Saturday, 1st September 2012
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
5:30pm KO, live on ESPN
‘SSSSHHHH Don’t say it yet…NOW SCREAM IT FROM THE SOUTH STAND TO THE GODS, WE DID IT!’
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Not even neutrals can forget what happened against Q.P.R. last season, even those dirty rags that mysteriously disappeared until the pre-season spending spree couldn’t escape it (trying to buy the league Taggart surely not?), Q.P.R. stayed up the hard way and Manchester City became THE CHAMPIONS of England!
In a similar pattern to what we saw that day this season’s defence has been absent without leave. Whether you believe Bobby Manc is trying to put pressure on the board by fielding a weakened side at Disney Land last week to get his priority transfers through the door, De Rossi still high on the list with Matija Nastasi? rumoured to be a centre back replacement; it’s beginning to look worrying at the back. The shaky defensive display at Anfield, following that at Villa Park in the Charity Shield and the poor showing against newly promoted Saints is only exacerbated with the departure of Nigel De Jong. A personal maxim of transfer market moves is never to weaken your squad without making it stronger. So where is De Rossi and if he isn’t coming couldn’t we have made enquiries about a Riccardo Montolivo swap for De Jong since he’s gone to Milan? Are the incoming signings of Rodwell who shit the bed against Saints and Scott Sinclair a straight replacement for AJ’s departure really enough after all City’s main competitors have reinforced with International quality players? Sinclair is obviously an upgrade on AJ who was always overrated, unable to last 90 minutes and unable to beat opponents in the top half of the league. AJ could you clarify when taking on fullbacks, were you scared or are you just that stupid? Rodwell as we’ve seen to our detriment against the Toffee’s has talent breaking up play and skill on the ball. His ability against Saints, in the first half, to find space with a drop of the shoulder or step over is something De Jong never had however he still looks like a work in progress. There are positives approaching three games into the Prem season, we’re picking up points with poor defensive displays something all aspiring Champions need to do. If the transfer window ends and we don’t have a replacement for De Jong at the minimum I believe the club has dropped a bollock on this one and will suffer down the stretch.
Prediction
With a large application of salt and vinegar rubbed into Sparky’s wounds he will be looking to put one over on City, especially with vulnerability at the back. Being an ex-rag was already motivation enough. SWP will be unable to help us out during this game with ‘stumbles, missed tackles and poor passes’, once a Blue always a Blue!
I expect the game to follow a similar pattern to any afternoon under Keegan, we’re not going to win by defending well and keeping it tight, it’s going to be a heavyweight outscore your opponent bout. My main concern is the absence of Gaz Bazs calming influence when retaining the ball or stalling attacks. Rodwell looked nervous under pressure, Sinclair could be shaky getting used to new surroundings and any slip by the midfield like Nasri not tracking back will result in a bullet header like Mackie’s last year. We’re not the invincibles, especially not at the moment. Like Champions we have to defend from the front and hope Joe ‘Alamo’ Hart has some protection in front of him for the first time this year!
The Group of Death…AGAIN!?!
Ajax, I can live with that great party town shame no NDJ to take home…Borussia Dortmund, not exactly easy but decent beer on the road again…REAL MADRID and the special one, Jesus; Mary and Joseph! My Typical City senses are tingling, are we going to get this every year when THEY get Braga, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj (WHO?)? Whatever happens to us we can console ourselves by laughing all the way as Taggart fails to drag his lot through the European equivalent of the Johnstone’s Paint Cup.
One’s to watch
QPR: For the Rangers it has to be new signing Julio Cesar, after Sparky shit the bed, when he got hammered 5-0 by Fulham then drew 1-1 against main rivals to avoid the drop Norwich.
• 5 Serie A titles.
• 3 Coppa Italia’s.
• 4 Suppercoppa Italianna’s.
• 1 Champions League.
• 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 1 Copa America.
• 1 FIFA Confederations Cup.
• 2 Serie A Goalkeeper of the year.
• 1 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the year.
The record speaks for itself and this was after Rangers signed veteran Premiership and England goalkeeper Robert Green whose still got some good years left in him. Paddy Kenny didn’t have a chance did he? With veterans like Ryan Nelsen and Bosingwa with possibly Fabio in front of Cesar a high tempo possession game dictated by David Silva will have to be at its best to breach this not so cheap line-up.
City: The Captain, Vincent Kompany. Maybe lifting those shiny pots has given him arm ache and being so shiny has enforced temporary blindness on our favourite Belgian? Whatever has been troubling him, that 3-5-2, he is desperate for a solid defensive display. For me he doesn’t need to produce heroics against QPR do just do the basics right and build from there. Track his men, stay goal side and with your man on set pieces and break up any play coming at you. He can also put the ball into the stand for the benefit of the team to regain their shape, it’s not illegal you know. We have the tools up front to score enough against a Hughes defence (snigger), Vinny has to lead from the front and plug the gaps at the back.
It’s coming down to the business end of the baseball season in the U.S. and in New York that means Championship or Bust for New York Yankees. To be successful this year City need to borrow a common New York phrase upon which sportsmen live or die, ‘So what have you done for me lately?’ This City team may have lifted the league in May 2012 but can they pull it together, shrug off the competition and do it all again?
Teams
MCFC: (4-5-1) Hart, Clichy, Lescott, Kompany, Zabaleta, Silva, Nasri, Yaya Toure, Milner, Tevez, Balotelli.
Q.P.R.: Julio Cesar, Traore, Hill, Ferdinand, F*bio, Mackie, Diakite, P*rk, Hoilett, Cisse, Zamora.
Manchester City 4-2 Q.P.R.
Many thanks to Steveo_88 for this week’s Deja Vu preview.
Join in the discussion on mancityfans.net and tell him where he went wrong.