Relive every moment of every first team game since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Our archive of matchday threads originally posted in the General Discussion Forum.
EastleighHammer16 wrote:The only way to play them is to go at them. Let them have the ball and they will tear you apart all game.
Personally think the opposite...
Go at them and they will pick you off at will. You have to try and contain and frustrate them as we did with Chelsea then take your chances when they come along (not like the Cheslea game)...
Easier said than done of course, but you never know.
I don't think it will happen, but I do see the sense in playing with a back 3 in this game.
Noble and Obiang will both be available... surely they get the nod in CM over Fredericks and Antonio?
I think we will be closer to a 4141 formation with Rice sitting so deep that he may well be part of a back three.
I am looking forward to seeing what Carroll and Arnautovic can do together, but would never start Carroll again. He is an alternative option from the bench only in my eyes.
Impossible to play them at their own game with the personnel we have, hopefully AC will be back for this one. Just play it in the air when we can, play ugly and hope
It's one of those that I expect we will get comfortably beaten. A good atmosphere (in terms of having an enjoyable time) can go some way to making up for a poor performance on the pitch, but I don't expect that either.
One reporter in today's paper was calling them arguably, the best club side this country has ever seen. As someone who has been around for a while and seen most of the best sides in the country over the last 50 years I would say he's not far wrong.
Worryingly... I think they can go one better than that and become one of the best club sides that Europe has ever seen. They are not even at full strength yet and they have both the spending power and pull to be able to add to their collection.
I've no doubt they will go on to be one of the great European sides. Such as the Real Madrid of the 50's. The Ajax and Bayern sides of the seventies. The Liverpool side of the 80's and the very recent Barcelona.
sutts07 wrote:I don't think it will happen, but I do see the sense in playing with a back 3 in this game.
Noble and Obiang will both be available... surely they get the nod in CM over Fredericks and Antonio?
I think we will be closer to a 4141 formation with Rice sitting so deep that he may well be part of a back three.
I am looking forward to seeing what Carroll and Arnautovic can do together, but would never start Carroll again. He is an alternative option from the bench only in my eyes.
I was only joking with the Fredericks and Masuaku midfielders option and also agree with Carroll although I do think it would be interesting to see how Citeh's defenders would get on v Carroll and Arnie.
Realistically I think the team picks itself as being the same side as the weekend but Noble in for Snoddy.
I don't think it will really matter what side we put out. Unless we have a very, very good day and City have a very, very bad day we are probably going to get beaten. As previously said as long as we don't roll over and hoist the white flag most won't be too unhappy.
3 years ago we rocked up at their gaff and got the points - with City managed by Pellers. They have some better personnel these days but even so; stranger things have happened.
