Newcastle United (H) | Sat 19th Aug, 20:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[Brightwell Bros.]

If Newcastle play their cards right - as Brentford, Inter and Sevilla all did - and wedge everyone in behind the ball and then counterattack quickly, they'll have a very good chance of winning.

None of Inter's big chances came from counterattacking.

There's something pure Cityitis about taking your club's first ever CL win and using it as anxiety fuel for the first home game of the following season, mind.

 

[the blue panther]

Ederson Akanje Dias Ake Lewis Rodri Bernardo Kovacic Foden Haaland Alvarez

I think Wednesday will have drained a lot from the players so I feel that freshening up nearly half the team would be a good thing. Not saying this is the strongest but I'm thinking that Walker will need a rest and Lewis is more effective when he starts + he's very flexible. This floods midfield. Keep the ball. Give the Viking the odd scrap to feed off.

1-0 or 2-1 for City.
Come on you blue boys!!!!

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Ederson Akanje Dias Ake Lewis Rodri Bernardo Kovacic Foden Haaland Alvarez

I think Wednesday will have drained a lot from the players so I feel that freshening up nearly half the team would be a good thing. Not saying this is the strongest but I'm thinking that Walker will need a rest and Lewis is more effective when he starts + he's very flexible. This floods midfield. Keep the ball. Give the Viking the odd scrap to feed off.

1-0 or 2-1 for City.
Come on you blue boys!!!!

All the noise is Bernie is out. Think Pep confirmed this in his presser but haven't watched it so can't say for sure.

 

[willipp]

Our manager is Josep Guardiola Sala.

He is the living epitome of a human who demands constant success.

If any of our players or fans aren’t up for Guardiola’s demands for constant success, they’re at the wrong club.

Amen to that. We are set up to be the absolute best and we have a club that demands success. We might not always get it, but fuck me it should be what everyone demands.

 

[simon23]

They could end up physically dominating us in midfield. The concern here is that Haaland ends up very isolated as in 2 of our games so far that is what has happened. Foden (Bernardo if he plays) and Grealish really need to step up and start trying to create.....

How about playing Grealish in the KDB role? Everyone seems to think he can (I have my doubts) using Foden outwide along with either Bernardo or Palmer

 

[Looby_Blue]

They beat villa 5 - 1 last week but thats only after Mings went off injured and Villa fell apart after the third goal. We'll show them what a real football match is tonight.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Newcastle will never have a better chance of ending their dismal record of defeats (and the occasional draw) against us. We're bereft of pace and ideas in the attacking third (if I see Jack Grealish receive the ball out wide and then cut back onto his right foot and play the ball backwards one more time, I may have a seizure), our talismanic striker barely touches the ball (not his fault), and we're vulnerable on the counter all the time. If Newcastle play their cards right - as Brentford, Inter and Sevilla all did - and wedge everyone in behind the ball and then counterattack quickly, they'll have a very good chance of winning. If we manage to get a result today against them, with Gunders, Mahrez, Kev, Stones, Ruben, Bernie all either departed or injured, it'll be some achievement. Really need Foden to step up to the plate today, cos on paper he looks like our only real source of impetus

I share all these concerns too. It’s a worst case scenario situation today.

 

[Merlin's Magic]

I remember the match against Norwich away in 2019-20 season. Newly promoted Norwich were f**ked with injuries and barely able to put a starting XI of first teamers. The hype before that match was unreal. Everywhere it was speculated that City will win by a minimum of 5-6 goals. The match happened and the canaries fought hard and turned us over 3-2. The biggest upset I have seen in my life.

The amount of hype before this game is akin to that fixture. Injury ravaged, creativity depraved, benchless City hoping to keep the score down against the marauding magpies. What a bunch of nonsense. Everyone is forgetting 1 crucial detail. The treble winners are returning home to play for the first time after the history making night on 10th June. The stadium will be up for it, the players will be up for it, Pep is already fired up for it. We will show these pretenders who we are and what we are made out of. This will be a hard test for us but we will be ready.

C'mon CITYY!!!

 

[cyan]

Much like the beginning of any season I'm going into this one intrigued - wondering what sort of reaction there will be from last season - who will have stepped up? - who seems to have lost some sharpness? How will the new players fit in? What changes in shape and attitude will there be? I've seen three matches on television - but I cant get the feel from television - its only watching live that I really get a feel for this years team

And on this occasion Newcastle are interesting - great start last week, some sensible signings - will they be able to match last season? They will want to impress and they might feel that this is a good time to be playing us. But then, we have so many players that love these situations and know how to win - Newcastle will be worried that they will be shown up yet again.

But whatever the result, I won't read too much into what it means for the whole season - if we have learnt anything from the last 10 years it is that a slow start can be overcome and a fast start doesn't carry any guarantees of success. And in some ways I would rather lose a match now than in a tight finish next April.

So time to enjoy the ride - see you all in Manchester this evening. Have fun!

 

[bluetom91]

slightly off topic , do we know if they will have spurs united on inside the ground? mary ds still doesn't have sky