10 minutes ago, zes said:

Are any of their injured players or defenders set to return in the next couple of weeks when we face them? If not then I'll be more confident for this game.

Laprote, Zenchenko and Sane are out, Ederson I don't think so, unfortunately. 

But if Fernandinho is playing CB that definitely improves our chances. 

28 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

I think Frank will bring back Jorginho for Pulisic, and dave for James.

 

Kepa

 

Azpi

Zouma

Tomori

Emerson

 

Kovacic

Jorginho

Kante

 

Willian

Mount

 

Abraham

 

 

Would be a stange decision to  drop Pulisic in this form.

1 hour ago, Shummy said:

Flying over from Dublin for this one, have an away section ticket. Wondering where the away fans head before the game in Manchester?

I went to the Waldorf pub once, it’s not too far from the etihad. About 30 mins walk.

The areas surrounding the etihad is a right dump. 

9 hours ago, Slojo said:

I would go for Jorginho Kovacic and Kante above them instead of Mount. 

I think that is what he might go for. Slightly more defensive than we have been set up for most games.

Much as we may wish it, we are not at Liverpools level yet, nor do we have lady luck or the refs pushing us on either.

The title is a pipe dream. With that said# our recent form and our rivals struggles (bar Leicester) I feel we are under far less pressure here.

With the injuries that City currently have and the form they're in compared with our form at this current stage there's a really good chance we can get something from this game.

Glad Jorginho had a rest over the weekend as he'll be fresh for this game. Would pair up Kovacic and Kante with him in the midfield 3. Emerson and RJ as our fullbacks with the standard CB/GK situation.

Pulisic-Tammy-Willian front 3.

Won't be easy though, City always bounce back very strongly after a loss. I'd be happy with a draw as we're playing away but if we can get all 3 points, not only is it a boost for us mentally, but we'd also be 4 points ahead of them in the league after 13 games and I don't think any of us would have predicted that at the start of the season!

Edited November 11, 20196 yr by DisposeOfDeadwood

I'd love for our young lads to get a victory over City, it would be a huge confidence booster getting a result over a top 4 team. I feel we have been unlucky so far in recent top 4 games.

21 hours ago, Slojo said:

I would go for Jorginho Kovacic and Kante above them instead of Mount. 

Should Jorginho play? Is there anything Jorginho will do against the big teams that Kovacic cannot do. I think we should ask ourselves, if Jorginho plays, are we going to be able to stop Aguero, bernando Silva, Sterling, de bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Rodri, etc. I think that is the most important question we should be asking ourselves. We must make sure man city does not win the midfield battle. 

We need Mount to support the attackers, we can't drop Mount.

Against City, it must be a war, you must not allow them to have too much possession of the ball. If they have too much possession of the ball, they will beat you silly.

To those arguing with me when I said Jorginho should be playing against the lesser teams but not against the big teams. Against City last season at Etihad, we used our normal starting eleven with Jorginho, Hazard, and everybody,  we were thrashed 6-0 by Man city. And, under Sarri, we were having it very easy with the lesser teams. Jorginho organises the team, makes good passes to the midfielders and from the midfielders to the attacking players, and we were winning the lesser teams. However, against City, we were thrashed 6-0. Doesn't that say something about the team that although Jorginho helps the team against the lesser teams, we may have to find a solution when we are playing with the bigger teams because we all know that anybody who plays in Jorginho and Kante's positions must be good defensively to protect the defence, but Jorginho is not good defensively, and big teams will expose this weakness. 

If people did not understand what I was trying to say before about Jorginho, I think they should be able to understand with this one. We cannot do without Jorginho against the weaker teams, but against top teams that are obviously better than us at the moment, vis Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, or against teams that are decent like Leicester, Crystal Palace, everton, spurs etc., if we want to try to get something out of the game, We should be dropping Jorginho and be playing Kante, Kovacic and Mount. That is what top coaches do when they are playing against a team that is better than them. That is all I'm saying.  

Against City next weekend,  I think the team should look like this. 

Kepa

James

Tomori

Zouma

Emerson

Kante

Kovacic

Mount

Pulisic

Willian

Abraham. 

Edited November 11, 20196 yr by hephzibah

City will be hurting after yesterday and expect them to try and win convincingly to show the league if not the best they are second best. 

Until that handball decision on about the 5th minute Liverpool were rocking and then they scored, hope Frank notices that they are likely to try and get an early goal.

20 minutes ago, hephzibah said:

Should Jorginho play? Is there anything Jorginho will do against the big teams that Kovacic cannot do. I think we should ask ourselves, if Jorginho plays, are we going to be able to stop Aguero, bernando Silva, Sterling, de bruyne, Silva, Mahrez, Rodri, etc. I think that is the most important question. We must make sure man city does not win the midfield battle. 

We need Mount to support the attackers, we can't drop Mount.

Against City, it must be a war, you must not allow them to have too much possession of the ball. If they have too much possession of the ball, they will beat you silly.

To those arguing with me when I said Jorginho should be playing against the lesser teams but not against the big teams. Against City last season at Etihad, we used our normal starting eleven with Jorginho, Hazard, and everybody,  we were thrashed 6-0 by Man city. And, under Sarri, we were having it very easy with the lesser teams. Jorginho organises the team, makes good passes to the midfielders and from the midfielders to the attacking players, and we were winning the lesser teams. However, against City, we were thrashed 6-0. Doesn't that say something about the team that although Jorginho helps the team against the lesser teams, we may have to find a solution when we are playing with the bigger teams. City exposed the weakness in our midfield.

We all know anybody who plays in Jorginho and Kante's positions must be good defensively to protect the defence, but Jorginho is not good defensively, and that is the problem of this team. 

If people did not understand what I was trying to say before about Jorginho, I think they should be able to understand with this one. We cannot do without Jorginho against the weaker teams, but against top teams that are obviously better than us at the moment, vis Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, or against teams that are decent like Leicester, Crystal Palace, everton, spurs etc., if we want to try to get something out of the game, We should be dropping Jorginho and be playing Kante, Kovacic and Mount. That is what top coaches do when they are playing against a team that is better than them. That is all I'm saying.  

Against City next weekend,  I think the team should look like this. 

Kepa

James

Tomori

Zouma

Emerson

Kante

Kovacic

Mount

Pulisic

Willian

 

With our current squad we are more than capable of beating City, they aren't miles better than us. As for Jorginho he should play, that 6-0 defeat was one of those freaky games that happen now and then plus we have far more threat going forward compared to the previous few years where we relied on Hazard far too much.

City are rocking defensively and with the players we have we should easily exploit that like Liverpool did.

2 hours ago, Malcolm9 said:

I'd love for our young lads to get a victory over City, it would be a huge confidence booster getting a result over a top 4 team. I feel we have been unlucky so far in recent top 4 games.

Agreed.

Of course I'd love us to win, but for me in this game the quality of our performance and how competitive we are throughout the game is more important for the future than the actual result on the day.

What would it prove if we are battered and outclassed for the whole game with City hitting the woodwork 3 times and missing a hatful of chances, but we end up winning with our only attempt on goal?  

I'd be more encouraged  if we played really well, showed no fear, but came away with a narrow loss. 

 

 

Edited November 11, 20196 yr by Dixons

I'd consider using Kante in Mount's position for just this one occasion. Far from his ideal position but him being able to press from the front with Jorginho and Kovacic behind him could be extremely valuable against City.

1 hour ago, Malcolm9 said:

With our current squad we are more than capable of beating City, they aren't miles better than us. As for Jorginho he should play, that 6-0 defeat was one of those freaky games that happen now and then plus we have far more threat going forward compared to the previous few years where we relied on Hazard far too much.

You just seem to think you will happen to beat a team regardless of the kind of players you use to play against them. If you read my analysis, you will see that I analysed City and us very clearly. It's not about just saying anything, consider the facts, how have we fared against the top teams this season, that is the fact before us. What can we do differently against the top teams? 

is there any solution in our team so that all the top teams do not flog us throughout this season. we have not played Spurs, Arsenal, City (home and away), that is six matches, if we lose six matches this season, plus Man Utd and Liverpool (away), that is eight matches against the top teams. If we lose eight more matches this season, can we finish in the top four. 

We must look at the situation very well. 

When we lost 6-0 we had a different team, when we line up this time only Kepa and Jorginho look certain to start. Possibly also Kante though I doubt either Alonso or Azpi will.

That does not mean we will not get hammered again yet we might. 

Sunday, 10th February 2019 at 16:00

Referee:	Mike L Dean
Manchester City	Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko, Fernandinho (D Silva 75), Gundogan, De Bruyne (Mahrez 68), Sterling, B Silva, Aguero (Jesus 65)
Scorers	Sterling 4, Aguero 13, Aguero 19, Gundogan 25, Aguero 56 (Pen), Sterling 80
Booked	Gundogan 77
Subs Not Used	Muric, Danilo, Otamendi, Sane
Manager	Pep Guardiola
Chelsea	1 Kepa, 2 Antonio Rudiger, 3 Marcos Alonso (33 Emerson 73), 5 Jorginho, 7 N'Golo Kante, 8 Ross Barkley (17 Mateo Kovacic 53), 9 Gonzalo Higuain, 10 Eden Hazard, 11 Pedro (12 Ruben Loftus-Cheek 65), 28 Cesar Azpilicueta, 30 David Luiz
Booked	Jorginho 60
Subs Not Used	13 Willy Caballero, 27 Andreas Christensen, 22 Willian, 18 Olivier Giroud
Manager	W

1 hour ago, hephzibah said:

You just seem to think you will happen to beat a team regardless of the kind of players you use to play against them. If you read my analysis, you will see that I analysed City and us very clearly. It's not about just saying anything, consider the facts, how have we fared against the top teams this season, that is the fact before us. What can we do differently against the top teams? 

is there any solution in our team so that all the top teams do not flog us throughout this season. we have not played Spurs, Arsenal, City (home and away), that is six matches, if we lose six matches this season, plus Man Utd and Liverpool (away), that is eight matches against the top teams. If we lose eight more matches this season, can we finish in the top four. 

We must look at the situation very well. 

I think you've made some good points on this.

I've become a very big fan of Jorginho and what he brings to the team, but I do agree it might be best to leave him out of the starting lineup for this game, and away at a team like Liverpool as well.

City will be running right at us with great pace and movement which is something Jorginho struggles to deal with due to his own real  lack of pace.

Kova. Mount and Kante all have good pace so will be more suited  for this particular game.

 

 

Edited November 11, 20196 yr by Dixons

9 minutes ago, Dixons said:

I think you've made some good points on this.

I've become a very big fan of Jorginho and what he brings to the team, but I do agree it might be best to leave him out of the starting lineup for this game, and away at a team like Liverpool as well.

City will be running right at us with great pace and movement which is something Jorginho struggles to deal with due to his own real  lack of pace.

Kova. Mount and Kante all have good pace so will be more suited  for this particular game.

 

 

Thanks. This has been the solution in big games since Jorginho joined this club but some fans and the managers didn't see it. When I mentioned it in this forum for the match against Palace at the weekend, some people didn't agree with me, but it is the way forward. 

Edited November 11, 20196 yr by hephzibah

1 hour ago, Sindre said:

I'd consider using Kante in Mount's position for just this one occasion. Far from his ideal position but him being able to press from the front with Jorginho and Kovacic behind him could be extremely valuable against City.

I’ve been wondering about this too. A kind of disrupter role, which we know he’s great at, but higher up the pitch. 

23 minutes ago, Dean said:

A kind of disrupter role,

It's just called tackling.

2 hours ago, coco said:

It's just called tackling.

Oh yeah 

My question is: what do we do in midfield? Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante and Mount: all have made their case to be undroppable this season... What would your midfield look like? I think for me I would play Jorginho, Kova and Kante in midfield. All three can win the ball back very well and can protect the back line. They don't offer the goal threat Mason does, but I think winning the ball and the ability to defend the midfield areas will be incredibly important against City.  <----- Breaking news, that. 

Edited November 11, 20196 yr by chiefBlueCFC

Team line ups a bit premature really as game is 12 days away, and as for any players being rested for this one, most of them will be away with their national teams so rest and injury free are not words that can be guaranteed for City match.

Will be a tough ask to get anything up there, but the table doesn't lie apparently -  so we are on an equal footing with them for once. Meanwhile 12 days of boredom to go punctuated by a good England result hopefully.

If City play the same backline as they did against Liverpool I reckon we will rip them apart. The most dangerous player for City would definitely be KDB he possesses the quality to put deliveries in behind the back of our defense and theyve got willing runners in Aguero and Sterling. Hakim Ziyech terrorized us in the game against Ajax by consistently finding the space between Kepa and the 2 CB's, Kovacic will have a tough job on his hands in not allowing KDB time and space to make those deliveries.

I would play Jorginho, Kante and Kovacic to be really solid in the middle, then Mount, Abraham and Willian as the attacking trio.

The back four I would choose is Dave, Tomori, Zouma and James.

1 hour ago, Malcolm9 said:

I would play Jorginho, Kante and Kovacic to be really solid in the middle, then Mount, Abraham and Willian as the attacking trio.

The back four I would choose is Dave, Tomori, Zouma and James.

If we opt for Mount and drop Pulisic I would prefer having Emerson playing at Left back to offer some width 

I am also concerned about the officiating and VAR in this game, Pep had a right moan after the Liverpool game and I can imagine the officials looking to right that wrong in order to avoid the wrath of Pep.