Barcelona Vs City Pre Match Thread

[Don Karleone]

I'll be amazed if we finish the game with 11 men on the field.

 

[J_Bow]

I'll be amazed if we finish the game with 11 men on the field.

That's the spirit, bets on who's our man to be sent off?

I say Mangala if he plays, rashly hacks down one of their front three.

 

[supercity88]

Anyone know how Barca are likely to line up without Busquets? Will it see Mascherano playing in midfield and someone else alongside Pique? That could be a real bonus for us in terms of getting at Barcelona - Yaya's direct running through the midfield could cause no end of problems and with Silva pulling the strings we might be able to craft a few chances.

Hart
Zabba
Komp
Mang
Kolarov
Navas
Yaya
Fernandinho
Milner
Silva
Aguero

 

[Stephenhakin]

Anyone know how Barca are likely to line up without Busquets? Will it see Mascherano playing in midfield and someone else alongside Pique? That could be a real bonus for us in terms of getting at Barcelona - Yaya's direct running through the midfield could cause no end of problems and with Silva pulling the strings we might be able to craft a few chances.

Hart
Zabba
Komp
Mang
Kolarov
Navas
Yaya
Fernandinho
Milner
Silva
Aguero

Heard Macherano will hold and their french CB will replace him at the back. Mathieu

 

[kenzie115]

We won't come out of the blocks guns blazing it will be the slow play which YAYA dictates when he has the ball! Unless Pellegrini plays him in front of 2 midfielders..

I'd play two midfielders in front of Yaya, specifically Milner and Dinho. Tell them they can get forward because we know they'll get back too, but Yaya must just sit and try and dictate like Pirlo.

Navas and Silva wide, but on the understanding that Silva is told he has to fulfill his defensive responsibilities in tracking Alves and hope that when he ignores that instruction, Milner is there to tuck over and help Kolarov/Mangala.

I wouldn't play Yaya. Too labourded at the moment and his attitude is wrong.

We'd have no chance of keeping the ball without Yaya in the middle, Barca would have 80% possession and we'd get nowhere near their goal.

Yaya can't (or won't) do the leg work any more, so we have to put two players (Milner & Dinho) next to him with terrific work rate and stamina and allow him to do what he does best without the team suffering for his flaws.

 

[sam-caddick]

If I see Yaya in a midfield two tonight I think I will have a little cry.

A midfield two of Yaya and Fernando and that's me behind the sofa.

Number ten for Yaya tonight.

 

[Stephenhakin]

If I see Yaya in a midfield two tonight I think I will have a little cry.

A midfield two of Yaya and Fernando and that's me behind the sofa.

Number ten for Yaya tonight.

Get the keenex behind the sofa now. As that will happen

 

[Stephenhakin]

Anyone know how Barca are likely to line up without Busquets? Will it see Mascherano playing in midfield and someone else alongside Pique? That could be a real bonus for us in terms of getting at Barcelona - Yaya's direct running through the midfield could cause no end of problems and with Silva pulling the strings we might be able to craft a few chances.

Hart
Zabba
Komp
Mang
Kolarov
Navas
Yaya
Fernandinho
Milner
Silva
Aguero

Heard Macherano will hold and their french CB will replace him at the back. Mathieu

Lets hope hes still on them....Mathieu is married and enjoys smoking cigarettes while off the pitch.[23] His smoking habit was so common while at Valencia that the club asked him to give up smoking on several occasions and even talked to his wife in hopes she could persuade him.[24]

 

[i8rags]

I'll be amazed if we finish the game with 11 men on the field.

We won't, we will be chasing shadows, diving in and if the game has gone so will our heads.

 

[hihosilva]

I've got a feeling that Pellegrini will be bloody minded and go 4-4-2