosses into the box from set pieces as he loves hugging that line.
Er..Luke, Adebayor won't be playing (remember he still is owned by the dark side), most likely Defoe & Rafa hopefully not Pav.
again, I agree, city will be much tougher than other opposition and we've got to be very careful. Luke's made a good point though with his thoughts on Kaboul and Daws, and i think he's right to a certain extent about how they will not enjoy the intricate play from silva and aguero. But on the other hand we've got one of the best players in the league to help break the play up before we face that problem in our box. - Scott Parker. It comes back to my point about keeping them at bay defensively by closing them down and pressing, but not giving away cheap free kicks (in dangerous positions). we have just got to try and keep them at bay before they get intothe dangerous area of our final 3rd. I know that some people might be thinking "what are you on about, this is man city!!" and in general I would agree with those people. but the fact that they don't have yaya toure or kompany has shown how vulnerable they can be without them; they aren't the same side. With out these two players, we've got a real chance to get a hold of the game and command it. that's why I feel quietly confident GH10.
Admire the optimism SR and well argued in its justification Naturally, I hope your analysis is the correct one.
A City team without Toure and Kompany is weakened heavily. Two top, dare I say it, world class players. I'm not saying we should be expecting a reverse result of the game at the Lane BUT if there was a time to face City (and potentially beat them), it's now. Gonna be my first time at the Etihad so I'm hoping the lads make it a special one. Ade being ineligible is obviously a negative, though his past few games he's looked a little jaded and perhaps the rest will do him good, like-wise Defoe will want to prove himself so it's a good stage to stake a claim. Anyone know where King's at injury wise? Could seriously do with him against Aguero and Silva.
Just on City being weakened, I watched the Wigan match and if Wigan had the quality in their side to hold possession and move it quickly they might have beaten them. My point being that a side that can do this will undo City easily- ie. Us. Silva & Dzeko didn't work and kept getting in each others' way, I doubt if Mancini will play them together on Sunday most likely Balotelli if fit.
Dzeko was one player I didn't want to score, he had a bad run and it was a personal timely boost to remind him of the last game. He's a nuisance at set plays where we're struggling atm.
Saw an article today where Lescott is dismissing us as a threat to the title. That suits me fine, puts all the pressure back on them and ManUSA.
that suit's us fine,rather the spotlight is off us,no one expects us to do better than 4th,so that should'nt add pressure either
I'd rather we had the pressure on us by being top of the league now. We're not seen as title contenders by many, including me, because we don't have sufficient quality and depth in our squad. We play the best football to watch, but have too many weaknesses, set pieces being key. Two points gained from them by scoring more and 2 points gained by conceding less, and we're contenders. Alternatively had officials given us a fair deal and again we're in contention, but there's not much we can do about that. Maybe Harry should moan a bit more, maybe not. I don't believe that these things 'even themselves out' incidentally, so have no hope of getting a load of dodgy decisions for the rest of the season. Naturally, if we win at City we will be contenders, can't see it happening though.
I think the idea that "things even themselves out" is one of the most ridiculous assumptions that many people actually hold to be true. It's said over and over again by people that should know better and has become accepted as fact by many... yet is based on no evidence whatsoever. Indeed no evidence could be offered because it is actually impossible for such a thing to happen, because it would follow from the idea that things are related that can't possibly be.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...d-are-their-biggest-rivals-not-Tottenham.html The art of contradiction!.... "We've read a lot about pressure, people have said we were cracking. But we haven't mentioned any other teams this season, we've focused on ourselves." Err!...you just have in this interview Mr Lescott! ...pin it up on the back of the dressing room door Harry!
Well said Vimhawk, it's just an easy mantra to cover up ineptitude. The damage done to us by not beating Chelsea and Wolves and losing to Stoke due to officials isn't just the points, it's also the momentum. We now have Spurs fans doubting Ade, who keeps scoring but keeps being called wrongly offside. I'll say it again and again, we need goal line assistants, for a lino to correctly pick out all the variables in a crowded is a massively difficult task, but instead of favouring the attacker, it seems far easier to stick a flag up and rule out a goal. Why officials are of that mindset in crowded areas, when time and again defenders are failing to push up quick enough is a question I'd like to know the answer to. Such an anti-attacking stance disproportionately hurts teams like Spurs who are committed to open attacking football. It's a sad reflection of officials' priorities.
