***The Official Fulham v City Thread***

[Beefymcfc]

Hope nobody minds, just wanted to say 'COME ON CITY'.

Edit: Oops, forgot the 3rd star.

[The Man In Blue]

mods, ban him.























COME ON THE BLUES!!!

[xavi6]

Anything less than three points today is simply not good enough

[The Man In Blue]

we need to blow them away right from the off. as someone said in another thread, if we get into a good early lead they will really feel the stirling effort they put in last thursday. we cannot let them get into the game.

[Beefymcfc]

I do like to read the Beebs match preview withmatch facts.

TEAM NEWS

Fulham welcome back Jonathan Greening and Danny Murphy, who were both suspended against Juventus in midweek.

Andrew Johnson and John Pantsil are out with knee injuries, while Dickson Etuhu and David Elm are both doubtful.

Javier Garrido is expected to start for Manchester City in place of injured left-back Wayne Bridge.

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor remains suspended, accompanying knee victims Martin Petrov and Michael Johnson on the sidelines.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fulham

Doubtful: Elm (illness), Etuhu (unspecified)

Injured: A Johnson & Pantsil (both knee)

Man City

Suspended: Adebayor (two matches)

Injured: Bridge (hernia), M Johnson & Petrov (both knee)

MATCH PREVIEW
Neither Roy Hodgson nor Roberto Mancini claim to be The Special One, but both men are former managers of Chelsea's Champions League conquerors Inter Milan. Just like current incumbent Jose Mourinho, Hodgson and Mancini have their eyes on respective end-of-season rewards.

We want to finish fourth as badly as anyone, but I think we've shown we can battle as well as play good football -Patrick Vieira, Man City midfielder

It is hard to believe that just 17 months ago, Mancini was being linked to the Fulham hot-seat after Hodgson's side accrued only seven points out of a possible 21 at the start of the 2008/09 campaign.

Hodgson's legacy at the club will now go down as one of the greatest in Fulham's history. Their stunning 4-1 win over Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday night will live with fans forever. Fulham can also look forward to an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Spurs next week.

Just hours before David Beckham's World Cup dream ended last Sunday, Manchester City's Adam Johnson showed a glimpse of his England potential with a fabulous stoppage-time leveller at Sunderland.

The 22-year-old was certainly City's super-sub at the Stadium of Light, a role earmarked for Beckham in South Africa. He also demonstrated a knack for curling the ball home from distance to secure a valuable last-gasp draw. Now, where have we seen that before?

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• Fulham are without a home win against Man City since November 2005, when a Steed Malbranque double helped them to a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage.

• Seven of the last 13 Premier League fixtures have ended in draws.

• Both teams have scored in each of the last 11 Premier League fixtures between the clubs.

• The two managers have clashed once before - Mancini's Fiorentina won 2-1 at Hodgson's Udinese in Serie A in October 2001.

Fulham

• Roy Hodgson's side have a fine recent record at Craven Cottage, winning each of their last three Premier League home games.

• Fulham have scored only two first-half goals in their last 10 Premier League games.

• If selected, Dickson Etuhu will be facing the club where he started his career.

Man City

• City have won only four of 15 away league games this season. However, just three of their nine remaining fixtures after this one will be away from Eastlands.

• Manchester City have drawn 11 Premier League games. Only Stoke (12) have drawn more.

• No club has lost fewer league games than Manchester City this term. The Eastlands club have been beaten just four times.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Fulham

Zamora: 16 goals (8 league); Gera: 9 goals (2 league)

Man City

Tevez: 21 goals (15 league); Adebayor: 9 goals (9 league);
Bellamy 9 goals (8 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Lee Probert. Assistant referees: Andy Newbold & Nick Kinseley. Fourth official: Darren Deadman

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Fulham (L0-3 v Man Utd, a): Schwarzer; Kelly, Hangeland (Greening 62), Hughes, Shorey, Davies (Duff 46), Murphy, Baird, Dempsey (Nevland 72), Gera, Zamora. Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Okaka, Stoor, Dikgacoi.

Man City (D1-1 v Sunderland, a): Given; Richards (Vieira 64), Kompany, Lescott, Bridge (Santa Cruz 32), Wright-Phillips (A Johnson 72), Zabaleta, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy, Tevez. Subs not used: Taylor, Ireland, Sylvinho, Toure.

MOST RECENT MEETING

Man City 2-2 Fulham (25 October 2009)

Man City scorers: Lescott 53, Petrov 60

Fulham scorers: Duff 62, Dempsey 68

[kinkylola]

COME ON CITY!!!!!

every game is huge for us now, we need to be up for this

[MHiggi]

Really looking forward to it - I've watched a lot of football recently as its on every night but I've missed watch MY team. We just haven't had enough games recently. Hopefully the rest will have done us good and we put Fulham in their place today.

Come on you blues!

[MARKMAKAVELI]

The team is....

Given
Zabaleta, Kompany, Toure, Lescott
Johnson Barry Vieira Bellamy
Santa Cruz Tevez

4-4-2

I think I rememered the back line I know Lescott, Toure an Kompany are defo in there. Think he said Zaba too.

[ryanmjo]

We have some team news:
Given
Zabaleta Toure Kompany Lescott (at left back)
Johnson Barry Vieira Bellamy
Santa Cruz Tevez

Bench: Taylor, Garrido, Onouha, Sylvinho, de Jong, SWP, Ireland


A must win today, no question about it.

[xavi6]

Toure? Ugh

[King Kev]

Lescott at right back when we have Gaz on the bench. Mind boggling stuff.

[xavi6]

Just saw Vieira in there as well!

Disaster

[citytilidie]

i miss ireland :(

[The Man In Blue]

Lescott at right back when we have Gaz on the bench. Mind boggling stuff.

innit. Just when we finally looked to have a quality first choice CB pairing. To be fair to Mancio, he was forced into this.

nice to see Rocky get a start.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Micah must be injured but the rest is as expected from training the other day with NDJ getting a rest. It will be very interesting to see how Lescott fairs at left back and whether that will get him into the box more to pinch a goal.

It's been interesting how Garrido got in early doors with Mancini but now isn't being given chances.

[pepsi_dave]

No striker on the bench??? Bizarre! I know we don't really have any, but surely one of the kids could have made the bench, unless Mancio plans to be quite cunning with his subs and theire subsequent positioning.....

[Mark (Blue Army)]

I want to see a shift put in by all them that play today nothing less than 100% we need all 3 points.

[The Man In Blue]

No striker on the bench??? Bizarre! I know we don't really have any, but surely one of the kids could have made the bench, unless Mancio plans to be quite cunning with his subs and theire subsequent positioning.....

i thought all three of RSC, Tevez and Bellers would start so was hoping Guidetti might get a place on the bench.

[King Kev]

Lescott at right back when we have Gaz on the bench. Mind boggling stuff.

innit. Just when we finally looked to have a quality first choice CB pairing. To be fair to Mancio, he was forced into this.

nice to see Rocky get a start.

Obviously I meant to say left-back, but the point remains the same.

[Blue Toy]

Micah must be injured but the rest is as expected from training the other day with NDJ getting a rest. It will be very interesting to see how Lescott fairs at left back and whether that will get him into the box more to pinch a goal.

It's been interesting how Garrido got in early doors with Mancini but now isn't being given chances.

The word "rest" goes through me at the best of times, let alone when we have barely played recently.