Next: Blackburn (Away) - FA Cup

[AG7]

Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City
Ewood Park, Blackburn

Saturday 4 January 2014
Kickoff: 1245 GMT

Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Steve Child & Jake Collin
Fourth Official: Michael Dean

TV Coverage in UK: BT Sports 1 HD (Sky 413) and BT Sports 1 (Sky 426)
Coverage starts at 1200 GMT

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Here comes the new year and here comes the Cup ...
FA Cup that is ...


The Cup

All of the past three seasons hold special memories ... 2011: we won it, enough said ... 2012: the ref fucked us up with Kompany red against the Scum ... but hell, winning the league that year made it up ... 2013: still hurts, reached the final again, only to lose to Wigan ... really gifted them the cup. Anyway, here comes the 2014 ... if we get as lucky as last year with the draws, who's gonna complain, right? And the draw for the first tie (3rd round of the cup) has been kind to us ...

Blackburn Rovers await at the Ewood Park in this Saturday's early kick-off. In fact this is the first fixture of the Third Round, so we will kick-off this year's FA Cup campaign when the big boys enter the fray ...

The big game of this round is the North London derby with Arsenal hosting Spurs, which is later on the same day. Chelsea is away to Derby on Sunday, while Liverpool host Oldham and last game of the round (on Sunday) would be the Scum hosting Swansea. Hope Swans can kick them out of the cup all together now ... and not to forget the next round draw will be right after that game.



The Opposition

Blackburn Rovers currently sit 10th in the Championship, in the top half ... don't look like making the play-offs this year, but in Championship you never know and it's too early I guess ... ever since the Venky's took them over ... well, let me put it this way ... I am not sure which is worse ... Vincent Tan for Cardiff or the chicken people for the Rovers ...

Can't say it will be a walk in the park for us as it is an Away game, but given the fixture pile-up for us this month with a two legged Semi Final of the League Cup (who's complaining) and apparently a mid-week friendly in UAE (everyone will complain, if first team is sent out) ... I guess best for us will be to just go there and win it outright as in FA Cup, the draws don't stretch into extra time and penalties but call for a replay at the other team's ground ... so a nice clean sheet and a straight forward win please.

In last six against Blackburn ... we have lost none, won five and drawn just the one ... so history is on our side as well. However they are in good form, having just beaten Leeds away on New Year's day and their next fixture after our game is against relegation threatened Doncaster at home (so no chance that they'll be resting any key players, like Leicester did).


The Team

Very hard to predict a team for this one as now we kind of have a break from the Premier League ... we played Swansea away on new year's day and next league game isn't till the 12th January (Newcastle away) ... with two cup ties in between. This FA Cup starter on the 4th and then the home leg of the League Cup semi (v West Ham) on the 8th ... so not quite sure who's resting for which one and who's playing which ...

I guess with just the two days between this after the New Year's game we can probably except some rested from that, but given next game after this is a good four days after this and again another four days to the next league game, so won't surprise me if we don't see many wholesale changes in the team.

If League Cup's early round team selections were anything to go by, don't expect any kids coming in for this one ...

Silva should be back after resting (through suspension) so maybe Nasri might get some rest.

One player that *should* be rested is Navas, having played all 90 mins in each of the three previous games, all within a week.

With Aguero out and Jovetic's status *unknown* Pellegrini might want to consider keeping one of the Beast or Dzonkey (sorry, I can't bring myself to call him anything but) off the field ... but knowing him, he'll probably start with two up front.

Other players that can be rested are probably Zaba and Kola and kept fresh for the semi-final.

Nasti too will probably sit out unless Lescott is being sold ...


Team Prediction

Panti
Boyata - Komps - Lescott - Clichy
Milner - Ferdy - Yaya - Silva
Negredo - Dzonkey


Score Prediction

Chicken Rovers 0 - 4 Manchester City

(Time for the Beast to show the new year's day was just a hang-over from the night before)

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Thanks AG7.
I'd also give Pantilimon a game. Silva missed our last game so he should be fresh enough to play this.
I would also play both Dzeko and Negredo. We need both to be confident and in good form given that Aguero is out.

I'd really like to see a couple of youngsters on the bench who can be given half an hour or twenty minutes if the score is comfortable.
By all means start with a fairly strong team but once/if we go 2 or 3 goals ahead it would be nice to see some youth given a chance.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Good summary., cheers.

If DM is fit we could see him instead of Vincent, also would be nice to see Lopes or similar on the bench and game time for Rodwell.

I'd forgotten about the North London derby, that's a real plus, forcing Wenger to play a strong selection. Let's hope all the top sides but us get replays :-)

[South Stand Balti]

I think we would win 4 nil with the team selected but I'm sure Gsrcia will play probably in midfield. Rodwell may be given game time too with Yaya or Fern rested. If Rodwell is selected then maybe Garcia will play instead of VK. I hope we do put a strong team out as I love this Cup
Thanks for the summary, I enjoy reading those.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

I think we would win 4 nil with the team selected but I'm sure Gsrcia will play probably in midfield.

Spoilsport, it was going well till then.

But you are probably right, and we may see the system where Yaya and Fernandinho have a half each that we have seen in similar circumstances.

[BlueinBosnia]

Anyone have any idea what the attendance will be like for this? They seem to have been floating between 12K and 20K all season (although the majority of games are under 15K). Tickets haven't sold out, are between 15 and 25 quid for an adult (reasonable price to me), and part of their ground is closed.

[zuricity]

About time too ! Enough of these raggy threads already !

[gillie]

Well their are a few on roverstalk their fans forum who think they will beat us on Saturday.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Lawro thinks we will win so that's sorted.

[branny]

BT again. So it'll be a panel of ex Blackburn players going on about a moral victory. Mute button I think.

[zuricity]

BT again. So it'll be a panel of ex Blackburn players going on about a moral victory. Mute button I think.

German Sports 1 channel and open . I think it's even a satellite channel.

[Herb]

Anyone have any idea what the attendance will be like for this? They seem to have been floating between 12K and 20K all season (although the majority of games are under 15K). Tickets haven't sold out, are between 15 and 25 quid for an adult (reasonable price to me), and part of their ground is closed.

Our end's sold out but the blackburn crowd will be bolstered by the fact that a lot of City fans live in the surrounding area and blackburn fans have always had a tendency to help their mates out by buying tickets and selling them on to our fans. We can fully expect to see sections of the 'blackburn' support celebrating like demons (because they're City fans) whenever we score - as has historically happened in previous similar fixtures - especially in the darwin stand.

The vast majority of the rovers fans are good souls who just want to enjoy a cup game and have the banter, and the darwin stand is half corporate and almost entirely devoid of idiots, so if you have tickets in that area then no need to be shy about who you support once you're inside and have your seat.
It'll be a great day out both in the pubs around the ground and inside. I have us down for a win by 3 clear goals - 4 to us and 1 consolation to rovers for their sporting endeavour.

[Saul Goodman]

I would like to see only one of Dzeko/Negredo play, we can't afford to lose another striker and playing both at the same time ups that risk. I too hope Boyata comes in at RB; I thought he did well last week and was unlucky to come off when we had to switch personnel.

Hopefully Lopes can make the bench and come on for 30 mins when we're up by 2 or 3.

[blues2win]

I think Fernandinho needs a rest. Has played all the Xmas/ New a Year games. I'd be very nervous about playing Dzeko and Negredo together. God knows when Jovetic will be fit again so we have to assume we're down to our last two strikers for the whole month and there are a lot of important games to be played including Newcastle and Spurs away. Silva nailed on plus Milner and Rodwell and probably Garcia. Bring on Yaya if needed and one of Negredo and Dzeko ditto.

[phips]

Panti
Boyata Demi (if healthy) Lescott Clichy
Rodwell Garcia
Milner Yaya Silva
Negredo


prob not gonna happen

[walshawblue]

I hope some of the yongsters get on the bench could be a time later on in the game to try some out BUT its the cup away and you never know
Looks like more City fans will be there then Rovers fans as the top tier of the Blackburn end will not be open as not enought tickes have been sold .

[john@staustell]

Where the FA cup is concerned, you must always remember, as folk my age will remember:

Colchester knocked out the mighty Leeds.

To younger folk this probably wont mean much amongst all the shocks of all the years. But the shock was immense.

And so I would always argue against 'trying out the kids', 'giving people a run out' etc.

The manager has to keep up a strong team, rest anyone who shows sign of strain, but otherwise play for the kill.

[Breks]

Our end's sold out but the blackburn crowd will be bolstered by the fact that a lot of City fans live in the surrounding area and blackburn fans have always had a tendency to help their mates out by buying tickets and selling them on to our fans. We can fully expect to see sections of the 'blackburn' support celebrating like demons (because they're City fans) whenever we score - as has historically happened in previous similar fixtures - especially in the darwin stand.

The vast majority of the rovers fans are good souls who just want to enjoy a cup game and have the banter, and the darwin stand is half corporate and almost entirely devoid of idiots, so if you have tickets in that area then no need to be shy about who you support once you're inside and have your seat.
It'll be a great day out both in the pubs around the ground and inside. I have us down for a win by 3 clear goals - 4 to us and 1 consolation to rovers for their sporting endeavour.

The darwen end stand is for away fans and we have the whole stand to ourselves.

[Twobob]

Where the FA cup is concerned, you must always remember, as folk my age will remember:

Colchester knocked out the mighty Leeds.

To younger folk this probably wont mean much amongst all the shocks of all the years. But the shock was immense.

And so I would always argue against 'trying out the kids', 'giving people a run out' etc.

The manager has to keep up a strong team, rest anyone who shows sign of strain, but otherwise play for the kill.

If they come out wound up, treating it like a cup final and David vs Golliath attitude and we come strolling arround then we'll be set for a tough game - we need to equal them on the gusto and let our class show through. Need to keep one eye on the League Cup game Wed's and rotate who gets rested for which, I never advocate wholesale changes as that just disrupts things and, as you say, we could get found out.

Saying that, my first away game I've been able to make in a while, like going to Blackburn and it's going to be a cracker - there will be a wall of BLUE!

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Where the FA cup is concerned, you must always remember, as folk my age will remember:

Colchester knocked out the mighty Leeds.

To younger folk this probably wont mean much amongst all the shocks of all the years. But the shock was immense.

And so I would always argue against 'trying out the kids', 'giving people a run out' etc.

The manager has to keep up a strong team, rest anyone who shows sign of strain, but otherwise play for the kill.

Absolutely. Set up strong. Hopefully get a couple of goals up by 60 minutes or so then give a couple of kids half an hour or so to see what they can do.