Shakhtar (A) Pre Match Thread

[pee dubya]

City already won top spot in the group.
this game are pointless. hope Pep are not being naive.
should save several key players for the derby.

Not necessarily naivety if he plays a strong team.

We some serious momentum and good feeling at the moment, a loss, even with a weaker team, might take away from that.

Also, Shakhtar are a very decent side, perhaps the potential for a bunch of kids and fringe players getting a beating in Ukraine isn't what he thinks is best for the club and those players.

Personally i think it'll be the fringe senior players, a few of the first team, plus hopefully Foden.

 

[IWasHere]

Ederson
Walker Otamendi Mangala Danilo
Yaya
Gundogan Silva
Bernando Aguero Sane

 

[Neville Kneville]

Whatever the team, I'll be very disappointed if Foden doesn't get a decent run out & Diaz some kind of involvement.

Not necessarily starting together, as it's best if they play in a proper 'team' rather than just being shoehorned into a random bunch, England style, but they should both get a chance at some stage.

Nmecha & Zinchenko could get some involvement depending on which starting 11 he goes for.

 

[Gray]

I would go with:

Bravo
Danilo, Adarabioyo, Mangala
Foden, Smith, Yaya, Gundogan, Diaz
B. Silva
Bolton

Play a 3-5-1-1 formation.

Not a clue how good Smith and Bolton are, but they are in the named squad so picked them to make up the numbers.

I want a fully rested team for the game at the Swamp.

 

[ojeme]

City already won top spot in the group.
this game are pointless. hope Pep are not being naive.
should save ALL key players for the derby.

Fixed for you hahaha

 

[sir baconface]

Not a chance IMO of leaving the first team at home in Mcr. That would be blatantly disrespectful of the competition and everybody concerned. Those things matter to Pep and our owners.

A few first choice regulars plus mainly fringe players appears the most likely compromise to me.

I think we’ll lose, but maintaining our League onslaught concerns me more than preserving a record run.

 

[Hungarian blue]

Nmecha & Zinchenko could get some involvement depending on which starting 11 he goes for.

Sadly Zinchenko isn't eligible for us in CL. Shame as at least he could have had another 'test' at LB, but that'll have to wait until the Leicester game. I think Danilo, Tosin and Mangala are nailed on starters so west just somehow have to find another fullback, or as an above suggestion, play with a back three and find someone suitable for the wing back roles. Not sure who, mind. But Delph and Walker should definitely rest.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Whatever the team, I'll be very disappointed if Foden doesn't get a decent run out & Diaz some kind of involvement.

Not necessarily starting together, as it's best if they play in a proper 'team' rather than just being shoehorned into a random bunch, England style, but they should both get a chance at some stage.

Nmecha & Zinchenko could get some involvement depending on which starting 11 he goes for.

Zinchenko hasn't been with us long enough (or is too old) to qualify for the B-list and isn't in the CL squad

 

[Neville Kneville]

Sadly Zinchenko isn't eligible for us in CL. Shame as at least he could have had another 'test' at LB, but that'll have to wait until the Leicester game. I think Danilo, Tosin and Mangala are nailed on starters so west just somehow have to find another fullback, or as an above suggestion, play with a back three and find someone suitable for the wing back roles. Not sure who, mind. But Delph and Walker should definitely rest.

Zinchenko hasn't been with us long enough (or is too old) to qualify for the B-list and isn't in the CL squad

Oh yeah.

i have read that re Zinchenko myself about 20 times but am just being moumentally fucking stupid forgetting it ;)

I don't like to see him at fullback anyway tbh, it's not fair imo. If he'd played a bunch of games in his actual position first then gets tried there, fair enough, but we wouldn't put Silva or Gundogan or KDb there, which is imo the equivalent of playing Zinchenko there. He is an attacking mid & no more used to playing left back than they are.

I wonder if Pep will take Davenport try him there. Another who isn't a left back but at least he plays there regularly.

 

[happychappy]

Anybody heard anything off Thomas cook regarding itinerary

Edit** Found it now in my Spam. 6am flight from T1.