Team vs City

Kuyt was pretty dreadful last week,how do you expect him to improve enough to track Silva?

"Kuyt was pretty dreadful last week,how do you expect him to improve enough to track Silva?"

Lesser of evils I'm afraid. Hendo & Maxi won't track back enough or effectively after 15mins; Downing is worse on the right than the left, Gerrard isn't match fit & Bellamy can't tackle.

Looked a lot more dangerous with Bellamy and Gerrard on plus Liverpool don't need to come and win,just treat it like a European tie and keep it tight for an assault at Anfield in the return leg

If we keep it tight and try to defend all game we will loose!

I'm sure you'd take a 1-0 loss happily enough back to Anfield

I would take a 1-0 loss, Anfield will be like a European night for the 2nd leg and 1-0 down would make the 2nd leg very very interesting.

I don't think we have to play too differently to the league game, just don't miss easy chances (Downing), don't make howlers (Reina) and don't concede from set pieces.

It's not like City were brilliant and battered us. They might better this time of course, but we can only control how we play.

"I'm sure you'd take a 1-0 loss happily enough back to Anfield"

No, we wouldn't be happy, not one bit. But we know we could turn it round. Likewise, you wouldn't be happy going to Anfield 1-0 down, but confident it could be turned round.

I agree we need to keep it tight, hence I would go with a team of experience, balance and a solid formation that wouldn't be easily dragged out of shape; isolate a sole CF and makes players available to receive a pass.

You seem confident, not that I can blame you - currently the best in the country. Lets not forget, our last encounter could have been much different, had Reina saved the obvious and Downing put it anywhere but into Hart, but thats football.

Your team will be much different too. Do you really think that Mancini will field his best 11 with the league such an obvious focus? The Toure's are missing to start, Yaya is so influential in midfield, De Jong being the replacement that springs to mind, yet he is so different - & alongside Barry? Lescott at the back? What team do you think City will put out?

Our next league game is Wigan away on the Monday after so I suspect it will be the strongest available
Hart
Richards Kompany Lescott Clichy
De Jong Milner Barry
Nasri silva
Aguero
Small matter of the rags to sort out tomorrow,but yaya will be missed but I think Milner could do his box to box job adequately

Wigan or not, it would be naive of Mancini to write it off as a win and will have an eye on that game as he prepares for this lower priority one (in his eyes). Balotelli will more than likely start over Aguero & I would be suprised to see both Nasri & Silva in the starting 11. Johnson will start over one of those.

Milner is a good shout as the box to box player. He's a player I highly rate - good on the ball & off, keeps his head down, gets the job done & is in the papers for football - not where he may or may not of been putting 'little Milner'.

Will that now be Richards @ CB & Zabaletta in @ RB, or is the red for only FA Cup matches (i.e. same comp)??

You're boys need one hell of a half time team talk. Hope you can pull it back