Stoke vs. City Pre-Match Discussion Thread

[kippaxblue76]

please tell me serg is ok!??

i can't take this anymore!

serg is ok.

Nothing serious i dont think although he didnt train yesterday.

 

[Mark - TheBlue]

Need a good performance from all especially on Mario and Dzeko.

 

[Frozen Fire]

Just hope Kun's injury isn't a bad one...we can win without him today but against Arsenal & the scum he's vital.

Would have rested Silva as well but I'll trust Bobby on this one.

2-0 City for me.

 

[abu13]

Big big mistake playing Mario, Stoke will wind him up and get him sent off nothing so sure, tut, tut, tut.

I think if he gets booked aely on he will be taken off straight away, to be fair to Balo though he does seem to have calmed his temper this season. he seems to be shrugging off more and more bad tackles and niggles.

That said, i know exactly where you are coming from and it is a risk.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

I think a few are forgetting the performance Balo put in against Stoke in the fa cup final - his nose will be truly out of joint after wednesday, 9 times out of 10 when negativity has surrounded him he has delivered right after, for me he will be the difference today!

 

[kippaxblue76]

Strange line-up for me.

We need height at the back, so Kolarov would have got the nod.

I'd have gone one upfront, Balotelli, and played Milner instead of Dzeko.

But what do I know? I've never won the FA Cup...

Dzeko will be up front on his own with Mario wide left. I would have played Milner instead of Silva in this one because they will try and kick lumps out of him.

 

[abu13]

please tell me serg is ok!??

i can't take this anymore!

serg is ok.

Nothing serious i dont think although he didnt train yesterday.

might work in our favour, it looks as though this was kept quiet and hopefully Stoke were not aware of this until the team sheets came out, i'm sure a good ammount of their planning during the week would have been spent on how to come with Sergio, now they have to change their tactics.

 

[VinceYoungisaBLUE]

Could really use some words of encouragement right now.... I have a flight back home in an hour and can't watch the match... Its going to kill me on the plane not knowing the score... feckkkk

 

[Ntini77]

Decent line-up. My one issue is with Silva starting again.

 

[welsh_andy]

espn montage is mad, tis like an advert,lol

 

[abu13]

Decent line-up. My one issue is with Silva starting again.

agree, he looks like he could have done with a rest.

 

[mat]

It's official: Bobby has admitted having a big helmet!

 

[The Silver Surfer]

nice "wrath of the titans" showpiece that

 

[Mark - TheBlue]

espn montage is mad, tis like an advert,lol

Mancini just told us he had a big helmet.

 

[cookster]

Decent line-up. My one issue is with Silva starting again.

Another of Robbie's favourites!

 

[bluevengence]

Did Mancio just say he has a big helmet???

 

[Jumanji]

cant stress enough how mario needs to shine today, or at least really try hard. if not it will be like playing with 10 men

Don't matter he can put in 2 shite back to back performance's and still get in the starting eleven.

It's madness Milner and Johnson don't get afforded one bad half.

Well it's like when you were a kid playing football and the kid of the manager always played no matter how shit they were same thing with Mancini and Balotelli, he can do no wrong in his eyes.

Mario's done nothing wrong.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

Decent line-up. My one issue is with Silva starting again.

agree, he looks like he could have done with a rest.

+1
but i have a sneaky feeling Silva will shine tonight

 

[lionheart]

With Yaya having to perform defensive duties alongside Bazza, expect a dour first half from City. De Jong will then replace Silva after 60 minutes, freeing Yaya up to move forward and the winning goal will come, probably in the last 10 minutes. You read it here first.

 

[abu13]

Bobby looking calm and relaxed, good to see him smiling.

Glad to here him acknowledge that this will be a tough game, no excuses about not being prepared then.