…recently told by Pep that some of our players are. That’s a tad concerning but also very understandable; especially for those who have played SO many minutes this season.
Let’s hope, then, that they’ve managed to get a full rest / refresh after the league title was confirmed way back on 20th May.
Let us hope also that, should they all return, they can ‘hit the ground running’ again and help their other colleagues regain that devastating form that we saw from mid-February to mid-May because if we can, then our next two opponents will have a hell of a task on their hands!
There’s a reminder blog announcement at the end of this piece.
v Manyoo
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| Wembley Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 6/11)
A very fluid 3-2-4-1 / 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:
____________________Haaland____________________
Grealish___________________________________Silva
_________Gundogan___________De Bruyne_________
_____________________Rodri_____________________
Ake______________________________________Walker
____________Dias_______________Stones__________
_____________________Ortega____________________
Subs: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Stones, Phillips, Palmer, Foden, Alvarez.
Running around like a loon doing all sorts of stuff, as I am, preparing to head-off on holiday tomorrow morning; it’s straight to it and, thankfully, I’ve managed to find time to hook onto a manager update on how our players are. Basically, he said that all of them are more or less fine. Phew… 👍
“To Ortega” or “not to Ortega”? That has been a similar question us-Blues have asked of various managers in the past in F.A. Cup finals with various keepers. I’m sure our manager trusts his No.1 more…but I think he’ll go with the German over the Brazilian. Stefan to try ‘n’ grab his moment of glory!
Everyone more or less fine? There’s various scenarios in defence but I’m going for an interchangeable 3 / 4 of Nathan, Ruben, John & Kyle to start at the back.
Rodders to “sit” just ahead of those and I believe we’ll see an attacking quartet of Jack, Ilkay, Kevin & Bernardo.
Erling to ‘head the lot’.
Ederson provides keeper insurance, while Rico, Manuel & Aymeric are the defenders on the side. Kalvin, Cole & Phil are the midfielders / wingers in ‘the 9’ and Julian is the back-up striker.
Notable absences:
- Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.
- Sergio Gomez – Not selected.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Result? You know what’s been slightly annoying about Manyoo for me this season? It’s the fact that there have been so many games where they’ve not played very well at all; have even come off the pitch having had their opponents play better / created more chances but they’ve somehow managed to come away from grounds with a win…and quite often a very narrow one too. How else could they have possibly managed a 3rd-place finish having scored just 58 league goals, whilst the other top-6 sides scored 68, 72, 75, 88 and 94? I think a lot of it boils down to two main factors:
1. When he’s having ‘one of those games’, their Golden Glove-awarded keeper can put in a World Class performance and often does so when it’s really needed.
2. Despite having a very-much patched-up and sometimes disorganised defence and despite having a largely, fairly-poor midfield; they possess players who, at a click of the fingers, can find a goal from practically nothing and turn a game right around in their favour.
We’ve not only got to pressure them like crazy until they hopefully crumble but we also have to be very tight on - and mindful of - their various threats.
Switch off, even for a second, and this lot’ll ‘ave yer!
Well, I’ve mentioned a good period of time that a lot of our players have had to rest & refresh and I’m not doubting the skills of City’s coaches, fitness experts, physios / medical staff & dieticians etc. but I hope those specialist HAVE kept their bodies – as well as their minds, of course – ‘ticking over’ and ready to engage ‘thrust mode’. Rustiness and a lack of match fitness could be a nasty side effect of all this recent ‘time out’ and that is one thing we can’t afford on a big-Wembley pitch against our neighbours from Trafford; not to mention in the Turkish heat against Inter a week later.
I am slightly concerned about them getting ‘at us’ and behind our defences on the flanks with their pace; particularly if we’re going to attempt the occasional ‘inverted thing’; attempt to flood the midfield and narrow our defence whilst doing so.
However, I’m confident that Pep will be mindful of this and will have sorted his system(s) out; I’m confident also that we’ll be ‘on it’ and will win this one.
It could be a crackin’ contest, for sure, and I am expecting us to face a dangerous Manyoo side…but I’m going for a City win.
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result:
Prediction: N/A
Result: N/A
Expected weather conditions during the game: Perfect. 70F & sunny and it’s sure to feel a HECK of a lot warmer inside the stadium in more ways than one. Looking for a breeze to cool things down? We’ve got that as well; with a steady 12MPH, north-easterly breeze.
Blog announcement reminder:
I’ll be watchin’ this one whilst away on a week’s holiday and then BECAUSE I’m away for a full week, there’ll be no pre-match blog-posting ahead of our crucial clash with Inter Milan; a game I’ll be watching just a few hours after returning home.
I’m in danger of feeling a little ‘disconnected’ being so far away from both Manchester & Wembley and being a Blue who has both spent loads of dosh and screamed my throat hoarse supporting our lads throughout the decades and all over the country; I can assure anyone reading this – and who are in the least bit bothered – that I have secured a place to watch the F.A. Cup final and will be ‘flying our colours’ with pride whilst away.
C’mon Blues!
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| Solidarity |
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