Stoke City v Manchester City
Saturday 14th September 2013
3:00pm (GMT)
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
After what has seemed like an interminable break for international football, for which many find (and I include myself in this number) a frustrating break from top flight domestic fixtures. I have no nationalistic passion in my body, possibly due to a heritage that doesn’t lie in one country, but the tribalism of following a club team has always been a passion that even the current financial richness hasn’t dimmed. My son growing up a blue now expects victories every week and yet as my blue debut was at home to Luton in 1983 at least I can keep his feet on the ground, and it is with feet on the ground that we approach the match away at the Britannia Stadium.
The Britannia Stadium is an intimidating place at the best of times, although with the Tafia now installed the football is meant to be evolving. The tracksuited, baseball capped and bespectacled Tony Pulis replaced with the greying haired, suit wearing Mark Hughes. No longer are teams faced with the long throws of Rory Delap (now turning out for Burton Albion), but we all know transition takes time and for the likes of Fernandinho, Navas, Jovetic and Negredo this could be a bit of an eye opener of a fixture.
The international break has allowed ex-City manager Hughes (famous for his goal during Man United’s 5-1 defeat at Maine Road in 1989) time to talk to the press about his time at The Etihad and reveal the fact that he knew he was due for the chop long before the axe swung, but that City fans now recognise that he did “a decent job”. Although as we all know ‘decent’ wasn’t good enough and neither was Mancini’s tenure quite what the owners wanted, but now we are promised a holistic term from Pellegrini; yet despite an impressive showing against Newcastle, City do seem to be finding their feet a little.
With the transfer window now shut, both sides will be going into the fixture with a squad that will have to last until January, whatever their respective shortcomings, although the window-closing signings of ex-blue Stephen ‘Superman’ Ireland and Martin Demichelis may not feature, the former due to lack of match fitness (so may make the bench) and the latter after joining club captain (and man he was presumably signed to cover Vincent Kompany) on the treatment table. The only other doubt for City is David Silva, who returned early from the Spain squad and may not be risked with Samir Nasri or Stevan Jovetic ready to step in, although whether you’d hand the latter his debut away at Stoke remains to be seen.
It is, however, Kompany’s absence that has been most keenly felt, particularly in defence, which has turned itself from the best in the Premier League last season to one that ships goals at alarming regularities, particularly during set pieces and something that plays to Stoke’s strengths. Kenwyne Jones has started the season well with 3 goals already for Stoke, but a 2:1 victory at home to Crystal Palace, a 1:0 away win at West Ham and a 1:0 defeat away on the opening day of the season at Anfield point towards a likely tight affair.
Since winning the FA Cup Final against their opponents on Saturday in 2011 Man City have won 5 and drawn 2 against Stoke in all competition, so they will be hoping to keep that record intact on Saturday, although the 2 draws have come at the Britannia Stadium so there is still work to be done.
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