Virtual Manager.

[gillie]

Ok everyone has their own ideas as to what is wrong with the team at the moment.So for 1 week only tell the board who you pick to play against Fullham on Sunday.Also give formations and reasons for picking said team and tactics.
I am not playing coz i have not a fuckin clue.

[Blue Since 76]

Depending who's fit and considering mario is still banned...

joe
micah kolo vince alex
yaya nige
adam david james
carlos

If we're leading, might bring on gareth for adam, to provide midfield muscle. If losing, push yaya forwards or bring on emmanuel. Main concern is if losing, can't bring adam on for impact. I'd prefer james and david wide, with carlos behind mario, but that's what happens if you get sent off.

[Dameerto]

------Milner, Tevez, AJ
---------------Silva
Kolarov,Barry------Nige, Boateng
---------Kompany, Kolo
---------------Joe

Thought Milner was ok in his last game, AJ needs a run of games again, Tevez and Silva pick themselves. Kolarov and Boateng need more Prem exposure plus Boateng is faster at getting back if we lose the ball (and Micah can be very Jekyl andd Hyde with his performances). Central defence picks itself and no reason to drop Hart assuming he's fit. We need to hustle like crazy, start with a fast tempo and stick to it instead of slowing as soon as the opposition gets the ball - let's use our fitness more than we're doing. (say what you like about Bellamy but he was our metronome as far as tempo goes)

[9secondlegend]

Depending who's fit and considering mario is still banned...

joe
micah kolo vince alex
yaya nige
adam david james carlos

If we're leading, might bring on gareth for adam, to provide midfield muscle. If losing, push yaya forwards or bring on emmanuel. Main concern is if losing, can't bring adam on for impact. I'd prefer james and david wide, with carlos behind mario, but that's what happens if you get sent off.

last time we played him up the pitch he was clueless!

[CityFanFromRome]

Here's the lineup I'd go with:

[center]Given
Richards Kolo Kompany Kolarov
De Jong
Milner-----Barry
Silva
Tevez---Adebayor[/center]

I'd give Micah a chance at RB because he's been good for us this season and he deserves it, then a midfield three of De Jong to protect the backline, Milner to push forward and Barry to, hopefully, be the link between the other two. Silva as a playmaker behind the forwards, with Adebayor to be the big man upfront and play some balls for Carlos to run onto. If Hart was available, which I doubt, then he would be in goal instead of Shay. I've put Kolarov on the left because I liked him in the Brum game, nothing out of the world but he seemed lively for it being one of his first games in the Prem, so I think he deserves a chance to better gel with the team and understand the league, Fulham are a good side to give him another start.

[sweenyuk]

I really do hopw Hart is fit for the game. Given really has lost all confidence now. Hopeless again for Ireland

[Blue Since 76]

Depending who's fit and considering mario is still banned...

joe
micah kolo vince alex
yaya nige
adam david james carlos

If we're leading, might bring on gareth for adam, to provide midfield muscle. If losing, push yaya forwards or bring on emmanuel. Main concern is if losing, can't bring adam on for impact. I'd prefer james and david wide, with carlos behind mario, but that's what happens if you get sent off.

last time we played him up the pitch he was clueless!

Presume you mean yaya? I didn't mean at centre forward, i meant leave nige as the one defensive midfielder and put yaya more central. Probably less a change of position and more of ask him to look forwards rather than just destroy.

I'm just hoping we find yaya's position soon, as I haven't worked out where he can play yet

[dazby]

For me, play a 4-1-3-2. I don't particularly care which players fill the positions as it depends on fitness etc. Surely De Jong can do the role by himself with either gazbaz or yaya in the centre of the 3 with the capacity to fall back if required. Let's get some flyers out wide rather than carthOrse superjaw. 2 up front. 5 players with a license to thrill should be enough to do the biz.

[saulman]

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

Boateng----Toure---Kompany----Kolarov

-----------------De-Jong--------------------

----------Milner---------Barry--------------

----Johnson-----------------Silver----------

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


This game has got 0-0 written all over it, though I suspect that Lesley will be dying to show the City fans who've braved the cold and travelled to the big smoke exactly what they're missing. I think he'll go all out for the throat and then relish pissing on our twitching dying corpse. That's why I've gone for our best defence with DJ sitting just in front to protect the back four.
I'd drop Yaya (fake an injury story) and play Milner and Barry in the middle with either/or getting forward to support the attack whilst the other stays back to protect the back four with De Jong.
The attacking trio of Johnson, Silver and Tevez should be enough to pick Fulham off at the back but should that fail, we've got Kolarov on the field to blast a shot from anywhere in the Fulham half of the pitch.

[ant london]

OK I think that Joe will be back and in goal and I think Gaz Baz's injury last night is likely a blessing in disguise as he needs....rest....an injection of pace and....i dunno more chutzpah to his game at present.

I think Boateng should be given 20-30 mins max at the moment til he gets properly up to speed with the game here and Micah looks in good form so he starts for me. Kolarov did plenty enough to say to me that he's a better choice than Bridge or Lescott or Zabba at LB

Hughes is lacking a bit of cutting edge up front at the moment with Zamora and I think our centre halves have quite enough pace and brain to cope with the averagely talented speedboat that is Andy Johnson in his stead.

Danny Murphy still has quite a bit to offer and I quite like Zoltan Gera but we should certainly have enough in midfield to put out a two man partnership in the middle of a 4-4-2 and cope with them.

I would therefore go with:

-----------------------------Hart---------------------------
Richards------------Kolo----------Kompany-----Kolarov
-------------------------------------------------------------
Johnson----------De Jong-----Milner-----------Zabaleta
----------------------------Silva----------------------------
-----------------------Tevez--------------------------------


subs: Yaya, Adebayor, Lescott, Boateng, Vieira, SWP, Taylor

If all goes well and we get a goal then I would look to bring off Tevez at the 50-55 min mark, bring on Adebayor and go 4-3-3 with Johnson/Ade/Silva up top.

Then other subs maybe grandpa for Zabba and then Boateng for Micah later on to give him more game time

[Fish111]

In Net: Given

Back Four: Richards Toure Kompany Kolarov

Holding Midfielder: De Jong

Midfield: Johnson Silva Milner

Attack: RSC Tevez

Bring Yaya Toure on for Milner at a later stage and move Silva out on the left.
Bring on Adebayor on for RSC if/when he proves once and for all that he'll never have a good game for City.
Bring Barry on for Silva if the little maestro gets tired.

[The blue egg chaser!]

Hart
Richards Toure Kompany Kolarov
De Jong
Johnson Barry Silva
Tevez Ade

That's the team for me. Solid back four with De Jong breaking up attacks early. Barry to be help out De Jong and be the link when we have the ball. Lots of width as we can't play straight thru the middle all game as teams can stop that too easily. Ade can offer height for the wingers to aim at or they can cut inside to link up with Tevez and/or Ade.

[The Man In Blue]

Johnson----Tevez-----Silva

-----Milner---NdJ----Yaya

Kolarov--Vinnie--Toure--Richards

-----------Taylor--------------------

[Ted Hughes]

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

Boateng----Toure---Kompany----Kolarov

-----------------De-Jong--------------------

----------Milner---------Barry--------------

----Johnson-----------------Silver----------

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


This game has got 0-0 written all over it, though I suspect that Lesley will be dying to show the City fans who've braved the cold and travelled to the big smoke exactly what they're missing. I think he'll go all out for the throat and then relish pissing on our twitching dying corpse. That's why I've gone for our best defence with DJ sitting just in front to protect the back four.
I'd drop Yaya (fake an injury story) and play Milner and Barry in the middle with either/or getting forward to support the attack whilst the other stays back to protect the back four with De Jong.
The attacking trio of Johnson, Silver and Tevez should be enough to pick Fulham off at the back but should that fail, we've got Kolarov on the field to blast a shot from anywhere in the Fulham half of the pitch.

I'd go for that team but with Richards in for Boateng for the same reason; our best defence. I'd be tempetd to go for Zabba over Kolarov but Kolarov has looked confident so I'd take the gamble he gells with the back 4 under pressure. Bob will probably pick Yaya instead of Johnson or Milner or Silva & he could be right because he's big, to defend set pieces & he's quick (when he can be arsed) to hit on the break. It's swings & roundabouts but we need fast counter attacks. I'd prefer AJ but who knows?

Fulham may have a bit more ambition under Hughes but this is still mainly Woy's team at the moment & they were strong in the air. Imo it's more about attitude than personnel; have the balls to get forward quickly in decent numbers when we get the ball, as v WBA rather than stroll forward as v Brum (another reason to play Kolarov who really tried to do that). Otherwise, if we sit back & don't scare them enough, they'll get confident, press us back into our box & do us from a set piece/ header or 2nd ball from either.

[brite blu sky]

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

Boateng----Toure---Kompany----Kolarov

-----------------De-Jong--------------------

----------Milner---------Barry--------------

----Johnson-----------------Silver----------

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


This game has got 0-0 written all over it, though I suspect that Lesley will be dying to show the City fans who've braved the cold and travelled to the big smoke exactly what they're missing. I think he'll go all out for the throat and then relish pissing on our twitching dying corpse. That's why I've gone for our best defence with DJ sitting just in front to protect the back four.
I'd drop Yaya (fake an injury story) and play Milner and Barry in the middle with either/or getting forward to support the attack whilst the other stays back to protect the back four with De Jong.
The attacking trio of Johnson, Silver and Tevez should be enough to pick Fulham off at the back but should that fail, we've got Kolarov on the field to blast a shot from anywhere in the Fulham half of the pitch.

I'd go for that team but with Richards in for Boateng for the same reason; our best defence. I'd be tempetd to go for Zabba over Kolarov but Kolarov has looked confident so I'd take the gamble he gells with the back 4 under pressure. Bob will probably pick Yaya instead of Johnson or Milner or Silva & he could be right because he's big, to defend set pieces & he's quick (when he can be arsed) to hit on the break. It's swings & roundabouts but we need fast counter attacks. I'd prefer AJ but who knows?

Fulham may have a bit more ambition under Hughes but this is still mainly Woy's team at the moment & they were strong in the air. Imo it's more about attitude than personnel; have the balls to get forward quickly in decent numbers when we get the ball, as v WBA rather than stroll forward as v Brum (another reason to play Kolarov who really tried to do that). Otherwise, if we sit back & don't scare them enough, they'll get confident, press us back into our box & do us from a set piece/ header or 2nd ball from either.

With all due respect i think that people are taking our home form as the guide... and even then having watched the Brum highlights again (yes there were some) we created opportunities and just fluffed them all, it is hard to take but all normal reasoning would be that we had an off day all round. But this is away from home and the more Fulham come out and at us the more it will play into our hands, so much so that it is Mark Hughes who has the more difficult task imo... this is not a nice or easy game for him and im sure he would have preferred to be coming to Coms for the first meeting with us.

[The Man In Blue]

Agreed BBS - I think we can count on Les to attack us, and that seems to be the worst way to play against us right now. I think we will take the points in this one and the media's dream schadenfreude-wankfest will have to be put on the back burner.

[brite blu sky]

In many ways, and trying to keep with the OP, the Fulham game is a good example to use in the debate about attacking as the best form of defence.
Hughes must know that going into this game he will be gambling by setting up his team mentally and tactically to go on the attack, regardless of the fact that they are at home and it is his preferred style. In other words if Fulham go for it and lose the ball and get punished and run out as losers he must know already that is a possibility and have to take it on the chin. The post match interview would have to be 'well we went for it and im proud of the lads.. we need to cut out mistakes and not make mistakes on top of mistakes blah blah blah'. He knows the script.. gallant losers.

With that in mind it is he who has to make a decision before the game as to what to do and imo he would just be putting his faith in hope if he thinks that they will just outplay us. imho i think he must be crazy to approach the game in that way and if he has watched City's games he would be better off sitting behind the ball and frustrating us, countering when possible, he might at least get a draw if not a cheeky win.