[center]Manchester City v Liverpool
Sunday 3rd February 2013
3pn KO Live on Sky Sports 1
Referee: Anthony Taylor
[/center][center]Thinking the unthinkable[/center]
As United race at break neck speeds to a record points total and almost every entity in English football lie down to give them the easiest path possible with 14 games to go the task of retaining our league title slipped further away with a 0-0 draw at Loftus Road. Watching the game thanks to the prominence of Bulgarian television in a Chorlton pub the final whistle was met with the delirium from our red cousins that they wouldn’t express if their own team had won. I’ve said in previous previews that our aim should be for 90 points and if we reach that and fail to win the league we can’t complain too much. Unfortunately if we were to win every remaining fixture and finish on 94 points, including trips to Goodison, White Hart Lane and the Swamp, I’m not sure it will be enough as I don’t see the swamp dwellers dropping enough points. Obviously not winning the league is not the end of the world but the thought of those mustache wearing rats collecting their 20th title threatens the unsettling of my breakfast.
[center]QPR Away[/center]
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[/center]Ever since our defeat at Sunderland on Boxing Day we’ve played with a tempo in possession that has been missing for much of the season. Instead of playing the ball behind or to the feet of its intended target the ball was played just ahead allowing the momentum of City’s play to flow. This has been so effective that Stoke were forced to pass off a meadow as a playing surface as their only way to stop us playing our usual flowing stuff. Unfortunately passing with any momentum went missing on Tuesday night as City as 69% possession and 57% territory produced just 4 attempts on target (from 17 attempts). Mbia closed us down in the middle of the park putting Milner and Barry under real pressure and every time the ball went to Nasri on the left hand side, in acres of space, he allowed himself to be closed down by Onuoha. With Milner playing through the middle of the park, no-one provided the necessary width on the right and support Zabaleta in the final third of the field. The narrow dimensions of Loftus Road meant that Aguero and Tevez never really got in the game, aside from one outstanding save from Julio Cesar, and we never really created enough chances to win the game.
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Player influence over the 90 minutes: Silva, Aguero, Tevez, and Nasri were all attempted to play throught the middle.[/center]
Ironically with the defence and midfield having been at threadbare levels throughout January our defensively solidarity returned. It is now 555 minutes since we last conceded a goal. It’s interesting to think that the best defence in the league has been forced to use so many permeations at centre half but the latest pairing of Garcia and Lescott worked well together to limit the effectiveness of Loic Remy.
It was disappointing to not get the win and by the time we face Liverpool on Sunday we could once again be 10 points behind the Vermin but we should be proud of the way the team has played throughout January considering the sheer number of absences we’ve had. That said, in the words of our captain (not the stand in one) “giving up is not part of the game” and we will fight to the very end.
[center]Liverpool[/center]
I was amazed to look at the league table and see Liverpool were in 7th place a mere 17 points behind us. Aside from their cup exit at Oldham last week Liverpool have gone quietly about their business in the league and Rodgers seems to have been afforded the time that Roy Hodgson wasn’t. Liverpool have just 3 wins away from home including a 3-0 win at QPR, a terrific 3-2 win at West Ham and a 5-2 demolition of Norwich at Carrow Road. They’ve suffered 4 defeats away in the league at West Brom on the opening day, 2-1 at the Swamp, 2-1 at Tottenham, and 3-1 at Stoke.
They bizarrely played the first half of the season with just one striker after Borini was injured early on and Carroll was offloaded to West Ham in ridiculously favourable terms for the London club. At one point they played with out a striker we Jon-Jo Shelvey as the loan man up top. However, they were quick to correct this in the January transfer window with the arrival of Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea for £12m.
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[/center]Whatever your opinion of Sturridge the lad can score goals in average teams and after his last performance against us on the last day of the 2011 season where he bottled it and was sent off for a horror challenge after 90 minutes of abuse from the City support he will be desperate to score against us. There will be no muted celebrations if he scored.
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Several newspapers seem to suggest that Agger and Carragher will partner each other in the centre of defence. I really hope that this is the case as I can see Tevez and Aguero really stretching Carragher and using his lack of pace and getting in behind him regularly. After watching their FA Cup defeat and our league draw in August I will also be happy to see the mindless thug Skrtel on the bench.
Jose Enrique is expected to return at left back and, the man who James Milner spent his summer covering for, Glen Johnson cutting in on his left and attempting 30 yarders will also be a threat at right back.
In midfield Lucas has returned to fitness and is likely to start, Gerrard will be hitting Hollywood balls from deep and doing little else. Gerrard is due a good game against us so hopefully it won’t be this weekend.
Stewart Downing has returned to favour and will form part of a three man attack with Sturridge and Luis Suarez as Coutinho is still awaiting international clearance.
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Probable starters in bold, contenders in light.
City
[/center]The transfer window came and went and instead of reinforcing we’re a man lighter (and several tabloids short some copy) as we say farewell to Mario leaving us with 3 strikers and the hope that John Guidetti will be fit enough for a place on the bench.
As for the starting 11 there are not many to choose from by way of rotation; Nastasic has missed the last several games through injury but they are hoping he will be fit enough to start. (He is on the front cover of tomorrow’s programme after all). If he does make it I expect the improved Garcia to move into midfield with Barry and push Milner back out onto the right side to re-establish his terrific partnership with Captain Zabaleta. I fear that he might drop Milner to the bench and play Nasri from the start leaving the right hand side exposed and Suarez one on one with Zabaleta.
Up front I expect Aguero and Tevez will start again as it seems to be their turn. I can only imagine Dzeko has been dropped as he’s been booked to frequently for taking his shirt off when scoring and must be getting close to 5 bookings.
[center]Prediction[/center]
Its always a tough game against Liverpool and this will be no exception with them coming off a defeat at Oldham and blowing a 2 goal lead at the Emirates on Wednesday night. Last season at home we really struggled to cope with Andy Carroll and both the conditions and the fact that it was the 2nd of 4 home games in 10 days meant that we were below par and allowed Liverpool to dominate the possession. This season we’ve both had two away games and we’ve had an extra days rest so we should have no fatigue. The quality of our side compared to theirs should see us through comfortably.
City 3-0
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Farewell Mario[/center]
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