Next: Stoke at Home

[Beefymcfc]

So, what your thoughts? Leslie returns to the Etihad but has he got what it takes to get something from the game!

[Mikhail Chigorin]

So, what your thoughts? Leslie returns to the Etihad but has he got what it takes to get something from the game!

How will Stoke fare on a cold, miserable, wet and rainy March night at the Etihad ??.................oh, hang on a minute, isn't that question the wrong way round ??

With regard to the game itself, I hope Stoke have delusions of adequacy and think they can afford to come out and attack us. In such circumstances, we could run up a cricket score which would be most acceptable to improve our goal difference.

However, I actually think Stoke will come to park the bus and do the usual trick of trying to sneak a goal from a corner with all the big so-and-so's they have in their team.

I don't think this game will be pretty and the three points for us is more vital than our performance. 1-0 to us.

[Beefymcfc]

So, what your thoughts? Leslie returns to the Etihad but has he got what it takes to get something from the game!

How will Stoke fare on a cold, miserable, wet and rainy March night at the Etihad ??.................oh, hang on a minute, isn't that question the wrong way round ??

With regard to the game itself, I hope Stoke have delusions of adequacy and think they can afford to come out and attack us. In such circumstances, we could run up a cricket score which would be most acceptable to improve our goal difference.

However, I actually think Stoke will come to park the bus and do the usual trick of trying to sneak a goal from a corner with all the big so-and-so's they have in their team.

I don't think this game will be pretty and the three points for us is more vital than our performance. 1-0 to us.

Like the one they sneaked in the cold, wet and windy game at theirs earlier in the season. Pity we only put 4 past them though

[BookJunior]

Sparky will still be motivated as always and they'll park the bus and try to win set pieces.

[nottsblue]

Seem to remember a 1-0 for Stoke at our place early doors in the season a couple of years ago. They parked the bus, got a flukey goal, Crouch I think, and held on for a very undeserved win. History will surely not repeat itself

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Stoke only have a few decent players and they are attacking players so I just can't see parking the bus working for them.Their only chance of getting anything from us will be by scoring goals or if we have a mare.

Never say never but I can't see anything but a win and it would be nice if it was an easy one.

[freshie]

Seem to remember a 1-0 for Stoke at our place early doors in the season a couple of years ago. They parked the bus, got a flukey goal, Crouch I think, and held on for a very undeserved win. History will surely not repeat itself

It was that ex-rag Mame Diouf

[phips]

im curious to see what Pep does with the lineup with the cup this weekend and Monaco next week.

prob see almost an entirely new back 4 and wouldn't be surprised to see one of Sterling & Sane rested.

[Dimples]

yes it will be interesting to see the team.
all competitions are important in different ways. I wonder what the priorities are. My guess is:
1. top 4 so we get CL place
2. CL (longer term no1)
3. FA cup - get a pot asap

So my guess is a very strong team for Wed. Brown rested last game. Silve rested before that. So a differeent player will be rested this game.

[The Maine Man]

Really important to get a win. The papers are crowing about Chelsea's marvellous PL title already. 10 point lead with 11 to go. Except we've got 12 to go and if we can get into second and keep the gap down Chelsea players may start to look over their shoulders. We're pretty much written off because no one wants us to claw them back. Let's force them to take notice.

[patrickblue]

Really important to get a win. The papers are crowing about Chelsea's marvellous PL title already. 10 point lead with 11 to go. Except we've got 12 to go and if we can get into second and keep the gap down Chelsea players may start to look over their shoulders. We're pretty much written off because no one wants us to claw them back. Let's force them to take notice.

As you say, we just need to keep going. A win tomorrow would take it to 8 points, then one slip by the chavs and all of a sudden it's 5 with us still to play.
Then there'll be some pressure on them.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Really important to get a win. The papers are crowing about Chelsea's marvellous PL title already. 10 point lead with 11 to go. Except we've got 12 to go and if we can get into second and keep the gap down Chelsea players may start to look over their shoulders. We're pretty much written off because no one wants us to claw them back. Let's force them to take notice.

As you say, we just need to keep going. A win tomorrow would take it to 8 points, then one slip by the chavs and all of a sudden it's 5 with us still to play.
Then there'll be some pressure on them.

They are like a machine, dull as dishwater, keep it tight and hit on the break, extremely tedious but effective football (effectively sends you to sleep). Can't see them slipping up the way the rags did.

Which brings me to another point, why is it that the rags spectacular collapse in 2012 has been swept under the carpet? One of the biggest collapses in a title race that I can recall, it's certainly the biggest this decade yet it's Slippy G and Liverpool in 2014 that gets all the attention.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

So, what your thoughts? Leslie returns to the Etihad but has he got what it takes to get something from the game!

How will Stoke fare on a cold, miserable, wet and rainy March night at the Etihad ??.................oh, hang on a minute, isn't that question the wrong way round ??

With regard to the game itself, I hope Stoke have delusions of adequacy and think they can afford to come out and attack us. In such circumstances, we could run up a cricket score which would be most acceptable to improve our goal difference.

However, I actually think Stoke will come to park the bus and do the usual trick of trying to sneak a goal from a corner with all the big so-and-so's they have in their team.

I don't think this game will be pretty and the three points for us is more vital than our performance. 1-0 to us.

Like the one they sneaked in the cold, wet and windy game at theirs earlier in the season. Pity we only put 4 past them though

Touché, mon ami.

Trés bien.

[City64]

Let's keep the pressure on Chelsea !an injury or two for the chavs and they are in trouble , they totally rely on Hazard and Costa and have had things go there way for so long now . Tough FA cup fixture coming up for them maybe the rags can kick the shit out of them ??? We are in great form at the right time and pep is saying all the right things and we still have to go to Stamford Bridge .
Let's keep the momentum going !

[sheblue]

Problem is we will drop points as will the others. Will Chelsea drop enough, doubt it. This is a team that won it two years ago (downed tools last year) and are now stronger and well drilled this season. They are hardly what could be described as 'wet behind the ears'. Cant see them buckling.
At this stage were realistically heading for second place, but we can retain hope.
Second place for us, possibly a FA cup, and 5th for the rags wont have been a bad season for us and our team in 'transition'.
Now lets beat stoke.

[aaron bond]

Really important to get a win. The papers are crowing about Chelsea's marvellous PL title already. 10 point lead with 11 to go. Except we've got 12 to go and if we can get into second and keep the gap down Chelsea players may start to look over their shoulders. We're pretty much written off because no one wants us to claw them back. Let's force them to take notice.

As you say, we just need to keep going. A win tomorrow would take it to 8 points, then one slip by the chavs and all of a sudden it's 5 with us still to play.
Then there'll be some pressure on them.

They are like a machine, dull as dishwater, keep it tight and hit on the break, extremely tedious but effective football (effectively sends you to sleep). Can't see them slipping up the way the rags did.

Which brings me to another point, why is it that the rags spectacular collapse in 2012 has been swept under the carpet? One of the biggest collapses in a title race that I can recall, it's certainly the biggest this decade yet it's Slippy G and Liverpool in 2014 that gets all the attention.

2012 is remembered for Aguero's goal. It was the single greatest ending to a season in English football history.

If we'd have won that match 4-0, the immediate ending wouldn't have been as spectacular and the season would more likely have been remembered for us turning around an 8 point gap with 6 games to go.

But Aguero's goal was pure aderenaline, ecstasy, thrilling, heart-attack inducing and depressing (for United fans) all at once. Football fans will never forget that moment, no matter who they support.

Our 8 point turnaround was brilliant undoubtedly, but the average football fan or pundit will primarily remember Aguero's goal which is understandable.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I've no complaints whatsoever with it being primarily remembered for Aguero's goal, I revel in it, just think it's a shame that the rags bottle job is swept under the carpet, I remind them whenever the opportunity arises.

[brite blu sky]

Leslie hasn't enough to get anything from this game.

anything can happen but City know they have a job to do in every single game from here in and i rekon the pressure of that is benefitting this team and Guardiola.
I'm thinking that the cold Wed night will play into our hands on this one. City are hungry Stoke are safe.

If the league title is lost it happened a while back and we know it. In a strange kind of way the pressure this team is under is not a 'slip up and lose it all' cos we have nothing. A better way to put it is that we have a hungry pressure... as opposed to a conservative protect pressure. I believe that is a critical psychological difference that makes a team more rabid and free to express. 2012 is a classic example of that imo.

There is no point in looking ahead of the Stoke game. So looking ahead i cant see anything changing in the run in until we revenge Chelsea. There is a possibility that Chelsea are only one defeat from the kind of place where teams do wobble at this stage of the run in. How conservative they are and how conservative Conte is i don't know but if anything will be their downfall it will be losing to City and the loss of any space to make any more slips.

Does that play on the mind ?

[City64]

Leslie hasn't enough to get anything from this game.

anything can happen but City know they have a job to do in every single game from here in and i rekon the pressure of that is benefitting this team and Guardiola.
I'm thinking that the cold Wed night will play into our hands on this one. City are hungry Stoke are safe.

If the league title is lost it happened a while back and we know it. In a strange kind of way the pressure this team is under is not a 'slip up and lose it all' cos we have nothing. A better way to put it is that we have a hungry pressure... as opposed to a conservative protect pressure. I believe that is a critical psychological difference that makes a team more rabid and free to express. 2012 is a classic example of that imo.

There is no point in looking ahead of the Stoke game. So looking ahead i cant see anything changing in the run in until we revenge Chelsea. There is a possibility that Chelsea are only one defeat from the kind of place where teams do wobble at this stage of the run in. How conservative they are and how conservative Conte is i don't know but if anything will be their downfall it will be losing to City and the loss of any space to make any more slips.

Does that play on the mind ?

Nice post ! Huge month or so coming up for us starting v Stoke tomorrow night , we are fighting on three fronts at the business end of the season . This is what we dream about each season and we all know there will be twists and turns and the unexpected usually happens at some stage of the season . This time next week we could be even closer to that dream ........... C`mon you blues !

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Leslie hasn't enough to get anything from this game.

anything can happen but City know they have a job to do in every single game from here in and i rekon the pressure of that is benefitting this team and Guardiola.
I'm thinking that the cold Wed night will play into our hands on this one. City are hungry Stoke are safe.

If the league title is lost it happened a while back and we know it. In a strange kind of way the pressure this team is under is not a 'slip up and lose it all' cos we have nothing. A better way to put it is that we have a hungry pressure... as opposed to a conservative protect pressure. I believe that is a critical psychological difference that makes a team more rabid and free to express. 2012 is a classic example of that imo.

There is no point in looking ahead of the Stoke game. So looking ahead i cant see anything changing in the run in until we revenge Chelsea. There is a possibility that Chelsea are only one defeat from the kind of place where teams do wobble at this stage of the run in. How conservative they are and how conservative Conte is i don't know but if anything will be their downfall it will be losing to City and the loss of any space to make any more slips.

Does that play on the mind ?

I like this post BBS, well done to you.

As you say, it's almost as though we have nothing to lose now, as we sort of threw our League prospects away, a little while ago and the pressure on us shouldn't be quite so constricting, which would (hopefully) allow us to play our game with some greater degree of freedom.

We can only take one game at a time (to quote a hackneyed mantra) and just see what prevails.