How to Deal With The Bale Threat

[david yearsley]

Thing that does concern me is the hole in front of the back 4. Fat de Fart and Defoe will try and utilise this space to take pot shots at any opportunity. Do we play 1 or 2 holding mids to combat this. If we try to squeeze up on them they could use pace on the flanks to get round the back. With Vinny this would be less problematic - maybe Micah but his positioning worries me. No natural organiser in defence.

[PeterParker]

To be fair, if you all remember last time, when we had 1-0, Bale had a huge opportunity almost inside our six yard box. If he would had scored then, maybe the game could had been more difficult for us.
We need Micah on that side. The last two games with them he was massive.

[blues2win]

I'd play two defensive midfielders to counter the wide men. That means Barry on the left De Jong on the right. I think I'd( just) go for Micah at RB and Savic in the middle. Zaba's delivery was rubbish against Wigan and Micah offers so much more there. I also think Micah's not that great at centre back. I just feel if we have the protective cover we can get Micah and Clichy causing them a lot of trouble wide. For me it would be:

HART

RICHARDS SAVIC LESCOTT CLICHY

DE JONG BARRY

MILNER SILVA NASRI

AGUERO


Aguero would be a 'false' centre forward because one would expect constant changing of positions between Aguero, Silva and Nasri. I can see the case for dropping Nasri and playing Dzeko with Aguero playing off him but the team above is that much more solid. We have to respect Tottenham's forward players whilst enabling us to counter attack with small nippy slkilful players who should give Spurs central defenders a lot of problems. If that doesn't work he's got Dzeko/Balotelli to bring on for Nasri in the second half and for that matter he can move Micah to the centre, take off Savic and bring on Zaba at RB.

There are some very difficult tactical decisions to take here but that's what Mancini's paid for.

[Original Dub]

Tire on a rope?

Fantastique :)

He doesn't worry me in any special way. He is as good any liverpool player we made look good in the first half first leg... If we act like a pack of scared cunts he'll destroy us. If we go for the kill from start to finish you won't even know he's on the pitch.

This is about stratedgy and possession, not one fucking chimp.

[Beeks]

Exactly

All this talk of Micah at CB is absurd

Micah is a massive threat on the right moving forward

[Original Dub]

Exactly

All this talk of Micah at CB is absurd

Micah is a massive threat on the right moving forward

Damn straight.

Best full back in the league imo

[DoomMerchant]

Tire on a rope?

Fantastique :)

He doesn't worry me in any special way. He is as good any liverpool player we made look good in the first half first leg... If we act like a pack of scared cunts he'll destroy us. If we go for the kill from start to finish you won't even know he's on the pitch.

This is about stratedgy and possession, not one fucking chimp.

you're kind of *too* edgy imho.

i think we need Balo/Dzeko/Aguero triumvirate up front, with a middle 3 of Barry/Milner/Silva. Richards and Clichy pick themselves. Savic at CB with Lescott again unfortunately. Also, i'd play Joe Hart in goal.

Dejong has no place in this match until we're trying to preserve a 3-1 lead at 75 mins.

[Original Dub]

you're kind of *too* edgy imho.

i think we need Balo/Dzeko/Aguero triumvirate up front, with a middle 3 of Barry/Milner/Silva. Richards and Clichy pick themselves. Savic at CB with Lescott again unfortunately. Also, i'd play Joe Hart in goal.

Dejong has no place in this match until we're trying to preserve a 3-1 lead at 75 mins.

Yes

[dick dastardley]

I'd play two defensive midfielders to counter the wide men. That means Barry on the left De Jong on the right. I think I'd( just) go for Micah at RB and Savic in the middle. Zaba's delivery was rubbish against Wigan and Micah offers so much more there. I also think Micah's not that great at centre back. I just feel if we have the protective cover we can get Micah and Clichy causing them a lot of trouble wide. For me it would be:

HART

RICHARDS SAVIC LESCOTT CLICHY

DE JONG BARRY

MILNER SILVA NASRI

AGUERO

Aguero would be a 'false' centre forward because one would expect constant changing of positions between Aguero, Silva and Nasri. I can see the case for dropping Nasri and playing Dzeko with Aguero playing off him but the team above is that much more solid. We have to respect Tottenham's forward players whilst enabling us to counter attack with small nippy slkilful players who should give Spurs central defenders a lot of problems. If that doesn't work he's got Dzeko/Balotelli to bring on for Nasri in the second half and for that matter he can move Micah to the centre, take off Savic and bring on Zaba at RB.

There are some very difficult tactical decisions to take here but that's what Mancini's paid for.

Im pretty sure he will play dzeko tomoz. Cos of earlier in season

[Ted Hughes]

DeFoe v Savic is the threat if we don't play Micah there imo. Bale is unstoppable if he's on form & doesn't need to beat the fullback to be dangerous, he can come inside & shoot or cross 1st time. You just hope he misses or nobody gets on the end of his crosses because you're not going to stop him shooting or crossing if he's on it. Luckily, he's only 'on it' once every 10-15 games. I'm more worried about him crossing when he has someone like Crouch to aim at though tbh. Crouch has had the chance to turn every game we've played v Spuds & has done several times. Glad he's gone.

He's also as big a danger from free kicks direct or delivered though & our CB's + the ref are important from the point of view of not jumping in allowing them to con the ref.

If Savic plays a blinder, we can isolate DeFoe & win easily. If he struggles, we need 3 or 4 goals.

I'd play Micah CB & tell Milner to help Zabba on the right but it's all 'ifs & what ifs'. If our team passes & attacks & FINISHES properly, we win, whatever they do. We are better, it's up to us to perform.

[Chinners]

City just need to keep forcing Bale to play on his right foot, job done and he'll go missing

[Ted Hughes]

City just need to keep forcing Bale to play on his right foot, job done and he'll go missing

Or push him back the other way, as he's one of the worst defenders at Lb I've ever seen.

[The Original Special One]

Lets hope the 'jokers' here don't end having the laugh on the other side of their face, come Sunday afternoon!

Jeez, I have read more optimistic stuff written by rags than some of the stuff you come out with.

Sat top of the League = City are shit.....explain.

Good job we've got one realist among us, then!

[The Original Special One]

To be fair, if you all remember last time, when we had 1-0, Bale had a huge opportunity almost inside our six yard box. If he would had scored then, maybe the game could had been more difficult for us.
We need Micah on that side. The last two games with them he was massive.

Its more for his ability to torment right backs I'm wooried about, although if he has Savic as last man, having got inside, you wouldn't bet against him scoring, whether he's got his shooting boots on or no.

[The Original Special One]

I'd play Micah CB & tell Milner to help Zabba on the right but it's all 'ifs & what ifs'. If our team passes & attacks & FINISHES properly, we win, whatever they do. We are better, it's up to us to perform.

If Savic doesn't start, iIt'll be a sign of how the extent to which Mancini trusts him, in the big games; not of any 'rotation policy' .

Of course if our strikers are on the game: Kun is certainly overdue a slice of luck, and who knows what happens when the floodgates are open.
But, concede an early goal, and the self-doubts start to creep in.
Win, and we make it a two horse race; unless, of course, the Gooners do us a favour!

[The Original Special One]

Exactly

All this talk of Micah at CB is absurd

Micah is a massive threat on the right moving forward

Damn straight.

Best full back in the league imo

Is he due to captain the side again tomorrow?
Like he did at QPR.

Micah still needs to get his defensive game straight
No point in adopting this siege mentality mindset: whether he's good enough to be England's right back or not, - he is, - but he's still not the finished article and he still needs to learn to keep his concentration.

[zuricity]

Whilst Gareth Bale is indeed a good player. His most powerful asset, his speed only comes into play on breakaways and counterattaking. Our ground is big and wide, so we need to be careful. However , for me Micah is a must at right back
tomorrow from the start. He certainly has the speed and power to catch Bale on one of his runs. I think Zabba would be
found out against Bale and be prone to give away a foul or two.

Quite frankly I don't care if tomorrow is a 90 minute bore as long as we get the goal to win the game.

I think Savic will step up in this game. He is technically good enough to keep 'Blondy' Defoe in his pocket.

It should be a great game because Spurs must attack, their defense is so poor that they must take the game to us.

I expect Kun and Edin to pick 'em off and bring Mario on for the last twenty minutes. No De jong please in midfield
we need to counter attack quickly........

[The Original Special One]

I expect Kun and Edin to pick 'em off and bring Mario on for the last twenty minutes. No De jong please in midfield
we need to counter attack quickly........

I can't really see him starting De Jong; it could be a fatal mistake given his lack of game time; especially if his contract situation has his mind elsewhere

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I actually think Zabaleta's really good going forward so would happily play Richards centre back.

[The Original Special One]

I actually think Zabaleta's really good going forward so would happily play Richards centre back.

He's improved a lot in that regard, this season, so Mancini's clearly been working on his attacking; not as fast as Micah, obviously, and never going to be as potent an attacking threat, but if he can just improve those final balls, he could prove to a serviceable alternative