Potters or Trotters

[john68]

It wouldn't matter who we got, nor will it take any effort from Mancini to wind the City players up. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE FA CUP...No doubts...no lack of confidence, not thoughts of losing...This years FA Cup is ours and we will take it.

I can imagine Coyle telling the Trotters after the game..."Don't worry about the 0-5 reversal lads, it'll all be soon forgotten by the media and we won't have to suffer from being properly mauled in the final by City with the whole World watching and laughing at us.

Poor, poor Stoke...we'll dismember them...at least the City fans in the top tier will get a good view of the ball when/if they have possession.

[BlueinBosnia]

That is fucking brilliant... I wonder if they would actually let us win then?

The only way Stoke get bumped from Europe is if we win the cup and finish 6th. They won't be bothered whether we're playing in the Champions League (4th) or Europa League (5th) next season.

Not true:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9448435.stm

[hongkongbluey]

I can imagine Coyle telling the Trotters after the game..."Don't worry about the 0-5 reversal lads, it'll all be soon forgotten by the media and we won't have to suffer from being properly mauled in the final by City with the whole World watching and laughing at us.

Poor, poor Stoke...

John, I don't post much, but I do read your stuff - and I like that

[Slim]

It wouldn't matter who we got, nor will it take any effort from Mancini to wind the City players up. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE FA CUP...No doubts...no lack of confidence, not thoughts of losing...This years FA Cup is ours and we will take it.

I can imagine Coyle telling the Trotters after the game..."Don't worry about the 0-5 reversal lads, it'll all be soon forgotten by the media and we won't have to suffer from being properly mauled in the final by City with the whole World watching and laughing at us.

Poor, poor Stoke...we'll dismember them...at least the City fans in the top tier will get a good view of the ball when/if they have possession.

I said the winner would come from our side of the draw and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to change that now, when I heard we had Stoke I thought, put a fucking hand on the cup now, it's ours.

[MaineRoadMemories]

Don't be fooled that the wide pitch helps us more than Stoke - they play two very wide men and our full backs and defending from crossing has not been the best this season.

Keep Etherington quiet and we go a long way to beating Stoke with our superior skill in the middle of the park.

[dazby]

I rate Etherington and have for a long time. I'd be happy for us to part with a couple of mill to see him in our squad.

[Bluez]

That is fucking brilliant... I wonder if they would actually let us win then?

The only way Stoke get bumped from Europe is if we win the cup and finish 6th. They won't be bothered whether we're playing in the Champions League (4th) or Europa League (5th) next season.

Not true:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9448435.stm

Does this mean that only top 5 in the league qualify for europe this year? I thought if we won the FA cup the Europa league positions went to 6th place?

If its only top 5 its unlikely liverpool will be in Europe next year as I cannot see them overtaking both Spurs and us.

[Esky]

I rate Etherington and have for a long time. I'd be happy for us to part with a couple of mill to see him in our squad.

Finally living up to the potential. Had a good season and he and Pennant tore Bolton apart yesterday.

[avoidconfusion]

It wouldn't matter who we got, nor will it take any effort from Mancini to wind the City players up. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE FA CUP...No doubts...no lack of confidence, not thoughts of losing...This years FA Cup is ours and we will take it.

I can imagine Coyle telling the Trotters after the game..."Don't worry about the 0-5 reversal lads, it'll all be soon forgotten by the media and we won't have to suffer from being properly mauled in the final by City with the whole World watching and laughing at us.

Poor, poor Stoke...we'll dismember them...at least the City fans in the top tier will get a good view of the ball when/if they have possession.

That's what Arsenal Fans (and the players) thought before the CC Final too..... just saying.... :)

[bluej]

That is fucking brilliant... I wonder if they would actually let us win then?

The only way Stoke get bumped from Europe is if we win the cup and finish 6th. They won't be bothered whether we're playing in the Champions League (4th) or Europa League (5th) next season.

Not true:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9448435.stm

Does this mean that only top 5 in the league qualify for europe this year? I thought if we won the FA cup the Europa league positions went to 6th place?

If its only top 5 its unlikely liverpool will be in Europe next year as I cannot see them overtaking both Spurs and us.

Birmingham won the League cup so get a european place. One place for the FA cup, one for the league cup and then 5th place in the league.

[Blue Since 76]

Stoke at the Brittania would worry me. You can't ask for much more than Stoke at Wembley (apart from Millwall). Pulis will want revenge, but he's not playing. Look at the league table and see who should win.

If we don't, we have no one to blame. We are going into the game as favourites for a reason. Don't be big time charlies, play properly and take them apart. Could and should be a comfortable win, but if we under estimate them, it could go wrong.

Seems daft to play them a couple of days later - can't we just agree that the winner gets the cup and 3 points?

[Blue In Bolton]

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Petrov, Elmander, Muamba, Chung-Yong, Klasnic, K Davies

Can sb explain to me what the fuck went through Coyle's head there? ONE midfielder? Are you fucking kidding me? No wonder they got murdered.

It's also interesting to note that if City win the Cup, Stoke, to get into Europe, will want City to finish 4th...

Went to the Reebok last week to see Bolton play West Ham (cheap tickets, City not playing) and Elmander was playing in central midfield and I must admit although Bolton murdered West Ham it was a bit of a surprise to see him playing there.

[Michigan Blue]

One thing is for certain, if Balotelli plays against Stoke he will have lumps kicked out of him, even worse than he took at the Britannia. They will try much harder to get him sent off than United did. Watching the game yesterday and Huth in particular was a complete fucking goon. He could have been booked twice inside 20 minutes, in addition to all of the Greco-Roman grappling he was doing on corners.

Pulis will send his team out to repeat what the Dutch did in the WC final and try to bully us for 90 minutes. Bolton folded like a cheap suit, but if we stand up to them they should not be a match for us.

[Blue Since 76]

That is fucking brilliant... I wonder if they would actually let us win then?

The only way Stoke get bumped from Europe is if we win the cup and finish 6th. They won't be bothered whether we're playing in the Champions League (4th) or Europa League (5th) next season.

Not true:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9448435.stm

Does this mean that only top 5 in the league qualify for europe this year? I thought if we won the FA cup the Europa league positions went to 6th place?

If its only top 5 its unlikely liverpool will be in Europe next year as I cannot see them overtaking both Spurs and us.

Birmingham won the League cup so get a european place. One place for the FA cup, one for the league cup and then 5th place in the league.

From the Telegraph

In a peculiar twist of fate, Stoke, handsome 5-0 victors over Bolton on Sunday, had been scheduled to meet Roberto Mancini’s team, who edged out Manchester United a day earlier, in the League on May 14, which is now the day for their FA Cup final showdown.
They will now instead meet three days later at the City of Manchester Stadium on the Tuesday night and, if Tony Pulis’s team were to lose the final, they would require their opponents to finish in the top four for their own European dream to become a reality.
Football Association, Premier League and Uefa rules stipulate the runners-up are entitled to a Europa League berth only if the Cup winners qualify for the Champions League.
So, if Manchester City were to lose out to Tottenham Hotspur and finish fifth, securing them a second spot in the Europa League, then one of them would be passed down to the team who finish sixth, currently Liverpool.

So win the FA Cup and we should be 3 points closer to 4th as well.

[Abu Dhabi]

^^^^

Not really.
If we won the cup, Liverpools only hope of getting into Europe is us missing out on 4th.
And guess who are they playing 3 days after the cup final?
Spurs.

It really depends on our results in the run in. Our game with spurs is massive.
Not looking forward for the whole experience.

[Blue Since 76]

^^^^

Not really.
If we won the cup, Liverpools only hope of getting into Europe is us missing out on 4th.
And guess who are they playing 3 days after the cup final?
Spurs.

It really depends on our results in the run in. Our game with spurs is massive.
Not looking forward for the whole experience.

Spurs game is before final. After the final we've got Stoke at home followed by Bolton away. Sounds like it might not be in Stoke's interest to beat us, if they lose at Wembley and assuming we're still in with a shout of 4th.

[Abu Dhabi]

^^^^

Not really.
If we won the cup, Liverpools only hope of getting into Europe is us missing out on 4th.
And guess who are they playing 3 days after the cup final?
Spurs.

It really depends on our results in the run in. Our game with spurs is massive.
Not looking forward for the whole experience.

Spurs game is before final. After the final we've got Stoke at home followed by Bolton away. Sounds like it might not be in Stoke's interest to beat us, if they lose at Wembley and assuming we're still in with a shout of 4th.

I meant it wouldnt be in Liverpool's interest to beat Spurs too.

[john68]

^^^^

Not really.
If we won the cup, Liverpools only hope of getting into Europe is us missing out on 4th.
And guess who are they playing 3 days after the cup final?
Spurs.

It really depends on our results in the run in. Our game with spurs is massive.
Not looking forward for the whole experience.

How can anyone not be looking forward to this sort of experience?...This is just the sort of experience we could hardly have hoped for when we were up against the likes of Macclesfield, Port Vale and Tranmere Rovers. This is immense for us.

I would much rather be shitting myself about the prospect of Barca in the Nou Camp than bloody Oldham Pathetic at Boundary Park.

[john68]

^^^^

Not really.
If we won the cup, Liverpools only hope of getting into Europe is us missing out on 4th.
And guess who are they playing 3 days after the cup final?
Spurs.

It really depends on our results in the run in. Our game with spurs is massive.
Not looking forward for the whole experience.

How can anyone not be looking forward to this sort of experience?...This is just the sort of experience we could hardly have hoped for when we were up against the likes of Macclesfield, Port Vale and Tranmere Rovers. This is immense for us.

I would much rather be shitting myself about the prospect of Barca in the Nou Camp than bloody Oldham Pathetic at Boundary Park.

[Nutzer]

It wouldn't matter who we got, nor will it take any effort from Mancini to wind the City players up. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE FA CUP...No doubts...no lack of confidence, not thoughts of losing...This years FA Cup is ours and we will take it.

I can imagine Coyle telling the Trotters after the game..."Don't worry about the 0-5 reversal lads, it'll all be soon forgotten by the media and we won't have to suffer from being properly mauled in the final by City with the whole World watching and laughing at us.

Poor, poor Stoke...we'll dismember them...at least the City fans in the top tier will get a good view of the ball when/if they have possession.

That's what Arsenal Fans (and the players) thought before the CC Final too..... just saying.... :)

I don't care how confident us fans are, as long as Bobby and the players don't underestimate Stoke and play as if all they have to do is turn up to win. May they play and score goals as clinically as we've seen them do so many times and make the naysayers choke on their humble pie.