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I am *really* looking forward to tomorrow, I love football and there's been some good games on lately but it pails in significance to city for me

tomorrow I hope to see
Given
Richards Kompany Lescott Bridge
De Jong Barry
Johnson Bellamy
Tevez Ade

Subs:- Taylor, Toure, Zabba, Onuah, Ireland, SWP, RSC

Ade's still out mate. Will he give Roque a run-out?

PS. Good to see a thread on our game, the DT's are beginning to subside ;-)

got to be same 11 as vs Chelsea for me - how could you drop anyone after that?

please Mancio, PLEASE KEEP JOLEON AND VINNIE AS CENTRE HALVES!

Wooders wrote:Given
Richards Kompany Lescott Bridge
De Jong Barry
Johnson Bellamy
Tevez Ade

Subs:- Taylor, Toure, Zabba, Onuah, Ireland, SWP, RSC

Adebayor is still suspended.

The MUeN says we have the following players available: Given, Taylor, Richards, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Toure, Lescott, Boyata, Garrido, Sylvinho, Bridge, Johnson, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Vieira, Barry, De Jong, Ibrahim, Tevez, Bellamy, Santa Cruz.

It's usually a good idea to check out their preview before posting your Team. Easy to forget who's out.

I'd go for:

Given
Zabaleta Kompany Lescott Bridge
Wright-Phillips Barry De Jong Johnson
Tevez Bellamy

I'd also like to see Ireland (desperate need to pick up some form) and Santa Cruz introduced at some point in the Match.

Most likely;

Given
Richards/lescott/Vinnie/Bridge
NDJ/Barry/Zaba
SWP/Tevez/Bellers

That's if all fit
If not then AJ for Bellers
Vieira for Zaba
Zaba for Bridge

Subs
Taylor/AJ/RSC/Ireland/Toure/Ibrahim/Onuaha

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Most likely;

Given
Richards/lescott/Vinnie/Bridge
NDJ/Barry/Zaba
SWP/Tevez/Bellers

That's if all fit
If not then AJ for Bellers
Vieira for Zaba
Zaba for Bridge

Subs
Taylor/AJ/RSC/Ireland/Toure/Ibrahim/Onuaha

You're the man Doug but isn't Vinnie carrying a knock or something? In which case get him completely fit and stick Toure in tomorrow. SWP cant have endeared himself to Bobby this week. AJ for me - I know he wasn't too sharp last time but that was Chelsea - this is Sunderland!

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Most likely;

Given
Richards/lescott/Vinnie/Bridge
NDJ/Barry/Zaba
SWP/Tevez/Bellers

That's if all fit
If not then AJ for Bellers
Vieira for Zaba
Zaba for Bridge

Subs
Taylor/AJ/RSC/Ireland/Toure/Ibrahim/Onuaha

I MIGHT BE A LITTLE UNFAIR BUT I JUST DONT WANT VIEIRA IN THE TEAM PERIOD.............I KEEP SAYING HE,S TOO SLOW..DANGERIOUSLY SLOW.

keep the same team as against chelsea, but if fit put ireland as a sub

I'd go with the same side that stuffed Chelsea.

Even if Ade was available, I wouldn't start him. As much as I rate him, I think we're a better team with Tevez and Bellamy up front.

And surely Mancini can see that Kompany and Lescott are our strongest centre-back pairing. Toure hasn't done enough to justify a starting place in the side and should rightly keep his place on the bench.

carl_feedthegoat wrote:
I MIGHT BE A LITTLE UNFAIR BUT I JUST DONT WANT VIEIRA IN THE TEAM PERIOD.............I KEEP SAYING HE,S TOO SLOW..DANGERIOUSLY SLOW.

think everyone is probably agreeing with you there carl.

However it seems from the noises coming from the camp that Vieira is still seen as important in the run-in. Whether that translates into games we will have to see. The only way i can personally understand the importance that Mancini puts on Vieira is in the sense that the run-in games are going to be the most difficult of the season, more so than a lot of us might care to admit, so someone with Vieira's experience and attitude may yet prove to be important. He looks past it tbh, but you know the tough get going when...

So far the only positive thing i have seen him doing in games is helping to drag us up the pitch a bit, which imo is very much needed for this team to play properly. He may just be the person to make a difference in those games where it is locked in a midfield battle so much that even people like Barry cant see the wood for the trees and so cant escape what is going on, we tend to then sit too deep which doesn't help matters. So Vieira could prove the difference in such games by experience and nouse, knowing what to do.. nothing to do with speed.
And even if we continue to improve slightly, i expect quite a few of the above type games from now on.

team that won 4-3 at home

Given, Richards (Zabaleta 22), Onuoha, Toure, Sylvinho, Wright-Phillips (Kompany 53), Ireland, Barry, Bellamy (Petrov 86), Tevez, Santa Cruz.

RSC got 2 goals, so he may well start again.
apart from that our defence has got a lot stronger and more organised since that game.
DeJong was missing also for some reason.

So it seems the team going to Sunderland will be a good bit stronger than this one

I certainly don't want Vieira in but I had the feeling that Mancini would have played him in every game where he was fit and available. Zaba has done ok I think in Mancini's eyes so probably will keep his place unless there are injuries to disrupt things.

Kompany did miss some training but looked ok on Friday so unless there is a reaction I expect him to play.It was Bridge who left training early on Friday so might be injured which could mean a rejig and Zaba going to left back.Bellers missed training on Friday altogether but Kidd said he was fine.

Given
Bridge
Kompany
Lescott
Richards
Johnson
Barry
de Jong
Ireland
Bellamy
Tevez

I agree with the sentiments regarding Ade. Although he is a great player (when in the mood) the team does seem to have a better balance with Tevez and Bellamy up front.
IMHO

Ack dont care who plays we just need plenty of goals. Spurs winning today didn't help us..

brite blu sky wrote:

carl_feedthegoat wrote:
I MIGHT BE A LITTLE UNFAIR BUT I JUST DONT WANT VIEIRA IN THE TEAM PERIOD.............I KEEP SAYING HE,S TOO SLOW..DANGERIOUSLY SLOW.

think everyone is probably agreeing with you there carl.

However it seems from the noises coming from the camp that Vieira is still seen as important in the run-in. Whether that translates into games we will have to see. The only way i can personally understand the importance that Mancini puts on Vieira is in the sense that the run-in games are going to be the most difficult of the season, more so than a lot of us might care to admit, so someone with Vieira's experience and attitude may yet prove to be important. He looks past it tbh, but

you know the tough get going when...

So far the only positive thing i have seen him doing in games is helping to drag us up the pitch a bit, which imo is very much needed for this team to play properly. He may just be the person to make a difference in those games where it is locked in a midfield battle so much that even people like Barry cant see the wood for the trees and so cant escape what is going on, we tend to then sit too deep which doesn't help matters. So Vieira could prove the difference in such games by experience and nouse, knowing what to do.. nothing to do with speed.
And even if we continue to improve slightly, i expect quite a few of the above type games from now on.

I agree PV is slower than he was and the lack of game fitness (due to his stupid act at Stoke) does not help him.
However, in the wake of Ireland total lack of form, he also is the player which better may have the killer pass, as already shown (sadly once was to Ade and once to the clueless RSC).

On the above basis, imo, the most balanced, powerfull and experienced line-up, would be:
-------------- Given
Zabba - Vinnie - Lescott - Bridge
---------- De Jong
SWP (AJ to come in the 2nd) - - - Vieira - - - Barry
--------- Carlito - Bellers

I don't have to remind that this is not the time to run "beauty contests", but time to grab points: 3 possibly, 1 as a must!

But I think Mancini, will traditionally confirm the same 11 winners fm Stanford Bridge (confidence building comes also by respecting performances).

With Tevez and Bellers upfront we must really really piss off the opposition defenders, those 2 hassle and harry for 95 mins. Bound to score with those 2 involved

Since I haven't been able to get over the last few weeks, It was a real confidence booster going into the pub to watch
the Chelsea - City game hearing that Bobby Manc went with Kompany and Lescott and not Toure/Lescott. The press can be told what they like about 'knocks' etc, I think Mancini knows that Toure isn't up to scratch and him being Club captain too, is a problem for Mancini as well.

So, I fully expect Mancini to name an unchanged side tomorrow. Why not ? (injury free of course), the team deserve a second chance to prove that the win at Chelsea was no fluke.

It's a must win game tomorrow for us and I think the team will rise to the occasion.

Tevez and Bellars to start. Tear them apart. Two goals in twenty minutes. Put them in their place. Go Blues.