• You may have to login or register before you can post and view our exclusive members only forums.
    To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Pre Match - Man City (a) Champion's League Quarter Final Second Leg

Status
Not open for further replies.

Brizzle

Match thread starter
Member
I'm worried about Salah - do we know whether he might feature in this? I think i'm more nervous going into this with a 3 goal cushion than I would have been if it were level. City need to throw everything at us, which whilst plays to our strengths attacking-wise, is just a key for anxiety!

Assuming Salah is in the line-up seems obvious:

-----------------Karius------------------
TAA----Lovren----VVD----Robbo
-----------Millie------Gini---------------
------------------Ox---------------------
Salah--------Firmino---------Mane

Only difference I could see to this is Clyne starting over TAA. If Salah is out, then maybe TAA on the wing and Clyne at RB (or Moreno on another wing and Mane on the right).

I really really hope we go out big in the first 10-15 and nick that first goal. Do that, and hold them tight til half time (e.g. 1-1 and HT) and I think we can do it. I'd be worried if we went 2-0 down at our ability to keep our heads.

Based on their game at the weekend, and showings of it in the first leg, we also need to make the most of set pieces. Surely this is the game for VVD or Lovren to get their head on a corner or wide free kick. City lacking big time here.
 
Not worried. We'll get at least one and then they will need to beat us by 4. Not going to happen - this isn't the team, or the defence, from early season.

Team as Brizzle posted.

Maybe 2-1, 3-1 or 2-2. But we're going through and we're scoring.
 
Dream scenario - we nick a first early on in a tight battle. They fold and we end up putting 3 or 4 past them at the Etihad. Chaos.
 
what does the bench look like then?

Solanke
Ings
Clyne
Moreno
Masterson
Ming
A midfielder?

Strong for fullbacks, thats about it
 
We definitely need to sort out some CMs from the U23s who can get into the pressing game if needed. Going into the second half we will need some epic pressing. I expect Solanke & Ings to feature and offer this, but I wouldn't be surprised if we needed to replace on of Gini or Milner who I expect to have run themselves into the ground by 60-70 mins.
 
Woodburn recovered yet? If so I guess he'll be on the bench and could see minutes late on.
 
Rafa putting Aurelio in midfield has given me false expectations that a fullback can come into midfield and do a cracking job, I keep feeling one of our current crop could do it.
 
Kane or Jones might be on the bench, just as willing runners to run down the clock

Kane more likely as theres a bit more to him I gather
 
I've seen Kane get some quality assists for the U23s which gives me a feeling he is at least capable of moving the ball from midfield to attack if we are running in behind.

I'm getting worried about Salah - City were energised by his departure last week and if he is only starting on the bench I think they'll be extra buoyed at the start. Luckily Mane is hitting top speed so even without Mo we are a threat on the counter.. but having all three would be incredible.
 
Rafa putting Aurelio in midfield has given me false expectations that a fullback can come into midfield and do a cracking job, I keep feeling one of our current crop could do it.
Push TAA into midfield and play clyne at RB. Would snuff out sane completely.
 
Push TAA into midfield and play clyne at RB. Would snuff out sane completely.

This would actually be my preferred option if Salah can't start, although have him as the RW rather than one of the midfield 3
 
Push TAA into midfield and play clyne at RB. Would snuff out sane completely.
Now now. Clyne has had plenty of positional lapses in his time with us, and he’s had no time to get match fit.
And sticking TAA in the first team’s midfield for the first time in his life, against the best side in the country, going full on attack, would not be wise.
I’d prefer to stick with TAA at rb for this game.
 
Rafa putting Aurelio in midfield has given me false expectations that a fullback can come into midfield and do a cracking job, I keep feeling one of our current crop could do it.
I think Robbo could.
 
Aurelio was slow but a very very intelligent player and a super classy passer of the ball. He could adapt easily.
Robbo would look completely out of place in the middle.

Robbo and the left sided midfielder, usually Milner, are interchanging all the time. And Robbo is one of the most intelligent players in our team. He isn;t all grunt and graft. I don't see the issue. He would have the pressing side of it sorted. I think he would play the role quite similarly to Chamberlain.
 
Seem like Pep is talking about everything these days.... the lack of protection of their bus, the Pogba agent treating players like dogs, the ref in a game of last year overlooking a penalty (I only have Guardiola's view on it so I don't know what should be correct there)... anyway it is all good. Keep on focusing on everything that you can't do anything with.
 
Obviously we're in a great position to advance, and I have no doubt that we will, but if we don't get through we will be fucking laughing stocks.
 
Obviously we're in a great position to advance, and I have no doubt that we will, but if we don't get through we will be fucking laughing stocks.
Yup.

I'm not looking forward to it.
 
We're training at home because no one in Manchester would let us use the pitch

Fucking everton
 
I'd rather we were using our own pitch to train - keep it feeling normal and comfortable.
 
I'm very nervous about there being a sting in the tail here, City will be reeling from the worst week they've had in a very long time, they'll be wanting blood tomorrow, and they have the talent to surgically dismember any team. However, a few things which keep me calm; firstly, we are three nil up, it's going to require one of the better comebacks in history to cause this upset, and that moves me on to point two, I don't think City have the mentality or history yet to do this. The two greatest combacks in European history (that I remember), were done by two European giants, ourselves in 2005, and Barcelona last year, City don't have this pedigree yet, and I know how cliche it sounds, but you need that history, passion and belief for these nights to happen. Finally, in the past i'd have been terrified about us having to defend a lead, even a three nil one, however we won't just sit back and shut the game off, we'll play to the way Klopp excels, they'll have to come on to us, and we'll sit in wait, and pounce when need be, our counter attack should be devastating tomorrow.

There's so much to lose tomorrow, as has been mentioned, we'll be the laughing stock of Britain if we fuck this up, and worse than that, if City come back from this, it could be a night which makes them a European force, something we desperately don't want. So whilst I'm shitting myself at that possibility, when you look at this logically, we are perfectly set up to kill this tie, we just need to compose ourselves and deliver a thoroughly professional performance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom