Wigan v MAN CITY – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
27 Nov
There are no reports of fresh injuries following the draw away to Chelsea, although with this game coming just three days after that encounter, Roberto Mancini may opt to make a few changes in order to freshen up the side.
William Hill have some excellent odds for this match: Vincent Kompany to score the only goal of the game is an incredibly tempting 81/1.
Maicon could be introduced to offer a greater attacking threat down the right hand side, and with Gael Clichy still likely to be sidelined, Aleks Kolarov could be handed another opportunity on the left. Yaya Touré has looked well below his best recently and ought to be dropped/rested but there is very little chance of that happening.
James Milner will hope to retain his place, although Samir Nasri can expect to be restored to the side whilst Scott Sinclair will also fancy his chances of appearing. I would expect Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tévez to be the forward pairing, with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko dropping to the bench.
Here is the side Mancini could select:
Referee: Mark Halsey – He will always be remembered as the official who added on five minutes of injury time against Gillingham at Wembley in 1999, whilst he was also in charge when City defeated Fulham 2-1 earlier this season at Craven Cottage, although he did award a ridiculous penalty to the home side.
Prediction: Wigan 1 – 2 MAN CITY – Matches at Wigan´s home this season have featured plenty of goals – 24 in just seven games – and I´m expecting City to just shade this one. Goals to be scored by Carlos Tévez, Vincent Kompany and Aroune Koné.
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VFAB is right in thinking no way toure will be dropped, even though giving him a rest definitely seems beneficial. Mancini is usually so pragmatic, and he knows better than anyone that its a marathon not a sprint. Yet when it comes to Toure (and some may argue with balo) he appears less shrude and more stubborn. With Everton and then some team from just outside Manchester in the next 2 games, surely it would be wise to give Milner or Garcia a go. No way it will happen though.
I think he might rest YaYa – quite frankly he needs it. Could bring Garcia in to replace or be more expansive in playing Barry, Milner and Nasri across the middle.
I would definitely love Yaya and Barry to be rested esp when our next game is Everton. Nasri,Lescott, Garcia, Maicon, Sinclair should all be given a chance in this fixture. If there is one team , aside from the rednecks, that I would love City to beat, it would be Everton.
Even when it looks good enough on paper I am loth to see too many changes because it disrupts the rhythm. I wouldn’t start Maicon and Sinclair in the same side either. Add to that our away form which isn’t electric, and our need to gain three points, and I’d like to be more conservative. The problem is that with one eye on the next three games [Toffees(H), Dortmund(A)& the Rags(H)]this is going to be about the only opportunity to rest players unless we are prepared to make the Dortmund game a ‘no contest’ and play the second string. I expect James Milner to have another run, I hope to see YYT rested and Aguero, I’d drop Edin, love him though I do he has failed to make his case for starting, and I’d start Garcia, Tevez & Balotelli. That leaves Mancini with a heck of a bench if he needs to shake it up. If Vince isn’t 100% it’s probably the game to give Lescott a run out to give Vince more recovery time.
………………Hart
Zabaletta, Nastasic, Lescott, Kolarov
…………Garcia….Barry
………Milner..Tevez…Silva
……………Balotelli
Panti, Maicon, Kompany, YYT, Nasri, Aguero, Dzeko
I would say right now that VFaB gets this right a lot more times than I do
Alph
I agree that yaya needs to be rested. cant think of one good performance from him this season. Also i think Wigan are gonna play like last season and get everyone behind the ball so need a tall striker up front. agree with pretty much everything written, once again.
I agree, yaya definately needs a rest because his performances thus far have been well below par. Subsequently, the team have looked abit unbalanced. Time to see what Garcia is all about, tbh I haven`t been that impressed so far and wonder what he brings to the table? Following on from Chelski at the w/end, I would like to see City get aggressive in the attack as they did last term whereby they mullared teams with sheer stealth, pace and mite. C`mon City need to keep pressure on manure. 1 – 3