Starting XI V Stoke - Boxing Day

[BlueSinceBirth]

I have a feeling that Bellamy will be benched for Robinho who will play up front.

I hope i'm wrong.

What do people think?

Mancini's Prefered XI v Stoke City FC

----------------------GIVEN----------------------
ZABALETA-------TOURE------ONOUHA-------BARRY
-------------------DE JONG/KOMPANY---------------------
SWP------------------------------------------PETROV
---------------TEVEZ-------ROBINHO-----------------
-----------------------RSC---------------------------


I can't remember if De Jong is able to play this weekend? if so he will be chosen ahead of Vincent.
I hope he doesn't play sylvinho, i think he's been poor, we are clearly missing bridge, Garrido is always a possibility?

 

[ninjamonkey]

Kompany has to play in the middle with De jong for me, Mancini likes playing 2 defensive mids based on his Inter days and he'd do a better job than Barry has been doing of late, but mainly because we need his extra height to help deal with stokes constant long balls. For the same reason Micah is a must if fit. Stoke is going to be a real test, we are incredibly vulnerable from set pieces and stoke base their entire game on set pieces so its a big challenge.

 

[Dumfries Dave]

I would keep ade and robbie on the bench.

bellamy and santa cruz MUST start but hey I'm no smooth talking italian so what do I know.

 

[PSmyth07]

He likes attacking:

-------------Given-------------
Richards-Toure-Kompany-Garrido
-------Ireland----Barry---------
Bellamy-----Tevez-------Petrov
-----------Adebayor-----------

That might leave us vunerable in midfield though, I can see Stoke packing out the midfield. If thats the case, then I would go with:

-------------Given--------------
Richards--Toure--Onouha--Garrido
-------de Jong---Kompany------
SWP--------Ireland--------Bellamy
------------Tevez---------------

Can't wait for this match.

 

[Fesan]

but hey I'm no smooth talking italian so what do I know.

Made me chuckle:-) IMO if he is a smart guy he will make minimal changes since he only has 5-6 days and most of them are holidays which means no practice. He probably has 1-2 practices to do his pre-match for Stoke.

My guess is he'll tell the offence to do whatever they were doing before and concentrate on defence and keeping concentrationlevel up as he said in the interview. Cannot make drastical changes when you got so little time.

Maybe over the next month or two will we see what he really is aiming to do with the team.

 

[Shooter 83]

Get Ned and Kompany at CB now. Toure has been shocking and is going ACON after this game anyway.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

I'm well excited about the game now!

Hope to see a decent display of football and a win. Whatever happens I'll take it in my stride but should be good if Mancini opts to play attacking football, football being the key word for me, and is brave enough to actually field our better players.

 

[Fuzzmaster101]

I have my fingers crossed for a front three of Bellers, RSC and Tevez. Just want to see these in action again, I have the bug! Maybe Ireland behind them because I thought he and RSC were starting to strike up an understanding last week.

 

[Lmarkham-blueblood]

lets try a new approach while weve got bridge out and we are split between our 2 right backs

ive been thinking about this and i think it would work because there would be less crosses into the box
and we can really hit hard on the counter

.............................given...........................
...........richards........toure........kompany........
zabaleta..............................................barry
............................de jong..........................
............bellamy.......................robinho..........
...................tevez............roque...................

 

[masterwig]

I suspect he'll play Ade and Robi. I can't help feel they played some part in Hughes' downfall even if it was as minimal as just not trying.

If Mancini has anything about him he'll play our form players. Tevez, Bellers and RSC. The other two clowns don't deserve to play.