Stoke vs. City Pre Match Thread

[mancity dan]

Great win last night. So now on to the next game.

Fingers crossed Aguero and Hart should be back for this one.

Early kick off so will allow us to put pressure on others with a win.

 

[leth]

Aguero and Kun

Wouldn't it be great to have two?

I'm a bit concerned about Demichelis starting again now that Mangala is suspended. Hopefully we'll score enough at the other end that it doesn't matter.

 

[citytill1die84]

Hate this fixture. Although I'm happy it's a 12.45 kick off as the later the louder and more intimidating it is at Stoke.

Hoping Hart is fit because Willy will get tested and bullied a lot. Not 2 bothered about Aguero for this 1 I think the strength and hold up play of Bony will be better for us.

Hart

Sagna Otamendi Mangala Kolarov

Fernandinho Delph

De Bruyne Silva Sterling

Bony

That's how I would line up but Pellers will defo drop Delph for Yaya imo.

A little confidence is back now and the return of Silva we hopefully see the return to form for City.

3-1 City come on.

 

[Marvin]

Losing Mangala is a blow.

Pellegrini has a decision to make regarding Toure, but I think he's already made it. If he was going to drop him when Silva returned then I think he would have played him against Hull. He was being rested for this game.

Kolarov and Sterling will come back in. I doubt Navas will be available.

Expecting a tight game that could go either way. Silva will get up to speed very quickly because he is a fit player. Aguero will take ages, but we need to play him as much as possible to get him fit. Arsenal away is coming up, and we need a match-fit Aguero by then.

 

[kunaguero10]

Fucking barmy decision to play Mangala on a booking away from suspension.

 

[vmsuhail]

Hate this fixture. Although I'm happy it's a 12.45 kick off as the later the louder and more intimidating it is at Stoke.

Hoping Hart is fit because Willy will get tested and bullied a lot. Not 2 bothered about Aguero for this 1 I think the strength and hold up play of Bony will be better for us.

Hart

Sagna Otamendi Mangala Kolarov

Fernandinho Delph

De Bruyne Silva Sterling

Bony

That's how I would line up but Pellers will defo drop Delph for Yaya imo.

A little confidence is back now and the return of Silva we hopefully see the return to form for City.

3-1 City come on.

It's a shame that Yaya is the one holding our team back. Delph has to get a run in this team now and see how that works out.

 

[pavelsrnicek]

We need to start scoring goals away from home. 7 in the league away this season (only 3 teams have less) and 5 of them came in our first two aways in August. So 2 goals in our last 4 away matches. The last of which was KdB's against Spurs.

As a result no away wins since September in the league. So we need goals this weekend.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Great win last night. So now on to the next game.

Fingers crossed Aguero and Kun should be back for this one.

Early kick off so will allow us to put pressure on others with a win.

If he's been cloned we should walk the league, great news

 

[bluemoon98]

Hopefully we should have enough especially if kun is back and hart.

0-2 city

 

[sh249]

Is Kompany definitely out?

Not entirely sure what I'd do with Silva for this one either. Obviously we're all desperate to see him back playing regularly - suppose it depends on how he reacts to last night's run out.

If he's not right to start, I'd be tempted to go with a midfield/front 3 of:

-----------------Yaya-------------------
---Fernandinho-------Delph---------
--De Bruyne---Bony---------Sterling

Otherwise:
----------Fernandinho/Delph-------
-------Yaya----------Fernandinho/Delph

I fear though that we might see Yaya shoehorned into the 'No. 10' position again.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Some big decisions to sort out:

1, Yaya – does he deserve a recall given his form v’s others (Fdinho & Delph).
2, Aguero v Bony – both on the verge of form and fitness. I’d be tempted to start with Bony
3, Attacking midfield – 3 from: Silver, KDB, Sterling, Navas.
4, Kolarov or Clichy?

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

Caballero

Sagna - Otamendi - Demichelis - Clichy

Fernando - Fernandinho - Yaya Touré

De Bruyne - Silva - Aguero

 

[Jazzman]

Some big decisions to sort out:

1, Yaya – does he deserve a recall given his form v’s others (Fdinho & Delph).
2, Aguero v Bony – both on the verge of form and fitness. I’d be tempted to start with Bony
3, Attacking midfield – 3 from: Silver, KDB, Sterling, Navas.
4, Kolarov or Clichy?

I think Pellegrini will select Yaya for Silva to rest Spanish Dave. I am not sure what to think about this, if he does. On the one side I like our set up without Yaya, on the other I would like that we protect Silva from the Stoke Bastards like Charlie Adam.
Further I am also thinking Pellegrini might give Fernando a run out, not sure whether it will be for Fernandinho or Delph.
I'd probably also go with Bony for this one, as I'd rather keep Aguero fit for Mönchengladbach.

 

[mcfcfc]

I think Pellegrini will select Yaya for Silva to rest Spanish Dave. I am not sure what to think about this, if he does. On the one side I like our set up without Yaya, on the other I would like that we protect Silva from the Stoke Bastards like Charlie Adam.
Further I am also thinking Pellegrini might give Fernando a run out, not sure whether it will be for Fernandinho or Delph.
I'd probably also go with Bony for this one, as I'd rather keep Aguero fit for Mönchengladbach.

let's just hope that he won't go for a MD duo of Fernando and Yaya because that MD will get ripped apart...

 

[Jazzman]

let's just hope that he won't go for a MD duo of Fernando and Yaya because that MD will get ripped apart...

I am thinking that he will go something very similar to Sevilla away, and that didn't work too badly :-) But in general I think last nights formation is closer to what is our best.

 

[Ric]

Didn't realise Mangala was suspended, that's a blow. Could do with his physical presence for a tough away game like this, and Demichelis isn't filling me with any great confidence at the moment.

Would love to see Iheanacho get the nod ahead of Bony (I doubt Aguero will be risked), but it won't happen.

 

[york away to this!]

I'd leave yaya on the bench for this one. when he plays everything goes though him, though last night we had so many more routes through and around...

Dave has to play whenever he's fit.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Didn't realise Mangala was suspended, that's a blow. Could do with his physical presence for a tough away game like this, and Demichelis isn't filling me with any great confidence at the moment.

Would love to see Iheanacho get the nod ahead of Bony (I doubt Aguero will be risked), but it won't happen.

MDM is well off the pace and Stoke away is no place to find form as a CB! However Mangala was going to get a booking at some point, resting him would have just been delaying the inevitable. At least he is one player we know will be fit and rested for M’Gladbach.

 

[Kinkys Left Foot]

Not sure I want Silva or Nacho anywhere near those dirty cunts Whelan, Adam, Shawcross or ex red twat Bardsley.
Will be a tough match but don't want to see Hughes with anything on his kisser other than a defeated scowl after the game.

 

[Father Paul]

MDM is well off the pace and Stoke away is no place to find form as a CB! However Mangala was going to get a booking at some point, resting him would have just been delaying the inevitable. At least he is one player we know will be fit and rested for M’Gladbach.

Not sure we can keep a clean sheet without Kompany so we will need at least 2 goals. Kun hopefully will get one of them. Stoke are likely to try to rough us up but they are also capable of playing a bit of ball these days. We might have to settle for a draw unless we can click going forward. Not sure M'Gladbach game will have too much bearing on the selection. Assuming Dave and Kevin start what will the rest of the formation be?