Arsenal game is the first big test....

[mcfc1996]

Arsenal and the Scum were shit on Saturday. If both play like that in the next 2 games we have nothing to fear. However I would gladly accept 2 draws at this stage.

Must have been watching a different game to me then as i thought we were ok , outplayed the rags and were unlucky to lose in the end , we were certainly not shit though !!

For the life of me I can't understand how the Scum won that game. You are right that Arsenal were better. But in comparison to a game between Arsenal and Scum that I watched last season that was at a completely different level. I was sat in a bar in Tenerife watching Arsenal win 2-1 with some of the lads I go to City with and we all said that it may as well be a different game because City could never live with that.
On Saturday neither side showed anything that would make me think that City are miles behind. If you play like you did against Everton it will be difficult to live with but play like you did on Saturday and I fancy our chances.

 

[Blue Si O.B]

My prediction is a 1-1 draw, arsenal are looking good this season

 

[Rammyblues]

We beat them last year, if we beat them this year we will have turned a corner, yes we can beat any team on their day but to beat them year in and year out sends out the message that we have better players than them and provided we are consistent over the season the so called sky 4 might be under threat.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Arsenal will never, ever win the league whilst that clown Almunia is in the net. Simple as

 

[bluemoon32]

Must have been watching a different game to me then as i thought we were ok , outplayed the rags and were unlucky to lose in the end , we were certainly not shit though !!

Agree with this. I think we will have to play much better than we have played so far this season to get anything out of Arsenal. They are moving the ball around for fun, as they always do, and I fear we may end up chasing shadows. Unfortunately, I think we will have to be at our "physical" best if we want to get a grip of things.

Will be interesting to see whether Hughes goes for the same type of line up as he has done so far this season, or we will revert to something closer to what we played last season...Personally I'd like to see us playing with De Jong, Ireland, Barry, as a midfield three, and Adebayor, Robbie, and Tevez as a forward three. I know SWP's done well this season and there would be arguments to say that Tevez or Robbie should be dropped, but I think home to Arsenal - our big big guns will be bang up for it...

If we play our present starting midfield (without a real holding player like De Jong) then the Gooners will batter us.

 

[mr t]

We beat them last year, if we beat them this year we will have turned a corner, yes we can beat any team on their day but to beat them year in and year out sends out the message that we have better players than them and provided we are consistent over the season the so called sky 4 might be under threat.

They were a club in turmoil when we beat them last year - this will be a lot closer in that we now have better players and their players will be in a better frame of mind.

 

[JonnyQuest]

The word Arshavin casts a doubt in my mind. He put 4 past one of the best goalkeepers in the league last season, and won arsenal a point all on his own. he scored a cracker on saturday against (and i hate to say) on the best defenses in the league. with richards not being on top form at the moment, putting him against arshavin wouldnt be the best decision hughesy ever made. dont get me wrong, richards will come good, but in his current run of form, arshavin and van persie will dominate down that right side if shaun doesn't cover him. touré and lescott should be fine... but unlike most of you, i'm not a great fan of bridge. if arsenal manage to play arshaving across the middle and on both wings, both our full backs are going to struggle. diaby looks like a threat and if fabregas is fit he will boss the midfield unless we have barry in their niggling at his heels. barry may have to get himself booked but if we keep fabregas at bay it will be worth it. arsenal aren't the strongest at the back, but vermaelen is good at heading in defensive and attacking positions. but in defending positions we have adebayor to take care of that. arsenal battered united and the rags were lucky to come away with a win - as for city, our defence seems stronger than last year. but i fear our first conceded goal will come in this game. given cant play like this for much longer and against a team like arsenal he may concede. but with ireland, barry and the rest of our forward minded players on form we should be a threat, and i doubt vermealen and sagna can take us on, as 2. we have adebayor who is scripted to score against his old team.. and maybe touré from a corner... but wenger is a clever man... but if he is banned from the touchline it could make a bigger difference than you think.

overall i think arsenal will struggle if we play on the counter attack. final score i'm going..for 1-1. and smiles from a pleasant game.

i put it to you sir that you have no watched a single game of football in your life cause that is the only way you could chat that much shite

 

[kinkladze:-)]

if them rag bastards can get 3 points off the gooners then we will deserve 6 from the game........City to play them off the park with de jong keeping fabregas in his pocket all day.....only bringing him out to skiff the little shit!!!!

 

[kinkladze:-)]

if them rag bastards can get 3 points off the gooners then we will deserve 6 from the game........City to play them off the park with de jong keeping fabregas in his pocket all day.....only bringing him out to skiff the little shit!!!!

Skiff To insert/rub your index finger along the crack of your sweaty arse and then rub said finger under the nose of unsuspecting victim..........leaving said victim with Mexican Pooh Tash

 

[MCFC BOB]

The word Arshavin casts a doubt in my mind. He put 4 past one of the best goalkeepers in the league last season, and won arsenal a point all on his own. he scored a cracker on saturday against (and i hate to say) on the best defenses in the league. with richards not being on top form at the moment, putting him against arshavin wouldnt be the best decision hughesy ever made. dont get me wrong, richards will come good, but in his current run of form, arshavin and van persie will dominate down that right side if shaun doesn't cover him. touré and lescott should be fine... but unlike most of you, i'm not a great fan of bridge. if arsenal manage to play arshaving across the middle and on both wings, both our full backs are going to struggle. diaby looks like a threat and if fabregas is fit he will boss the midfield unless we have barry in their niggling at his heels. barry may have to get himself booked but if we keep fabregas at bay it will be worth it. arsenal aren't the strongest at the back, but vermaelen is good at heading in defensive and attacking positions. but in defending positions we have adebayor to take care of that. arsenal battered united and the rags were lucky to come away with a win - as for city, our defence seems stronger than last year. but i fear our first conceded goal will come in this game. given cant play like this for much longer and against a team like arsenal he may concede. but with ireland, barry and the rest of our forward minded players on form we should be a threat, and i doubt vermealen and sagna can take us on, as 2. we have adebayor who is scripted to score against his old team.. and maybe touré from a corner... but wenger is a clever man... but if he is banned from the touchline it could make a bigger difference than you think.

overall i think arsenal will struggle if we play on the counter attack. final score i'm going..for 1-1. and smiles from a pleasant game.

i put it to you sir that you have no watched a single game of football in your life cause that is the only way you could chat that much shite

i put it to you.... that i have, watched rather alot. xD

 

[Scrabster Six]

The gooners are a class football team this will be a more difficult game than the rags.

 

[Damocles]

I think it's going to be a real classic. We both love to play football, and both have a fluid team. Proper good game this will be.

 

[davymcfc]

its a really big game. if we win this one and even keep a clean sheet then the premier league will stand up and take notice. if we do win i will be pissin my pants with excitement going in to the derby because if we keep up the good start we can challenge for higher than 4th maybe.

 

[Nevizade]

One thing that could hinder us in this game is Robbie and Tevez play in South America 3 days before, and obviously they are two of our best players, although I am aware of the fact that before last season's game against Arsenal, Robbie played against Portugal in Brazil...and we know the rest! That could be a problem but if we can exploit their high defensive line on the counter attack then we certainly have a good chance of winning. Ideally De Jong would be the holding midfield player with Barry and Ireland slightly more advanced. Then Hughesy has a wealth of forwards to select from providing everyone comes back from international duty injury-free. This game will be a huge test to see where we really are in terms of our development, if we can get the 3 points it will be a huge confidence boost.

 

[Real-City]

Who sits against Arsenal if we use De Jong. SWP?


I think we will score against Arsenal as their defence is shaky, however, we have been lucky with some of these clean sheets. Our defence will be great, but eventually one of these mistakes in front of goal will hurt us. Is Arsenal the game?

 

[azatheblue]

we might win but i cant see us getting a clean sheet

 

[kcmcfc]

The big test was winning away frm home

The next test will be to see how City respond to a setback. Arsenal outplayed Utd, and I expect them to beat us. But if we can win most of our home games, and a good percentage of the away games we will be close to the top 4

I agree with most of this. Matches between the big teams are often cagey affairs. I'm not saying they are not hugely important but I think our season will be won or lost more on how we bounce back from defeat (against quality opposition but more importantly the kind that have us shaking our heads) and how we handle mid-table teams. So far so good.

The only thing I disagree with is I think we have a decent chance of getting at least a point off Arsenal at home.

I do get the OP however.....Arsenal represent a huge step forward in quality in our opponents and it will be interesting to see how things play out.

 

[Freestyler]

BIG BIG GAME!

Last year we hammered them 3-0 and we played brilliant so there is no reason why we can't just beat them again, attacking wise their without a doubt the best passing team in the world on their day but were at home and were gonna be the team applying the pressure on them, getting past their midfield will be a challenge but i think we can expose ther defence easily.

 

[ExiledGooner]

despite the result saturday our defence looks more solid then it did last year , gallas and vermaalen have struck up a good partnership already , we have two decent full backs as well so its gonna be interesting to say the least .