Next up . . . Manchester City (Home) thoughts?

[Finn Claw II]

They look great.  No shame in being beaten by them.

 

hopefully we will score a couple of goals to make it interesting 

[ZeGuy]

We have everything of a banana peel for them. No point in parking the bus, they'll smash it one way or another. Best try to outscore them (lol), press high, don't let them play from the back. Glad it will be Simpson who'll face Sané and not Chillwell or Fuchs. 

 

[DatfoxesKid23]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

That’s probably the conservative / sensible approach. If we played that I’d argue that we’d sit deep and hope that Ndidi and Amartey nullify Silva and De Bruyne. Problem is if we sit too deep we are just asking for the inevitable. I also have reservations around Amartey given he’s not played much this year and when he has it’s been at right back. 

 

But I like the idea and formation as it would give us some steel in the middle of the park yet keep us threatening on the break. 

 

Be interesting to see what Puel does. Last year we beat them due to a fast start. 

last year when we played man city we had king in the midfield then he was subbed for amartey  and played so much better than king so I thought that we should play him instead. if james was back from injury then I would swap ndidi and james posisition.

[Callabinho]

They would walk through any team in the league. Just got to compete and give them a hell of a test! 

[Ric Flair]

Do we need to put another central midfielder in or can we get away with 4-2-3-1 against them? I just don't see how we contain these lot and pinch a goal, we need to just be relentless and aggressive and try and shock them. Especially as a 3rd central midfielder will come from King or Amartey and although both played in the 4-2 win against them last season we'd be losing an attacking player for a mediocre cover player.

[foxy boxing]

we can't be as front footed and attack minded in this game like we have been although we do need an attacking outlet to stop us defending all the time. we just need to approach the game with the right mentality and not be beaten before the game has even kicked off. yes it is going to be extremely tough but we have players that can get at and hurt them if they get the opportunities!.

[Arriba Los Zorros]

City 1-4 Manchester City

[BirminghamFox]

we will win 7-6

[Guest MattP]

This could be a little bit embarrassing. If we seriously have King and Ndidi against this lot in midfield we could struggle to have 30% possession.

 

Just do your best lads, a point would be an incredible result.

[st albans fox]

11 minutes ago, MattP said:

This could be a little bit embarrassing. If we seriously have King and Ndidi against this lot in midfield we could struggle to have 30% possession.

 

Just do your best lads, a point would be an incredible result.

As opposed to the 22% we had in the corresponding fixture last season ........

[Guest MattP]

Just now, st albans fox said:

As opposed to the 22% we had in the corresponding fixture last season ........

Fair point

[The Horse's Mouth]

Not even sure how I'd play this really, we sit back and invite pressure then it'll definitely be 3-0 at half time. Think our best bet is to replicate the performance at Arsenal this season, but less naive in defence. Think a three of Dragovic - Morgan - Maguire is the way to go, we'll get crushed with the 4 imo

[DelBoy73]

14 hours ago, Line-X said:

No it's not.

 

Every game in the Premier League is relevant to us - and generally, none of them are easy. 

 

Not sure the players and management would share that view.

Loosing 3 - 0 to Crystal Palace would be seen by the whole country as a complete debacle, while we wouldn't even get skinned by the media if Citeh gives us a proper drubbing in their fashion 5-0.

Knowing that, there is usually two scenarios that type of game will end-up with , either way the underdogs storms all guns blazing with a point to prove and play as if it was a knock out final without over-respecting the elite team; or they get scared to go forward, spending most of the time in their own half, giving far too much respect to the opposition and in the end getting slaughtered.

 

No matter what, Puel can use this fixture to fine-tune our defense and see how it deals with one of the absolute best attack in the world, but he will never hold a grudge if we under perform against these lot.

 

[FOXYTALK]

it's all about mentality against Man City, go in with no expectations and no fear. Seemed to work last season. 

Don't change the line up personally we seem better drilled with 4 at the back. However fuchs and maguire need to be on the same wave length we have to be regimented at the back and smart. They have pace aganist our physicality so no rash challenges against Aguero/Sterling. This game requires intelligence and Man City frustrated, we stick 8 men behind Vardy and Mahrez/Gray upfront we might have half a chance.

 

 

[SpacedX]

6 minutes ago, DelBoy73 said:

Loosing 3 - 0 to Crystal Palace would be seen by the whole country as a complete debacle, while we wouldn't even get skinned by the media if Citeh gives us a proper drubbing in their fashion 5-0.

Knowing that, there is usually two scenarios that type of game will end-up with , either way the underdogs storms all guns blazing with a point to prove and play as if it was a knock out final without over-respecting the elite team; or they get scared to go forward, spending most of the time in their own half, giving far too much respect to the opposition and in the end getting slaughtered.

 

So either way, it's still not, as you say, an..

 

15 hours ago, DelBoy73 said:

Irrelevant fixture for us.

 

Three points won or lost.

 

8 minutes ago, DelBoy73 said:

 

No matter what, Puel can use this fixture to fine-tune our defense and see how it deals with one of the absolute best attack in the world, but he will never hold a grudge if we under perform against these lot.

 

Of course he will. Irrespective of the opposition he will expect us to perform to the maximum of our potential whether we win or lose.

[lee7]

If we try to sit back and soak up pressure then we'll get absolutely stuffed. 

Personally I'd like to see us press them all over the pitch. Hopefully the pace of Vardy will cause their defence to panick as it has in previous seasons & we can grab a goal or two from their mistakes. 

[Dan]

We tend to play quite well against these and they will give us chances, but I think they'll rip our defence to shreds if Stoke is anything to go by.

 

1-4 I reckon.

[Babylon]

Play narrow, congest the middle of the park, play another CM (Amartey) and try to force them go out wide. Mahrez, Gray and Vardy for the pace on the break

[Babylon]

5 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

We tend to play quite well against these and they will give us chances, but I think they'll rip our defence to shreds if Stoke is anything to go by.

 

1-4 I reckon.

We can't play them the same way, we push up the full backs and we'll get absolutely smashed.

[kingcarr21]

This game is crying out for a Slimani & Ulloa partnership

[Koke]

433. 

 

Sacrifice Okazaki for a CM and pack the midfield.  

[st albans fox]

They are far more interested in getting around the back than they used to be. They used to try and pick their way through the middle too much. Now it’s all sane and sterling getting behind the full backs.  No way can we afford to play a back three against those two. 

 

Funnily enough we we might have had more chance in this fixture with shakey in charge as Puel will probably over think it.

[RowlattsFox]

I'd be surprised if its anything other than 433 for this game, probably King for Okazaki, he might consider Albrighton/Chilwell to help out Fuchs against Walker but it would be harsh to replace either Gray or Mahrez.

 

Can't see us keeping them out enough to win the game but can see us scoring. 2-4.

[DelBoy73]

1 hour ago, Line-X said:

So either way, it's still not, as you say, an..

 

 

Three points won or lost.

 

Of course he will. Irrespective of the opposition he will expect us to perform to the maximum of our potential whether we win or lose.

Bobbins, don't put your expectations too high against these lot.

 

[SpacedX]

7 minutes ago, DelBoy73 said:

Bobbins, don't put your expectations too high against these lot.

 

I won't - but that is no reason to "under perform"  as you put it. And every game is relevant, particularly as you yourself said "Puel can use this fixture to fine-tune our defence and see how it deals with one of the absolute best attack in the world". Ultimately if this Club were to become embroiled in a relegation battle again or even found itself back in the Championship we wouldn't be differentiating about who the points were dropped against - only our total. On the other hand, If we fell short by three perhaps we could say well ignore the loss to Man City because it didn't count?