Crystal Palace (A) - Sat 6th April, 12:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[Jonas.shaffer]

Again, what is this poor form?

To be fair, five of those ten goals came from one game. My opinion isn't based on whatever the media says. He was poor versus Arsenal, Newcastle, and Liverpool, and up until his last-minute goal versus United, he was struggling to get involved in that game, too. He's world-class and is held to a higher standard than everyone else on the team, bar maybe Rodri or Kevin.

 

[Crooked_rain]

To be fair, five of those ten goals came from one game. My opinion isn't based on whatever the media says. He was poor versus Arsenal, Newcastle, and Liverpool, and up until his last-minute goal versus United, he was struggling to get involved in that game, too. He's world-class and is held to a higher standard than everyone else on the team, bar maybe Rodri or Kevin.

And 4 of them came in his previous 5 league games. So that's poor form?

 

[Jonas.shaffer]

And 4 of them came in his previous 5 league games. So that's poor form?

We'll agree to disagree. I think he's been far from his best of late.

 

[BringBackSwales]

To be fair, five of those ten goals came from one game. My opinion isn't based on whatever the media says. He was poor versus Arsenal, Newcastle, and Liverpool, and up until his last-minute goal versus United, he was struggling to get involved in that game, too. He's world-class and is held to a higher standard than everyone else on the team, bar maybe Rodri or Kevin.

Give it a rest. Enjoy him while we have him and stop moaning

 

[Legal Alien]

He was poor versus Arsenal, Newcastle, and Liverpool, and up until his last-minute goal versus United, he was struggling to get involved in that game, too

He was playing against teams and defenders whose game plan was to stop him at all costs though. With the refs letting these CH's get away with fouling him most of the time, it makes it tough.

He will face the same tomorrow and on Tuesday, where that wanker Rudiger will get carte blanche to foul at will.

 

[Chi-town blues]

This isn't an ideal game for Haaland,

​

Who are you ?

 

[pavelsrnicek]

Palace have done better than most against us though they have done better at the Etihad than Selhurst Park. They have usually played counter attacking football but I don’t know how their new coach will setup tomorrow but most likely will try and hit us on the break.

As for us, it will be interesting to see what changes Pep makes. We could really do with more players stepping up with goals, this season Haaland, Foden, Alvarez and Rodri have been our main scorers and Alvarez is really off form. We could do with someone else going on a Gundogan style streak.

We should have enough tomorrow even with changes though we may have to be patient and clinical when the chances come.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

You've just got to love the way Pep plays the media. He just, as this extract says, 'flat bats' them away. They're just like irritating little mosquitoes aren't they?
BBC website:
'Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ended his news conference by flat-batting a number of questions - about the hectic fixture schedule and potential changes in how the Premier League will deal with punishments for breaking its profit and sustainability rules.

On PSR he said: "I don't have opinion. What they decide is fine for me. I don't have an opinion."

On the fixture schedule: "We are used to it. For many years it happened that way. We take one game at a time and don't give up. We are used to playing every three days, every month. It's not that we are new to European competition. Players know it and they handle it, for the large part. They each know what they have to do.

"We play [Crystal Palace] at 12.30pm on a Saturday - perfect, more time to the next game against Real Madrid for us to recover. We then play Saturday in the FA Cup - OK, it's not fair but we are going to do it."'

You tell 'em King Pep, you tell 'em. :-)

I had a chuckle when the guy asked about PSR. Pep’s body language was great. You knew that he was going to say what he said.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Who are you ?

jonas.shaffer@rag.com

 

[SebastianBlue]

I may be one of the few, but the only change I would make from the Villa game is Alvarez for Haaland.

Not because I think Alvarez necessarily had as bad a performance as others contend, but because I want to see Erling “I have something to prove” Haaland out there with a more dynamic setup.

We will of course lose Alvarez’s pressing and some of the interchange up front but I think a very hungry Haaland could make up for that (whilst also creating a lot of space in front of Palace’s poor back four).

Give Kev and Stones 25 minutes in the second half whatever the scoreline for match fitness ahead of Madrid.

 

[oldius]

 

[Jezza11]

Whoever starts we just need to get the 3 points with as little fuss as possible and no new injuries, please and thanks. Come on city !!

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Annoying that Olise is fit. Makes the game much harder.

 

[uwe rosler 28]

Annoying that Olise is fit. Makes the game much harder.

But how fit is he actually?
Can see us playing players that are fresh and have not had as many minutes as the others so

Lewis
Gomez
Nunes
Kovacic
Bobb
Grealish
Kdb
Haaland
Alvarez
Doku

Not saying all them will start but I'd imagine a majority of them will.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

But how fit is he actually?
Can see us playing players that are fresh and have not had as many minutes as the others so

Lewis
Gomez
Nunes
Kovacic
Bobb
Grealish
Kdb
Haaland
Alvarez
Doku

Not saying all them will start but I'd imagine a majority of them will.

Not sure. He’s been back in training for a while, so probably a bit like Jack was in midweek.

 

[Zenmanc]

Play the same 11. That's not a slight on anybody else in the squad. Haaland, Kdb and the other subs have nothing to prove but don't change a winning team as that was a slick performance on Wednesday.
Put the pressure on. Brighton will be well up for it in the sun on Saturday evening and Utd will be smarting from Thursday night. Cmon City, make history as the only team ever to win 4 on the trot.

I may swap Bobb for Doku but otherwise agree... however the latter needs games under his belt.

 

[Zenmanc]

Who are you ?

Joined less than a week ago, surely trustworthy

 

[SWPISHOME]

Annoying that Olise is fit. Makes the game much harder.

There's no way he'll start, He'll be lucky to get any sort of minutes. He hasn't played since February 3rd, He was rushed back then when he went off injured so they won't make that mistake again.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

There's no way he'll start, He'll be lucky to get any sort of minutes. He hasn't played since February 3rd, He was rushed back then when he went off injured so they won't make that mistake again.

Hope you’re right, but he has been training for weeks. He obviously won’t be match fit, but he’s probably better with no fitness than all their other midfielders bar Eze.

 

[Eccles Blue]

Dinna fesh yesen lads and lassies. They’re our lads. MANCHESTER CITY THE BEST TEAM IN THE LAND AND ALL THE WORLD.
City for ever.