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Here are some thoughts from the Saints fans for tomorrow night. I really enjoyed the game on Sunday (didn’t expect to), so more of the same tomorrow please. The game at weekend is the priority though as far as I am concerned.

COME ON CITY!!!

Referee: Peter Banks
Assistants: Edward Smart and Nick Greenhalgh
Fourth Official: John Brooks

Team Selection

Willy
KWP, Lyanco, DCC, Salisu, Perraud
JWP, Lavia
Djenepo, Adams, Armstrong (A)

And the rest…

For once I hope we do go 5 at the back. Actually, make that 11 at the back.

City will want the cup to add to their collection but won't want to be full strength. We may have renewed our acquaintance with the opposition net but I still can't see past them winning even if they play the likes of Palmer, Lewis and half the EDS. Still, a freak result away from a two legged semi final and we have the competition's top Scorer up to now.

Free hit No2. All I want from this match is for us to show that we can counter attack and get the shot on goal before their defence can turn to face us. If we can manage that, imho there is real hope.

I’m sure Nath will have the lads brimming with confidence after sweeping away Palace with two fantastic, well worked goals. No doubt a tactical masterclass incoming. Saints 3-0 Man City.

After Wednesday night I was intending to leave the country and find nice dark cave to bed down in for a week or so but after today’s upturn and the prospect of Oršić showing up I’m feeling slightly more comfortable and almost warming to this now. Probably won’t last!

Still a cup 1/4 final, got to try to enjoy it.

Hold on for 90 mins and then win the shoot out. Simples.

Don't really care about this at all - care more about us winning our league game against Everton. Play reserves and youngsters. No injuries and anything other than a drubbing is a bonus.

There’s about as much chance of us winning this as there is of me winning the Lottery Jackpot - i.e. zilch. Would play our B team just to piss Pep off. Jones will mess about with this and that, get the system and tactics completely wrong and end up with a total drubbing. 7-0 City.

I fear for our inability to play through City's press. Though they seem to struggle with us for some reason and our players seem to up their game. Given our fragile confidence right now this could get ugly.

About 10’000 left looking at the website. Shows the general feeling around the club at the minute that most people can’t be arsed with a cup game that would be considered a “gold” fixture in the league, especially at discounted price.

Unfortunately, Man City resting some of their best players against Chelsea today ahead of our game.

Jeez - hope they use up all their goals this afternoon - they are like a hot knife through butter v Chelsea.

Havent they got a derby v Man Utd on Saturday? However whatever side they put out we are in for a thrashing. City could probably play with 11 outfield players and still win comfortably as it is unlikely, we will get near their goal.

The reality is they could start a 3rd choice team and where we to somehow do a goal they'd sub on 5 50m plus players and blow us away!

After watching them tear Chelsea a new one I can’t see this being pretty!

They just made Chelsea look like a non-league team with about 6 main players rested. Best expectation is we put a shift in, don't make any massive howlers and don't get thrashed, maybe a striker gets a confidence boosting goal.

I'm scared.

A real shame we got City at this stage. Like most of our fans I was born after '76 so have never seen us lift a major trophy. I just want one in my life then I can be happy. Controversially I'd take a League Cup or FA Cup if it meant relegation. Anyway, stranger things have happened in football than us winning on Wednesday, its just a shame Pep played a 'weaker' team yesterday instead of our game.

That last comment reminds me of how i felt about city for a long time.

Dubciteh wrote:That last comment reminds me of how i felt about city for a long time.

Same

Pre 2010 I always thought the league cup was the best chance of me seeing City win a trophy on the proviso that we somehow managed to avoid drawing Tottenham f@cking Hotspur who regularly put a spanner in the works if we got anywhere near the latter stages of a cup.

I was happy seeing Andy Morrison and Stuart Pearce lift trophies for us.

Who the fuck is any fan base to decide if it’s “major” or not? That ‘99 final trophy turned out to be pretty “major” in the end.

Stinks of Rag mentality telling other fans which trophies are worthless.

Mase wrote:I was happy seeing Andy Morrison and Stuart Pearce lift trophies for us.

Who the fuck is any fan base to decide if it’s “major” or not? That ‘99 final trophy turned out to be pretty “major” in the end.

Stinks of Rag mentality telling other fans which trophies are worthless.

I’ve always found it strange that play off winners get a trophy. Surely promotion is the prize that you win, however a day out at Wembley followed by a win would be a major anti climax without some kind of presentation so I get why they do it.

They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

branny wrote:

Mase wrote:I was happy seeing Andy Morrison and Stuart Pearce lift trophies for us.

Who the fuck is any fan base to decide if it’s “major” or not? That ‘99 final trophy turned out to be pretty “major” in the end.

Stinks of Rag mentality telling other fans which trophies are worthless.

I’ve always found it strange that play off winners get a trophy. Surely promotion is the prize that you win, however a day out at Wembley followed by a win would be a major anti climax without some kind of presentation so I get why they do it.

I suppose it’s a mini cup competition.

After last years zero goals in both FA Cup and League Cup finals, I’d much rather watch a playoff final

sheblue wrote:They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

Very valid point

nottsblue wrote:

sheblue wrote:They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

Very valid point

We’re a work in progress until we can figure out how to play the football we played v Chelsea with KDB and Haaland in the team.

branny wrote:

nottsblue wrote:

sheblue wrote:They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

Very valid point

We’re a work in progress until we can figure out how to play the football we played v Chelsea with KDB and Haaland in the team.

We played better football against the rags this season with them both in.

stupot wrote:

branny wrote:

nottsblue wrote:

sheblue wrote:They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

Very valid point

We’re a work in progress until we can figure out how to play the football we played v Chelsea with KDB and Haaland in the team.

We played better football against the rags this season with them both in.

And struggled against Fulham, Brentford and Everton. We've been far from our best this season and the Rags were in disarray when we scored the 6th. We've not hit those heights since and the Rags have improved. They'll be full of confidence on the back of this run they're having.

branny wrote:

stupot wrote:

branny wrote:

nottsblue wrote:

sheblue wrote:They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

Very valid point

We’re a work in progress until we can figure out how to play the football we played v Chelsea with KDB and Haaland in the team.

We played better football against the rags this season with them both in.

And struggled against Fulham, Brentford and Everton. We've been far from our best this season and the Rags were in disarray when we scored the 6th. We've not hit those heights since and the Rags have improved. They'll be full of confidence on the back of this run they're having.

I didn't mean how good or not good the rags are.
You had said we needed to play with those 2 in the team like we did against Chelsea and I pointed out we already had and incidentally the rags that day were probably less in disarray than Chelsea were on Sunday.

Pep says this game is more important than the derby. Well Pep it is not, we dont believe you. So we will see a strong team tonight as he will want to give game time to some ahead of Saturday.
Expect to see KBD and Haaland start.

I can’t look further than a City win but the reward is a two legged semi final. Ugh. One leg surely enough.

stupot wrote:

branny wrote:

nottsblue wrote:

sheblue wrote:They are quite pessimistic. But pep will have 1.5 eyes on the derby, so it has some potential to be a banana skin.

Very valid point

We’re a work in progress until we can figure out how to play the football we played v Chelsea with KDB and Haaland in the team.

We played better football against the rags this season with them both in.

It's still early days with a number 9 in the team and I understand that we won't get it right every time but it's gonna be great to watch when we do. I think we have a lot of improvement in us and our game will go to another level when the penny drops with everyone.

sheblue wrote:Pep says this game is more important than the derby. Well Pep it is not, we dont believe you. So we will see a strong team tonight as he will want to give game time to some ahead of Saturday.
Expect to see KBD and Haaland start.

I think the idea is that the next game is always the most important

They seemed to be more ambitious than most, and it paid off.