Manchester City vs. Chelsea (PL) 16/08/15 KO 16:00 BST

[TrueBlueSeaFC87]

GK: Begovic

 

LB: Azpilicueta

CB: Zouma

CB: Terry

RB: Ivanovic (God help us all)

 

DM: Matic

DM: Fabregas

DM: Ramires

 

LW: Hazard

RW: Oscar

 

ST: Costa

 

Subs: Cahill, Rahman (hopefully the deal is done by then), Mikel, RLC, Willian, Moses, Falcao, Remy

Edited August 11, 2015 by TrueBlueSeaFC87

[coco]

We are not going to have the ball much at all. Fabregas will resemble a merry go round. Passing stats for the last games.

[Chippy]

GK: Begovic

 

LB: Azpilicueta

CB: Zouma

CB: Terry

RB: Ivanovic (God help us all)

 

DM: Matic

DM: Fabregas

DM: Ramires

 

LW: Hazard

RW: Oscar

 

ST: Costa

 

Subs: Cahill, Rahman (hopefully the deal is done by then), Mikel, RLC, Willian, Moses, Falcao, Remy

 

Best hope Begovic makes it through the game ok then :-)

[big blue]

Really can't see us losing heavily, when was the last time we lost by more than 2 goals against a title rival under Mourinho?

[Amputechture]

Really can't see us losing heavily, when was the last time we lost by more than 2 goals against a title rival under Mourinho?

 

Can't see us losing at all, not after drawing against Swansea.

[TrueBlueSeaFC87]

Best hope Begovic makes it through the game ok then :-)

Oh Captain My Captain!  He's done it before.  

I just don't have much faith in a kid who has no first team squad experience.  

[Hemel Blue]

Really looking forward to this early tester.Will be tough no doubt but we have the experience to get a result.

[Carefree92]

Quite happy that a lot of City fans, supporters of other clubs and the press are writing us off for this one, saying we'll get thrashed. Feel that usually suits us (Liverpool & City away 2013/14 season spring to mind).

[Sacto Blues]

I hope for the win but will settle for a point. Citeh will probably run Sterling at Branna so I expect either Willian or Ramires to drop deeper to help out Branna. 

[jamie#8]

Need to shut the space between midfield and defence. Not allow players like Silva, Sterling, Nasri (aguero If fit) to get time on the ball. 

 

Happy to see there CBs have all the time in the world but once it comes into a certain area, need to work hard to squeeze the space...

[Carefree92]

I'm going to this one and we have never lost a Premier League game or any away game I've attended. Just saying... 

[IliyaKrostin]

Is Blackman going to be second goalkeeper in this game?

[AndyBlue82]

Got nil-nil written all over it. I think we'll spend the whole time defending

[jamie#8]

Got nil-nil written all over it. I think we'll spend the whole time defending

 

I really hope not.

[AndyBlue82]

I really hope not.

It'll be a point though. Can't see us getting all 3 if we struggled against Swansea.

Players have had a couple of days off so maybe I'll be surprised

[TrueBlueBIH]

I'll go for a draw since the team must bounce back,however don't see us winning.

[ozboy]

I don't think our team is that good at defending this season.

Certainly in favour of Oscar playing.

Think the starting 11 against Swansea was our best line up. Maybe play Ramires instead of Willian.

Citeh still have aguerro to start.

1:0 to us

[evissy]

City's defending against Brom wasn't convincing so we'll get our chances. One thing separating from us to them is we just won the league and they are hungry to beat us.

[jamie#8]

It'll be a point though. Can't see us getting all 3 if we struggled against Swansea.

Players have had a couple of days off so maybe I'll be surprised

 

Take the point, I meant just really hope we dont spend the whole match on the back foot.

[MTF]

Take the point, I meant just really hope we dont spend the whole match on the back foot.

not having the ball doesn't mean we're on the back foot. united at home last season we barely saw the ball but were in control the entire time. matter of limiting their chances while taking advantage of our own

 

if they cut us open every 4 minutes and consistently get goal side then that's another thing

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Definitely look at United at the Bridge last season we were in total control of that game. They had a hell of a lot more of the ball but that was our plan.

[PloKoon13]

Definitely look at United at the Bridge last season we were in total control of that game. They had a hell of a lot more of the ball but that was our plan.

 

Yeah, you don't necessarily have to be in control of possession to control a game. The defining example of that is Inter vs Barcelona in 2010 - they had 29% of possession and won 3-1. In the second leg they had 14%, which is frankly ridiculous.

[coco]

------------------------Begovic

Zouma-------Cahill-------Terry--------Azpilicueta

 

------------------William--------Matic

-------Traore--------Oscar--------Hazard

-------------------------Costa

 

 

I'd play Zouma for Ivanovic, Zouma won't go forward like Ivanovic does.

 

William for Fabregas, you get much more 'off the ball' work from William than Cesc.

 

Oscar is or most in form player, so play him in the middle of everything.

 

With William further back, Oscar running the show in the middle, and Cuadrado being utter crap, I would give Traore a start down the right.

 

Costa up front, but after 60 mins give Remy his place.

 

Falcao and Fabregas are simply no use to us when we haven't got the ball, which could be for 60+ of the 90 mins.

[IliyaKrostin]

------------------------Begovic

Zouma-------Cahill-------Terry--------Azpilicueta

 

------------------William--------Matic

-------Traore--------Oscar--------Hazard

-------------------------Costa

 

 

I'd play Zouma for Ivanovic, Zouma won't go forward like Ivanovic does.

 

William for Fabregas, you get much more 'off the ball' work from William than Cesc.

 

Oscar is or most in form player, so play him in the middle of everything.

 

With William further back, Oscar running the show in the middle, and Cuadrado being utter crap, I would give Traore a start down the right.

 

Costa up front, but after 60 mins give Remy his place.

 

Falcao and Fabregas are simply no use to us when we haven't got the ball, which could be for 60+ of the 90 mins.

 

I like this squad, very unique and worth to watch. But I don't believe Jose will even think about this one. As I see this Jose will play the same 11 players(those who played against Swansea) except Courtois.

[jamie#8]

not having the ball doesn't mean we're on the back foot. united at home last season we barely saw the ball but were in control the entire time. matter of limiting their chances while taking advantage of our own

 

if they cut us open every 4 minutes and consistently get goal side then that's another thing

 

I would hope that we dont need to resort to these tactics in order to get a result. Its the mindset of a smaller team. We have enough quality to mark ourselves on the game, without being gung-ho. Need to implement a similar plan to when we won 1-0 (ivanovic goal) wasnt all about defending, We looked to be bright on the ball too.

 

As for the united game, I challenge anyone to happy with our tactics that game. 29% ball possession at home, seriously? That for me is being on the back foot, whether we plan to play like that or not.