Manchester City vs. Stoke City - FA Cup Final: Preview.

[Pingu the Penguin]

Stoke are in good form - but you would hope that we had enough to win. Not arrogant or slagging off stoke, it's just we're the better team on paper

 

[Blue Smarties]

Manchester City vs. Stoke City - FA Cup Final: Preview.

Manchester City and Stoke City will descend from the north-west of England onto Wembley Stadium in London for the 130th FA Cup Final - the first in Stoke City's history, and Manchester City's first FA Cup Final in exactly 30 years. Both teams' routes to the FA Cup Final have seen them travel across the country, playing teams of all abilities, and win games nobody thought they would.

Stoke have beaten Cardiff, Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and Bolton on the way to their first ever FA Cup Final, while Manchester City have knocked out Leicester, Notts County, Aston Villa, Reading, and their biggest rivals Manchester United to reach the biggest game in their history for many years.


But there is one Wembley Final that Stoke City manager Tony Pulis will want to avenge on Saturday...

Back in 1999, Manchester City and a Tony Pulis lead Gillingham came to the old Wembley Stadium for the Division 2 Play-off Final. Gillingham lead 2-0 through late goals from Robert Taylor (who would go on to play for Manchester City) and Carl Asaba. Manchester City looked destined for doom, until Kevin Horlock's shot into an empty net gave them some hope. And when a long ball forward from Gerard Wiekens was flicked on to Paul Dickov, City dared to dream the impossible. Dickov fired a shot above Gillingham 'keeper Vince Bartram, and made it 2-2. City went on to win on penalties, and Gillingham hearts were broken.

City fans will like to hear this stat: Tony Pulis took Gillingham to Wembley for the first time that season, they lost. This FA Cup Final is Stoke City's first, and Tony Pulis has taken them there... could history repeat itself, or will Pulis finally take a team to glory?


--


I'm going to predict a Stoke win in extra-time. City have failed to beat Stoke since a 2-0 win in 2009 - a 2-0 win that was Mancini's first ever game incharge of Manchester City. Since then, Stoke have won one game, and there have been three draws. Stoke actually knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup last season by beating them 3-1 in a replay at the Britannia Stadium. But the man that denied City all three points at the Britannia earlier this season may miss the final due to injury - Matthew Etherington.


Line-ups.

.......................................Hart.......................................
Richards........Kompany............Lescott.............Zabaleta
....................................de Jong......................................
..................Milner........................Yaya Touré................
.....Johnson....................................................Silva.........
....................................Tevez........................................


Subs: Given, Boyata, Kolarov, Vieira, Wright-Phillips, Balotelli, Dzeko.


.......................................Begovic.......................................
Wilkinson...........Pugh.....................Shawcross.........Wilson
..............................Whelan....Whitehead.............................
....Pennant...................................................Delap...............
.............................Walters.........Jones.................................


Subs: Sorensen, Collins, Huth, Diao, Carew, Faye, Shonton.

Personally, I doubt anyone (minus the Stoke version of MCFC BOB), would have doubted that Stoke couldn't have beaten those teams. I also doubt that anyone (minus MCFC BOB), doubted we could beat everyone leading up to Manchester United, and even then it's a derby so anything goes. May I ask where Sorensen is?

Oh and MCFC BOB predicting another loss? Shock horror.

Well, I never said that Stoke pulled off the biggest and best performnces to get to this stage, I just listed the team they beat.

And Begovic is there because he started in net on Sunday, so Pulis might want to stick with him for their trickiest game in the competition so far.

and win games nobody thought they would

Stoke have beaten Cardiff, Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and Bolton

 

[MCFC BOB]

Manchester City vs. Stoke City - FA Cup Final: Preview.

Manchester City and Stoke City will descend from the north-west of England onto Wembley Stadium in London for the 130th FA Cup Final - the first in Stoke City's history, and Manchester City's first FA Cup Final in exactly 30 years. Both teams' routes to the FA Cup Final have seen them travel across the country, playing teams of all abilities, and win games nobody thought they would.

Stoke have beaten Cardiff, Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and Bolton on the way to their first ever FA Cup Final, while Manchester City have knocked out Leicester, Notts County, Aston Villa, Reading, and their biggest rivals Manchester United to reach the biggest game in their history for many years.


But there is one Wembley Final that Stoke City manager Tony Pulis will want to avenge on Saturday...

Back in 1999, Manchester City and a Tony Pulis lead Gillingham came to the old Wembley Stadium for the Division 2 Play-off Final. Gillingham lead 2-0 through late goals from Robert Taylor (who would go on to play for Manchester City) and Carl Asaba. Manchester City looked destined for doom, until Kevin Horlock's shot into an empty net gave them some hope. And when a long ball forward from Gerard Wiekens was flicked on to Paul Dickov, City dared to dream the impossible. Dickov fired a shot above Gillingham 'keeper Vince Bartram, and made it 2-2. City went on to win on penalties, and Gillingham hearts were broken.

City fans will like to hear this stat: Tony Pulis took Gillingham to Wembley for the first time that season, they lost. This FA Cup Final is Stoke City's first, and Tony Pulis has taken them there... could history repeat itself, or will Pulis finally take a team to glory?


--


I'm going to predict a Stoke win in extra-time. City have failed to beat Stoke since a 2-0 win in 2009 - a 2-0 win that was Mancini's first ever game incharge of Manchester City. Since then, Stoke have won one game, and there have been three draws. Stoke actually knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup last season by beating them 3-1 in a replay at the Britannia Stadium. But the man that denied City all three points at the Britannia earlier this season may miss the final due to injury - Matthew Etherington.


Line-ups.

.......................................Hart.......................................
Richards........Kompany............Lescott.............Zabaleta
....................................de Jong......................................
..................Milner........................Yaya Touré................
.....Johnson....................................................Silva.........
....................................Tevez........................................


Subs: Given, Boyata, Kolarov, Vieira, Wright-Phillips, Balotelli, Dzeko.


.......................................Begovic.......................................
Wilkinson...........Pugh.....................Shawcross.........Wilson
..............................Whelan....Whitehead.............................
....Pennant...................................................Delap...............
.............................Walters.........Jones.................................


Subs: Sorensen, Collins, Huth, Diao, Carew, Faye, Shonton.

Personally, I doubt anyone (minus the Stoke version of MCFC BOB), would have doubted that Stoke couldn't have beaten those teams. I also doubt that anyone (minus MCFC BOB), doubted we could beat everyone leading up to Manchester United, and even then it's a derby so anything goes. May I ask where Sorensen is?

Oh and MCFC BOB predicting another loss? Shock horror.

Well, I never said that Stoke pulled off the biggest and best performnces to get to this stage, I just listed the team they beat.

And Begovic is there because he started in net on Sunday, so Pulis might want to stick with him for their trickiest game in the competition so far.

and win games nobody thought they would

Stoke have beaten Cardiff, Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and Bolton

... sorry, that's a facepalm for me. There's a huge typographical error in there that I've not noticed. It's changed the whole context of the sentence. It should have been 'and win games in ways nobody thought they would'.

 

[Mikeegrini]

sorry, that's a facepalm for me. There's a huge typographical error in there that I've not noticed. It's changed the whole context of the sentence. It should have been 'and win games in ways nobody thought they would'.

How would they win games without scoring goals? Is there another way to win? What are these mysterious ways?

 

[stokie in peace]

pugh will deffo not play faye will play center half if huths not fit and sorro has played in the fa cup games this season but theres a very good rumour on the oatcake that huth and matty will deffo play on sat so i predict a very close game either side are capable of winning it.

 

[MCFC BOB]

sorry, that's a facepalm for me. There's a huge typographical error in there that I've not noticed. It's changed the whole context of the sentence. It should have been 'and win games in ways nobody thought they would'.

How would they win games without scoring goals? Is there another way to win? What are these mysterious ways?

Did you reckon Stoke would beat Bolton 5-0? 'Cos I sure didn't.

Did you reckon we'd be the better team against United? 'Cos I sure didn't.

 

[thevaliant1]

As a Port Vale fan and therefore a Man City fan (for this weekend only!!) I really hope Man City win on Saturday. Just the thought of all the juggers singing Delilah makes me cringe.

If you win on Saturday, not only will you make the blue half of Manchester smile but also the northern half of Vale on Trent aswell.

Good luck

 

[Judge Roughneck]

This is'nt arrogance before anyone says anything. Don't mix confidence up with complacency but who in those starting line ups would you swap.

None.

So I'll say this, if every City player plays too there strengths and ability we will win in normal time.
It wont be easy, it will be narrow and nerve wracking but I think we'll win this match.
Unless we fook up all over the pitch like at Everton in the second half which I don't think will happen at Wembley.

Predicting a win is a prediction. Predicting a score is a guess.

 

[Numptyed]

pugh will deffo not play faye will play center half if huths not fit and sorro has played in the fa cup games this season but theres a very good rumour on the oatcake that huth and matty will deffo play on sat so i predict a very close game either side are capable of winning it.

I make you right on all counts mate, i honestly think that one of us will have the game won in the first half the way both teams are playing at the moment.

 

[Mikeegrini]

sorry, that's a facepalm for me. There's a huge typographical error in there that I've not noticed. It's changed the whole context of the sentence. It should have been 'and win games in ways nobody thought they would'.

How would they win games without scoring goals? Is there another way to win? What are these mysterious ways?

Did you reckon Stoke would beat Bolton 5-0? 'Cos I sure didn't.

Did you reckon we'd be the better team against United? 'Cos I sure didn't.

If that's the message you wanted to convey maybe something along the lines of '' and win games in a convincing manner''

Your correction still isn't clear.

If you feel I'm having a pop apologies.