The First Game of the Season City vs Newcastle Pre Match

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So important we get off to a good start this season to keep pace with the leaders from day one as think there will be at least 3 or 4 teams looking to win the title this year. Man Utd will have a new manager and wil hopefully have new manager issues!!!!
 
Ric said:
Pellegrini's first team sheet is very difficult to predict.

On the one hand, he's a pragmatist who may be hesitant to play all four new signings at once just in case they need time to adapt to the pace of the Premiership.

On the other, I imagine he's keen to get them bedded in early and make a strong start to the campaign.

Difficult to call, and the pre-season friendlies so far haven't really given a hint either way. I imagine the line-up against Arsenal on Saturday may give more clues.

At a push, I'd go for:

Hart
Zabaleta
Kompany
Lescott
Clichy
Yaya Toure
Fernandinho
Silva
Navas
Jovetic
Dzeko

Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Boyata, Milner, Rodwell, Nasri, Negredo
Click to expand...
I agree with Ric's team.

It's very similar to the team that wreaked havoc on Milan in the first half. I have been very impressed by Jovetic so I would definitely play both he and Navas. I think Ed has first dibs on the striker role at the moment although Alvaro is going to push him very hard while Kun is out.

We are simply an incredible attacking force with that team. Even with Nasty out we can get away with conceding goals because we are going to score more than the opposition.

This really is going to be a thrilling season. I think the atmosphere at the Etihad is going to be so much more energy charged than last season.
 
Ric said:
Pellegrini's first team sheet is very difficult to predict.

On the one hand, he's a pragmatist who may be hesitant to play all four new signings at once just in case they need time to adapt to the pace of the Premiership.

On the other, I imagine he's keen to get them bedded in early and make a strong start to the campaign.

Difficult to call, and the pre-season friendlies so far haven't really given a hint either way. I imagine the line-up against Arsenal on Saturday may give more clues.

At a push, I'd go for:

Hart
Zabaleta
Kompany
Lescott
Clichy
Yaya Toure
Fernandinho
Silva
Navas
Jovetic
Dzeko

Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Boyata, Milner, Rodwell, Nasri, Negredo
Click to expand...
You don't think Serge will get any minutes towards the end of the game?
 
MCFC BOB said:
Ric said:
Pellegrini's first team sheet is very difficult to predict.

On the one hand, he's a pragmatist who may be hesitant to play all four new signings at once just in case they need time to adapt to the pace of the Premiership.

On the other, I imagine he's keen to get them bedded in early and make a strong start to the campaign.

Difficult to call, and the pre-season friendlies so far haven't really given a hint either way. I imagine the line-up against Arsenal on Saturday may give more clues.

At a push, I'd go for:

Hart
Zabaleta
Kompany
Lescott
Clichy
Yaya Toure
Fernandinho
Silva
Navas
Jovetic
Dzeko

Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Boyata, Milner, Rodwell, Nasri, Negredo
Click to expand...
You don't think Serge will get any minutes towards the end of the game?
Click to expand...

Can't see it, unless he makes an appearance against Arsenal on Saturday which is unlikely. He's well behind the rest of the squad in terms of fitness at the moment, and they won't rush him back unnecessarily.
 
Apparently Aguero is back in full training, so should make a subs appearance Vs Arsenal, and if that goes well, I reckon 15-20mins or so against Newcastle might be on the cards.

If we start the same way we did against AC Milan, then it could be all over by half time, not to downplay Newcastle's chances, even if they man mark Navas with 2 players, we have plenty others to utilise the space. Yaya and Fernand will run the midfield.
WIth some of our new players a totally unknown entity in the Prem, it might take a half for Newcastle to get a grip on the game, and as I said, if we hit the ground running we should win comfortably, but I'll go for a conservative 3-0.
 
It should be a comfortable home win. The advantage is we've had 3-4 games to bed in all the new players and get players like Richards and Rodwell playing again. Im hoping we hit the ground running. The defense should be solid once again and I cant see us leaking any more than maybe 1 goal. At the other end it could be a hatful but then again we may have to tackle our first bus.
 
jollylescott said:
Ric said:
Pellegrini's first team sheet is very difficult to predict.

On the one hand, he's a pragmatist who may be hesitant to play all four new signings at once just in case they need time to adapt to the pace of the Premiership.

On the other, I imagine he's keen to get them bedded in early and make a strong start to the campaign.

Difficult to call, and the pre-season friendlies so far haven't really given a hint either way. I imagine the line-up against Arsenal on Saturday may give more clues.

At a push, I'd go for:

Hart
Zabaleta
Kompany
Lescott
Clichy
Yaya Toure
Fernandinho
Silva
Navas
Jovetic
Dzeko

Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Boyata, Milner, Rodwell, Nasri, Negredo
Click to expand...
I agree with Ric's team.
Click to expand...

I'd go with it apart from Richards instead of Zaba.

WIth my tin hat on, I am not Zaba's biggest fan. Yes, he's a fantastic bloke and a model professional and works his socks off etc etc. But makes some howling defensive mistakes and the quality going forward (not his enthusiasm, the actual end product) is not great. I think Richards offers more, personally. Yes he is positionally all over the place sometimes, but he has great pace to recover and he is dangerous going forward in a way that Zaba rarely is.
 
Think Pelle will be as conservative as necessary with players who play full games in midweek for their national teams, especially those that travel a long way. That's why I think Richards might get the start, with Zaba on the bench.

Additionally, it gives Pelle another CB on the field for when Clichy is released.
 
Ali Benarbia said:
unclesofia said:
Should be fun,technology and all that,sometimes these things have gremlins!
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as in the cricket.
Click to expand...
When technology was first used in cricket, it was for run-outs and stumpings only. It proved so successful that the temptation to keep adding decisions became inevitable, and so problems have started. As long as football stays with goal line only it should prove foolproof, and it is the one thing you need to be certain of in any match. However, I don't think the day is too far away when we have a system in place to appeal off-side goals and that mightn't be a bad thing.
 
The thing with football is that the majority of decisions are in the opinion of the ref.

I can't really see how it can be extended past goals either as its a fluid game rather than cricket.

I'd like to see a time keeper and a clock that stops when the ball isn't on play.
 
DuggieCcH said:
Ali Benarbia said:
unclesofia said:
Should be fun,technology and all that,sometimes these things have gremlins!
Click to expand...
as in the cricket.
Click to expand...
When technology was first used in cricket, it was for run-outs and stumpings only. It proved so successful that the temptation to keep adding decisions became inevitable, and so problems have started. As long as football stays with goal line only it should prove foolproof, and it is the one thing you need to be certain of in any match. However, I don't think the day is too far away when we have a system in place to appeal off-side goals and that mightn't be a bad thing.
Click to expand...

its a slippery slope. ..bit by bit, piecemeal by piecemeal, different "crucial" decisions will be added to the techno arbiter..
in a few years time, sky will take commercial breaks whilst the captive tv audience wait to see if " both feet really were off the ground, at the same time, in that reckless looking challenge.."
 
blue b4 the moon said:
The thing with football is that the majority of decisions are in the opinion of the ref.

I can't really see how it can be extended past goals either as its a fluid game rather than cricket.

I'd like to see a time keeper and a clock that stops when the ball isn't on play.
Click to expand...

Re the clock, i have done this several times (surprisingly difficult) and on average 65 mins is what we get when the ball is in play. It would do away with the inconsistency of extra time and an end to the scandal of "fergietime". Subs in the last seconds of injury time would be pointless and would hopefully disappear, blatant gamesmanship.
I would also like to see a straight red for a deliberate foul no matter where it is committed, at the moment it gives a team license to injure an opponent and rotate the culprits, fergiefouls
 
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