Strongest 11

[Mark (Blue Army)]

----------------------HART----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
BOATENG---TOURE-----KOMPANY------KOLAROV--
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------DE JONG-----TOURE-------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
---MILNER-----------SILVA----------BALOTELLI-----
--------------------------------------------------------
----------------------TEVEZ---------------------------

[Curlie]

I see we are playing Balotelli and Milner, so why has no one room for Torres up front?

Oh ................ injured!

[edge275]

--------------------------------Hart---------------------------

Boateng----------Kompany-------Lescott----------Kolarov

----------------------Y. Toure-----Milner--------------------

----A. Johnson--------------------------------------Silva----

-----------------------Tevez----------------------------------

--------------------------------------Balotelli-----------------

[Murph]

Totally depends on the fixture.

I was rather hoping first team/strongest 11 threads had been consigned to a jar and labelled 'past'.

I'm fully aware of rotation John...which is why I labelled the thread 'Strongest 11' and not 'First 11' or 'Starting 11'

Even though we have a big squad and will rotate, Mancini will still have a strongest 11, the team he wheels out for the "big" games. Might take him a while to suss out his strongest 11 though.

Ah, but would it be the same strongest 11 at home to one of the 'failing 4' as away? I doubt it.

Not sure mate. I doubt Mancini will over attack against the top sides at home, if he's cautious then could easily put out the same team or a very similar one away against them as well.

[Adam Johnson's Big Toe]

Hart

Boateng
Kompany
Lescott
Kolarov

Toure
Barry

Johnson
Silva

Tevez
Adebayor

I'll have a bit of that Grob ;o)

[Adam Johnson's Big Toe]

- - - - - - - - - - Given - - - - - - - - - -
Boateng - Lescott - Kompany - Kolarov
- - - - - - - - - -Yaya - - - - - - - - - -
Johnson - - - - Milner - - - - - Silva
- - - - - - - - - - - Tevez - - - - -- -
- - - - - - - -Adebayor- - - - - - - -

You know, I'm still not convinced about Milner, call me a sceptic?

[kennyboy]

I prefer A. Johnson to Milner, come on lads..

[Mike J]

----------------------HART----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
BOATENG---TOURE-----KOMPANY------KOLAROV--
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------DE JONG-----TOURE-------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
---MILNER-----------SILVA----------BALOTELLI-----
--------------------------------------------------------
----------------------TEVEZ---------------------------

change AJ for milner and that is pretty much mine. silva needs to be in the middle imo.

[Mike J]

----------------------HART----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
BOATENG---TOURE-----KOMPANY------KOLAROV--
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------DE JONG-----TOURE-------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
---MILNER-----------SILVA----------BALOTELLI-----
--------------------------------------------------------
----------------------TEVEZ---------------------------

change AJ for milner and barry for ndj and that is pretty much mine. silva needs to be in the middle imo.

[Ted Hughes]

Bring it on Stoke at the Britannia, 'youtalkintome?' 11:


..............................Hart.................................

Boateng..........Toure.............Lescott............Kolarov

..........Kompany.........YToure............Vieira.

...................Adebayor........Balotelli

.............................Tevez.............

Tevez as the evil fairy on the Christmas tree. Rory Delap would be better off chucking the ball back to his own keeper.

[TonyM]

................Hart..................
Boatang Kompany Lescott Kolarov
.... Milner ... Yaya ... Ireland ....
Tevez ........ Ade ........... Silva

IMO Yaya needs two energetic CMs beside him, Ireland and Milner would be perfect. Tevez and Silva would pick up the ball and attack the box. Ade would need to be desciplined and not drift wide too often. Not when Kolorov and Boateng are expecting to target him with perfect inswingers. Kompany and Lescott could be a great pairing but...Lescott is not back to his best yet and Kompany is not a natural CB.

We may look a great team/squad on paper but we could easily finish outside the top 4 again. There are almost as many questions now imo as there were begining last season.

I don't think I've ever felt nervous about the start of the season. I'm usually just hopeful. But this season I'm fearful of the consequences should we not have an excellent start to the season.

[mcfc1632]

Too attacking.

What would you change? Bearing in mind that team was for home ties...obviously if Bellers stays I might have him in over AJ with maybe him coming on as an impact player

The point Im getting here, which is pretty fantastic, is that places in the starting XI are going to be hard-fought battles. I can assure you that Barry, bellamy, de Jong and adebayor are not going to sit back quietly and watch someone play their minutes. Should be fantastically meritocratous if i might say so. Like ancient Rome.


Cheers

Hope you are right - unfortuantely it will go one way - or the other

After the take over and the signing of Robbie - I put a large spread bet on the points CITY would get that season. My logic was that we would buy some top players in the January window but mainly that all the existing players, Dunnie, Micah etc etc would see such a massive opportunity for them that they would work like stink to establish themselves as 1st team choices - unfortunately for my bank balance this did not prove to be the case

The Ades of the world I would like to think will see this challenge and react by giving 100% in every game - same for many others - I hope so but I am far from convinced - if they do get the silver polish out

[Guy Debord]

------------------------GIVEN

BOATENG---KOMPANY----LESCOTT---KOLAROV

-------------------YAYA---DE JONG

---------------AJ------TEVEZ------SILVA

------------------------ADE

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

---------------------Given
Zabaleta---Kompany----Lescott---Kolarov
-------------Barry-----Toure
Johnson--------Silva-----Tevez
-----------------Adebayor

[john@staustell]

---------------------Given
Zabaleta---Kompany----Lescott---Kolarov
-------------Barry-----Toure
Johnson--------Silva-----Tevez
-----------------Adebayor

I know you're not a big fan of Boateng mate, but when Zaba is bad he is really bad.

Now if we'd bought that Lahm fella..............................................

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

---------------------Given
Zabaleta---Kompany----Lescott---Kolarov
-------------Barry-----Toure
Johnson--------Silva-----Tevez
-----------------Adebayor

I know you're not a big fan of Boateng mate, but when Zaba is bad he is really bad.

Now if we'd bought that Lahm fella..............................................

What makes you think I'm not fan of Boateng? Just because I think he is still raw and does need time to develope into top Premier League player, doesn't mean I'm not fan. I wasn't fan of the signing itself as I don't think he has dramatically more potential than Micah or Nedum but I most certainly don't hate him.

Zabaleta is very good rightback. I don't think he gets the appreciation he deserves. He is not world class but neither are any of the other options. He does however have more experience and if we forget occasional reckless challenge, he is fairly reliable.

As far as defending goes, Zabaleta is three times the player Lahm is.

[TheGOAT]

---------------------Given
Zabaleta---Kompany----Lescott---Kolarov
-------------Barry-----Toure
Johnson--------Silva-----Tevez
-----------------Adebayor

I know you're not a big fan of Boateng mate, but when Zaba is bad he is really bad.

Now if we'd bought that Lahm fella..............................................

What makes you think I'm not fan of Boateng? Just because I think he is still raw and does need time to develope into top Premier League player, doesn't mean I'm not fan. I wasn't fan of the signing itself as I don't think he has dramatically more potential than Micah or Nedum but I most certainly don't hate him.

Zabaleta is very good rightback. I don't think he gets the appreciation he deserves. He is not world class but neither are any of the other options. He does however have more experience and if we forget occasional reckless challenge, he is fairly reliable.

As far as defending goes, Zabaleta is three times the player Lahm is.

I agree, plus Boatengs best position is center back.

[Mike J]

---------------------Given
Zabaleta---Kompany----Lescott---Kolarov
-------------Barry-----Toure
Johnson--------Silva-----Tevez
-----------------Adebayor

I know you're not a big fan of Boateng mate, but when Zaba is bad he is really bad.

Now if we'd bought that Lahm fella..............................................

What makes you think I'm not fan of Boateng? Just because I think he is still raw and does need time to develope into top Premier League player, doesn't mean I'm not fan. I wasn't fan of the signing itself as I don't think he has dramatically more potential than Micah or Nedum but I most certainly don't hate him.

Zabaleta is very good rightback. I don't think he gets the appreciation he deserves. He is not world class but neither are any of the other options. He does however have more experience and if we forget occasional reckless challenge, he is fairly reliable.

As far as defending goes, Zabaleta is three times the player Lahm is.

now that my friend... is absolute bollocks.

[Brad]

I prefer A. Johnson to Milner, come on lads..

this