Milner the utility man

[Ted Hughes]

Alright, I've had a Saturday night off tonight, been out on the piss & am not 100% BUT Milner is clearly starting to realise the potential many of the football illuminati thought he had.

DON'T STICK HIM AT FUCKING FULLBACK.

He deserves better & should not be given a shitty stick, in order to cover up the Count's fuck up at overstretching Zabba.

Find a defender to play there.

[twosips]

To be honest i'm totally surprised that his best position appears to be left winger. I know he started there when he was very, very young but he's gone further away from that role and never in a million years did I expect that.

He seems great cutting in and driving at players and his crossing and dribbling looks like it was again when was literally breaking through at the age of 16/17 at Leeds. Love him. England don't deserve him or his efforts.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

To be honest i'm totally surprised that his best position appears to be left winger. I know he started there when he was very, very young but he's gone further away from that role and never in a million years did I expect that.

He seems great cutting in and driving at players and his crossing and dribbling looks like it was again when was literally breaking through at the age of 16/17 at Leeds. Love him. England don't deserve him or his efforts.

He isn't a winger really is he? But I agree he definitely plays better on the left side rather than the right but still I expect his best position is central.I agree with Ted he should not be dumped into the full back role just "because he can do it" Clichy is more then likely to stay there otherwise it should be Boyata.

[twosips]

What's to say he isn't?

I know he's nominally a central midfielder but he's currently in his best patch of form as a City player and he's been playing out on the left.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I'm loving him more each week. Hard to drop anyone with how many were scoring but if love him to get more minutes.

[Ted Hughes]

He does seem to look better on the left just now, although I still recon he is a central player waiting to happen, but either way, it's as if someone has thrown a switch & he has started to realise his ability. He knows it & the fans are realising it, which in turn, is pushing Milner further.

I believed Mancini to be a heartless robot but this bloke to have an understanding of humans & to have the ability to bring the best out of them.

He surely has to see that Milner is potentially on the verge of becoming a fans' favourite, top level, City hero.

Help him to realise that possibility, then if he can't reach that level, sure, he slips back to being a squad player, but please, give him this chance to join the ranks of the top players; don't push him back down.

[twosips]

You can definitely tell Ted's pissed. He's all loved up on Yorkshire grit and endeavour.

He'll be hugging and kissing doomy and NDQP next.

[Ted Hughes]

You can definitely tell Ted's pissed. He's all loved up on Yorkshire grit and endeavour.

He'll be hugging and kissing doomy and NDQP next.

Steady on old chap.

This pleasantness can quickly end.

[twosips]

Ha. I jest.

Back on topic though, i concur completely. I just don't really know who we'd leave out of the team for him if everyone was fit. I don't think any of the current front six deserves to be dropped. Nasri, despite being relatively quiet today, is also in something of a purple patch for city. Yaya and Ferna are no brainers, and you can't drop Aguero or Silva. Negredo is just too good a player alongside Aguero too.

Having said that, Sergio is out so perhaps we start with a lone striker and have Nasri off Negredo and Milner over on the left? I just don't see that happening though.

[Ted Hughes]

Ha. I jest.

Back on topic though, i concur completely. I just don't really know who we'd leave out of the team for him if everyone was fit. I don't think any of the current front six deserves to be dropped. Nasri, despite being relatively quiet today, is also in something of a purple patch for city. Yaya and Ferna are no brainers, and you can't drop Aguero or Silva. Negredo is just too good a player alongside Aguero too.

Having said that, Sergio is out so perhaps we start with a lone striker and have Nasri off Negredo and Milner over on the left? I just don't see that happening though.

We don't have to even start him first choice in the first 11 at this point though; he is proving himself without that. Just treat him with respect & don't bung him in nets or fullback; let him fight it out with others for places & continue as he is doing. He is playing a decent amount, same as Navas, let that continue. Just don't use him as a gap filler, out of position.

[getdressedmctavish]

Just posted on Wookies that my best memory of the game was Milners growing confidence and belief in his own ability.Posted six weeks ago, "he'll never let you down but he'll always let you down" referring to his dependability tracking back but his tendency to blow goal scoring and crossing chances like a nervous kid rather than a senior pro which is what he is. As Ted says, its like someone has thrown a switch. Long may it continue.

[DoomMerchant]

as I said to some when i saw the lineup today i thought that it was a real mistake starting Jayko....he should have had Milner in MF and pushed Silva or Nasri into the "Aguero" role and let Edin sit his happy ass on the subs bench.

WRT James playing RB...he won't do worse than Clichy imho, so if it's where he can get the minutes on the pitch and do some attacking from the fullback position then why not? i'm not religious about his position tbh i just want him on the pitch. A lot. More.

Clearly tho from Shim's interviews on the topic, he doesn't fancy a go at fullback. He said something like "i hope not, but if they want me to i'll do whatever."

Boyata prollee starts there vs Liverpool maybe, which could be a huge mistake. I'd trust Milner a million times over at any position.

cheers

[bigblue]

Having said that, Sergio is out so perhaps we start with a lone striker and have Nasri off Negredo and Milner over on the left? I just don't see that happening though.

It's how we ended and seems to be Pellegrini's plan b when we are losing possession and the ball doesn't stick up top (much like Mancini's plan b was to push Yaya up field if we needed a goal or outlet up top).

With Dzeko missing a hat trick in the 1st half alone and giving up the ball quite often today, I'd be all for starting with nasri off neggers and milner/silva/navas out wide. I wouldn't be surprised to see it against the scouse either, since milner would be able to drop back and help defend. And the more possession we have against them, the less chance suarez has to do anything.

[zuricity]

It's how we ended and seems to be Pellegrini's plan b when we are losing possession and the ball doesn't stick up top (much like Mancini's plan b was to push Yaya up field if we needed a goal or outlet up top).

With Dzeko missing a hat trick in the 1st half alone and giving up the ball quite often today, I'd be all for starting with nasri off neggers and milner/silva/navas out wide. I wouldn't be surprised to see it against the scouse either, since milner would be able to drop back and help defend. And the more possession we have against them, the less chance suarez has to do anything.

I'd go with Edin and the Beast against Scouse 2. Skrtel always fouls Edin and is a penalty waiting to happen for us.

[Slim]

It's how we ended and seems to be Pellegrini's plan b when we are losing possession and the ball doesn't stick up top (much like Mancini's plan b was to push Yaya up field if we needed a goal or outlet up top).

With Dzeko missing a hat trick in the 1st half alone and giving up the ball quite often today, I'd be all for starting with nasri off neggers and milner/silva/navas out wide. I wouldn't be surprised to see it against the scouse either, since milner would be able to drop back and help defend. And the more possession we have against them, the less chance suarez has to do anything.

I'd go with Edin and the Beast against Scouse 2. Skrtel always fouls Edin and is a penalty waiting to happen for us.

That's insanity, if we've learned one lesson from Fulham, it's that Dzeko and Negredo should never be on the pitch at the same time.

And we have one good fullback and he's injured.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

That's insanity, if we've learned one lesson from Fulham, it's that Dzeko and Negredo should never be on the pitch at the same time. And we have one good fullback and he's injured.

Isn't that two lessons? :)

Tend to agree with the Dzeko, neggers part. The hard part is do we being in Milner or navas instead?

As for the fullbacks, clichy hasn't turned shit, just struggling a little. Last night might have been his worst for us though.

[aaron bond]

I've always been a big Milner fan. Last season only Zab could claim to have had a better season than him.

But this year he's just getting better and better. He's on a phenomenal run of form at the moment.

As others have said above, Dzeko should not be starting against Liverpool and Milner should start.

[kinkylola]

we've got to try to limit supply to suarez, and playing dzeko and negredo up top would be madness with just yaya and fern in the middle. Either put milner on the left wing and bring nasri/silva central or put milner centrally paired with yaya/fern. He's coming off a great performance on the left, but i'm sure he could do an equally great job in midfield and would really give us some energy. With him and fern patrolling and yaya threading passes, we should be able to rip them to pieces. Negredo has to start over dzeko.

[MilnersJaw]

He should be starting games and not just in the league cup, it is almost criminal.

[zuricity]

That's insanity, if we've learned one lesson from Fulham, it's that Dzeko and Negredo should never be on the pitch at the same time.

And we have one good fullback and he's injured.

Not insanity at all. Negs or Edin can't be blamed for a poor midfield and shocking defending .