Manchester City V Southampton pre-match thread.

[Len Rum]

F***ing ell Duncado, are you following me around the threads?

And yes, I am dreading it, if that's OK with you?

Southampton are no mugs. They've got a good Manager and some decent players. It will be a tight and difficult game.

Beat Southampton and then I can relax, sit back, and then watch how Chelsea and Liverpool do/respond.

And then you will start dreading the Liverpool game and so on and so forth ad infinitum.

The only thing I'm dreading is another reply. :-)

As for Liverpool away, no!

Liverpool will be under more pressure than us. They will be expected to attack and to take the game to City. I will go to Anfield in a confident mood. Where as the expectation and pressure will be on City to attack and beat Southampton on Saturday. If we beat Southampton, I'll be as happy as anyone on here. Even those of you who aren't worried about the up and coming Southampton match.

So you're dreading Saints at home but not the Dippers away? Takes all sorts.

 

[dcj]

Just watching MOTD2 and notice both Southampton and Liverpool scored goals down to piss poor defending,yet Southampton lost to Spurs last week too. Makes me a bit more confident over the net couple of games.

 

[lasereyes]

Liverpool are rather like City of the early season. They thrive on an early goal and can take apart an opponent if that happens. Almost all their routs have followed that pattern. We saw a different side of things when Sunderland were able to withstand the early onslaught. So if we can do the same and get through the first 20 minutes, I think we have an excellent chance of an result.

 

[kenzie115]

And then you will start dreading the Liverpool game and so on and so forth ad infinitum.

The only thing I'm dreading is another reply. :-)

As for Liverpool away, no!

Liverpool will be under more pressure than us. They will be expected to attack and to take the game to City. I will go to Anfield in a confident mood. Where as the expectation and pressure will be on City to attack and beat Southampton on Saturday. If we beat Southampton, I'll be as happy as anyone on here. Even those of you who aren't worried about the up and coming Southampton match.

So you're dreading Saints at home but not the Dippers away? Takes all sorts.

I'm more worried about Southampton at home than Liverpool away for a number of reasons. Firstly, we have a lot of big game players who will raise their game for the trip to Anfield but could potentially take their eye off the ball on Saturday, if that were to happen I think Southampton are more than capable of taking advantage. Secondly, a draw at Anfield would be a good result, a draw at home to Southampton, given our current situation, would not. Thirdly, the pressure will be on Liverpool as it will be seen as the crucial game in their season, we can afford to lose at Anfield and effectively only be a point behind (games in hand allowed for), if they lose the game, they're effectively 5 points behind with a worse goal difference, they'd need us to lose two of our last 6 games to stand any chance of winning the league.

All told, I can see where jrb's coming from.

 

[lasereyes]

You guys are acting as though Southampton are Barcelona. Truth is they are an upper/mid level team behind United who we just took apart. They have lost 6 times away from home including against the same Spurs team that Liverpool and we have taken apart without breaking sweat.. We are 13-0-1 at home. We should win comfortably. Liverpool is a completely different kettle of fish. We have a poor record at Anfield and they are on a rare run of form.

 

[kawkav]

we need to score tonnes as we are losing our GD advantage to liverpool.

 

[super_city_si]

Liverpool are rather like City of the early season. They thrive on an early goal and can take apart an opponent if that happens. Almost all their routs have followed that pattern. We saw a different side of things when Sunderland were able to withstand the early onslaught. So if we can do the same and get through the first 20 minutes, I think we have an excellent chance of an result.

Saw an interesting stat that showed of the 88 goals Liverpool have scored, 53 have been in the first half. They are the top scorers of 1st half goals in the prem.
Conversely, we are the top scorers of 2nd half goals.
If we can keep them out 1st half then we have every chance of beating them.

 

[citymad]

Saints have nothing to play for so we should win comfortably.

That's just plain silly. Saints are an excellent team and will love the challenge of coming up against one of the favorites. This is going to be a very tough game.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Saints have nothing to play for so we should win comfortably.

That's just plain silly. Saints are an excellent team and will love the challenge of coming up against one of the favorites. This is going to be a very tough game.

Think you're devaluing the adjective a bit here. 'Excellent' teams don't normally sit in 8th place with six games left. They are a good, well-coached unit with some talented players and they absolutely have the capacity to get a result against anyone on their day, but let's not go overboard with the superlatives.

 

[Balti]

Saints have nothing to play for so we should win comfortably.

That's just plain silly. Saints are an excellent team and will love the challenge of coming up against one of the favorites. This is going to be a very tough game.

Agreed.

We need to be at the races. 100% effort all round and a cup final mentality on and off the pitch should see us through.