Southampton (H) - Sat 8th Oct, 15:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[chickaroon]

either going to be 1-0 (nervy game that we edge) or 5-0. Very much looking forward to see Bazunu, Lavia and Larios though.

Unfortunately, Latvia is injured.

 

[The Black Shed]

I've just added Gomez into my fantasy football team. I think he's going to be a regular at LB until Walker returns.

 

[Musselburgh Blue]

This one has proved to be a difficult one to get to. It sounded easy a month back until I realised that City were at home to United, FC Copenhagen, and Southampton within six days.

I had to be in Glasgow all day Monday for work and in London all day on Friday. The logistics looked impossible with rail strikes affecting all three matches.

I gave my United match ticket to my son who has supported City for over 25 years but had never been to a Derby match. He managed to get there bring his new girlfriend along presumably by booking on Stagecoach buses.

I travelled down by road on Wednesday and stayed over in a hotel until Thursday. I then got a train to London on the afternoon. I parked the car long-stay in Manchester.

I am now in a hotel in London and will get a train back to Manchester on Friday after work. We have a hotel in Manchester for Friday and Saturday for the Southampton match and will drive back to Edinburgh on Sunday.

I love this dedication mate and know the pain at times. I've gt tickets for Brighton and Brentford and direct train returns for both from Edinburgh Waverley to Manchester Piccadilly, but half expect a drama meaning I have to drive - at least on the train you can have a couple of tins!

 

[Claytop]

Who was it us in last couple of years who got an unexpected point against us at Home then got sacked couple days later?... West Brom?

 

[Tricky_Trev]

I’m hoping for:

Ederson
Gomez
Laporte
Akanji
Cancelo
Rodri
Bernardo
De Bruyne
Grealish
Haaland
Foden

Some tough calls to be made. In reality I expect Dias to start but personally, in these kind of attack v defence games, I want two ball-players at CB. Rodri would be good to have as we know they will rely on counters, he’s that extra bit of counter-prevention (if he’s fit enough to start). Gundo is in great form, but it’s inevitable he can’t play every game. A nice rest before Copenhagen and Liverpool, hopefully then resting Bernardo in Denmark ahead of a big shift at Anfield.

 

[The perfect fumble]

This Blue is always worth a watch....

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Who was it us in last couple of years who got an unexpected point against us at Home then got sacked couple days later?... West Brom?

Bilic

 

[swpswp]

Nope Villa the worse they have a ritual in big games where they are shit for the goalie to go down they have drink brakes! They are the worse

You may be right. I texted a villa fan earlier and it took him ages to reply.

 

[SWPISHOME]

I’m hoping for:

Ederson
Gomez
Laporte
Akanji
Cancelo
Rodri
Bernardo
De Bruyne
Grealish
Haaland
Foden

Some tough calls to be made. In reality I expect Dias to start but personally, in these kind of attack v defence games, I want two ball-players at CB. Rodri would be good to have as we know they will rely on counters, he’s that extra bit of counter-prevention (if he’s fit enough to start). Gundo is in great form, but it’s inevitable he can’t play every game. A nice rest before Copenhagen and Liverpool, hopefully then resting Bernardo in Denmark ahead of a big shift at Anfield.

I can't see you being far off with that team, I was expecting Rodri to get minutes against Copenhagen so maybe he's not fully fit yet and as you said Gundogan can't play 90 minutes every three days.

Personally I think it should be Ake and Akanji at centre back, Ake has been our most consistent centre back for months now including the back end of last season he's been tremendous. Akanji has been top draw since he's joined.

 

[wolviedinho]

Can't wait. Every home game right now is like a Christmas Eve, an expectation of good things to come.

It's the type of momentum which is very hard to stop once it kicks in.

I will go another hat-trick for Erling and us winning by seven or eight.

So that will be a draw then with a wonder goal from Ward-Prowse -:)