Hello all, this one is technically a rogue preview this week but as no-one agreed to do it I thought i’d throw one out there. Sorry if its a little rushed and there are no images or diagrams to skip to but I’m of to Africa (well, Morocco) this afternoon so I won’t even get to see the game (I did google African Champions League though). Hope you enjoy
West Ham United v Manchester City
Saturday 3rd November 2012
Boleyn Ground, Upton Park
5:30pm KO live on ESPN
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham)
We’ve had a relatively quiet week so far by our own standards (admittedly I write this on Wednesday lunch time) as future Chelsea captain and Manchester United regular has captured the media’s attention with his alleged racism towards 2 Chelsea players. This has fortunately overshadowed the news that Micah Richards will be out for 4 months after tearing his knee ligaments, City playing in the longest game in Premier League history (breaking our old record set against West Ham?) and that Roberto Mancini is on borrowed time since the arrival of a man from Barcelona as the new director of Football.
The thought of sacking a manager who has won us the league in May, has us undefeated domestically and tucked in nicely behind Chelsea in third would be ludicrous if our owners didn’t have form for this cut throat business decision and the fact that they really want to push on in the Champions League, something Mancini has failed to do at any of the clubs he has managed.
The real news of the week though was the fact that we were not only able to keep a clean sheet but we were also able to keep a clean sheet despite the fact that Kompany was in the back four! Harsh, yes but he still had a shocker of a game.
There was genuinely not too much to talk about the Swansea game, it was an abhorrent (class word) game to watch and if Tevez hadn’t scored a terrific goal 102 minutes might not have been enough time to win the game.
The media will eventually tell us that we’ve not played anyone yet and that we’ve no team spirit but we’re already 4 points up on the equivalent fixtures from last season picking up wins against West Brom (100% record at home) and Fulham where we only drew last season which is important I believe though that we’ll need at least 90 points to win the league.
West Ham
(I’m sat typing this opposite two united fans who don’t even know that United are playing tonight MWAHAHAHAHA – Chelsea is the answer fellas, in your home time too)
Of the 3 promoted teams West Ham are probably the best equipped for Premier League survival and as we’re traditionally poor travellers to the capital this could be a difficult game. The porn baron’s have invested heavily in the summer, obviously recognising the importance of being in the top flight next season when the new TV deal kicks in, bringing in 11 players (including 3 goalkeepers).
In goal they’ve replaced Rob Green with one of Big Sam’s favourites Jussi Jasskelainen from Bolton where he’d spent 14 years blaming his defence for every goal Bolton ever conceded.
Defensively they’ve brought in George McCartney permanently from Sunderland and James Collins from Aston Villa; both in their second spells at the club.
In midfield Yossi Benayoun returns on loan from West Ham (how many players have played for both Chelsea and West Ham just in the Premier League era?), Mohamed Diame from Wigan, the much lauded on Football Manager Alou Diarra form Marseille and spent massive money on Matt Jarvis from Wolves.
Up front they brought in the highly though Modibo Maiga from Sochaux and like playground bullies over Premier League stickers roughed up Liverpool for Andy Carroll on a season’s loan for £3m and a portion of his wages.
To compliment their new signings they’ve also got Great Britain central defender James Tomkins, New Zealand world cup defender Winston Reid (£4m from our old friends the Midget Gems), former Kompany Hamburg team mate Guy Demel.
In midfield they’re built around Kevin Nolan, for long thought of as too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premier league, who’s chipped in with 4 league goals already. They’ve the highly rated Jack Collision who lifted a winner over Shay Given in a 1-0 City defeat a few years ago. In addition, they’ve the English Kolarov in Matty Taylor, Mark Noble who was once sent off against City at the City of Manchester Stadium, and the once prospect Gary O’Neill who they signed from Middlesbrough who scored against us for Portsmouth a few years ago.
Up front Carlton Cole is still playing for a living, and is usually the preferred partnership with Ricardo Vaz Te, who was much travelled round the leagues until catching fire at Barnsley last season when Allardyce brought him in.
As always with Allardyce teams they have a high turn over of players, 15 left in the summer, at Bolton it was a turn over of Geriatrico’s, he was more successful than his failures (Djorkyaeff, Okocha, Hierro) and a generous use of the loan system. At Newcastle where he was given money to spend for the first time he tried to radically change the clubs DNA and was met with resistance from the clubs support and was swiftly axed by Mike Ashley who was trying to curry favour with the barcodes support. Ironically, with hindsight, Allardyce was probably the man that Ashley wanted able to make use of the transfer market and work to a budget but instead he got Keegan.
Allardyce was then unlucky to lose his job at Blackburn to another set of new owners who wanted the club to play a more expansive style (but apparently changed their minds and appointed Steve Kean) but was given the job at West Ham by the porn barons with the goal of an immediate return to the Premier League. I imagine Allardyce would have had reservations about joining a club who’s philosophy about football were radically different to his own but he got the job done using his knowledge of the transfer system to buy players with a perceived sell on value and with something to prove and in terms of both getting them to the Premier League and keeping them their Allardyce is probably the best man for the job although I very much doubt his team will be selling out the Olympic Stadium if they move their.
How are they doing?
The ‘Ammers are currently 9th with 4 wins, 2 draws, 3 defeats, 13 goals scored, 11 conceded and 14 points after 9 games. At home they’ve 3 times (Aston Viilla, Fulham & Southampton), they’ve drawn once (Sunderland) and lost once (Arsenal).
What can we expect?
We can expect a physical direct game from them they are usually 442 men but in the past against City Allardyce hasn’t been afraid to fill the midfield and kick us off the park. At Wigan on Saturday they lined up with a back four of Reid, McCartney, Tomkins and Collins. Huge Gorillas at the back who love balls to be lumped up to them; if we’d have played them last season we’d be calling this game perfect for Adam Johnson and use his natural width against McCartney who, in my opinion, is the weak link of the back four.
Midfield it was Diame, Nolan and Noble flooding the middle trying to win the ball back, keep possession and get into wide positions for Jarvis and Banayoun. Crossing is a weakness for us as no one seems to have told our full backs that they need to block the crosses coming in.
Up front they started with Carroll, who’s scored most of his Liverpool goals against us, but they may go with Cole as well as they’re at home and the home support will demand they take the game to us.
Another key part of the game will be set pieces. Allardyce is famed for watching set pieces over and over again and working out ways to maximise them. As almost half of our goals have been conceded from set pieces this season we need to minimise the number of free kicks and corners we concede. Knowing out look they’ve probably got a long throw specialist too.
What about us?
The good news is Zabaleta is fit to return in the absence of Micah; Injuries and the height West Ham have up front should mean that 3 of the back 4 should effectively pick itself, as Zabaleta should play alongside Kompany and Lescott. Left back is a tricky one as you could argue that Kolarov is the man in form at the moment and as stated above its important that we are closing down the crosses which is Clichy’s biggest defensive weakness.
In midfield Milner, Barry and Toure should pick themselves but as Garcia is fit Mancini may choose to select him over one of Barry or Milner if the only reason I can think of is that he’s arguably better in the air. Milner’s set piece taking ability is not to be overlooked though.
Nasri should complete the midfield line up although unless he puts him on one side and Milner on the other it means that we’ll be very narrow and Nasri tends to become isolated. Its tempting to play a 4-3-1-2 with Nasri tucked in behind the strikers and working as an outlet for midfield but suspicion is that Nasri doesn’t work hard enough in this role. Is it worth risking Silva? Well if he’s resting him to play against Ajax then I’d pick him but if its longer term than I would make sure he’s fit enough for a tougher run of games.
Up front Dzeko is the man from the bench; he’s less the man when he starts but I think he’d be a better bet as were away from home playing against a side with the height they have. Tevez is probably the one of the 4 assured to start but I’m not sure that Mancini hasn’t deliberately rested him against West Ham in the past despite his goalscoring record against them. We’ve had a habit of isolating our strikers in recent weeks and how we set up the midfield will determine this.
Prediction
Well I was correct last week with a 1-0 home win, even if it was tongue in cheek. I honestly think this game will be settled by set pieces. I’ll happily take another 1 nil win.
Massive thanks to Bobby Brows of www.mancityfans.net for this match preview