Next: West Ham (Home)

[AG7]

Manchester City v West Ham United
Etihad Stadium, City of Manchester

Sunday 11 May 2014
Kickoff: 1500 BST

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants : H Lennard & P Kirkup
Fourth Official: Neil Swarbrick

TV Coverage in UK: Sky Sports 1 HD (Sky 401) and Sky Sports 1 (Sky 407)
Coverage starts at 1400 BST

The season finale of Match of the Day airs on BBC 1 HD (Sky 141) and BBC 1 (Sky 101) at 2225 BST
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Fifty six Next threads this season and this is what it has come down to ... one of these three will happen ...

Scenario A
We will score early, the noise level will go up ... then we will score again, the noise level will raise again ... then half time perhaps ... another early goal in the second half and let's get the party started ... top it all off with that fourth goal that takes us to 104 league goals and break that Chelsea's record as well. City 4 - 0 West Ham.

Scenario B
This is probably the most likely scenario ... not ONE but TWO buses are parked by West Ham ... City keeps trying to break them down till the 60th minute, then sit back and are content with the draw ... West Ham then think they can spoil the party and come out as we are taking a breather, and even come close to nicking one, which wakes us up and we go again ... first goal comes in the 70th minute, and then a second follows around the 80th minute mark ... the last ten minutes aren't as tense and West Ham also join the party. City 2 - 0 West Ham.

Scenario C
2012 all over again ... We are tied down to 0-0 till the 60th minute, then West Ham lob one ball forward on a counter-attack originating from our corner and Carol scores ... we remain patient and keep doing what we were, i.e. trying to breakdown the parked bus ... then in the 78th minute they score another from a set piece given stupidly by Demichelis or Garcia (take your pick) and who also sees RED ... down to 10 and 12 minutes plus injury time to go. Liverpool at Anfield are 5-0 up by this time and finish their game 6-0 after 2 minutes of injury time ... while over here we get one back in the 89th minute and get 4 minutes of injury time at Etihad ... Agueroooooooooo moment comes in the final minute of the injury time (just as Anfield has already been singing songs for two odd minutes) ... City 2 - 2 West Ham.

Oh, there is a fourth Scenario D as well ... City stay in their half all game, West Ham stay in theirs and we play volley ball. The camera keeps showing closeups of Fat Sam laughing his ass off and Pelligrini will a big smirk across his face ... and then they show these pictures live on the big screen at Anfield. City 0 - 0 West Ham.
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Reality Check

Remember how you felt all day yesterday? Remember how the anxiety levels went a notch up in the final hour before the game? Then remind yourself of your anxiety graph shooting up exponentially from minute 1 to the hour mark of the game ... till that first goal went in ... and then the second ... well, expect exactly the same, except multiply it by ten, actually a hundred ...

Phew, next season please wrap up the title with ten odd games to go ... I really can't take this anymore!
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Team Selection

Was Aguero kept back for the final game ... or is he really injured and won't feature on Sunday?
Will the left-back rotation continue and Clichy will replace Kolarov ... or will Kola keep his place given his crosses might come handy?
Will Ferdy start with Yaya, or will Pelligrini stick with Garcia alongside Yaya?

This is what I'd like ideally:

Hart
Zaba - Komps - Demi - Kola
Ferdy - Yaya
Silva - Aguero - Nasri
Dzeko

Whatever the gaffer decides ... and whichever XI start ... we should be able to handle West Ham ... and should have enough options on the bench, should Plan A doesn't work ... only thing needed is for the fans to get right behind the team from the kick-off. The players do cherish that, did you see how Zaba was raising his arms after the first goal encouraging for noise levels to be raised, did you hear Dzeko ask for the same in his post match presser ... so c'mon the lucky bastards who'll be in attendance and c'mon City!

PS. To those fuckers who leave at the 80-85th minute, please fuck off tomorrow around the same time as well!

[blues2win]

West Ham will park the bus and hope for joy from set pieces and the odd diagonal to Carroll. We need to avoid giving away silly free kicks in wide areas in our half. Beyond that we have the class confidence and fighting spirit to win and win well.

[Benjay]

The Mail online is reporting Big Sam will get the heave ho after Sunday's game. Not great preparation for West Ham if true.

[avoidconfusion]

I hope we score 4 goals in the first half and everyone can just party

[getdressedmctavish]

I hope Big Sam teaches the Whammers a lesson by telling his team, go out and play traditional West Ham expansive football. Then sits back and has a sly chuckle.

[South Stand Balti]

I hope we score 4 goals in the first half and everyone can just party

We would need at least 6 for me to feel comfy. Old habits die hard! Come on City

[Blue Since 76]

We would need at least 6 for me to feel comfy. Old habits die hard! Come on City

Six up and a minute to go and maybe, just maybe, I'd start to relax

[sheblue]

just hope last nights exploits wont leave us a little tired, but still we should be well up for it. we got plenty of bus parking practise last night.....

[Ted Hughes]

Another scenario is that we go a goal up, atmosphere goes up, then nowt happens for a while so everyone goes quiet, & stops getting behind the team, then West Ham score with 10 mins to go & everyone shits themselves.

[Benjay]

Another scenario is that we go a goal up, atmosphere goes up, then nowt happens for a while so everyone goes quiet, & stops getting behind the team, then West Ham score with 10 mins to go & everyone shits themselves.

That sounds a highly probable scenario. Last night I just recall wishing we would stop doing things the hard way. Its like its in the clubs DNA but its not good for the health.

[Hazy2]

Another scenario is that we go a goal up, atmosphere goes up, then nowt happens for a while so everyone goes quiet, & stops getting behind the team, then West Ham score with 10 mins to go & everyone shits themselves.

That sounds a highly probable scenario. Last night I just recall wishing we would stop doing things the hard way. Its like its in the clubs DNA but its not good for the health.

If everyone shits themselves it will be empty quicker than ever before !

[Ted Hughes]

Another scenario is that we go a goal up, atmosphere goes up, then nowt happens for a while so everyone goes quiet, & stops getting behind the team, then West Ham score with 10 mins to go & everyone shits themselves.

That sounds a highly probable scenario. Last night I just recall wishing we would stop doing things the hard way. Its like its in the clubs DNA but its not good for the health.

If everyone shits themselves it will be empty quicker than ever before !

Same as v Villa; if the fans get stuck in & go for 90 mins, the players will & we will win the title.

If the fans get complacent or moaney, it could have the opposite effect.

It's in our hands imo. West Ham will crack if our fans apply the pressure & keep it there.

[SomeMichaelGuy]

Martin Atkinson to ref

[Benjay]

Could be worse

[AG7]

Martin Atkinson to ref

Yup, Martin Atkinson for us, just waiting for the assistants and fourth official's name to come up on PL site, then will update this thread.

[AG7]

Updated at the top of the thread as well ... here are the ref appointments:

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants : H Lennard & P Kirkup
Fourth Official: Neil Swarbrick

[Wonderwall]

Liverpool have Phil Dowd, their league record this season over the 3 games with him is....
Everton 3-3 Liverpool
Fulham 2-3 Liverpool
Liverpool 4-0 Spurs

Due a loss?

Our league record this season with Atkinson is...
City 6-3 Arsenal
City 2-2 Sunderland

Nothing to see here really...move on... :-S

[Crossie]

I'd really like to enjoy a game again, hated these games in hand all season.

2-0 by half time please then a third early in the second so we can party for 40 minutes.

We've done our fair share of dramatic entertainment.

[Wonderwall]

I'd really like to enjoy a game again, hated these games in hand all season.

2-0 by half time please then a third early in the second so we can party for 40 minutes.

We've done our fair share of dramatic entertainment.

did you not see palace v dippers! I want 5 at least!

[lets all have a disco]

Does everyone remember how we laughed at these bellends?

[youtube]Z6L8MyHkoX4[/youtube]

Lets not get complacent blues.