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It has to be Barry Doesn't it?
Or will it be De Jong?

Could be anyone from the midfield including Silva, depending on the opposition & who Mancini wants to rest/save for other games. I can see a lot of changes in midfield areas for different games & hopefully that should mean we maintain a good energy level there (once everyone's match fit).

Im going to guess that Silva and Yaya will play on Thursday since they need match time with their team mates - I would imagine De Jong could be left out and saved for Liverpool if Milner has gone to Romania. Mancini mentioned three changes, one is obviously leftback, it really depends what formation he's starting with - AJ could get a game, and either Balotelli or Ade.

don't believe milner is in the squad for tomorrow - i'd imagine he'd be one of the 3 CMs in the diamond on monday.

btw agger is a very big question mark for monday since he "can't remember" that he even had a match on sunday thanks to that concussion.

Superman

If it's Barry, I feel we are going to right direction. If it's De Jong, it's great step towards more positive football.

If it's one of the wingers then this was pointless transfer.

From the Spurs game - it will be SWP

I think that there will be only a few 'permanent' fixtures in the team, and those in order of appearances (assuming fit) will be:

Hart and Ya Ya

Kolarov

NDJ and Tevez

The system that we will play will demand 1 'out and out' DM - NDJ is one of the best in the world and the only one we have - IMO - despite what a lot of other posters think

Going forward I think that we will see this sort of formation as 1st choice:

--------------Hart------------------
-Boateng--Toure--Kompany--Kolarov-
-------------De Jong----------------
---------Milner---Toure-------------
Silva------------------------Balotelli-
-------------Tevez------------------

with Ade and Johnson coming on regularly during the game as we mix it up and good cover in all positions in the squad

It's not called dropped anymore it's called rotation. I think we will have a solid core of players like Hart, Vinny, Tevez, Milner, Yaya and the rest will rotate.

mcfc1632 wrote:From the Spurs game - it will be SWP

I think that there will be only a few 'permanent' fixtures in the team, and those in order of appearances (assuming fit) will be:

Hart and Ya Ya

Kolarov

NDJ and Tevez

The system that we will play will demand 1 'out and out' DM - NDJ is one of the best in the world and the only one we have - IMO - despite what a lot of other posters think

Going forward I think that we will see this sort of formation as 1st choice:

--------------Hart------------------
-Boateng--Toure--Kompany--Kolarov-
-------------De Jong----------------
---------Milner---Toure-------------
Silva------------------------Balotelli-
-------------Tevez------------------

with Ade and Johnson coming on regularly during the game as we mix it up and good cover in all positions in the squad

I think that's what would be Mancini's 'A' team but it could also be set up as Silva & Tevez behind Balotelli. I think we'll see most of those players changed & rotated quite a lot though & whoever performs best will get preference. Robinho could even play in that system really well if he could be arsed.

mcfc1632 wrote:From the Spurs game - it will be SWP

7th post in before someone states the obvious.

Also when can we get away from this 'first 11' nonsense? It is a squad, and Mancini has made it very clear it will be used as such.

john@staustell wrote:

mcfc1632 wrote:From the Spurs game - it will be SWP

7th post in before someone states the obvious.

Also when can we get away from this 'first 11' nonsense? It is a squad, and Mancini has made it very clear it will be used as such.

Sorry John if it caused offence - I am just an old-fashioned sort of chap and chose to directly answer the question posed in the thread title - will try to do better in the future!!

I tried to add to the wider debate by posting what I thought was a decent assessment of the 1st 11

I think Barry played well enough against Spurs to keep his place.I think James will start on the bench and the replace SWP at about an hour.

Leaving aside whether we have a first 11 or not I think De Jong is most at threat. Not that Nigel doesn't do what he does very well but its pretty much all he seemingly can do and I just get the feeling that Mancini likes players who can excel in different roles so that they can adapt and take advantage as circumstances change during the game. I also see Nigel on the bench and being used to shore things up late on if necessary.

mcfc1632 wrote:

john@staustell wrote:

mcfc1632 wrote:From the Spurs game - it will be SWP

7th post in before someone states the obvious.

Also when can we get away from this 'first 11' nonsense? It is a squad, and Mancini has made it very clear it will be used as such.

Sorry John if it caused offence - I am just an old-fashioned sort of chap and chose to directly answer the question posed in the thread title - will try to do better in the future!!

I tried to add to the wider debate by posting what I thought was a decent assessment of the 1st 11

There aint one mate. But that aside I meant how many people were replying about Barry etc without stating the obvious SWP?!! It's beyond me what game some folk watch. GB is usually just about 1st on the City (unless rested) and England sheets, because of all the tidy, neat work he does which seemingly goes mostly un-noticed by fans of both entities. He was extremely tidy against Spurs, sweeping up, very neat on the ball and yet always gets low marks. Managers seem to appreciate him thankfully.

I sincerely believe though that the 'first 11' at home to, say, W Brom, will not be the first 11 away at Spuds.

A lot of these players now should have a field day in some games. But then I thought that when we signed Rodney Marsh!

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:If it's Barry, I feel we are going to right direction. If it's De Jong, it's great step towards more positive football.

If it's one of the wingers then this was pointless transfer.

You really do talk through your bottom sometimes.

Rag_hater wrote:

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:If it's Barry, I feel we are going to right direction. If it's De Jong, it's great step towards more positive football.

If it's one of the wingers then this was pointless transfer.

You really do talk through your bottom sometimes.

Correct about De Jong, but absolutely wrong in the case of SWP.

I hate to say it, but if he doesnt buck up, things could turn sour for him this season.

For anyone who can be arsed, here's a pretty honest even handed piece from an Italian football site, written when Mancini 1st came, which describes Mancini's Inter systems & I think predicts his subsequent moves pretty accurately & fits with what we've seen so far. It gives us an idea of how it could work & imo puts DeJong down as a 1st choice for most of the season.



During his four years with the club, he utilised more or less every formation imaginable - the only tactic he did not try was three at the back. 4-3-1-2 was generally his preferred choice, particularly in his first couple of seasons. But he desired a squad of players that allowed him tactical flexibility, a capability which he gained over the years with the arrival of wide players in Luís Figo, César and Santiago Solari. This trio were supplemented by the versatile players already at his disposal, like Javier Zanetti and Dejan Stanković, both of whom played wide in important games under the Coach. This flexibility meant Inter played 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 at stages throughout his time in Milan. A glance at the City squad suggests some of the characteristics he desires may already be in place. He certainly has enough wide players, with Shaun Wright-Phillips, Martin Petrov, Craig Bellamy and Robinho all capable of filling this role.

It is in the centre where the squad seems to lack the features of a Mancini unit. It was not uncommon to see an Inter midfield of Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Vieira in games, deployed behind a trequartista in the shape of Stanković or Figo (who often played centrally, as well as wide). Depending on his intentions, a frequent alternative would have seen the Portuguese player in place of Zanetti, again with Stanković as the trequartista. In any case, the ever-presents in any three-man midfield were the power and defensive abilities of Cambiasso and Vieira (or Cristiano Zanetti, whose superior ball skills were seen primarily in Europe to attempt to create a possession game). Even in a 4-4-2, attacking players such as Stanković had to play out wide so that the defensive duo could patrol the middle. A closer examination of the individuals in the City squad who could fulfil this function in the team throws up an initial problem. Nigel de Jong is the only player who even comes close to resembling the players Mancini had at his disposal for this function at Inter. Gareth Barry will occupy the defensive space, but he is not a destroyer, and he does not have the physical attributes Mancini requires. That is not to say he has no place in his team - his ability on the ball will undoubtedly be required in the midfield, in the same way as the two Zanetti’s were at Inter - but it would not be at all surprising to see a powerful midfielder acquired in January.

He has every chance of succeeding. Finances will not be a problem, and the lack of patience evident at the club will not phase a man who has worked in Italy - a football environment where Carlo Ancelotti’s eight years at Milan are seen as a major victory for Coaches. He will add a tactical nous to City, especially during the defensive phases of play, which is so obviously missing. And, despite the power game in midfield, the football is not bad either.

Ted Hughes wrote:For anyone who can be arsed, here's a pretty honest even handed piece from an Italian football site, written when Mancini 1st came, which describes Mancini's Inter systems & I think predicts his subsequent moves pretty accurately & fits with what we've seen so far. It gives us an idea of how it could work & imo puts DeJong down as a 1st choice for most of the season.



During his four years with the club, he utilised more or less every formation imaginable - the only tactic he did not try was three at the back. 4-3-1-2 was generally his preferred choice, particularly in his first couple of seasons. But he desired a squad of players that allowed him tactical flexibility, a capability which he gained over the years with the arrival of wide players in Luís Figo, César and Santiago Solari. This trio were supplemented by the versatile players already at his disposal, like Javier Zanetti and Dejan Stanković, both of whom played wide in important games under the Coach. This flexibility meant Inter played 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 at stages throughout his time in Milan. A glance at the City squad suggests some of the characteristics he desires may already be in place. He certainly has enough wide players, with Shaun Wright-Phillips, Martin Petrov, Craig Bellamy and Robinho all capable of filling this role.

It is in the centre where the squad seems to lack the features of a Mancini unit. It was not uncommon to see an Inter midfield of Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Vieira in games, deployed behind a trequartista in the shape of Stanković or Figo (who often played centrally, as well as wide). Depending on his intentions, a frequent alternative would have seen the Portuguese player in place of Zanetti, again with Stanković as the trequartista. In any case, the ever-presents in any three-man midfield were the power and defensive abilities of Cambiasso and Vieira (or Cristiano Zanetti, whose superior ball skills were seen primarily in Europe to attempt to create a possession game). Even in a 4-4-2, attacking players such as Stanković had to play out wide so that the defensive duo could patrol the middle. A closer examination of the individuals in the City squad who could fulfil this function in the team throws up an initial problem. Nigel de Jong is the only player who even comes close to resembling the players Mancini had at his disposal for this function at Inter. Gareth Barry will occupy the defensive space, but he is not a destroyer, and he does not have the physical attributes Mancini requires. That is not to say he has no place in his team - his ability on the ball will undoubtedly be required in the midfield, in the same way as the two Zanetti’s were at Inter - but it would not be at all surprising to see a powerful midfielder acquired in January.

He has every chance of succeeding. Finances will not be a problem, and the lack of patience evident at the club will not phase a man who has worked in Italy - a football environment where Carlo Ancelotti’s eight years at Milan are seen as a major victory for Coaches. He will add a tactical nous to City, especially during the defensive phases of play, which is so obviously missing. And, despite the power game in midfield, the football is not bad either.

Interesting read however it seems that it was written awhile ago as it includes Petrov...therefore pre our summer signings so although it states that De Jong is key...we now have Yaya and other options

johnpb78 wrote:

Rag_hater wrote:

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:If it's Barry, I feel we are going to right direction. If it's De Jong, it's great step towards more positive football.

If it's one of the wingers then this was pointless transfer.

You really do talk through your bottom sometimes.

Correct about De Jong, but absolutely wrong in the case of SWP.

I hate to say it, but if he doesnt buck up, things could turn sour for him this season.

Nigel place may be under threat by James and SWP but not Gareth.
And if youre comparing Milner to AJ and Cregg and saying its a pointless transfer then I think you are mistaken.Milner is much better than those two.
In fact I think with the number of games we have if we keep doing well in the cups I think SWP will be a big part of it.

IanBishopsHaircut wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:For anyone who can be arsed, here's a pretty honest even handed piece from an Italian football site, written when Mancini 1st came, which describes Mancini's Inter systems & I think predicts his subsequent moves pretty accurately & fits with what we've seen so far. It gives us an idea of how it could work & imo puts DeJong down as a 1st choice for most of the season.



During his four years with the club, he utilised more or less every formation imaginable - the only tactic he did not try was three at the back. 4-3-1-2 was generally his preferred choice, particularly in his first couple of seasons. But he desired a squad of players that allowed him tactical flexibility, a capability which he gained over the years with the arrival of wide players in Luís Figo, César and Santiago Solari. This trio were supplemented by the versatile players already at his disposal, like Javier Zanetti and Dejan Stanković, both of whom played wide in important games under the Coach. This flexibility meant Inter played 4-3-1-2, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 at stages throughout his time in Milan. A glance at the City squad suggests some of the characteristics he desires may already be in place. He certainly has enough wide players, with Shaun Wright-Phillips, Martin Petrov, Craig Bellamy and Robinho all capable of filling this role.

It is in the centre where the squad seems to lack the features of a Mancini unit. It was not uncommon to see an Inter midfield of Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Vieira in games, deployed behind a trequartista in the shape of Stanković or Figo (who often played centrally, as well as wide). Depending on his intentions, a frequent alternative would have seen the Portuguese player in place of Zanetti, again with Stanković as the trequartista. In any case, the ever-presents in any three-man midfield were the power and defensive abilities of Cambiasso and Vieira (or Cristiano Zanetti, whose superior ball skills were seen primarily in Europe to attempt to create a possession game). Even in a 4-4-2, attacking players such as Stanković had to play out wide so that the defensive duo could patrol the middle. A closer examination of the individuals in the City squad who could fulfil this function in the team throws up an initial problem. Nigel de Jong is the only player who even comes close to resembling the players Mancini had at his disposal for this function at Inter. Gareth Barry will occupy the defensive space, but he is not a destroyer, and he does not have the physical attributes Mancini requires. That is not to say he has no place in his team - his ability on the ball will undoubtedly be required in the midfield, in the same way as the two Zanetti’s were at Inter - but it would not be at all surprising to see a powerful midfielder acquired in January.

He has every chance of succeeding. Finances will not be a problem, and the lack of patience evident at the club will not phase a man who has worked in Italy - a football environment where Carlo Ancelotti’s eight years at Milan are seen as a major victory for Coaches. He will add a tactical nous to City, especially during the defensive phases of play, which is so obviously missing. And, despite the power game in midfield, the football is not bad either.

Interesting read however it seems that it was written awhile ago as it includes Petrov...therefore pre our summer signings so although it states that De Jong is key...we now have Yaya and other options

It predicts the kind of players he may sign to play alongside DeJong. Ie Yaya Toure.