So if you had to name an XI

[DoomMerchant]

-----------------Hart
Richards--Kompany---Lescott---Clichy
---------------De Jong
--------Nasri----------Toure
Aguero------------------------Silva
----------------Dzeko

Subs: a decent second choice keeper, Toure, Zabaleta, Milner, Barry, Johnson, Tevez

i like that. No argument with any of it really. Amazing.

[Alioune DVToure]

How about this for strength in depth?

-------------------------Hart

Richards-----Kompany------Lescott-------Kolarov

-------------------------NDJ

---------------Nasri------------Yaya

-------Silva---------------------------Aguero

------------------------Dzeko

--------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------Tevez

-------Balotelli-----------------------Johnson

--------------Barry------------Milner

-----------------------Zabaleta

Clichy--------Toure------------Savic--------Boyata

---------------------Pantylemons

[Ted Hughes]

Imo, we can't play Nasri, Toure & DeJong behind a front 3 if we're playing against a decent side. Great for battering shite in theory but a top side will run straight through us with Nasri there, like they do Arsenal.

[bigblue]

How about this for strength in depth?

------------------------Tevez

-------Balotelli-----------------------Johnson

--------------Barry------------Milner

-----------------------Zabaleta

Clichy--------Toure------------Savic--------Boyata

---------------------Pantylemons

our B team could probably qualify for europe

[PeterParker]

I wonder if Bob's diabolical scheme is this:

He wants to copy the Barcelona style. He wants to have only "midgets"up front, players that are little but quick and extremly friendly with the ball and an old school poacher, for those lads to provide. Last year, the defence was our best weapon and if Bob will succede to combine the offensive compartiment with this one, i sincerelly believe we can not only win the league, but reach a high stage in UCL.

Hart

Micah Vinnie Lesco Clichy

Nige and Yaya (as players that defend)

Nasri Kun Silva

Dzeko


Imho, by far the best lineup in the league + image if Tevez stays, but the real Carlitos, not that caricature that was with Bolton.

[DoomMerchant]

Imo, we can't play Nasri, Toure & DeJong behind a front 3 if we're playing against a decent side. Great for battering shite in theory but a top side will run straight through us with Nasri there, like they do Arsenal.

im not sure i believe that.

[bigblue]

Imo, we can't play Nasri, Toure & DeJong behind a front 3 if we're playing against a decent side. Great for battering shite in theory but a top side will run straight through us with Nasri there, like they do Arsenal.

im not sure i believe that.

Yeah, I think yaya and de jong is more than enough cover for the defense. Basically 2 of the best DMs in the world

[Ted Hughes]

Imo, we can't play Nasri, Toure & DeJong behind a front 3 if we're playing against a decent side. Great for battering shite in theory but a top side will run straight through us with Nasri there, like they do Arsenal.

im not sure i believe that.

Yeah, I think yaya and de jong is more than enough cover for the defense. Basically 2 of the best DMs in the world

One of + Yaya Toure who gets involved in defending & makes some good interceptions but also completely goes missing .

Also, on performances so far this season, our best midfielders are Barry & Milner. How do we know they're going to get worse ?

[ronk]

I'm sure we could do that for a few games but I'd be very surprised if we don't see a lot of both Milner and Barry.

[Wooders]

if we're playing nasri I would expect this might clip the wings of micah and Kolorov - they won't have as much cover to dart forward in the absence of barry

[Ted Hughes]

if we're playing nasri I would expect this might clip the wings of micah and Kolorov - they won't have as much cover to dart forward in the absence of barry

I don't think Nasri will play in place of Barry or DeJong that often & you are highlighting yet another case for him not to do so.

The natural position for Nasri is further forward with Silva & Co. Sure he can drop deep, just like Silva does, but he's an ideal player to be part of our attacking squad.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

if we're playing nasri I would expect this might clip the wings of micah and Kolorov - they won't have as much cover to dart forward in the absence of barry

When Nasri plays in theory wide right it won't be a rigid role. Silva is often shown as a wide player when formations are put up but in reality he goes all over the place and leaves creates space for others to run into.

What Mancini has got now is a big squad full of quality players and players who can play all over the pitch in different roles.I don't think Mancini will have an 11 in his head but will have all sorts of formations and ideas in terms of how he wants the team to play( and let's face it you have to factor in the subs bench as well nowadays).I expect it will vary from the so called toughest games against the top 6 and those against the weaker sides.Whether he will be able to do what he wants might be dictated by injuries and suspensions.

I would say one of my biggest questions is about Mario and how he will bring him into games from now.He thinks very highly of him as we know and maybe he is currently showing him who is boss by leaving him out for the first 2 games.

[Blue Blood]

-----------------Hart
Richards--Kompany---Lescott---Clichy
---------------De Jong
--------Nasri----------Toure
Aguero------------------------Silva
----------------Dzeko

I'd go with that too as our strongest XI, maybe just maybe changing Dzeko for Tevez if the little argie gets his head screwed back on.

What staggering depth we have now though, no excuse not to take the title imo.

[Ted Hughes]

if we're playing nasri I would expect this might clip the wings of micah and Kolorov - they won't have as much cover to dart forward in the absence of barry

When Nasri plays in theory wide right it won't be a rigid role. Silva is often shown as a wide player when formations are put up but in reality he goes all over the place and leaves creates space for others to run into.

What Mancini has got now is a big squad full of quality players and players who can play all over the pitch in different roles.I don't think Mancini will have an 11 in his head but will have all sorts of formations and ideas in terms of how he wants the team to play( and let's face it you have to factor in the subs bench as well nowadays).I expect it will vary from the so called toughest games against the top 6 and those against the weaker sides.Whether he will be able to do what he wants might be dictated by injuries and suspensions.

I would say one of my biggest questions is about Mario and how he will bring him into games from now.He thinks very highly of him as we know and maybe he is currently showing him who is boss by leaving him out for the first 2 games.

Well Bob has to deliver now, he can't afford as many dropped points as last season, his job is on the line, so therefore Balotelli has to deliver if he's going to get a shirt in Bob's team. If I was Bob, Balotelli wouldn't get on unless/ until we were 3 up v Wigan. If he wasn't 100% concentration, effort & good attitude, he wouldn't play again until the Carling cup, & if he failed there, I'd swap him at Christmas. He could be a great player but if he hasn't got the message watching this team now, he's not going to get it anytime soon.

[BadKompany]

Richards--Komps-Lescott--Clichy
----------Yaya-----DJ-------
-----Nasri-----Silva----Aguero
--------------Dzeko---------------

[Blue Blood]

if we're playing nasri I would expect this might clip the wings of micah and Kolorov - they won't have as much cover to dart forward in the absence of barry

I've watched Nasri quite a lot over the past few seasons, he is remarkably tenacious for the type of player he is, very similar to David Silva in many ways.

Him playing in our midfield will not stifle our wing back play imo, he'll get back if necessary.

[Ted Hughes]

if we're playing nasri I would expect this might clip the wings of micah and Kolorov - they won't have as much cover to dart forward in the absence of barry

I've watched Nasri quite a lot over the past few seasons, he is remarkably tenacious for the type of player he is, very similar to David Silva in many ways.

Him playing in our midfield will not stifle our wing back play imo, he'll get back if necessary.

He will, in the same way Silva does. If we relied on Silva to stop Frank Lampard however, we would be fucked. same applies to Nasri.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

----------------Hart---------------
Richards--Kompany---Lescott--Clichy
---------------De Jong-----------------
--------Nasri----------Toure---------
Aguero------------------------Silva
----------------Dzeko------------------

This for me.

[joey]

Hart
Richards k.Toure Kompany Clichy
Yaya Nige
Silva
Aguero Balotelli
Dzeko

[phips]

----------------Hart---------------
Richards--Kompany---Toure--Clichy
---------------De Jong-----------------
--------Nasri----------Toure---------
Aguero------------------------Silva
----------------Tevez------------------