Man City V Barcelona Pre Match thread.

[Blue Til Death]

some of you guys amaze me. What difference will it make, we are going to lose this game one way or the other. Beating Newcastle 5-0 should not be a yard stick in measuring how well we will do against Barca. I believe Barca will win by two or more goals. Lastly, MDM will play ahead of Mangala hence anyone thinking Mangala will get the nod should forgat about it.

Why do you actually bother supporting City, plenty of clubs out there for you to wander off too..!
Your seeking attention in the wrong place...!!!

 

[Leech]

Genuinely don't think Barcelona are all they're cracked up to be.

For sure Messi/Neymar/Suarez is some strike force, but it has been proven to be possible to keep a clean sheet against them and it's going to cost them some defensive capability if they start all three.

The days when Xavi led one of the most selfish, ball hogging midfields in the history of the game are gone, as have the days when they could pull a Sanchez or an Henry off the bench just when the opposing team thought they had them on the ropes.

Their full backs are good, but the central defense and goalkeeper are far from mistake free and the team as a whole are no longer marshaled with the same unity and tactical prowess they had under Pep.

Overall we are stronger.

We are not stronger than Barcelona.

They will have more of the ball against most sides and that is their best form of defence and their front three is definitely the best around in my opinion and can win games on their own, don't underestimate their midfield as well even if it isn't the classic Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets trio.

Lot's on here - myself included - thought Barca were on the decline last year and we went into the home tie after just beating Chelsea in the cup, we got outplayed and battered all over the park, even before the sending off.

The Malaga result aside, Barca were just one win away before that game from going on an all time record 12 league wins or something.

I wouldn't say they had us all over the park before the Demichelis sending off, we were pretty comfortable letting them keep possession and creating very little while we were breaking and Negredo was starting to get one or two chances. Demichelis got caught out by his lack of pace to catch Messi and the tie swung, Mangala won't have that problem.

On sheer quality alone, I'd combine the two teams to have:

Hart
Zabaleta - Kompany - Mangala - Alba
Busquets - Toure - (Iniesta)
(Silva) - Messi - Neymar
Aguero

To explain some choices as it may seem blue-tinted, Zabaleta is ahead of Alves as Alves is now almost 32 and doesn't have the same energy he used to, and Barcelona haven't even bothered to tie him down to a new contract yet (which expires this summer). Mangala ahead of Pique as although Mangala is more inconsistent, he also has none of Pique's weaknesses such as pace, and in the big games performs to a standard Pique couldn't dream of. It was heavily rumoured Barcelona wanted Mangala in the summer to replace Pique but decided the price was too high.
Silva is ahead of Suarez as Silva is a much more consistent performer, while Suarez was outstanding last season it was possible to shut him out, as we did a few times and as Chelsea did. If your defense has a weakness he will find it, otherwise.... Silva is effective in pretty much every game - couldn't choose between Iniesta and Silva though. Hart is goalkeeper as I don't even know if Barcelona have yet established whether they have a number one they trust following Valdes' departure.

Throw in that I trust Pellegrini far more than Enrique (it was rumoured Barcelona sniffed around him in the summer before going for Enrique), and I don't think we should go into this as underdogs (though we will as an added bonus of Barcelona's past glories).

 

[Richard]

I know Yaya is suspended, but can we please find a way not to include Fernando in the starting eleven.

People have correctly pointed out that none of Barcelona's midfielders are particularly quick but the ball moves quicker than any player does and he'll just get it knocked past him time and time again.

 

[Sergi0 Na5r1]

I know Yaya is suspended, but can we please find a way not to include Fernando in the starting eleven.

People have correctly pointed out that none of Barcelona's midfielders are particularly quick but the ball moves quicker than any player does and he'll just get it knocked past him time and time again.

Who knows, he might pull of a Romaesque performance again.

 

[aguero93:20]

some of you guys amaze me. What difference will it make, we are going to lose this game one way or the other. Beating Newcastle 5-0 should not be a yard stick in measuring how well we will do against Barca. I believe Barca will win by two or more goals. Lastly, MDM will play ahead of Mangala hence anyone thinking Mangala will get the nod should forgat about it.

Sniff sniff.

 

[Sergi0 Na5r1]

some of you guys amaze me. What difference will it make, we are going to lose this game one way or the other. Beating Newcastle 5-0 should not be a yard stick in measuring how well we will do against Barca. I believe Barca will win by two or more goals. Lastly, MDM will play ahead of Mangala hence anyone thinking Mangala will get the nod should forgat about it.

Sniff sniff.

I can smell the Paella and Tapas from here. Barcarag.

 

[SrilankanBlue]

[bigimg]http://www.mcfc.co.uk/~/media/Images/Home/News/Team%20News/2014%2015%20season/February/SILVA%20V%20INIESTA%202.ashx[/bigimg]

 

[magiccue01]

some of you guys amaze me. What difference will it make, we are going to lose this game one way or the other. Beating Newcastle 5-0 should not be a yard stick in measuring how well we will do against Barca. I believe Barca will win by two or more goals. Lastly, MDM will play ahead of Mangala hence anyone thinking Mangala will get the nod should forgat about it.

I'm impressed you know there is a game going on, considering you likely switched off your TV when we were 2-1 down to Bayern. Or didnt bother to watch at all since it was obvious we would lose.

Are you talking about the Bayern Game that we were being bossed all over the field till they went a man down. Oh, or the game in Munich (last year) when Bayern had already qualified and didn't show up. In my opinion we have regressed a tad bit this season and the Barca game will prove this. Just my opinion.

 

[cibaman]

I know Yaya is suspended, but can we please find a way not to include Fernando in the starting eleven.

People have correctly pointed out that none of Barcelona's midfielders are particularly quick but the ball moves quicker than any player does and he'll just get it knocked past him time and time again.

Who knows, he might pull of a Romaesque performance again.

He was poor in the two CSKA games partnering Yaya, but excellent in Rome.

Since Barca are a bit different to Hull, I think the two Ferns might be ideally suited for tomorrow's game.

 

[Blue Til Death]

some of you guys amaze me. What difference will it make, we are going to lose this game one way or the other. Beating Newcastle 5-0 should not be a yard stick in measuring how well we will do against Barca. I believe Barca will win by two or more goals. Lastly, MDM will play ahead of Mangala hence anyone thinking Mangala will get the nod should forgat about it.

I'm impressed you know there is a game going on, considering you likely switched off your TV when we were 2-1 down to Bayern. Or didnt bother to watch at all since it was obvious we would lose.

Are you talking about the Bayern Game that we were being bossed all over the field till they went a man down. Oh, or the game in Munich (last year) when Bayern had already qualified and didn't show up. In my opinion we have regressed a tad bit this season and the Barca game will prove this. Just my opinion.

I think you need to get back to your bridge, I can hear billy Goats approaching..! having an opinion about a game is one thing but if you re-read what you have written, it could well have been written by a rag...!