Team against the Scum?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

We were all over the place last night so I think we have to go back to the tried and tested formation that the players understand - even though I don't enjoy us setting up that way:

----------------------------HART-----------------------------

ZABBA------KOMPANY--------LESCOTT---------KOLAROV-

---------------------------DEJONG---------------------------
--------------YAYA---------------------BARRY---------------

----JOHNSON-----------------------------SILVA-------------
-------------------------BALOTELLI--------------------------

Barry can double up with Kolarov in a deep position to stop Nani, Yaya can get forward to help Silva and Johnson and Bibotelli can stick one in from 5 yards out (please).

If that doesn't work then bring on SWP, Milner and Dzeko and lump it into the box as often as possible in the last 15 mins.

I see one major problem with that team.The formation ( we should have used it v Liverpool last night) has worked for us but it had Tevez up top working his socks off. Do you really think Balotelli can fill that role? If you think about saying yes I would suggest you go away,lie down in a dark room and try again in couple of hours.

[aaron bond]

We were all over the place last night so I think we have to go back to the tried and tested formation that the players understand - even though I don't enjoy us setting up that way:

----------------------------HART-----------------------------

ZABBA------KOMPANY--------LESCOTT---------KOLAROV-

---------------------------DEJONG---------------------------
--------------YAYA---------------------BARRY---------------

----JOHNSON-----------------------------SILVA-------------
-------------------------BALOTELLI--------------------------

Barry can double up with Kolarov in a deep position to stop Nani, Yaya can get forward to help Silva and Johnson and Bibotelli can stick one in from 5 yards out (please).

If that doesn't work then bring on SWP, Milner and Dzeko and lump it into the box as often as possible in the last 15 mins.

This is what I think he'll go with. It's what we've played for a year and a half under him so I don't see it being any different now.

My preference would be to leave Barry out and play De Jong/Yaya/Silva as our midfield 3, with Johnson/Dzeko/Balotelli up front, however, I fear that will be out of Mancini's comfort zone.

[MaineRoadMemories]

Of course he cannot do what Tevez does - however he IS the only fit striker that has the ability to score against united on his own We have to take that gamble.

Dzeko will be owned by Vidic in the air and on the ground all day long and Jo will fall over his own boots somewhere towards the left flank.

Adebayor and Bellamy would be pretty damn handy right now.

[avoidconfusion]

What about this:

------------------Hart
Boyata Kompany Lescott Zabaleta
----------------De Jong
----SWP---------Yaya---------AJ
-------------------------Silva
--------------Dzeko

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Hart
.zab...Boateng...Lescott....Kompany....Boyata...Koloarov...
..........Dejong......Barry.......Toure......Vieira...

[carl_feedthegoat]

Any team that does not include the following.

Balotelli
Barry
Kolorov

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Of course he cannot do what Tevez does - however he IS the only fit striker that has the ability to score against united on his own We have to take that gamble.

Dzeko will be owned by Vidic in the air and on the ground all day long and Jo will fall over his own boots somewhere towards the left flank.

Adebayor and Bellamy would be pretty damn handy right now.

I think you are probably right about Dzeko btu I would rather have him as lone striker than Mario.I would probably rather have Jo and would definitely have SWP up there on his own than Mario.

[bigblue]

Hart
.zab...Boateng...Lescott....Kompany....Boyata...Koloarov...
..........Dejong......Barry.......Toure......Vieira...

Where's hart wandering off to?

[carl_feedthegoat]

Hart
.zab...Boateng...Lescott....Kompany....Boyata...Koloarov...
..........Dejong......Barry.......Toure......Vieira...

Where's hart wandering off to?

Thats exactly where he was for the second and third goals mate.

[Bluedj]

Barry at left back and zabs at right back for me.

Amen to that brother.....best by a mile

[Slim]

Barry at left back and zabs at right back for me.

Amen to that brother.....best by a mile

And Barry is quick enough to keep up with Nani now why?

[kinkylola]

i don't understand how there can be calls for kolarov to go because he is slow and can't stop a cross ... and yet you want barry to play left back against nani/valencia and think everything would be golden. mind boggled. i do hope zabba can come back and if micah was also able to make a recovery that would be fantastic, play them. have boyata and kolarov on the bench and we're covered.

to doug: If we played mario up top as a lone striker, it would be our (mancini's) mistake to try and do it in the same system that uses tevez. You have to adapt the system. Mario can score, and he is physically able to deal with vidic. I would put him up top on his own and give him the freedom to play. hvae silva and johnson supporting him from wide/drifting and milner, yaya and de jong in the middle and I don't see why mario would have to drop back. Having your lone striker always drop back isn't always the answer, sometimes it works ... and when we have a player like tevez it's a good system to have. we don't have tevez for this game, we should play a different way.

[CityFanFromRome]

Hart
Zabba Vince Lescott Kolarov
De Jong Yaya
Milner Silva AJ
Dzeko

providing Tevez is out of course. I'd even go with a more attacking option, Balotelli in Milner's place, but I doubt Mancini will.

[avoidconfusion]

Quotes in the MEN suggest that he WILL play Balotelli on Saturday.... good grief...

[Dronny]

Barry at left back and zabs at right back for me.

Amen to that brother.....best by a mile

And Barry is quick enough to keep up with Nani now why?

Granted Gazza would lose every time in a speed trial vs Thriller but at least he'd make sure that he put a boot in and get considerable tighter than Colouroff would.

[Mike J]

I have sneaky feelings that Micah and Tevez will play.

if tevez has even just pulled his hamstring there is no chance he will play. im sure a few of us have done it before, it is not plesant and pretty much impossible to play for about 2 weeks.

id actually put milner at right back and zabaleta on the left. im sure milner has played their for either villa or england and did a decent job. id rather him play there than boyata for this.

[london blue 2]

Barry at left back and zabs at right back for me.

Amen to that brother.....best by a mile

And Barry is quick enough to keep up with Nani now why?

Granted Gazza would lose every time in a speed trial vs Thriller but at least he'd make sure that he put a boot in and get considerable tighter than Colouroff would.

Barry would be sent off in 30 mins. The only way is Zabba left and micah (boyaka if micah not fit) for me. even so I think we'll get killed.

[Renato_CTID]

--------------------HART

Micah(please god)--Vinny--Lescott--Zabba

SWP---------De Jong----Toure-----Jonno

-------------Silva

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

And that's the same for me too!

[Ted Hughes]

Barry at left back and zabs at right back for me.

Amen to that brother.....best by a mile

And Barry is quick enough to keep up with Nani now why?

Granted Gazza would lose every time in a speed trial vs Thriller but at least he'd make sure that he put a boot in and get considerable tighter than Colouroff would.

Barry would be sent off in 30 mins. The only way is Zabba left and micah (boyaka if micah not fit) for me. even so I think we'll get killed.

Barry's only played about 30 mins total at left back & I think we've let about 5 goals in during that time! If there is a player in the world worse than Kolarov there, it's Barry.

[Ted Hughes]

One thing re Dzeko: I'm not saying don't play him, I don't know tbh, the Liverpool game has fucked my head up re City, but I just thought ; how well have we played in games he's started compared to games without him ?

I recon he's played in most of our beyond awful, real shit stinker arse performances. For that reason, I'm starting to think Bob's famous 'mistake' at Anfield may have been playing Dzeko. In that case, Balo will play.