Do we go for broke on Saturday?

[Chippy_boy]

Chippy_boy and Master Wig - I could not agree with you more.

It is not just a case of OUR tactics, but also consider what they will most likely do.

Anything other than 3 points and they have zero - as oppossed to a slim chance of retaining their title.
They have nothing to lose by going on all-out attack and second place is probably secure for them. Would they care if they get 3rd place rather than 2nd? I don't think so.

We need to contain their midfield and wingers (especially Valencia) as well as Evra on the overlap.
Keep our fab four, who have a least 2 goals in them, up front, and we can smash them on the counter.

We are deadly when given space on the counter, but not so good at trying to break down 10 men behind the ball.

We need someone solid at LB - I would rather play Zab, Ned or even Barry rather than Garrido or Sylvinho.

First priority is not to concede a goal and not to lose.
Let them start getting desperate and go at us - we will smash them on the counter.

We can live with a draw whilst going for a win.

They have no option other than to go all out for a win.

Good post mate,

like you say they need to go all out for a win, which will suit us. We struggle to break teams down who put ten men behind the ball, which is why well organised teams like Spurs and Everton frustrate us. The rags can't afford to come out to frustrate us, they have to throw everything at us and I'm sure they will. .

I can't see Adebayor or Tevez being dropped and in midfield Johnson's delivery has become a key part of our play so I would expect us to line up as we have done in previous games but with a change at Left Back. Its going to be interesting to see how both teams line up, but for me its going to be a fine line between being too attacking and too defensive, hopefully Mancini will be able to get the balance right. An early goal for them is the last thing we need, as that is when they will sit back and try and frustrate us.

I pretty much agree with this. Certainly I think our imperative must be to not concede early as that could then make it very difficult for us with them sitting back more and us having to go at them, leaving ourselves exposed to the rags on the break. We must not let this happen.

That's why I believe Mancini will decide he needs 5 across the park and Tevez will be on the bench (he's knackered and also Ade is better as a lone front man, imho). But he could just ask Tevez to play a little deeper and go 4-4-1-1. I accept that's a possibility, to help out in midfield. Tevez doesn't mind coming looking for the ball anyway.

 

[Project]

There is no way Tevez will be dropped. And I disagree with the notion that Ade is a better lone front man.

I agree though that if we do go 442 Tevez will drop much deeper, kind of like he did against Birmingham. He adds an extra pair of legs in the middle, and is much better at bringing the ball forward than Barry and DJ.

 

[ST Coleridge]

How does everyone see the Rags lining up, then?

___________Van Der Sar
G-Nev___Ferdinand__Vidic___Evra
_________Scholes_Fletcher______
Valencia_______Park________Nani
_____________Rooney___________

...looks likely. Started with two up against Blackburn, but I can't see that being repeated.

If they go with the usual 4-5-1, Tevez will really need to drop deep and hassle Scholes/Carrick, lest we get swamped. Our recent 4-4-2 doesn't fill me with optimism.

 

[DD]

What I don't want to see is us going all defensive again like we saw in the early Mancini days.

City's strength is our attack, not our defence.

The 4-4-2 is the best option with two defensive minded midfielders protecting the back four, natural width and two strikers who can score goals, possibly with Tevez drifting back to become an additional midfielder when need be.

A draw is no good to them and I think it could well be two points lost for us too. Spurs result last night has made it clear that we need to win this one. I will not be happy with a draw at all.

Let's play our natural game then, attack them with vigour and the goals will come. If we sit back and soak up pressure then they will be the ones scoring. You can't do that against United, you have to go at them.

I'm not saying we should throw caution to the wind but let's not underestimate ourselves too much. Let them worry about how they can contain us, not the other way round. We are the home team and, for once, we probably start favourites, yet everyone seems to think we should play with fear and change our game to accommodate them. They are the team coming to a bang in form team with a shit hot home record. They are the ones that look tired. If anything, they should be changing their formation to counteract us. Let's not sit back and show them too much respect because, if we do, then we really are going to be shooting ourselves in the foot.

 

[greasedupdeafguy]

It would be stupid to go 4-5-1 we would drop adebayor (you cant drop tevez) so it would be tevez against vidic and ferdinand. We would be under pressure from the first minute. We should stick with 4-4-2 tevez just plying behind adebayor.
Remember the chelsea game this season we played 4-4-2 and played well we competed with them all the way through the match but when we have played 4-5-1 against the big teams they have outplayed against arsenal they controlled the game and we were lucky to win and against liverpool we created nothing.

 

[pezlington]

Given,

Onouha, Toure, Kompany, Bridge,

Johnson, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy,

Tevez, Adebayor.

If we are struggling, Adebayor off for Zabeletta to add steal in the middle.

^^ this. exactly the team that beat birmingham (bar garrido). that should do the trick, especially as NDJ can go in hard on tackles now too! haha

 

[u2fme2]

dead right we do. from first min to the last.ALL OUT ATTACK

 

[Freestyler]

4-4-2

play 4-5-1 and i can't see us troubling shaggy much,

Mancini decided to change from a 4-5-1 to 4-4-2 and it's been outstanding everytime, no need to change it.

If we play 4-4-2 and we attack i can't see no reason why we can't get a 2 goal lead, if ade and tevez carry on playing like they have, the scums back 4 will have a torrid time.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

How does everyone see the Rags lining up, then?

___________Van Der Sar
G-Nev___Ferdinand__Vidic___Evra
_________Scholes_Fletcher______
Valencia_______Park________Nani
_____________Rooney___________

...looks likely. Started with two up against Blackburn, but I can't see that being repeated.

If they go with the usual 4-5-1, Tevez will really need to drop deep and hassle Scholes/Carrick, lest we get swamped. Our recent 4-4-2 doesn't fill me with optimism.

That, but with Carrick and O'Gay in for Scholes and Chuckle is what i think they'll do.

 

[Neil McNab]

Yep 4-4-2. As we saw when we changed tactics in the first leg cup derby, the best way to beat them is to get at them and not try to defend and invite them on.

Exactly, that's why I wouldn't play De Jong in the middle!

 

[BLUEMOONBAZ]

I hope we keep it tight early doors
Remmember there gonna be desperate to win so
no silly gifts
we dont wanna start trying to get a goal back, keep it steady and hit them on he break .

 

[bluemanc]

ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK
It will kill the atmosphere stone dead if we start pasing it around at the back,we have way to much firepower for them,not one step back & show zero respect,FUCK EM!!

 

[ifiwasarichfan]

We play the system we have played recently and we let them worry about us. We are at Home and we are the form side. Bridge in for Javier if he is fit, if not Garrido wont let us down. We go at them from the off and never take a backward step and we whip the crowd up to Fever Pitch. We then savour the moment as their Title chances slip away and the World watches the BlueMoon rise.

Yes we go for broke. " Fortune favours the Brave".

 

[Nils]

How many times in recent derbies have we set up our tactics negatively to guard against united's threat, and ended up completely on the back foot, devoid of any attacking ideas.

We've scored 14 goals in 3 games playing with two up front with 2 wide, but we change all that because they have got five in midfield! crazy. They only have 1 decent midfielder in fletcher....while valencia is a threat out wide..but that's the full back's job to take care of.....giggs is injured, carrick and sung are out of form, and scholes is a fading force......they're dangerous when their full backs push forward to support the front runners...they won't be galloping forward with bellamy and johnson to cope with while ferdinand (struggling with a groin injury) and vidic will have a hell of a job coping with tevez and ade, and most of their play starts with carrick or scholes taking the ball juts in front of the back four....tevez can stop that.

lets play to OUR strengths...and give it a go