…are they just pants?
 |
| Etihad Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 11/11).
Apart from an update regarding Jack Grealish, Pep explained in his pre-match press conference that he’ll know better about other players / possible doubts following Friday afternoon’s training session. Since then – and as I type this – there’s been no further update and, so, I’m gonna have to employ far more guesswork that I would otherwise like…
Fluid 4-1-5-0 / 4-6-0 / 4-3-3:
______________________________________________
Sterling_____________De Bruyne___________Mahrez
__________Foden_________________Silva__________
______________________Rodri____________________
Cancelo__________________________________Walker
___________Laporte______________Dias___________
_____________________Ederson__________________
Subs: Carson, Slicker, Zinchenko, Ake, Stone, Fernandinho, Gundogan, McAtee, Delap.
I’m gonna save myself a little time here and simply say that, aside from changing our right-back following our last outing from John to Kyle, I’m going for our manager to pick the same side that came back from Portugal 0-5 victors.
There’s a chance ‘the boss’ might stick two keepers on the bench - although if he does, it doesn’t exactly say much about his confidence in veteran, Scott – and if that’s the case; it’ll be Cieran joining the 4-times-capped, England international stopper. Oleksandr, Nathan & John are the defensive replacements on the side; Fernandinho, Ilkay, James & Liam are the midfield / more attacking options in ‘the 9’.
I suppose there’s a chance that we’ll go with just one reserve goalie and, instead, bring in another outfield youth player; either in the form of a defender or midfielder / winger. As I say, lots more guesswork with this one…
Notable absences:
- Zack Steffen – Didn’t travel with the squad to Portugal and both then and now there was no reason given. Therefore, I’m just going to have to assume that he’s still not fit / available.
- Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.
- Cole Palmer – No update on the recently ‘missing in action’ youngster and so it’s another ‘assumed still injured’ from me.
- Jack Grealish – Continues to recover from a shin issue but isn’t quite ready to resume action just yet.
- Gabriel Jesus – Just as with the Cole Palmer situation, there’s still no update about the Brazilian forward. I’m having to presume, therefore, that he’s still not recovered from a niggle that he came back with whilst on international duty the other week.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Result? On this occasion and for the first ever time, I’m going to do this section like this (it won’t be a regular format but feels right to do it this way on this occasion):
Scenario 1:
The wounded animal strikes out! 3, back-to-back league defeats is too much for them to take and is something both their manager and players will want to put right (I’m sure this’ll be the case in both scenarios, to be honest). And what better way to ‘right themselves’ against-not-only the side that everyone else wants to beat these days but one, who, they’ve managed to ‘stick the knife in’ all too often over the decades (people who know me and regular readers might recall that I’ve had ‘a thing’ about Spurs ever since the 1981 F.A. Cup Final). They have a nasty habit of frustrating and irritating the crap out of me at times and I’ve got a little bit of that ‘Spurs feeling’ once again ahead of this evening’s fixture (5:30pm KO GMT).
Despite their woes, they have a few danger men in their side and not only should we expect livewire Son Heung-Min to be a thorn in our side; wouldn’t it be old, ‘typical City’ to see Harry Kane go from-having just 5 league goals all season to scoring a hat-trick at the Etihad later on today?
We come back from our brilliant display and victory in midweek all ‘full of ourselves’ and fail to adjust to life back in windy-ol’ England. And following a scary flight home also, we find ourselves ‘out of sorts’ and then ‘put out of sight’ by a Tottenham side who take their chances and ‘pick us off’. A home defeat and celebrations in Merseyside…
Scenario 2:
Our visitors prove to be as fragmented and generally bobbins as their league stats illustrate; having-not-only lost their last 3 outings but having won just 11 of their 22 so far; losing 8 in that time.
As they prepare to face the meanest defence in the league, they’re only just over a goal per game too; leaving the North London side with an even harder task to add to their 28 goals scored. It’s also rare to see a side in 8th place and just 3 points off 6th with a negative goal difference but The Lilywhites have managed that too, as they stand on -1 having conceded 29 in 22 matches.
We come back from our brilliant display and victory in midweek with even more confidence than we already had; adding to our brilliant momentum of 15 league games undefeated; winning 14 and drawing 1.
We’ve got ‘that swagger’ about us now. Not an arrogant one, as some non-City fans might think when reading that, but rather that one City fans should recognise all too well; in that every player has absolute confidence in both themselves and their teammates; backed up with incredible, INCREDIBLE work rate.
Show no complacency whatsoever (our manager has already warned about this, so that’s good) this evening and hit the ground running as soon as the first whistle blows and I’m confident that we’ll see ‘Scenario 2’. It’s a home win for me.
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
(Pre-match blog posting from that game)
Prediction: Win
Result: Won
Expected weather conditions during the game: After a cold and still-blustery start to the day [after two named storms this week]…it dries up at least in time for kick-off. 2C with a strong, westerly breeze is still enough to cut a chill right through those who aren’t dressed appropriately but, as I say, at least there’s some respite from the ‘wet stuff’.
No comments:
Post a Comment