Another tough nut to crack

Games like last Saturday’s can leave a lot of City fans who have understandably-raised expectations frustrated. However, even with my experience of watching City / footy, it never fails to amaze me how differently fans – myself included of course – see the same game in an alternative way.

I posted on one forum…

…the day after the Palace game:

It just goes to show you how different people see the same game differently and I think a lot of people have their views coloured by the result. I thought that both teams deserved credit for what they did, in their own ways, and in a really good game too. I thought we pressed and pressed and did all we could to win the game from ‘second 1’ to ‘minute whatever’ and I also thought that Palace worked so very hard and defended so very well; adding breakaway goals to fully deserve a draw, in my opinion.

So, hearing other views from Blues post-match left me scratching my head a little and when I heard one who said that we were "off" for 80 minutes, it just blew me away!

It's frustrating to let Palace get something from us again and denting our chances of cementing 2nd place, for now at least, and Blues need to prepare for that [type of game] again on Tuesday night. Ironically, having not broken The Eagles down and scored more than we did, that might-actually do us some good ahead of Sheffield United - Pep might 'shuffle it up' again as he did away at Arsenal, Manyoo & Villa.

We have missed Sane and he would have rotated well with Sterling over the season; a player who looks jaded at the moment for whatever reason. Mendy has improved in recent games, especially in-measuring his crosses & passes better (work rate was terrific against Palace on Saturday too), but the defence can have its shambolic moments and Laporte can't come back quick enough! That needs seriously addressing in the summer with some (not just one) top-quality players coming in to add to Laporte and whoever else manages to escape a ‘summer cull’.

But we'll still come out of the weekend second to an amazing Liverpool team, which should be seen as no shame whatsoever, and are still in all-3 cups (close to Wembley again in one competition)! Not bad hey?!

Dust ourselves down and prepare for battle at Bramall Lane.

v Sheffield United

Bramall Lane

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

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

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-6-0:

______________________________________________

____________________Aguero____________________

Jesus___________________________________Mahrez

_____________Foden________De Bruyne___________

_____________________Rodri_____________________

Zinchenko________________________________Walker

___________Fernandinho_____Otamendi___________

____________________Ederson___________________

Subs: Bravo, Cancelo, Garcia, Gundogan, D. Silva, B. Silva, Sterling.

Ederson in net…and hopefully fully focused to STAY in net.

In the ‘back 4’ (term used loosely of course), Oleksandr to 'step in' on the left; Fernandinho keeps his place. To complete that 'set up', I think we’ll see Nicholas & Kyle come in for this particular encounter.

Sorely missed, in my opinion, last weekend (I thought Ilkay had a ‘poor one’); Rodders to step in as defensive midfielder. Ahead of the Spaniard is a sort of 4 or 5-pronged attack of midfielders / wingers / forwards as a fluid, attacking unit [rather than 'supporting a striker']. Those being, Gabriel on the left, Riyad on the right with Phil (a good game for the young England man to get his teeth into, I would suggest Pep might be thinking), Kevin & Sergio in the middle.

Claudio the reserve stopper; Joao & Eric as back-up defenders. Ilkay, David, Bernardo and Raheem are the more advance, creative / attacking choices from the side.

Notable absences:

-       Angelino – Not selected.
 - Benjamin Mendy - Apparenlty feeling some 'muscle fatigue' and may not be risked.

-       Aymeric Laporte – Continues his comeback training from injury – got a feeling he might make the bench this-coming weekend.

-       John Stones – Apparently suffered a bit of a leg injury towards the end of the last game. 'Being assessed' but may not be risked tomorrow night either.

-       Leroy Sane – Continues to train alone before stepping that up soon; hopefully being ready for selection early-to-mid February.

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

That looks like a good 11 & formation to me to go into this tussle.

Result? Tough one to call, in some ways; tough game ahead too.

I think our hosts have surprised the majority in how they’ve performed in their first season back in the Premier League – I don’t think anyone had a doubt that they would show tremendous fighting spirit, which they have, but they have scalped so many with not-only fantastic defensive work but with, at times, quick, devastating attacking play, which hasn’t always been about ‘counter attacks’ either.

Just 6 defeats from 23 league games and having the 2^nd-best defensive record in the league that they sit 7^th in, tells that story perfectly!

Okay, their ‘last 5’ doesn’t look like they’re in great form at the moment – D L L W D – but I don’t think they’ve necessarily had a ‘form period’ this season, unless I’m mistaken. Instead, they just know how to set up and either beat sides (8 league wins so far this season) or, at least, not get beat (9 league draws).

There must be so many teams in the Prem who wish they could do / say that…

So, we’ve got our work cut out for us! But do you know what, after failing to break Palace down [more than we did] last Saturday and failing to keep them out twice also, I think that will have shaped, to some degree, our manager’s thinking going into this fixture. As I’ve already alluded to, I think we’ll see a change of personnel and formation similar to what we saw at Villa recently.

Had-we-have breezed past Crystal Palace at the weekend I could, in a way, see us going up against The Blades and coming out with just a point or nuffink. But-having had ‘a jolt’ just 3 days earlier, I think we’ll add that lesson and disappointment to our strength & mindset going into this match.

I think it’ll be close and hard-fought…but I think it’ll be a close and hard-fought away win.

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

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: Overcast but dry and 8C with little breeze doesn’t even sound too bad. Could be a little misty around the floodlights.