[center]Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion
Tuesday 7th May 2013
Referee: Phil Dowd
The Opposition[/center]
WBA team (v Wigan – home L 2-3): Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Dorrans, Mulumbu (Brown 86); Long, Rosenberg (Morrison 65), Lukaku (Thomas 65). Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Tamas, Dawson, Odemwingie.
The Baggies have found themselves the victim of indifferent form over over the last two months as chances of Europa League qualification evaporated and one of the few mid table teams clear of relegation. They are also coming fresh from giving our FA Cup final opponents Wigan both a confidence boost and a life line in their quest for Premier League final meaning they will have to go all out tonight against Swansea.
Their away form has been better recently comprehensively winning 3-0 at Southampton, collecting a point at the Britannia and winning 2-0 at Anfirled in their last 5 away league fixtures. (A 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge and a 3-1 defeat at West Ham being the other two fixtures)
Under Steve Clarke West Brom have been solid for much of the season and have been in the top 10 all season and one point threatened to break up the cartel that is the top 7. One of the main reasons for this has been the form of loanee Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea who has scored 14 goals this season and chipped in with 7 assists despite starting much of the season from the bench.
[center]
[/center]The other man City will want to watch out for could be Youssef Mulumbu who will be remembered by City fans for manufacturing Mario Balotelli’s sending off at the Hawthorns two years ago before finally being sent off in the dying minutes having committed a dozen fouls himself.
[center]City
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Despite playing much of the fixtures at the Hawthorns City valiantly came form behind to secure a deserved win that had it been done by any of the sides around us sporting red would have revered for years.
A league fixture days before an FA Cup final is hardly I deal preparation for our big day and Roberto Mancini will have to make a decision whether to field his strongest team and risk fatiguing late in the game on Saturday and risking injury or to field a ‘weakened’ team and run the risk of dropping points and being forced to keep one eye on our final two league positions knowing he will need a result to secure 2nd place.
If he fields his strongest team, knowing that Wigan will have to do the same at home to Swansea tonight, that he faces the risk of teams tiring on the huge pitch at Wembley or worse someone picking up a knock and missing out altogether.
In 2006 we reached the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup and were forced to play West Ham on the Monday night after playing Wigan on the Saturday afternoon. On the Saturday Pearce got his team selection wrong and saw the two most important players at the time Samaras and Trevor Sinclair injured and miss the quarter final. City lost to Wigan on the Saturday and then capitulated to West Ham on the Monday night primarily because City never looked like scoring until Kiki Musampa’s consolation with 5 minutes to go.
[center]Goalkeeper
[/center][center]PLAN A: West Brom – Joe Hart Cup Final – Costel Pantilimon
PLAN B: West Brom – Costel Pantilimon Cup Final – Costel Pantilimon[/center]
Mancini is unlikely to rest Hart tonight as he is yet to make an appearance in the FA Cup this season and having successfully come past Chelsea in the Semi Final Pantilimon has show that he can perform on the big stage. Does Pantilimon need an extra game before Saturday? Technically and physically its probably unnecessary for a goalkeeper but psychologically could be a risk for an inexperienced goalkeeper should he make a mistake tonight.
[center]Defence
PLAN A: Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy
PLAN B: Richards, Kolo, Lescott, Kolarov[/center]
Zabaleta is extremely unlikely not to start at Wembley on Saturday evening and it will up to Mancini to decide whether to risk him tonight and also, if fit, to give Richards a run out before the end of the season.
The centre back pairing of Kompany and Nastasic is likely to be the Wembley pairing but they’re could concern as to Kompany’s injury record this season they may want to leave him out and play Kolo. Lescott may be given a run out tonight to be given a chance to fight for his place in the FA Cup starting XI. At left back personally I just wouldn’t waste my time with Kolarov.
[center]Midfield:
PLAN A: Milner, Barry, Yaya, Silva
PLAN B: Milner, Garcia, Yaya, Nasri[/center]
Poor Scott Sinclair. I just wouldn’t like to comprehend PLAN B if Scott Sinclair was to replace Milner. I think Nasri and Garcia are playing for their futures and will probably get a run out tonight with Yaya and Milner. Silva doesn’t need to be risked ahead of Saturday and Milner or Barry will likely make up the rest of the midfield.
[center]Attack
PLAN A: Tevez, Aguero
PLAN B: Tevez, Dzeko
PLAN C: Augero, Dzeko
PLAN D: Tevez, Nasri
PLAN E: Aguero, Nasri
PLAN F: Dzeko, Nasri[/center]
It was unusual for Mancini to go with one up front on Saturday and I doubt that he will do that again tonight. Thanks to Edin Dzeko’s instagram account speculation he is set to join Dortmund in the summer means I think its unlikely he will start either tonight or on Saturday. First choice pairing would be Tevez and Augero on Saturday.
[center]Prediction[/center]
A harder one than normal as the team selection is so up in the air. I’m going with a drap 2-0 victory and a sub 40,000 crowd.
