Stoke City V Man City - pre match thread

[Ric]

Not at all confident going into this one. Luckily they've got a few injuries, but still think they'll cause us problems.

As others have said, we look better away from home at the moment but can't see us having the mental strength and resilience to grind out a win.

 

[supercity88]

We will go and win this. Due a win at Stoke and this will be the time we get it. They've got a few injury issues but they still have been causing problems and will look to keep it compact and counter as is our usual weakness.

I expect us to bounce back though and go and win quite comfortably. We have to anyway.

 

[Marvin]

In our favour is that Stoke played on Sunday

Yaya Toure and Bony have just been ruled out, but that was expected anyway.

WIn this and we are in business. Or draw, and hope Chelsea slip up which is possible because they've got Everton at home and Chelsea aren't playing that great either. Have to aim to win though

If we do and then have Yaya and Bony in the team for the next game, we'll have a totally different outlook.

We can still hunt Chelsea down, but we need to recapture our form. That's more important than anything else at the moment.

 

[@BluePhil8]

Not sure how Manuel can survive if we lose this one.

The problem is he is best friends with the director of football so I can’t see him being sacked.

It’s not good that we have a group of professionals running the club that are only accountable to each other.

Ferran won’t sack Txiki, Txiki won’t betray Manuel. They all lean upon each other so if Khaldoon sacked one of the 3 I can see it creating tension.

Hope we win but I can see us getting beat 3-0 or something ridiculous to compound how bad we've been recently. Looks like half of the players don't care.

 

[Ray78]

Not sure how Manuel can survive if we lose this one.

The problem is he is best friends with the director of football so I can’t see him being sacked.

It’s not good that we have a group of professionals running the club that are only accountable to each other.

Ferran won’t sack Txiki, Txiki won’t betray Manuel. They all lean upon each other so if Khaldoon sacked one of the 3 I can see it creating tension.

Hope we win but I can see us getting beat 3-0 or something ridiculous to compound how bad we've been recently. Looks like half of the players don't care.

The only way Pellegrini will get sacked early is if we are so far adrift of qualifying for the Champions League. That is the manager's minimum target. He may get the sack at the end of the season if he doesn't win the league, finishes 10 points or more off the eventual winners and not win a trophy. Nothing to do with being best mates with the DoF at all with him seeing out the season in charge. Besides there is a lack of real candidates at this stage of the season.

 

[jayfx]

No one can be expecting to just turn up and win this one. So for that reason I'll think we'll go there, actually get out of second gear and win this with a good performance. We will then probably struggle against Newcastle at home but I think we'll batter Stoke.
But then again, who knows? We're fast becoming that unpredictable, same old City again!

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

Hart

sagna
Demi
mangala
clichy

dinho
milner
silva
navas
lampard

aguero

You want to change half the back 4 again?

 

[Leech]

Big big big big match.

I'm glad Bony and Toure are out, it's one last chance to prove that we can win without them.

If we win it will at least be a massive confidence boost heading towards the Barcelona tie and the final part of the Premiership season with Bony and Toure back, if we don't...

 

[hgblue]

It's time for our big players to stand up and be counted, and for the manager to show some imagination and try something a bit different. I'd go with:

-----------------------------Hart----------------------

Zabaleta------Kompany----------Mangala------Clichy

---------------Fernandinho-------Nasri-------------

-----Navas----------------Silva--------------Milner----

-------------------------Aguero------------------------

 

[Bozzie]

It's time for our big players to stand up and be counted, and for the manager to show some imagination and try something a bit different. I'd go with:

-----------------------------Hart----------------------

Zabaleta------Kompany----------Mangala------Clichy

---------------Fernandinho-------Nasri-------------

-----Navas----------------Silva--------------Milner----

-------------------------Aguero------------------------

I agree. In my opinion, that is our best available eleven for Wednesday so let's get them on the pitch. 3 points, regardless of how, is all that matters.