Saints – Part 1.

I’m seeing nothing about our manager holding a pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow night’s game, so I’m sticking this blog-posting out now…

v Southampton

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from starting line-up in the last game: 10/11)

Fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

___________________Aguero____________________

Sterling_________________________________Mahrez

_________Foden______________De Bruyne________

__________________Gundogan__________________

Angelino________________________________Walker

_____________Stones_______Otamendi____________

_____________________Bravo____________________

Subs: Carson, Mendy, Cancelo, Garcia, B. Silva, Braaf, Jesus.

Claudio steps in to wear the gloves for this one.

I think we’ll certainly see a change to the wing backs from last Saturday, with Angelino & Kyle in for Mendy & Cancelo. However, I’m just not sure what Pep’s thinking might be with regards to the central defensive pair. With options limited even MORE following the sending off of Fernandinho last Saturday; on the one hand, he could well use this competition - and home-tie - to stick Garcia and Harwood-Bellis together for a much-needed go in the first team. I know that would certainly thrill a lot of City fans to see that bravery / trust from our manager against a Premier League side and with the issues that we’ve had at the back since Vincent Kompany’s departure in the summer. I’d like to see it to, tomorrow evening, but this is a “prediction” from me and I just feel that Guardiola will want to use Tuesday night’s game to say to John & Nicolas, “Go out there and show me that you can work well as a pair”. Sort of a…last chance before other options at central defence start to trickle back for us over time, if you like. I could well be wrong, of course.

I think Ilkay (to ‘go again’) will be asked to patrol in front of whoever it might be, with an attacking / creative 4 of Raheem (to ‘go again’), Phil (brought in), Kevin (to ‘go again’) & Riyad (brought in) ahead of the German.

Sergio to come back in with the rotation as it is with his striking partner, I would think.

Scott should be the reserve stopper for this game; Benjamin, Joao and Eric the defensive replacement choices from ‘the 7’. Bernardo & Gabriel might be joined by young, left-winger Jayden, I have a little hunch about, and if so - and the game suits - that should give us the option of resting / protecting Raheem fairly early on in the second half, at least.

So, if I’m right, we do have some youth included either in the starting 11 or on the bench, in the form of Angelino, Foden, Garcia & Braaf.

Notable absences:

-       Ederson – Not selected.

-       Oleksandr Zinchenko – Out for around 5 weeks following knee surgery.

-       Aymeric Laporte – Expected return of around March 2020.

-       Fernandinho – Suspended for this game following ‘2 yellows’ at the weekend.

-       Rodri – Expected to be ready in around 3 to 4-weeks’ time following a thigh injury.

-       David Silva – Not selected / rested.

-       Leroy Sane – Expected return of around January 2020.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

Despite what I’ve said about the 2 central defensive positions, I do actually. A decent mix and a chance to rest / rotate & test a few ahead of our next league game which, as my headline suggest, is against the same opponents at the same venue on Saturday (3pm GMT).

Result? I actually don’t know how I feel about facing a team who’ve just been WHALLOPED 0-9 at home just 4 days earlier. On the one hand, they could-well, still be shell-shocked and may have been looking at each other for who to blame; leaving a sour taste in the camp and doubts about the manager, perhaps (it’s all me speculating, of course).

On the other hand, they may well spend at least 3 of those 4 days analysing and training hard to ensure that they don’t make whatever mistakes they may have made last Friday again; especially when-facing a as free-scoring as we can be. We could, therefore, be facing 2, very-tough defensive walls to break down; even harder than we’ve been used to!

However, having said all of that, this is the League Cup and I can see their manager having a look through his fingers at the league table and see that his team are already looking like they’re gonna enter a relegation scrap if they don’t turn things around ‘big time’ and quickly. Therefore, I can see them-also making personnel changes in preparation for meeting us again in the league fixture just 4 days later and for that reason alone, I think this’ll be a home win.

We might have to be patient again just as we had to be last Saturday (perhaps not) but either way, this is a home win and progression into the next round for me.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: Chilly, at 6 or 7C for sure, but nice and dry! Warm coat, gloves and a hot pie and it should be a lovely night for watching footy under the floodlights.

Let’s continue the momentum v ‘the Villa’…

The first time we suffered a season hiccup it was a 3-2 away defeat to Norwich City. What followed for us was a 5-game, unbeaten run in all competitions, in which we scored 19 and conceded just-yer-1.

Following our second ‘blip’, a slightly-more-worrying 0-2’er at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, we’ve managed 2 back-to-back wins in 2 competitions; where we’ve smashed home 7 goals and only leaked 1, which was a penalty.

So, as we face the Villans in the early KO tomorrow (12:30pm BST), we need to, of course, continue to that roll but hopefully, this time, for a considerably longer time (bearing in mind that Liverpool would be the 7^th game in any such run…).

v Aston Villa

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from starting line-up in the last game: 9/11)

Fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

____________________Jesus____________________

Sterling________________________________B. Silva

_________D. Silva_____________De Bruyne________

_________________Fernandinho__________________

Mendy__________________________________Cancelo

____________Stones_________Otamendi____________

____________________Ederson____________________

Subs: Bravo, Angelino, Walker, Gundogan, Foden, Mahrez, Aguero.

Ederson between ‘the sticks’.

Fit again both; I think we’ll see a partnership in the middle of the defence of John & Nicolas (may that please start to ‘bear fruits’). Either side of those is likely to be Benjamin on the left and Joao on the right, although I’m going for the Portuguese in my prediction over Walker only on the fact that Cancelo played less minutes in midweek (I WAS thinking also that our manager might want to give the England man some continued ‘build-up time’ following an illness that left him with weight loss and some weakness).

With Rodders out injured (my LORD when will these injuries to ‘key players’ end!), Fernandinho should ‘take up’ his more-usual slot as a defensive midfielder, which isn’t a bad thing.

Both Silvas, who were not used in midweek, should take up their central midfield and right-wing positions accordingly; Kevin & Raheem to join those in the middle and left-wing likewise.

More striker rotation, I think, for this one; with Gabriel being given the starting limelight.

Claudio the reserve stopper; Angelino & Walker the only defensive replacement options form the bench. Ilkay, Phil (very good game from the young Englishman in midweek), Riyad & Sergio make up the very impressive, more-creative / attacking choices form the side.

Notable absences:

-       Oleksandr Zinchenko – Out for 5 to 6 weeks following knee surgery.

-       Aymeric Laporte – Expected return of around March 2020.

-       Rodri – Expected to be ready in 4-weeks’ time.

-       Leroy Sane – Expected return of around January 2020.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

Some concerns about the central-2, defensive pairing, of course; not too much though and not quite as much as my wobbles about Mendy on the left; who I am STILL yet to be convinced about. Other than that? No probs at all with that line-up.

Result? There’s no doubt that our visitors have it ‘in them’ to hurt anyone and a draw plus two wins in their last three games sees the newly-promoted side in some league form.

AND, of course, there’s the Douglas Luiz factor; a defensive midfielder we sold to the Midlands side in the summer and who could come back to haunt us - long-standing City fans will know EXACTLY where I’m coming from there…

However, that’s a strong City side and I just get the feeling that we’ve ‘got the bit between out teeth’ again now. It’s a City win for me.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: Flippin' awful! Damp doesn't even do it justiice and if over 24-hours of heavy rain prior to the game doesn't soak the pitch enough; continued rain throughout the match should PROPERLY ensure that the playing area is soaked! Could be 'a leveler'...

For those readers who it will affect…

…don’t forget to change those clocks over the weekend!