City Build Up Thread

Oh yeah, forgot about that. Still, frightening how many games Gazzaniga/Fox/Hooiveld played last year

Only 3 appearances each for Jos and Fox last season is not too bad. Thinking of the season before perhaps. Gazzaniga only played the number of games he did last season (7) because inconveniently Davis was injured when we lost Boruc.

I definitely think our team is stronger this season than last, but City will be buoyed by their win over Bayern, however it happened. I can't see us getting anything out of this, but we have as good a chance this season as we've ever had. I would have said Arsenal would be too strong for us too but I know they have injury problems. 2 or more points from the next 2 games would be a decent return. Fingers crossed.

I always enjoy a peek at our oppositions forums and reading Bluemoon only serves to illustrate how little knowledge your average football fan actually has of other teams, its not a City thing it is universal. It is a shame that fans of a club like city who truly have suffered hard are now so arrogant. It will be a very tough game and if I had to bet I would tip Saints to shade it.

I always enjoy a peek at our oppositions forums and reading Bluemoon only serves to illustrate how little knowledge your average football fan actually has of other teams

Word, underestimate at your peril, City Bros! I'm quite optimistic, Tevez hasn't scored in ages and I've never particularly rated Mancini as a manager.

SAINTS 2 - 1 CITY

Monsieur Merson with his latest...

I think cork could do a good job against City in the number 10. Thinking about it I would be happy with any of the 3 , Jack , Victor or morgen playing there

At the away game Cork was for me by far the best player on the pitch that day.

Toure that day in particular had a real strop on when he didn't get a free kick every time he dived after every tackle on him. But for a moment of Fonte madness after 2 minutes, Jay Rod's injury and the most ridiculous Non Offside decision ever in the history of The Premiership we'd have definitely got a result there. It says something when we gave the team a standing ovation at the end of a 4-1 defeat.

Monsieur Merson with his latest...

 

A defeat for us on Sunday will have him (and others) sticking to such predictions

We have been flat track bullies so far, like last season.

This will be the first "big club" at home. A draw would be at least what we need

"I hadn't seen them play before"

Good effort Mers. It's only November.

Loving listening to and reading the press. We might as well not bother turning up to the game, and just give the 3 points to City.

We were better before beating Sunderland 8-0 than we have been since imo. Sunday's result will be a big part in deciding which way our season goes.

Monsieur Merson with his latest...

 

Based on what he saw on Monday that is a fair assessment. We were ****e. But we still got a point.

Good news:

Dzeko (who often scores against us), Kolarov and especially good, Silva, are all still out and won't play against us.

Hopefully City play Jovetic up with Aguero and just Toure and Fernandinho in the middle but I am sure they have learned their lesson on that and will play 3 in the middle against us.

Good news:

 

Dzeko (who often scores against us), Kolarov and especially good, Silva, are all still out and won't play against us.

Here's hoping Aguero trips coming off the coach!! Nothing serious but enough to keep him out of the game on Sunday.

Hopefully City play Jovetic up with Aguero and just Toure and Fernandinho in the middle but I am sure they have learned their lesson on that and will play 3 in the middle against us.

Shhh. Pellegrini reads this site don't you know. You don't want to be giving him tactical advice.

Manuel Pellegrini on Sunday's opponents Southampton: "They are a good team with very good players and they're playing very well. It's no surprise they are where they are.

"Ronald Koeman has lost four or five players but they are still a good team and that's a merit to him. It will be a tough game."

Weird how Saints being second is no surprise now .....it's still a ****ing surprise to me:D

@SouthamptonFC: LIVE: Watch coverage of @RonaldKoeman's pre-@MCFC press conference, which begins shortly - http://t.co/idYyBnqhDg/s/xxeT #saintsfc

[video=youtube_share;mHQ3HnT-QBs]

"I hadn't seen them play before"

 

Good effort Mers. It's only November.

Exactly. Easy to give pundits like him stick, but when his profession is a well paid football pundit, how he's got to the end of November without seeing the league's second place team play I'll never know.

Koeman: "Steven Davis doubtful for the game on Sunday but will train with the group tomorrow and we'll decide after that whether he can be included in the squad"

"Gallagher and JWP need 2 or 3 more weeks to be fully fit"

@SouthamptonFC: Koeman: "We've played 12 games now. I haven't seen one team better than we [are] - maybe we will on Sunday." #saintsfc

Monsieur Merson with his latest...

 

Merson ...another headcase....along with Robbie Savage. He still hasn't got over the fact that MLT is funnier than he is on Sky......

Merson ...another headcase....along with Robbie Savage. He still hasn't got over the fact that MLT is funnier than he is on Sky......

In fairness we were crap against Villa. A bit like the game v WBA earlier in the season when we couldn't break them down and moved the ball too slowly.

In fairness we were crap against Villa. A bit like the game v WBA earlier in the season when we couldn't break them down and moved the ball too slowly.

We weren't crap, we just had no efficiency at the sharp end because Pelle was poor,Long inexistant and Mané wasteful. We need JRod back but it seems to me that his progress is perhaps slower than foreseen.Over 8 months out now and no sign of even late cameo appearances from him. Still he was apparently kicking balls over a month ago so perhaps he isn't too much further off.

Got the feeling we're going to get easily beaten in this one, aalthough I think this most weeks so who knows.

All I do know is that F365 will be doing a 16 conclusions on the game this weekend - an honour only generally bestowed on the big 6. Boys, we've done it.

@SouthamptonFC: LIVE: Watch coverage of @RonaldKoeman's pre-@MCFC press conference, which begins shortly - http://t.co/idYyBnqhDg/s/xxeT #saintsfc

 

[video=youtube_share;mHQ3HnT-QBs]

Can someone clip up Koeman saying "You can't" around the 20 minute mark. LOL.

Can someone clip up Koeman saying "You can't" around the 20 minute mark. LOL.

I had the same thought when listening to it live

We weren't crap, we just had no efficiency at the sharp end because Pelle was poor,Long inexistant and Mané wasteful. We need JRod back but it seems to me that his progress is perhaps slower than foreseen.Over 8 months out now and no sign of even late cameo appearances from him. Still he was apparently kicking balls over a month ago so perhaps he isn't too much further off.

https://vine.co/v/One0I9b9tiF

Is there a clip of Rodgers making those "no ambition" quotes or were they only written down? That would be perfect at the end of them.

WE have got to be better than against Villa - but Citeh will be better than Villa so we need to be.

If we play better against City than we did at Villa but lose does it make a difference?

If we play better against City than we did at Villa but lose does it make a difference?

What if we play better than Villa did against us while City play worse than we did against Villa? What will happen then?

Exactly. Easy to give pundits like him stick, but when his profession is a well paid football pundit, how he's got to the end of November without seeing the league's second place team play I'll never know.

Too busy snorting coke off his bookie's left buttock.

Do Maria pulled his hamstring. Could be handy in a couple of weeks.

What frustrates me is when fans of other clubs go:

'The two big clubs they have played- Spurs and Liverpool- they have lost'

Well Spurs I can understand, we were poor, and if Mane had scored we well couldve got a point, but we shouldn't be judged on the Liverpool game. That was on the first day of the season, we didn't have Mane or Alderweireld, our new players were adjusting to the Prem and we still should have won, and not to forget Koeman's first game too. Ah well...we'd beat liverpool if we played them now I reckon, especially as their without sturridge.

What frustrates me is when fans of other clubs go:

'The two big clubs they have played- Spurs and Liverpool- they have lost'

Considering both of those sides have been average this season, it makes it even more stupid.

We've played 3 of the good sides this season. West Ham, Swansea and Newcastle. Beaten all 3.

When does the yellow card counter get extended? We have a few players walking that particular tightrope.

When does the yellow card counter get extended? We have a few players walking that particular tightrope.

Not until December 31

Victor was injured and missed the home match last season and away, he came on for the last 10 mins , just in time for their 4th goal. 2 seasons ago he was playing for Celtic.

 

Good theory otherwise.

Vic will tear him a new asshole tomorrow.

Manuel Pellegrini on Sunday's opponents Southampton: "They are a good team with very good players and they're playing very well. It's no surprise they are where they are.

"Ronald Koeman has lost four or five players but they are still a good team and that's a merit to him. It will be a tough game."

Weird how Saints being second is no surprise now .....it's still a ****ing surprise to me:D

Who are the "four or five players" Koeman has lost?

Who are the "four or five players" Koeman has lost?

Lambert, Shaw, Lallana, Chambers, Lovren???

Who are the "four or five players" Koeman has lost?

J-Rod, JWP, Steve Davis, Guly and Boruc.

There were a few others who I seem to recall used to play for us.

Will also add,

Osvaldo, ramirez, fox, hooiveld

Do you man mark Aguero, and if so who would be best at that? Toby, Morgan, Vic? If Morgan, then I would be concerned that he has 4 yellows to his name. However, man mark him, maybe disrupt our normal game, and maybe take the eye of other threats.

As an aside, it is interesting to read that Man Utd might be planning to buy Bale for £150m (!!!!!!!) so that Real can buy Aguero.

The thing is we have four really good centre mids (plus JWP and Reed as back up) you can argue which is the best three combo but the reality is we are probably going to have to rotate them over the coming few weeks with so many games. The argument is Jack Cork is the worst of the three but really does anyone say "oh ****" when they see him name on the team sheet? Any combination of Morgan, Victor, Jack or Steven is a ****ing good midfield. Considering how much running our midfield gets through I'd have no problem with players getting a rest on the bench as long as three of those four players are on the pitch.

Jwp isn't seen as back up....cork is getting more game time because JWP is injured. First choices are Wanyama, Davis, Scheiderlin, JWP. Last two managers.

Think Reed and JWP will only get better, Cork's future probably depends on whether others stay.

But as someone else said - have no drop in confidence for a game when hear he is starting, excellent depth to have.

Think maybe player short in more attacking roles - but that could be JayRod soon.

Someone mentioned 2nd op? Thought he just had fluid drained?

Do you man mark Aguero, and if so who would be best at that? Toby, Morgan, Vic? If Morgan, then I would be concerned that he has 4 yellows to his name. However, man mark him, maybe disrupt our normal game, and maybe take the eye of other threats.

 

As an aside, it is interesting to read that Man Utd might be planning to buy Bale for £150m (!!!!!!!) so that Real can buy Aguero.

We can man-mark him, yes. He spends a lot of time in the box. Toby could probably do a decent job on him. I doubt we will man-mark however, because it opens up too much space for others to drive into. Our aim must be to stop the supply into Aguero. Our full-backs will have a tough game tomorrow (but so too will theirs). I hope Yaya has an off day and allows Morgan and Big Vic to dominate.

I've not looked forward to a game so much in ages. Win and we must be taken very seriously indeed, lose and lots of us will expect it to be the start of a tumble. Pivotal.

COYRAWM

I wonder if we'll start with Cork instead of Long tomorrow. Would make perfect sense to me. Morgan, Cork and Wanyama have all shown they are more than capable of taking it in turns to push forward and hold this season. Long off of the bench for me is more effective than him starting.

Cannot believe not sold out. Most eagerly anticipated game for many a moon and can't think of what more people could want from a game. Many will see on TV of course but playing Champions in form we are in it is hard to comprehend there is not greater demand for tickets

Cannot believe not sold out. Most eagerly anticipated game for many a moon and can't think of what more people could want from a game. Many will see on TV of course but playing Champions in form we are in it is hard to comprehend there is not greater demand for tickets

As you say, on TV linked with the cost of tickets.

As you say, on TV linked with the cost of tickets.

Totally get why people don't go, just thought there would be enough people that did want to go.