MAN CITY v Wolves – THE PREVIEW – Teamnews and Prediction
14 Jan
Two factors should inspire the Man City players to a victory on Saturday. The desire for revenge after our worst performance of the season at Molineux gifted Wolves a victory and more pertinently, the opportunity to move to the top of the Premier League and pile pressure on the sides around us. It would only take us top until Man United play later in the weekend and they would have three games in hand after the final whistle at Eastlands has blown but the psychological effect would be great.
But we underestimate the visitors at our peril. Managed by the eternally entertaining Mick McCarthy, who represented City 157 times in his playing career, Wolves are a combative, pugnacious and resilient side who recently beat Chelsea and who took a huge amount of satisfaction from their 2-1 defeat of us at Molineux. They will be determined to continue their decent run of form and return home with at least a share of the spoils.
With regards to team selection, Roberto Mancini is devoid of the services of Mario Balotelli for the next three weeks or so as he rests his knee in order to avoid having surgery. Spanish maestro David Silva has trained this week and is likely to play, although he may start from the bench after missing the past couple of games. New signing Edin Džeko has not played for a couple of months due to the German winter break so may also take his place on the bench if Mancini deems him not fit enough. The full back positions hold great interest, with Aleks Kolarov needing games but not impressing, Pablo Zabaleta the man in form and Jérome Boateng training brilliantly by all accounts.
Here is the team which Mancini may select:
Hart
Boateng K. Touré Kompany Kolarov
de Jong Barry
Milner Y. Touré Silva
Tévez
Subs: Given, Zabaleta, Lescott, Vieira, A. Johnson, Jo, Džeko
Key Battle
Vincent Kompany v Kevin Doyle
The Republic of Ireland striker always causes City defences trouble with his ability to ‘work the channels’. His movement and desire are there for all to see, even if his goalscoring is often not at the level it should be. Kompany has been the standout defender in the Premier League this season and will have to be at the top of his game on Saturday. After he was rested for the Leicester game, we looked a shambles from set-pieces so his authority will be required as per usual.
Prediction: MAN CITY 2 – 0 Wolves - We have been scoring more goals at home recently and the visitors tend not to travel too well, so if Silva is fit and playing well, combined with the Džeko feelgood factor, we should run out victors. Goals to be scored by Carlos Tévez and a debut strike from Edin Džeko.
2 nil. Hopefully but i worry about silva and Dzecko’s lack of game time. Also to say kolorov has not beem impressive is a harsh call as he has looked industrious going forward and has a belter of a shot.
FINALLY SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH ME RE: KOLAROV BEING A GOD!
Would really like to win this one by three or four but I would be happy with a one or two. If we get a early goal I reckon we could have a real cracker on our hands as they’ll have to have a go at us or they’ll find themselves in the bottom 3 again. I also think us fans need to turn it up a notch, as once again we could find ourselves top of the league again by the end of the game and these kind of days do not come around often. In my 34 years of supporting City I have never known us to be on top of the league in mid January and we must all start to believe we can win this league, and just as importantly, we must start to enjoy it. I am also hoping we will start to see the best out of Kolarov and Boateng tomorrow as they are both quality players, but have been a little disappointing so far this season. In the end I will agree with your prediction of 2-0 but I will be going to the game hoping we can really stuff them.
You should beat us – but – I hope your team are has “confident” and dismissive has you bunch of glory hunters are, question is were,were you when you were shit.
If your owner pulls out at any time you will be doing a pompy, Man U are decades in front of you, you need to spend at least another 200 million just to catch up, then it will take you at least 30 years to win half of what united have won, you are in their shadows – admit it and you might, might win something, your just a small club in manchester, come on you Wolves beat these jumped up money morons.
And has for gifting us victory at the Golden Palace – what a load of b******s that is,patronising git.
Looks like another out of towner has turned to the dark side due to the fact that his team have been hovering on the wrong side of average for decades. Unfortunately for you and your beloved Utd, (his second team apparently) the good sheikh is in it for the long haul and we will win trophies. You are obviously a depressed and deluded midlander who calls ‘his’ cr*p team’s cr*p stadium a palace and lives in a dark place where he believes the Rags success is moral and just. Poor sod.
Well written sir. Congratulations, for you have shattered the record for the longest run-on sentence in the history of the English language. p.s. Sounds like you might be a Red Devil fan disguised as a Wolves fan, just a guess.