***Manchester City v Reading PREVIEW***
Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 10:45 am[center]Reading v Manchester City
Tuesday 14th May 2013
7.45pm KO
Referee: Martin Atkinson
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Right where do we begin?
Coming home from Wembley on Saturday night was simply one of the most destroying experiences as a Manchester City fan in the modern era. Fair play and congratulations to Wigan as they simply outplayed us and clearly wanted it more than us but having to stop at the services after the game and witness supporters who probably got to Wembley and wondered why their team was kicking the ball rather than trying to pick it up and run with it was sickening. I spent hours on the way home trying to think of something positive to write about the day, something we could salvage and think but at least so and so played well. However with the exception of one or two performances this was the worst performance I can remember since we went to the Madejski back in March 2008 which saw Corluka play the last 20 minutes up front as we searched in vain for a shot on target let alone a goal. City owes us a performance big time this week after the debacle of Saturday and nothing short of two thrashings (of the opposition) tonight and Sunday would be acceptable.
So just to top it off Roberto Mancini is on the 1st anniversary of winning our first league championship in 44 years whilst thousands of rags are smashing up the city centre, well it’s not their city centre, and creaming themselves because Ferguson has ‘ousted’ Mancini. Never mind that the man was giving up because being tonked at the Swamp every year by Manchester’s only professional football team was too much for him but they also claimed that 670,000 people were on the streets of Manchester last night...so only one fifth of the population of Greater Manchester supporters Yoonited?
This isn’t the time or the place to discuss whether or not it was the right decision to sack the manager but it certainly wasn’t the correct time to sack him on the eve of a league game with still something to play for and potentially occurring the wrath of the home supporters next Sunday. The only surprise was that season ticket renewals weren’t dropped on my door mat this morning. Finally thanks to Roberto Mancini, you’ve provided us with the kind of memories that will keep a man warm at night even if the vultures are already circling quicker than a Jimmy Saville/Kevin Webster story.
Team Selection
Brian Kidd’s reign of terror has, albeit temporarily for now, begun and although I suspect that he won’t change the side from what Mancini would have done there is no way to know what team he may field so I am going to pretend I’ve been given the job for the week. I’ve already sacked barryconlonsbaldspot as my assistant after we had a fallout over tactics yesterday, ‘wingers cutting inside my arse!!!’ Pablo Zabaleta has had the fastest processed red card in the history of the game and will miss out through suspension and Scott Sinclair has had surgery to remove a blood clot.
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In goal I would give Joe Hart a run out to ensure that he secures his title for clean sheets and because Pantillimon has thrown his toys out of the pram costing him his FA Cup final place.
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At right back the only option for me is Micah Richards especially as Reading have a nippy winger in Jay Tabb and Maicon would be hopeless at trying to stop him. At left back Clichy on Saturday was skinned at every turn by Callum McManaman and clearly had no idea what to do in that situation. He almost played Kolarov back into the team…Is Jeremy Helan back from Sheffield Wednesday yet?
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If you didn’t know any better you would think that Nastasic was suffering stage fright on Saturday but it was most likely covering for Clichy as he was hopelessly pulled out of position. Even so I select Joleon Lescott tonight to give us that extra height and larger forehead for dealing with crosses. Kompany may continue purely on the basis of how awful Kolo Toure was last Tuesday against West Bromwich Albiom.
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In midfield is where things are interesting as Yaya Toure reverted to being the Toure that first arrived on these shores and Gareth Barry most likely had his worst performance in a City shirt. The decision for Nasri and Silva to switch wings and ‘cut inside’ as barryconlonsbaldspot will tell you meant that Silva so ineffective when Nasri was substituted he arguably took the wrong one off. There wasn’t a lot Rodwell could do when he came on to turn the game and coming off for Tevez meant that he had little or no chance with the supporters.
Tonight I would go with a midfield three of Milner, Rodwell and Silva. Milner and Rodwell, who I’m not yet sold on but this is the perfect chance to get some eyeballs on him and give the new manager the opportunity a chance to see what he can do, would be the lungs and the legs that we missed in the middle of the park on Saturday. Nasri has been better in recent weeks but I would still select Silva ahead of him purely for sheer ground covered by a World Cup winner. If Yaya does come off the bench it would only to be play as an attacking midfielder rather than a defensive one.
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At Wembley Tevez ran his heart out and looked the most likelist to score before he was ridiculously given the hook and Aguero was hopelessly isolated as the midfield failed to take a grip of the middle of the park. Dzeko came on scandalously late. As I’m manager for the day I’m going to select all three with Aguero on one wing, Tevez on the other and Dzeko in the middle and Silva pushing up behind him and inject some much needed width to our game. Add Micah Richards bombing down the right wing and the instruction that our passing should be needs to be done with a high tempo and played in front of the man and not directly into or behind his feet.
[center]Reading[/center]
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We’ve always seemed to have struggled against Reading in the Premier League. When they were promoted in 2006 we were their first home fixture on a Monday night and proceeded to through the kitchen sink at them before capitulating and conceding a winner from their first attack. At home we were worse as in the middle of a goalless 8 months at home we made Steve Sidwell look like Puskas and Leroy Lita was simply too good for on the day losing 2 nil. The following year under Sven we simply battered them at home but still required a late Stevie Ireland winner made maintained our 100% home record. At the Madejski that season we were truly awful in a game that probably signalled the end for Sven Goran Eriksson and finally this season when Brian McDermott claimed a moral victory as we only put one past them at the Etihad Stadium.
[center][youtube]8tbf5hriP0Y[/youtube][/center]
A 4-2 victory at Fulham last weekend broke Reading’s winless run as Nigel Adkins mean are playing for little more than pride According to the MEN winger Jimmy Kebe (groin) is still sidelined with Adam Federici (ankle) also likely to miss out once again. The notoriously unreliable physioroom.com says that Jason Roberts is also out with a thigh injury.
I’ve honestly barely seen Reading this season and I’ve a suspicious feeling little has changed since our last meeting so I’ll direct you to the preview from the reverse fixtures as this fixture is about ourselves anyway:
[center]http://www.mancityfans.net/mcfnet/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44802&p=491282&hilit=reading+preview#p491282
Reading (from): McCarthy, Taylor, Mariappa, Morrison, Pearce, Shorey, Kelly, Gunter, Harte, McAnuff, Leigertwood, Akpan, Karacan, Robson-Kanu, McCleary, Hunt, Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre, Blackman.
Prediction[/center]
This can go one of two ways, the players will feel liberated by the departure of the man they apparently despised and win comprehensively and comfortably or we’ll make it difficult for ourselves and we’ll struggle to earn the point that we’ll need for the consolation of being England’s second best team. Really wish I was going tonight
3-0 City
Tuesday 14th May 2013
7.45pm KO
Referee: Martin Atkinson
[/center]Right where do we begin?
Coming home from Wembley on Saturday night was simply one of the most destroying experiences as a Manchester City fan in the modern era. Fair play and congratulations to Wigan as they simply outplayed us and clearly wanted it more than us but having to stop at the services after the game and witness supporters who probably got to Wembley and wondered why their team was kicking the ball rather than trying to pick it up and run with it was sickening. I spent hours on the way home trying to think of something positive to write about the day, something we could salvage and think but at least so and so played well. However with the exception of one or two performances this was the worst performance I can remember since we went to the Madejski back in March 2008 which saw Corluka play the last 20 minutes up front as we searched in vain for a shot on target let alone a goal. City owes us a performance big time this week after the debacle of Saturday and nothing short of two thrashings (of the opposition) tonight and Sunday would be acceptable.
So just to top it off Roberto Mancini is on the 1st anniversary of winning our first league championship in 44 years whilst thousands of rags are smashing up the city centre, well it’s not their city centre, and creaming themselves because Ferguson has ‘ousted’ Mancini. Never mind that the man was giving up because being tonked at the Swamp every year by Manchester’s only professional football team was too much for him but they also claimed that 670,000 people were on the streets of Manchester last night...so only one fifth of the population of Greater Manchester supporters Yoonited?
This isn’t the time or the place to discuss whether or not it was the right decision to sack the manager but it certainly wasn’t the correct time to sack him on the eve of a league game with still something to play for and potentially occurring the wrath of the home supporters next Sunday. The only surprise was that season ticket renewals weren’t dropped on my door mat this morning. Finally thanks to Roberto Mancini, you’ve provided us with the kind of memories that will keep a man warm at night even if the vultures are already circling quicker than a Jimmy Saville/Kevin Webster story.
Team Selection
Brian Kidd’s reign of terror has, albeit temporarily for now, begun and although I suspect that he won’t change the side from what Mancini would have done there is no way to know what team he may field so I am going to pretend I’ve been given the job for the week. I’ve already sacked barryconlonsbaldspot as my assistant after we had a fallout over tactics yesterday, ‘wingers cutting inside my arse!!!’ Pablo Zabaleta has had the fastest processed red card in the history of the game and will miss out through suspension and Scott Sinclair has had surgery to remove a blood clot.
[center]
[/center]In goal I would give Joe Hart a run out to ensure that he secures his title for clean sheets and because Pantillimon has thrown his toys out of the pram costing him his FA Cup final place.
[center]
[/center]At right back the only option for me is Micah Richards especially as Reading have a nippy winger in Jay Tabb and Maicon would be hopeless at trying to stop him. At left back Clichy on Saturday was skinned at every turn by Callum McManaman and clearly had no idea what to do in that situation. He almost played Kolarov back into the team…Is Jeremy Helan back from Sheffield Wednesday yet?
[center]
[/center]If you didn’t know any better you would think that Nastasic was suffering stage fright on Saturday but it was most likely covering for Clichy as he was hopelessly pulled out of position. Even so I select Joleon Lescott tonight to give us that extra height and larger forehead for dealing with crosses. Kompany may continue purely on the basis of how awful Kolo Toure was last Tuesday against West Bromwich Albiom.
[center]
[/center]In midfield is where things are interesting as Yaya Toure reverted to being the Toure that first arrived on these shores and Gareth Barry most likely had his worst performance in a City shirt. The decision for Nasri and Silva to switch wings and ‘cut inside’ as barryconlonsbaldspot will tell you meant that Silva so ineffective when Nasri was substituted he arguably took the wrong one off. There wasn’t a lot Rodwell could do when he came on to turn the game and coming off for Tevez meant that he had little or no chance with the supporters.
Tonight I would go with a midfield three of Milner, Rodwell and Silva. Milner and Rodwell, who I’m not yet sold on but this is the perfect chance to get some eyeballs on him and give the new manager the opportunity a chance to see what he can do, would be the lungs and the legs that we missed in the middle of the park on Saturday. Nasri has been better in recent weeks but I would still select Silva ahead of him purely for sheer ground covered by a World Cup winner. If Yaya does come off the bench it would only to be play as an attacking midfielder rather than a defensive one.
[center]
[/center]At Wembley Tevez ran his heart out and looked the most likelist to score before he was ridiculously given the hook and Aguero was hopelessly isolated as the midfield failed to take a grip of the middle of the park. Dzeko came on scandalously late. As I’m manager for the day I’m going to select all three with Aguero on one wing, Tevez on the other and Dzeko in the middle and Silva pushing up behind him and inject some much needed width to our game. Add Micah Richards bombing down the right wing and the instruction that our passing should be needs to be done with a high tempo and played in front of the man and not directly into or behind his feet.
[center]Reading[/center]
[center]
We’ve always seemed to have struggled against Reading in the Premier League. When they were promoted in 2006 we were their first home fixture on a Monday night and proceeded to through the kitchen sink at them before capitulating and conceding a winner from their first attack. At home we were worse as in the middle of a goalless 8 months at home we made Steve Sidwell look like Puskas and Leroy Lita was simply too good for on the day losing 2 nil. The following year under Sven we simply battered them at home but still required a late Stevie Ireland winner made maintained our 100% home record. At the Madejski that season we were truly awful in a game that probably signalled the end for Sven Goran Eriksson and finally this season when Brian McDermott claimed a moral victory as we only put one past them at the Etihad Stadium.
[center][youtube]8tbf5hriP0Y[/youtube][/center]
A 4-2 victory at Fulham last weekend broke Reading’s winless run as Nigel Adkins mean are playing for little more than pride According to the MEN winger Jimmy Kebe (groin) is still sidelined with Adam Federici (ankle) also likely to miss out once again. The notoriously unreliable physioroom.com says that Jason Roberts is also out with a thigh injury.
I’ve honestly barely seen Reading this season and I’ve a suspicious feeling little has changed since our last meeting so I’ll direct you to the preview from the reverse fixtures as this fixture is about ourselves anyway:
[center]http://www.mancityfans.net/mcfnet/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44802&p=491282&hilit=reading+preview#p491282
Reading (from): McCarthy, Taylor, Mariappa, Morrison, Pearce, Shorey, Kelly, Gunter, Harte, McAnuff, Leigertwood, Akpan, Karacan, Robson-Kanu, McCleary, Hunt, Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre, Blackman.
Prediction[/center]
This can go one of two ways, the players will feel liberated by the departure of the man they apparently despised and win comprehensively and comfortably or we’ll make it difficult for ourselves and we’ll struggle to earn the point that we’ll need for the consolation of being England’s second best team. Really wish I was going tonight
3-0 City