Manchester City 2-1 West Ham Utd (28/11/21)

[hammerman11]

get in their faces and dont buckle. stay focussed and take our few chances. depends what sort of day antonio has. needs a goal and full beat mode to destroy stones !

no doubt rodri will commit 50+ fouls before eventually getting a booking.

we can do these on set pieces as I fancy dawson zouma soucek rice antonio aginst stones and co.

lets hope we get something and carry on the good feeling around the place.

COYI

[Whufc06]

Think he may start Lanzini instead of Benrahma, was strange bringing him off after 65 minutes last night otherwise.

[prophet:marginal]

Think he may start Lanzini instead of Benrahma, was strange bringing him off after 65 minutes last night otherwise.

I hear Manu's being kept fresh for that match-winning left, right, head hat-trick at Spurs in the League Cup

[StevePottsGoalsReel]

Nice little headline in the Guardian's weekend preview today:

Hammers midfield an upgrade on PSG



https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... is-weekend

Might finally be time we get a reality check, but I thought that about Liverpool too and we all know what happened there.

[El brooko79]

I am personally still undecided whether we should stick with that team, or go with more of a back 5.

Problem with a back 5 against Man City.

1) They play a false 9 so you end up with 3 centre backs marking space and get overrun in midfield.

2) Like Liverpool their fullbacks are so attacking they play like wingers.

So we end up with our wingbacks dropping deep (Masuaku following Mahrez and Coufal following Stirling) and Cancelo and walker have no wingers to put pressure on them. Midfield and forwards get dragged all over the pitch tracking them.

Overrun in midfield again with our spare men in the penalty area trying to block shots.

End result in 5-4-1 chasing the ball and them shooting for fun outside the area.


Think we need the extra man in midfield as we will obviously be dropping deep. Essentially a 4-5-1.

The left mid and additional CM is up for debate with Fornals either CM or LM. Then either Lanzini in CM to add compsure or Benny LM or CM.

Could argue Kral CM but too defensive means you don't use the ball and invite pressure.

[Aceface]

City are an odd team to play. You almost have to get through the embarrassment of the first 20 minutes when they’re passing around you at will and it feels a bit futile. But the current strikerless version means they can be kept at bay despite immaculate build-up play, IF you get your defence working.

The deeper the game goes without a decisive moment, it almost affects a reversal of that sense of embarrassment/futility onto them when they start to feel they might not get the rewards 70% possession should affect.

They really did play well against PSG so we’ll be doing well to leave with anything, but I’m looking forward to seeing how we go. There are 3 clubs who can win the league this season and we’re 1 win from 1 after Liverpool. If we finish 1W 1D 1L from this mini-stretch of games against Liverpool/City/Chelsea we’ll have done well.

[BobbyMooreLower]

Think he may start Lanzini instead of Benrahma, was strange bringing him off after 65 minutes last night otherwise.

Wouldn't look too much into that. Manu has started 4 out of our 5 Europa league games and been subbed off in every one of them

[stu1]

For us to have a chance Antonio needs to be at it to keep their defence honest. If I was Moyes I’d tell Antonio to peel into the channel down their left. Cancelo whilst an excellent footballer is not the best defender and doesn’t have the same athleticism as Walker. Ditto Bowen, that’s the side we should target.

[stu1]

Think he may start Lanzini instead of Benrahma, was strange bringing him off after 65 minutes last night otherwise.

I was thinking about this, but I reckon there’s more chance of Lanzini starting against Brighton than Man City. Lanzini deserves a couple of starts in the prem over the next 6 weeks for me.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

I would stick with a back four but go a little more solid in midfield
I would go Diop instead of Dawson and Coufal instead of Johnson though

Fab
Coufal
Zouma
Diop
Cresswell

Soucek
Rice
Fornals

Masuaku
Bowen
Antonio

or bring Kral in to the middle and then play Benny H instead of Arthur

[ageing hammer]

It doesn't matter who we pick in our team, all I know is whenever we play any of the sky teams we need to score about three or four goals to scrape a win.

The ref and var will allow them at least 2 goals either from dives or hand balls or what ever they can come up with this time and because they are allowed buy all the best players that they can they will surely score one goal from actual playing ability.

So as Moyes always says keep it tight at the back and if we get a chance you HAVE to take it.

We are 10/1 to win I like those odds

[sendô]

The left mid and additional CM is up for debate with Fornals either CM or LM. Then either Lanzini in CM to add compsure or Benny LM or CM.

Could argue Kral CM but too defensive means you don't use the ball and invite pressure.

Good post El brooko and I agree with this last bit. Against Liverpool when we scored the first we sat way too deep and invited pressure. Man City get their full backs up like Liverpool and so will leave space in behind that can be exploited on the counter. We don't want to be simply sitting deep hoping they don't score, we want to be ready to nick the ball and hit them whilst they're out of position.

[Eggs'n'nuts]

We are definitely getting thrashed 5-0

There's a decent chance we may not get anything out of this, but I'd like to think the days of The Man.City training sessions, resulting in a routine kicking are over.

IF they win, it'll be by a small margin.

[norse]

Not looking forward to this

[Clacton-ammer]

I get that feeling too Norse, but then I look at it as it's a free hit these 2 games, we did beat the mickeys, all be it they for me are not quite in Man C/Chelsea league, so you never know.

Give a good account of ourselves and be brave on the ball is all I ask, which I'm sure we will.

[waynepin]

for me, fabs
johnson
diop
zouma
cresswell

soucek
rice
kral

bowen
antonio
vlassic

pace up top will help keep their fullbacks back, no tippy tappy round our own box get it upfield for the front three to battle for it

[Chadwell Chief]

As already mentioned if we play 3 CBs we will get even more overrun in midfield and that’s just suicidal.

My biggest worry is Dawson tbh. His passing leaves a lot to be desired and he’s got the agility of an elephant bless him. His main strengths will mostly be useless in this game.

For all his donkey moments, Diop is usually at his best in high tempo games where heading the ball is a less common occurrence. Still can’t shake the feeling him and Zouma would be beasts together, especially as Issa is comfortable on the left as well.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

It's a different prospect to Liverpool, not quite as free-scoring but also without the obvious weakness in defense from set-pieces or at right back.

Antonio on form will be able to bash their defenders about, Bowen could cause some real problems too. But we definitely need to be on it defensively and try to keep the ball a bit more.

Man City keep the ball in play, they don't waste time, they'll be at it from the beginning trying to pull us all over the place, high energy performance needed.

Fabianski
Coufal Dawson Zouma Cresswell
Rice Lanzini Soucek
Fornals
Bowen Antonio

[sendô]

There's a decent chance we may not get anything out of this, but I'd like to think the days of The Man.City training sessions, resulting in a routine kicking are over.

IF they win, it'll be by a small margin.

I fear Chelsea more than Man City to be honest.

Man City will look to pass us to death and pick the lock through the middle. As long as we work hard, stay compact and don't make mistakes we can death with that, and we have our own threat when we nick the ball and move forwards at pace, which will make them wary. We wont get pasted as long as all our players play how well they've played on average all season (so not how they played vs Wolves).

Chelsea though are excellent going forwards, but spread the play, get their full backs into the box, dominate the midfield with Kante and Jorginho and are also miserly at the back because their three "centre backs" are all excellent.

We exposed Liverpool on the break because Alexander-Arnold and Robinson were high up the pitch, Fabinho didn't have the pace to match Bowen, Matip is crap and it was left to Van Dyke to marshall Antonio. Chelsea will have three big strong fast centre backs more capable of dealing with our runners.

Still, City first.

[roblo]

Fabianski Johnson Dawson Zouma Cresswell Soucek Rice Fornals Bowen Antonio Benrahma