Brentford (H) - Wed 17th Dec, 19:30 | EFL Cup | Pre-Match Thread

[MCFC1993]

Kick off time 19:30 (GMT).

A game we can sit back and enjoy, after an enjoyable couple of weeks. Taking the missus so hopefully it's entertaining.

Expecting rotation but I would like us to go through as this cup is there to be won. This is the quarter-final after all.

We have West Ham on the Saturday for a chance to go top of the PL (at least for a few hours), before Xmas with a week long break.

Ait-Nouri and Marmoush will have left for AFCON.

-----------------Trafford
Khusanov--Gvardiol--Ake--O'Reilly
-------------------Lewis
------------Foden--------Reijnders
Bobb------------Mukasa--------Savinho

Assume Stones is still out?

It would be nice if we could get Rodri back soon!

That might be a bit weak against a PL side, I'm expecting Brentford to rotate too though. We do have a week after West Ham, so it could be a much stronger side.

Think Haaland, Cherki and Bernardo could maybe play a part.

I'd rather we focus on the win, rather than rotation, don't want us to get used to losing.

Other games this round:
Cardiff City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Fulham
Arsenal v Crystal Palace

 

[Tevez City]

_______________Trafford_________________

EDS RW___Stones____Khusanov_____Ake

_______________Rico Lewis_________

________Tijjani_____________Oscar Bobb____

Savio__________Mukasa______________EDS LW

 

[citymad]

_______________Trafford_________________

EDS RW___Stones____Khusanov_____Ake

_______________Rico Lewis_________

________Tijjani_____________Oscar Bobb____

Savio__________Mukasa______________EDS LW

Oh well that’s one less trophy to go for this season …understandable though.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

Trafford

Lewis
Khusanov
Ake
Oreilly

Rejinders
Bernardo
Foden

Bobb
Mukasa
Savinho

 

[pepguardiola'smoustache]

Give nico g the week off.

He is possibly our most important player right now but totally knackered.

 

[jimharri]

Put out the XI he picked for the Leverkusen game. Maybe give some of the academy lads 15 or 20 minutes. Heskey, for example. I never want us to lose, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if we got knocked out.

 

[Len Rum]

Leverkusen team for this one.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I don’t really care who plays. The squad players should be capable of a win.

Assume Marmougsh and Nouri not available?

 

[lasereyes]

Leverkusen team for this one.

minus Nico G who needs a rest. Who can play DCM?

 

[coolcity]

minus Nico G who needs a rest. Who can play DCM?

Why not Khusanov? He's a centre back, but one who is used to playing forward. I think he's good enough and deserves a chance.

 

[coolcity]

I don’t really care who plays. The squad players should be capable of a win.

Assume Marmougsh and Nouri not available?

No, they're away at AFCON

 

[Georgian Maestro]

Why not Khusanov? He's a centre back, but one who is used to playing forward. I think he's good enough and deserves a chance.

He's the weakest player in the squad in terms of technical ability. No way he can play as a defensive midfielder.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

I think Pep will be too scarred from Leverkusen to name a totally changed side - and I think he would quite like to win this competition too.

Trafford
Khusanov Dias Ake O'Reilly
Lewis Nico
Savinho Mukasa Foden
Haaland

Bettinelli, Gvardiol, Mfuni, Nunes, Reijnders, Bernardo, Cherki, Bobb, Heskey

Would expect the likes of Nico, Foden and Haaland to come off before the hour mark regardless of the score.

 

[hertsblue]

Hope the club have done their homework like other teams playing against long throw in specialists and move the advertising boards closer to the pitch if possible

 

[coolcity]

Kick off time 19:30 (GMT).

A game we can sit back and enjoy, after an enjoyable couple of weeks. Taking the missus so hopefully it's entertaining.

Expecting rotation but I would like us to go through as this cup is there to be won. This is the quarter-final after all.

We have West Ham on the Saturday for a chance to go top of the PL (at least for a few hours), before Xmas with a week long break.

Ait-Nouri and Marmoush will have left for AFCON.

----------------------Trafford
Khusanov--Stones--Gvardiol--Ake
-----------------------Lewis
------------Foden--------Reijnders
Bobb------------Mukasa--------Savinho

That might be a bit weak against a PL side, I'm expecting Brentford to rotate too though. We do have a week after West Ham, so it could be a much stronger side.

I'd rather we focus on the win, rather than rotation, don't want us to get used to losing.

Other games this round:
Cardiff City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Fulham
Arsenal v Crystal Palace

The problem with focusing on the win is the first XI players will be knackered when we really need them later on. We've seen that a few times approaching the end of the season and it's cost us in cup finals, but this time around because we're not quite as strong (apparently), we're trying to play a stronger team more often with less rotation this season, but that means the players are not getting rested so will be knackered sooner and we don't want that at the business end of the season.

In recent years we've more or less sacrificed this competition to go for the bigger fish and it's worked well for us, and besides some of these other players need more game time.

 

[SCEtoAUX]

We will absolutely smash them. 5-0 City

 

[colorado blue]

Thought Donna would have picked up a yellow today to be unavailable for this one

 

[alib]

Will be my 6 year old grandson’s first ever City game!

 

[Len Rum]

minus Nico G who needs a rest. Who can play DCM?

Kalvin Phillips?

 

[WallyA]

Basically anybody fit who is not a starter.

Even that isn't enough players I think, so dip into the academy