Man City V Barcelona Pre Match thread.

[MeatHunterrr]

Okay, so what's your point. We are going into a game where our team sheet looks very identical to last season's except in this case we will replace Yaya with Fernando. Nasri will start but will not be able to provide the speed or width that we need on the left side. Jesus will provide the width and pace we require to win this game but will not be able to find a single player in the box because Aguero is too short to beat pique in the air. Please be objective in your analysis. thanks

Last year Aguero missed the first leg and was patently unfit for the second. Nasri and Fernandinho were both literally just back after injury (Nasri's a very serious one). Clichy is playing 3x as well as he did last year (we played Kolarov last year). Hart is having a significantly better season. And MDM is much more settled in our team. And we have Bony as an option.

I'm not asking you to be a City fan (you clearly are not). But if you're going to come trolling on our forum, expect to be taken apart if you post factless cr@p.

Look, I am a city fan through and through. Factless crap, stop the stupidity all around. I will await my apology after my prediction comes through. I am guessing your excuse will be that Nasri and Aguero just returned from an injury 3 weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, we have a good squad but not a great squad to play against this bunch.

Doubt that after looking your post history, which is mainly slagging someone off.

 

[Blue Tooth]

Press, press and press...then when we have finished that, press some more...we need to be all over them like a rash...high energy and physical ( within the laws) stuff...I want to see a City performance that says 'we can do this' all over the park...no fear. Give them a fucking game.

 

[magiccue01]

Last year Aguero missed the first leg and was patently unfit for the second. Nasri and Fernandinho were both literally just back after injury (Nasri's a very serious one). Clichy is playing 3x as well as he did last year (we played Kolarov last year). Hart is having a significantly better season. And MDM is much more settled in our team. And we have Bony as an option.

I'm not asking you to be a City fan (you clearly are not). But if you're going to come trolling on our forum, expect to be taken apart if you post factless cr@p.

Look, I am a city fan through and through. Factless crap, stop the stupidity all around. I will await my apology after my prediction comes through. I am guessing your excuse will be that Nasri and Aguero just returned from an injury 3 weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, we have a good squad but not a great squad to play against this bunch.

Doubt that after looking your post history, which is mainly slagging someone off.

I don't slag anyone one off. I just let my observations be known.

 

[i8rags]

I'd go;
Hart
Zab
Clichy
Komp
Mangala
Milner
Fernandinho
Fernando
Silva
Nasri
Aguero

this all day.

 

[sam-caddick]

Press, press and press...then when we have finished that, press some more...we need to be all over them like a rash...high energy and physical ( within the laws) stuff...I want to see a City performance that says 'we can do this' all over the park...no fear. Give them a fucking game.

This.

 

[daztrueblue91]

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).

First of all, your line up consists of 12 players. Second of all, I don't understand why did you compare Silva, who is AM, to Suarez, who is CF.

While I can't argue about the presence of Silva, Toure and Zabaleta (Alves is still superior quality wise but hasn't been himself since like 2011) in your line up, I have serious doubts about what are Kompany, Mangala and Hart doing there.

While I can't deny Mangala and Kompany are great players, I personally rate Pique and Mascherano way higher. Mangala is overpriced and overrated as hell, as he keeps proving this season he's not even worth half the money you paid for him. Kompany is an error machine and you never know what you get with him. He's most of the time solid but I wouldn't say he's a safe bet in defence. Ticking time bomb while Pique is absolutely on fire this season and comitted roughly 1 mistake the past months. On the other hand, Mascherano's tackling is probably the best in the world and maybe he lacks height but I still would take him over Mangala or Kompany any day, any time.

Honestly I never kept an eye on Hart that much but I wouldn't say any of Claudio Bravo or the young Marc-Andre ter Stegen are much inferior.

At last, I'd like to compare Suarez with Aguero. With all due respect, Luis is quite obviously the more complete player in general. He contributes to the team way better and overall he's a much better team player. Aguero is dangerous on the counter but that's pretty much it. When facing a bus, he's competely hopeless.

Now, coming to the meritum of my thought, I'd like you to present the line up I would pick (can't argue about the goalkeepers because there's not much difference, I have to kick one player out as your line up had 12 lads):

Hart or Bravo
Zabaleta - Pique - Mascherano - Alba
Toure - Busquets - Silva
Messi - Suarez - Neymar

BTW, good luck tomorrow!

That is some of the biggest load of bollocks I've ever had the misfortune of reading.

Try watching Mangala play rather than listening to pundits or reading Neil Ashton's match reviews. It's no coincidence that our best spells this season have all been when he has played.

Kompany is coming back from an injury but to say he is a "ticking time bomb" is utter ridiculous. He is miles ahead of Masherano as a CB and there is a reason why Barca were sniffing around him a few seasons back, to replace Mascherano at CB. Any team in the world would want a CB of Vinny's quality. In fact he would walk into any starting 11 in the world.

Suarez is a greedy, racist c*** who is nowhere near Sergio's level. He might score 4 or 5 against Norwich but when he plays the big boys he goes missing. Kun regularly scores against the big teams and in the big games whereas Suarez is a vile flat track bully. Also, its not even worth discussing injury records because where Kun misses 10 games a season through injury, Suarez misses more through suspensions.

And you obviously don't watch City that much. 9 times out of 10 we play teams who park the bus and Sergio cannot be doing to badly considering the goals he has scored. Unless of course they were all on the counter attack.

 

[kun]

-------------------------------Hart
----Sagna-----Kompany-----Mangala-----Kolarov
-----------------Fernando------Lampard
-----------Navas-----------Silva-----------Milner
------------------------------Dzeko

Subs: Willy, Clichy, Boyata, Dinho, Barker, Aguero, Bony

(Heeeere fishy fishy fishy)

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Look, I am a city fan through and through. Factless crap, stop the stupidity all around. I will await my apology after my prediction comes through. I am guessing your excuse will be that Nasri and Aguero just returned from an injury 3 weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, we have a good squad but not a great squad to play against this bunch.

Doubt that after looking your post history, which is mainly slagging someone off.

I don't slag anyone one off. I just let my observations be known.

Your negativity is bewildering , have you tried the samaritans.

 

[agyeiboateng]

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).

First of all, your line up consists of 12 players. Second of all, I don't understand why did you compare Silva, who is AM, to Suarez, who is CF.

While I can't argue about the presence of Silva, Toure and Zabaleta (Alves is still superior quality wise but hasn't been himself since like 2011) in your line up, I have serious doubts about what are Kompany, Mangala and Hart doing there.

While I can't deny Mangala and Kompany are great players, I personally rate Pique and Mascherano way higher. Mangala is overpriced and overrated as hell, as he keeps proving this season he's not even worth half the money you paid for him. Kompany is an error machine and you never know what you get with him. He's most of the time solid but I wouldn't say he's a safe bet in defence. Ticking time bomb while Pique is absolutely on fire this season and comitted roughly 1 mistake the past months. On the other hand, Mascherano's tackling is probably the best in the world and maybe he lacks height but I still would take him over Mangala or Kompany any day, any time.

Honestly I never kept an eye on Hart that much but I wouldn't say any of Claudio Bravo or the young Marc-Andre ter Stegen are much inferior.

At last, I'd like to compare Suarez with Aguero. With all due respect, Luis is quite obviously the more complete player in general. He contributes to the team way better and overall he's a much better team player. Aguero is dangerous on the counter but that's pretty much it. When facing a bus, he's competely hopeless.

Now, coming to the meritum of my thought, I'd like you to present the line up I would pick (can't argue about the goalkeepers because there's not much difference, I have to kick one player out as your line up had 12 lads):

Hart or Bravo
Zabaleta - Pique - Mascherano - Alba
Toure - Busquets - Silva
Messi - Suarez - Neymar

BTW, good luck tomorrow!

That is some of the biggest load of bollocks I've ever had the misfortune of reading.

Try watching Mangala play rather than listening to pundits or reading Neil Ashton's match reviews. It's no coincidence that our best spells this season have all been when he has played.

Kompany is coming back from an injury but to say he is a "ticking time bomb" is utter ridiculous. He is miles ahead of Masherano as a CB and there is a reason why Barca were sniffing around him a few seasons back, to replace Mascherano at CB. Any team in the world would want a CB of Vinny's quality. In fact he would walk into any starting 11 in the world.

Suarez is a greedy, racist c*** who is nowhere near Sergio's level. He might score 4 or 5 against Norwich but when he plays the big boys he goes missing. Kun regularly scores against the big teams and in the big games whereas Suarez is a vile flat track bully. Also, its not even worth discussing injury records because where Kun misses 10 games a season through injury, Suarez misses more through suspensions.

And you obviously don't watch City that much. 9 times out of 10 we play teams who park the bus and Sergio cannot be doing to badly considering the goals he has scored. Unless of course they were all on the counter attack.

Aguero is the best striker in the world for me but your post is just as bad as the one you quoted.
Suarez is clearly on the same level even if you rate Aguero better. He is a top 3 striker in the world.

 

[Sergi0 Na5r1]

Suarez is clearly on the same level even if you rate Aguero better. He is a top 3 striker in the world.

But he made a valid point. Aguero, Messi and Ronaldo can help out their team when needed no matter how big the competition. Suarez has rarely done anything like that.