Let's have it then...

[Alioune DVToure]

Everyone's got their own idea of why we've hit the skids a bit over the last six weeks. Thought it might be interesting to have a thread in which we're not arguing over the minutiae of Dzeko's ball control and heading ability or how many last chances to give Mad Mario.

For the sake of this thread you've been recruited as the new manager. You know the players, you know their strengths and weaknesses. How do you line up for the Sunderland game and what's your plan to get us moving again?

Here's a few of my suggestions:

1) Play Silva further up the park.

We're that keen to play through him that he's getting on the ball in the wrong areas.

2) Rest Yaya, Barry

Give Yaya and Barry a break and let Milner have a crack in the middle of the pitch. He's got plenty of energy and will cover a lot of grass.

3) Johnson on the left

Let's try AJ out left on his natural side. See if we can't get some service in for Dzeko. Keep Shauny warmed up in case it's too early for AJ to do a full 90.


Suggested line-up:


--------------------------------Hart

Richards---------Kompany----------Lescott-----------Kolarov

--------------------Milner------------De Jong

----Silva----------------------------------------------Johnson

------------------------------Tevez

------------------------------Dzeko


Game plan

Really get at Sunderland down both flanks with plenty of balls into the box.
Have Milner and De Jong sit a little bit so that Richards and Kolarov can bomb on when the overlap is a possibility.
Slick interchanges between Silva, Tevez and Johnson with the three frequently switching positions.
Have Dzeko stay right up top so we've got something to hit, someone to play off, and the option of going direct.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

STOP PLAYING THREE FUCKING DEFENSIVE MDIFIELDERS.
An yes Yaya counts as this. He may be playign furtehr forward but essentially he's played as a defensive midfielder all his career.

[Fesan]

Plan:

Combine width with creativity and balance. Wingplay on the left side with the left back sitting back abit and only overlapping when it feels safe. Creativity on the right side with the right back overlapping and filling the space of the right winger who has freedom to move into a more central role. Two defensive midfielders where one is kind of a box-to-box and the other is pure ball-winner.


4-2-3-1:

-------- Hart
Micah -- Kompany -- Lescott -- Zaba/Kolarov

------------Milner -- De Jong

Balotelli -- Silva -- A. Johnson
---------- Dzeko



Based on Tevez being out, if he is back I might shift Silva left, Tevez in behind Dzeko and Balo to the bench. But would prob. start like this and give Tevez a rest/not risk him.
The main focus of my pregame speech would be that with a new manager comes a clean sheet for all players, let's pretend we are starting a new season of 8 games and we want to win that season. Tactically I'd say the aforementioned of De Jong being pure cover and Milner being box-to-box, read the game and go forward when we have initiative and stay back when we need to stop their initiative. Focus for Johnson is crossing, take it inside now and then to keep RB honest. Less safe back pass and more quick forward passing. I can live without 60% posession! Balo has more license to drift inside but should also deliver his fair share of crosses, I'd take him aside and say what prob. everyone else have said; You've had some good and bad in your City career so far. I believe you are a smart kid and that you've learned your lesson from what have happened. Now go win back the fans with a glittering performance!

Then I'll finish by saying that we are treating this game as the 2nd leg of a semifinal and we are two down, we won't stop attacking untill we are 3 up!

Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light... Show me what I know this team is capable off!

[Alioune DVToure]

Plan:

Combine width with creativity and balance. Wingplay on the left side with the left back sitting back abit and only overlapping when it feels safe. Creativity on the right side with the right back overlapping and filling the space of the right winger who has freedom to move into a more central role. Two defensive midfielders where one is kind of a box-to-box and the other is pure ball-winner.


4-2-3-1:

[highlight]-------- Hart[/highlight] !
Micah -- Kompany -- Lescott -- Zaba/Kolarov

------------Milner -- De Jong

Balotelli -- Silva -- A. Johnson
---------- Dzeko



Based on Tevez being out, if he is back I might shift Silva left, Tevez in behind Dzeko and Balo to the bench. But would prob. start like this and give Tevez a rest/not risk him.
The main focus of my pregame speech would be that with a new manager comes a clean sheet for all players, let's pretend we are starting a new season of 8 games and we want to win that season. Tactically I'd say the aforementioned of De Jong being pure cover and Milner being box-to-box, read the game and go forward when we have initiative and stay back when we need to stop their initiative. Focus for Johnson is crossing, take it inside now and then to keep RB honest. Less safe back pass and more quick forward passing. I can live without 60% posession! Balo has more license to drift inside but should also deliver his fair share of crosses, I'd take him aside and say what prob. everyone else have said; You've had some good and bad in your City career so far. I believe you are a smart kid and that you've learned your lesson from what have happened. Now go win back the fans with a glittering performance!

Then I'll finish by saying that we are treating this game as the 2nd leg of a semifinal and we are two down, we won't stop attacking untill we are 3 up!

Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light... Show me what I know this team is capable off!

Some good points, but I'd probably take the safe option and deploy Hart in a more central role! :)

[Ted Hughes]

I agree (with the OP) in principal but I'm not sure Yaya will particularly need resting seeing as we don't have anymore extra games. When he's fully fit, I think he contributes a lot to our attack but he drops off the pace alarmingly. The key to me is to take him off when he's fucked (after an hour) or bring him on in the 2nd half.

I wouldn't be against starting with the side you suggest but I'd like to get Balotelli involved as soon as possible, to see what we're going to get from him. Sooner we know, the better. If he's going to get his act together, we want him settled in the team as soon as possible. If he's not, we want to know as soon as poss, so we don't have him figuring in our plans for the remainder of the season.

I wouldn't mind seeing AJ & SWP playing as proper wide players (on their correct sides) at some point.

[Beeks]

You really need to get out more..

Just Sayin

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I think Bobby's being trying to reinvent the wheel for a while now. Get back to what worked at the start and get tevez up top on his own with a midfield that lets Silva and Yaya back him up.

I wouldn't play Mario or Dzeko as they have slowed us down, if we want to attack I'd play Milner and AJ in the wide spots like we did early in the season.

So either

..................Hart......................
Micah.......Vinnie....Lescott.....Zabba
..............Barry.......De Jong.........
AJ............Yaya...............Silva
.................Tevez...................


or

..................Hart........................
Micah.....Vinnie......Lescott........Zabba
...................De Jong..................
..................Yaya......................
AJ..............Silva.................Milner
...............Tevez.....................


Obviously when we played these lineups they were somewhat versatile and Milner could go central, Silva wide etc. This worked and Tevez scored for fun. Is it any coincidence that we are now adding more strilers and Tevez is scoring less goals? Fair enough if they were picking up the slack, but Mario has netted a few against weak opposition and Dzeko couldn't hit a barn door if a defender is within 5 yards right now. We put our money on Carlos early and it paid off, Mancini needs to get him back in the game and make him feel loved for the better of our season.

[Green & Blue]

The defence is great bar the ever troublesome left back position.At the moment i think Zabaleta is our best option so would have him in over Kolarov.In midfield i would have Barry dropped he's slower than pond water and yaya and dejong in the holding roles.The more advanced midfielders being Silva and Adam Johnson.

Dzeko up top with Tevez supporting him.


-------------------Hart

Richards---Kompany---Lescott---Kolarov

---------------Dejong----Yaya

-----Johnson---------------------Silva

------------------Tevez

------------------Dzeko

Bench warmers
Taylor
Boateng
Kolarov
Barry
Swp
Milner
Balotelli

[shawzy]

Well for starters id drop Kollers and either put Boateng left back (his world cup role) or play Barry there......I love Zabba to bits but i really dont like him on the left...
Id rest Yaya or play him till he looks knackered then replace him with Milner.
Milner is half the player when hes wide, so id play him centre MF.Hes tenacious and grafts hard,plus hes more attack minded than Barry.
AJ a deffo starter on the right wing.

My team would be

--------------------------------------Hart
Richards ----------Komps-----------Lescott--------------Barry 0r Boateng

AJ-----------------Milner---------De Jong -------------------Silva
-------------------------------------Tevez
-------------------------------------Dzeko

[lets all have a disco]

My team.

Hart
Richards
Lescott
Kompany
Zabaleta
De Jong
Johnno
Silva
Milner
Dzeko
Tevez

4-4-2.

[Im_Spartacus]

Well for starters id drop Kollers and either put Boateng left back (his world cup role) or play Barry there......I love Zabba to bits but i really dont like him on the left...
Id rest Yaya or play him till he looks knackered then replace him with Milner.
Milner is half the player when hes wide, so id play him centre MF.Hes tenacious and grafts hard,plus hes more attack minded than Barry.
AJ a deffo starter on the right wing.

My team would be

--------------------------------------Hart
Richards ----------Komps-----------Lescott--------------Barry 0r Boateng

AJ-----------------Milner---------De Jong -------------------Silva
-------------------------------------Tevez
-------------------------------------Dzeko

So have we all now been conned into thinking that playing wingers on the wrong wing is the future. How the fuck does Dzeko figure in a formation where there is still no width as AJ has to cut in ever time to make a pass

[avoidconfusion]

STOP PLAYING THREE FUCKING DEFENSIVE MDIFIELDERS.
An yes Yaya counts as this. He may be playign furtehr forward but essentially he's played as a defensive midfielder all his career.

Nevermind "stop playing three" ... stop playing TWO for fuck's sake.

At home we should be FINE with just De Jong protecting the back four. Unleash our fucking midfield for a change.

[Alioune DVToure]

You really need to get out more..

Just Sayin

I do spend a bit too much time on here, but I've clocked up about 5,000 less posts than you having been a member for longer!

If this isn't what you're getting at and you're suggesting instead that my analysis is boring, go and fucking rant at people in the one of the 15+ other threads that are going nowhere.

[Alioune DVToure]

I think Bobby's being trying to reinvent the wheel for a while now. Get back to what worked at the start and get tevez up top on his own with a midfield that lets Silva and Yaya back him up.

I wouldn't play Mario or Dzeko as they have slowed us down, if we want to attack I'd play Milner and AJ in the wide spots like we did early in the season.

So either

[highlight]..................Hart......................
Micah.......Vinnie....Lescott.....Zabba
..............Barry.......De Jong.........
AJ............Yaya...............Silva
.................Tevez...................[/highlight]

or

..................Hart........................
Micah.....Vinnie......Lescott........Zabba
...................De Jong..................
..................Yaya......................
AJ..............Silva.................Milner
...............Tevez.....................


Obviously when we played these lineups they were somewhat versatile and Milner could go central, Silva wide etc. This worked and Tevez scored for fun. Is it any coincidence that we are now adding more strilers and Tevez is scoring less goals? Fair enough if they were picking up the slack, but Mario has netted a few against weak opposition and Dzeko couldn't hit a barn door if a defender is within 5 yards right now. We put our money on Carlos early and it paid off, Mancini needs to get him back in the game and make him feel loved for the better of our season.

I quite like that to be fair, and I think we're in agreement that Silva needs to be deployed further up the pitch and in more of a (loose) wide role.

[shawzy]

Well for starters id drop Kollers and either put Boateng left back (his world cup role) or play Barry there......I love Zabba to bits but i really dont like him on the left...
Id rest Yaya or play him till he looks knackered then replace him with Milner.
Milner is half the player when hes wide, so id play him centre MF.Hes tenacious and grafts hard,plus hes more attack minded than Barry.
AJ a deffo starter on the right wing.

My team would be

--------------------------------------Hart
Richards ----------Komps-----------Lescott--------------Barry 0r Boateng

AJ-----------------Milner---------De Jong -------------------Silva
-------------------------------------Tevez
-------------------------------------Dzeko

So have we all now been conned into thinking that playing wingers on the wrong wing is the future. How the fuck does Dzeko figure in a formation where there is still no width as AJ has to cut in ever time to make a pass

Well hes played most of his games on the right this season,why change at this stage.He still causes plenty of problems for the oppo.

[Alioune DVToure]

Well for starters id drop Kollers and either put Boateng left back (his world cup role) or play Barry there......I love Zabba to bits but i really dont like him on the left...
Id rest Yaya or play him till he looks knackered then replace him with Milner.
Milner is half the player when hes wide, so id play him centre MF.Hes tenacious and grafts hard,plus hes more attack minded than Barry.
AJ a deffo starter on the right wing.

My team would be

--------------------------------------Hart
Richards ----------Komps-----------Lescott--------------Barry 0r Boateng

AJ-----------------Milner---------De Jong -------------------Silva
-------------------------------------Tevez
-------------------------------------Dzeko

So have we all now been conned into thinking that playing wingers on the wrong wing is the future. How the fuck does Dzeko figure in a formation where there is still no width as AJ has to cut in ever time to make a pass

Well hes played most of his games on the right this season,why change at this stage.He still causes plenty of problems for the oppo.

Unfotunately for AJ, he's developed a reputation for being better when played out of position and more effective when coming off the bench!

[Ruthless]

Everyone's got their own idea of why we've hit the skids a bit over the last six weeks. Thought it might be interesting to have a thread in which we're not arguing over the minutiae of Dzeko's ball control and heading ability or how many last chances to give Mad Mario.

For the sake of this thread you've been recruited as the new manager. You know the players, you know their strengths and weaknesses. How do you line up for the Sunderland game and what's your plan to get us moving again?

Here's a few of my suggestions:

1) Play Silva further up the park.

We're that keen to play through him that he's getting on the ball in the wrong areas.

2) Rest Yaya, Barry

Give Yaya and Barry a break and let Milner have a crack in the middle of the pitch. He's got plenty of energy and will cover a lot of grass.

3) Johnson on the left

Let's try AJ out left on his natural side. See if we can't get some service in for Dzeko. Keep Shauny warmed up in case it's too early for AJ to do a full 90.


Suggested line-up:


--------------------------------Hart

Richards---------Kompany----------Lescott-----------Kolarov

--------------------Milner------------De Jong

----Silva----------------------------------------------Johnson

------------------------------Tevez

------------------------------Dzeko


Game plan

Really get at Sunderland down both flanks with plenty of balls into the box.
Have Milner and De Jong sit a little bit so that Richards and Kolarov can bomb on when the overlap is a possibility.
Slick interchanges between Silva, Tevez and Johnson with the three frequently switching positions.
Have Dzeko stay right up top so we've got something to hit, someone to play off, and the option of going direct.

THIS^ Yaya n barry fuck of you pair of tits

[BlueinBosnia]

Suggested line-up:


--------------------------------Hart

Richards---------Kompany----------Lescott-----------Kolarov

--------------------Milner------------De Jong

----Silva----------------------------------------------Johnson

------------------------------Tevez

------------------------------Dzeko


Game plan

Really get at Sunderland down both flanks with plenty of balls into the box.

This is the problem that I see with us as fans 'playing manager'. People only think about the next game (Mancini aside, who seemingly only thinks about Bunga Bunga, or whatever his ilk call it these days). I'm not saying I disagree with this lineup, but why use Lescott in this game, when Zabba won't be effective against Liverpool's favoured lineup, were Lescott to be injured? I'd go Zabba - Ko - Rich - Kol vs Sunderland, to avoid an injury for the next game (without taking yellow cards into account; I don't know what the situation is with any of our players with them).

[Kladze]

I'm tempted to not select a team because, imo, it's more about the way the team approaches the game -positively - than the actual players (we aren't exactly suffering a dearth of talent after all).

But, if pushed ............

--------------------------------- Hart ------------------------------------

Richards --------- Kompany ---------- Lescott -----------Zabaletta

Johnson ----------Yaya ---------- de Jong ------------ Silva

---------------------Tevez -----------------------------------------

-----------------------------------Dzeko ------------------------------


Instructions?

Yaya not to get too advanced, Silva and Johnson interchangeable. Richards and Zabaletta to defend as first priority, as we now have natural width from midfield. Work hard on making options for each other and move the ball quickly through defence to midfield to attack. Get some decent fucking crosses in.

Believe you are better than the opposition (because you actually are).
Kill them.

[CityFanFromRome]

Selection:

[center]Hart
Micah Vince Lescott Zabba
NDJ Yaya
AJ Tevez Silva
Dzeko[/center]

Instructions:

Tevez, Silva and AJ free to roam and exchange positions, plus they should at turn get inside the box to partner Dzeko in finishing the moves. Dzeko to stay in the box and wait for the service from those three. Zabba and Micah to get forward but not both at the same time, and supply crosses for Dzeko and the other three to get onto. The other four to provide cover, with the occasional burst forward by Yaya to link the back line and the front four.