Let’s get back on track and…

…make it 2 wins from 2 (in all competitions).

v Watford

Straight to this one…

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from starting line-up in the last game which, for me blog-wise, was the Norwich City game: 10/11).

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

____________________Aguero____________________

Sterling_________________________________B. Silva

___________D. Silva___________De Bruyne_________

_____________________Rodri_____________________

Zinchenko________________________________Walker

__________Fernandinho______Otamendi___________

____________________Ederson____________________

Subs: Bravo, Cancelo, Mendy, Foden, Gundogan, Mahrez, Jesus.

I am posting this before our manager’s pre-match press conference, so there’s a little more chance for error.

Some rotation to rested [in midweek] players for this one, I think. However, not with Ed of course…although if he continues to get a ‘rush of blood’ and head off one-third-of-the-way up the pitch again, that situation could change if Pep gets irritated by it.

I think we’ll see the same back-4 as was in midweek; with Oleksandr & Kyle either side of Fernandinho & Nicolas, I would suggest.

Rodders, perhaps with more of an eye on the defence that he perhaps would have in "normal" circumstances, in front of those.

Ahead of the Spanish defensive midfielder is a likely quartet of Raheem, David, Kevin & Bernardo.

Sergio to return ‘up top’.

Claudio on the side (waiting to see if our ‘Number 1’ will go wandering again) as our back-up stopper; Benjamin & Joao are the only defensive replacement options from ‘the 7’. Assuming he has recovered from an illness bug that sidelined him recently; Phil to join Ilkay, Riyad & Gabriel as our more attacking change possibilities.

I’m sure Pep would like to include a central defender on the subs bench but, should he include Eric Garcia and Phil is well enough to take part; the young England man would likely be the one to step out of the match-day squad to make room…and there’s increasing calls from a lot Blues and England fans, in general, for him to get more game-time-consideration. It’s a tough one…

Notable absences:

-       Angelino – Not selected.

-       Aymeric Laporte – Expected to be ready around March 2020 after recent surgery.

-       Leroy Sane – Now expected to be ready around January 2020, which is better news than the initial February / March return-estimate!

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

I won’t deny that the centre of our defence looks like it lacks a little pace and if memory serves, when Watford came to the Etihad last season, they looked to have some pacey, threatening attacking players who broke from all angles whenever we lost the ball for short periods.

But, apart from that, I’m absolutely fine with that and should circumstances feel right, I think we’ll see Mendy & Cancelo get some more minutes on the pitch tomorrow.

Result? After an AWFUL start and a change of manager (AGAIN!) this season, The Hornets rallied in their last game; coming back from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 with Arsenal. They will have re-gained a little more ‘bounce’ in their step as their confidence will have gone up a notch, I’m sure.

I think they’ll pose a threat and, like last season's home game against these, I think they might nick a goal (it ended 3-1 to us after a 0-0 scoreline at half time).

But after the Norwich defeat last weekend, which might have served a an early-season ‘slap across the face’; we looked much more composed in our 0-3 win in midweek; even if the home side rarely tested our altered defence.

We should have too much for our visitors and so, for me, it’s a home win. Come-on Chelsea on Sunday!

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

Prediction: Win

Result: Win

(Pre-match blog posting from that game)

Expected weather conditions during the game: It’s not uncommon for September to be a decent month, even in the North West of England but, still, a forecast of 74F and unbroken sunshine is heartening for to soul. Inside the stadium, 74F should feel more like 80, so leave your jackets at home and don’t forget your shades!

Don’t turn up too early…

…you might be asked to play! 

 

That’s an old phrase I’ve heard said to fans many-a-time when playing personnel become a bit ‘thin on the ground’.

Am I allowed to say it?

 

First to arrive? Your kit & boots are under your seat...

Few people like it when people say, “I told you so” and I’m not exactly saying that…but I did, at least, express fears only last Sunday about John Stones breaking down.

Even with a club as rich as ours and with arguable the best manager in the world – these are the times that test all resources.

So, with the likes of Pep Guardiola and his very experienced staff left to properly sort it out; what can a mere fan like me do to contribute? Well, instead of the usual pre-match blog-posting ahead of tonight’s Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk, I’ll just run through the options and likely solution our manager may have at his disposal / eventually choose.

1:

____________________Rodri____________________

Zinchenko______________________________Walker

___________Otamendi_______Garcia_____________

___________________Ederson___________________

A simple 'inputting of' Eric for John; causing as little disruption as possible and showing faith in Nicolas, Oleksandr and Kyle to sort ‘emselves out. Pep has already said that he will not doubt his players and, so, I can see him sticking to that principle. Having said that, it’s not always easy to guess what the Spanish boss is going to do next…

2:

____________________Rodri____________________

Zinchenko_____________________________Cancelo

___________Otamendi_______Walker_____________

___________________Ederson___________________

I have to agree, to some degree, with those who say that Pep doesn’t often show a lot of faith in the youth unless he feels he can, “get away with it”. Eric has some first team experience but only in the domestic cups and, even then, often in the earlier rounds, from memory at least. So, option ‘number 2’ is simply asking Kyle to 'step inside' and give Joao his shot at what he came here in the summer to do. As for Kyle, he has played more centrally at times where we’ve changed the tactics ‘in game’ but it’s usually on the right-side of 'a 3'.

3:

Zinchenko___________Rodri_____________Cancelo

_____Otamendi____Fernandinho____Walker_______

___________________Ederson___________________

So…here it is, with Kyle on the right of a ‘back 3’. Ahead of this, then, is open to more debate as, should Pep go with ‘option 3’, it could mean that we’d have 3 centre-backs, 2 attacking wing-backs (pushed further up) and a defensive midfielder all on the pitch at the same time; reducing our outright attacking numbers by one in some kind of…3-6-1 formation; with a narrow attacking midfield 3 behind 1 striker and the wing-backs providing the width.

There are more options of course, such as…

-       A defensive partnership of Otamendi and Fernandinho, although to me that leaves some question marks about pace at the heart of our defence.

-       When fit again, playing Mendy instead of Zinchenko or, indeed, keeping Walker on the right and using Cancelo on the left-side of the defence.

-       He could even pitch Rodri in as a central defender with (whoever) and then there’s the young Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who looked good in pre-season.

So, yes…on the side of those who are not supposedly panicking there ARE, indeed, options aplenty and I’m betting Pep was half-working on these in his brilliant head before we-even lost Laporte.

But let’s have it right, we’re not a Championship side nor a mid-table Premier League side hoping to grab as many points as possible each season and hoping, also, for a “good cup run”. We’re at the TOP now; have to compete at our very best all of the time as teams in our own country line up to ‘have a good crack at us’ and attempt to ‘shoot us down’. And then, in Europe, we have to ‘go again’ against some of the very best!

THAT’S why losing Kompany, Laporte and Stones within just a few weeks of each other should be seen as a big concern and although we do have those options that I’ve listed above - and perhaps more - they are all ‘sticking plaster’ solutions and anyone who thinks otherwise should, in my opinion, NOT be expecting us to-even attempt to bring in another specialist, central defender in January.

I hope those highly paid and experienced players I’ve mentioned can ‘step up’ and adapt as Pep will, no doubt, be asking them to-now-do because if they don’t, it’s gonna be an interesting 4 months ahead [to January] to say the very least!

I do, of course, have faith in Pep and most of the players and I’m sure we’ll find a good solution or two. It’s just a case of finding that solution and settling things down before too much damage is done…