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Right, win this one and we are through to the knockout stages past the groups ... and have an opportunity to give experience to players who need it in the final two games (home against Plzen and away to Bayern) while we focus on climbing to the top at home front ...

Selection will be interesting ... Negredo was taken off after first half yesterday with an eye on this one I am assuming ... so he'll lead the line. At the other end will Panti retain his spot and get his first start in the CL as well after the PL?

Panti
Richards - Demi - Lescott - Kola
Ferna - Yaya
Nasri - Aguero - Silva
The Beast

If we see Panti starting a Champs league game ... then that should be a major wake up call to Hart. I would be really impressed if Pelle has the balls to do that and I also think it's the right decision at this point.

There would be no reason to drop Panti he hasn't done nothing wrong, it woule be stupid to put joe back in.

AG7 wrote:Panti Richards - Demi - Lescott - Kola Ferna - Yaya Nasri - Aguero - Silva The Beast

I'd go with that line up.

I really hope Pelle won't start Javi Garcia as a CB, and keep him away from the starting 11 for few games.

Biamp wrote:I really hope Pelle won't start Javi Garcia as a CB, and keep him away from the starting 11 for few games.

Or better stil, Forever!

Breks wrote:There would be no reason to drop Panti he hasn't done nothing wrong, it woule be stupid to put joe back in.

He's said he's playing Pants.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1836 ... ska-moscow



Joe Hart may have to get used to life on the Manchester City bench after Manuel Pellegrini gave his backing to the imposing Costel Pantilimon.

Speaking in the build up to City’s Champions League tie with CSKA Moscow, the Chilean manager confirmed he will stick with the towering Romanian while he remains confident and continues to play well, per Laurie Whitwell of the Daily Mail:

For the moment we must support Costel Pantilimon.

Joe made a lot of mistakes, he knows. So I think for Joe it is a good moment to stop. I am sure that working hard he will return to normal, but I don’t know when. I have confidence in Costel. If I don’t have trust in him I will change it.


Hart sat and watched as City ripped through Norwich in a 7-0 crushing at the Etihad, an encounter that saw little threat posed to Pantilimon’s goal.

The 26-year-old was forced into just one major exertion during the Sky Blues’ confident display, with Anthony Pilkington’s fierce volley needing tipping over. Aside from that, Pantilimon’s net never threatened to bulge, per Who Scored.

Norwich’s dire performance may have Hart feeling sorry for himself. The England No. 1 made a match-deciding mistake during City’s recent 2-1 loss against Chelsea, a game which saw his reflexes tested far more vigorously.

Even so, his regular stream of mistakes has threatened to undo the club’s fine attacking output this season.

Hart misread the flight of corners during City’s 3-2 loss at Cardiff, failed to keep out Romelu Lukaku’s soft shot against Everton and preceded the Chelsea mistake by rushing off his line against Aston Villa.

Andreas Weimann burst into life on that occasion, confirming a 3-2 comeback win for Paul Lambert’s side.

Pantilimon also claimed a clean sheet during the 2-0 Capital One Cup victory over Newcastle and has a real presence about his play. Should the man from Bacau string together a slew of decent performances, Hart could find his place at next summer’s World Cup in doubt.



Despite calls to axe the player from his starting lineup, England manager Roy Hodgson recently stuck with Hart during the Three Lions’ crucial wins over Montenegro and Poland, the latter of which saw the keeper make a crucial save.



Manchester City face a trip to Sunderland after the European tie with CSKA Moscow, a match in which they will be expected to keep a clean sheet.

Should Pantilimon remain in goal after this fixture—for a crunch tie with Tottenham Hotspur—the seriousness of Hart's dropping will come to realisation.

If Hart's next appearance is to arrive in the Capital One Cup tie against Leicester on Dec. 17, the player's long-term future will certainly be cast into jeopardy.

When Joe was rested, I always thought it would be for at least three games, not much point otherwise. That gives Pantilimon a little run to show what he can do and Joe a bit of time to work on things. He was never going to set everything right in a few days. Pants for Moscow and Sunderland then look again after the international break I reckon.

Biamp wrote:I really hope Pelle won't start Javi Garcia as a CB, and keep him away from the starting 11 for few games.

Pretty sure he is not fit yet, and it doesn't matter with Demichelis fit, no reason to look at anyone else.

I love these a-new-city-game-every-three-days ... then the FIB returns to bore the hell out for two weeks ...

From BBC:

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is speaking in a new conference right now, previewing his side's Champions League game against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.

He confirms that Vincent Kompany, Richard Wright and Stevan Jovetic are out injured but that all other players are OK.

Where do they get them from?

MANCHESTER CITY
Ben Smith - BBC Sport
"Manuel Pellegrini was called Mr Mancini by one journalist and asked how much a win would mean to Manchester United, by another today."

Also Pellegrini confirms Pantilimon will start and went on:

"Joe has reacted very well," he says. "For him this is a good thing after playing so many matches over the past two or three years. He has been working no problem, supporting Costel. Nobody wants to be out but he thinks a rest will be useful for him too."

Hutch's Shoulder wrote:Also Pellegrini confirms Pantilimon will start and went on:

"Joe has reacted very well," he says. "For him this is a good thing after playing so many matches over the past two or three years. He has been working no problem, supporting Costel. Nobody wants to be out but he thinks a rest will be useful for him too."

If its true Hart said that I think its good news. I think everyone expects Hart to come back eventually, he just needs to sort himself out and start playing well again. Hes more than capable of that.

I wouldn't be suprised to see him back after the break against Tottenham, though I kinda hope not.

Bit of stirring with this though:

If Hart's next appearance is to arrive in the Capital One Cup tie against Leicester on Dec. 17, the player's long-term future will certainly be cast into jeopardy - See more at: posting.php?mode=quote&f=119&p=578877#sthash.FceaWh5q.dpuf

Why wouldn't he play against Leicester? Seems totally reasonable for him to play in that game I think.

are we mathematically assured of progressing if we take 3 pts from this?

Sideshow Bob wrote:are we mathematically assured of progressing if we take 3 pts from this?

I think so. As we will have 9 points and CSKA 3 so even if we lost our last 2 games and they won theirs we would both have 9 but we'd have best head to head

Sideshow Bob wrote:are we mathematically assured of progressing if we take 3 pts from this?

Win almost seals it but not mathematically. They would have to beat plzen and munich with a fair few goals and we'd have to lose both.

If we win, we go through on the head to head even if we lose our last 2 and cska win theres. Goal difference won't matter. So were 1 win away from the last 16.

ruralblue wrote:
Win almost seals it but not mathematically. They would have to beat plzen and munich with a fair few goals and we'd have to lose both.

Different rules for europe it's not the same as the Premier league.