QPR v MAN CITY – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
28 Jan
Roberto Mancini faces a number of selection dilemmas for this visit to QPR, most notably in defence where Kolo Touré is at the African Cup of Nations, Maicon needs at least another week of training before being considered, Vincent Kompany is sidelined with a calf strain, Micah Richards remains a few weeks from returning and Matija Nastasic is doubtful due to an inflamed knee ligament. If the Serbian were to miss out, it would mean Karim Rekik could be drafted in alongside Joleon Lescott or, perhaps more likely, the manager deploys a 3-5-2 formation with Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy either side of Lescott. Alternatively, Javi Garcia could drop back but I’d expect him to continue in midfield.
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Samir Nasri has recovered from a virus and will hope to return to the starting line-up, but much depends on what happens defensively and whether James Milner is used as a wingback. Sergio Aguero is likely to be named up front, partnered by either the goal-shy Carlos Tévez or the wildly inconsistent Edin Dzeko.
Here is the side Mancini could select:
Referee: Phil Dowd – He has refereed City twice this season, both times occuring in cup competitions. He was in charge when we were defeated by Aston Villa in the Carling Cup and then in the middle for when we swept aside Watford 3-0 in the FA Cup third round.
Prediction: QPR 0 – 2 MAN CITY – We should have enough quality to defeat the home side, however hard they may make it for us. Goals to be scored by Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
William Hill have some excellent odds for this match: Sergio Aguero to score first and City to win 2-0 is tempting at 19/1, whilst Pablo Zabaleta to score the first goal, as he did against Stoke, is 26/1!
We have Boyata and Rekik and I do not see why they can not be given an opportunity. It is pretty disgusting to see that for the past 3 or 4 years no one from the Academy has been promoted to first team. If Bobby thinks by just giving 10 or 15 minutes here and there every once in a blue moon to a youth player, he is going to nurture world class talent, he must be delusional. I can not still recover from the way Boyata was crucified after that single mistake in Arsenal game [Captain fantastic has done quite few goofs like Boyata's since then and I do not see his opportunities curbed a bit]
It is time for the City to walk the walk and not just talk the talk and show we mean business by all those investment in Youth academy.
Which of the Youth Players do you consider should have made the City first team as a regular Siamack?In the ages 28-22 I cannot think of a single one. Reece Wabara is doing OK at Owdam but is already 21 yers of age, Alex Nimely, much vaunted at one time, is also 21, he has had over 30 games on loan at Muddlesborough, Coventry asnd Palace and has stats of 1 goal from 31 games! The best of those who have left the club permanently are doing OK at Burnley and Hibernian, and I’m pleased for them but that is no loss to us, Boyata has not proven his worth at this level despite several opportunities. He is not a bad player, he just isn’t good enough for City. Razak is borderline, I don’t think he is quite good enough and Jérémy Hélan at age 20 is reaching make or break; he has qalities to recommend him and should get opportunities.
Who have I missed who should be playing?
I have great hopes for Karim Rekik, but the lad is 17 old son. CH is a position of great responsibility. Players with the assurance of Nastasic at age 19 are rarities and a player can be damaged and set back years by being exposed to a level above their readiness. Denis Suarez looks a great prospect, he’s 17, as does 16 year old Marcos Lopes whilst George Evans, barely 18, is a decent defensive MF, but these are still boys.
Mancini has a job to do and that is winning games and trophies. He is looking to give opportunities but the older boys just aint good enough so it is the younger ones who are getting a taste. Don’t knock it, 15 minutes against Wigan at the Etihad is worth its weight in carrots to encourage les autres!
i concure
concur in fact
…and I think that you are a concurring hero
A
I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with youth, what about the older ones eh ? I had a trial with Arsenal about 30 years ago and unfortunately they declined at the time. I’ve always been a City supporter though and my boots still fit, but they’ve never given me a chance !
OK I might have lost a bit of pace, but can make up for it with anticipation and reading of the game, as well as being pretty competitive on cost in these days of financial fair play !!
If the youth players are good enough then they will get their chance, unfortunately for them the first team has so much talent that it makes it very tough. Boyata has done nothing out on loan since that red card to suggest he should be near our starting line up
You do not go Silva/Kompany overnight or by playing in reserves. You need to play in first team along side world class players to learn the trade and develop those cutting edge talents. By just comparing them with Silva and other first team players, they will never ever be good enough to play.
It takes a lot of guts and belief to make it happen. If you are good enough to show up for the last 15 minutes and you do not do a step wrong and I do not see why not more. We have quite a few fantastic players like Rekik, Reece [whom I watched in FA cup against liverpool and he was great], same for Helan.
You dont get great players overnight, but you cant play 18 year olds in EPL games in hope they will be good enough in 3 years. Like Joe Hart they need to be loaned out or eased in until they are good enough. You dont want to find out the hard way that a youth player wasnt ready, especially at this stage of the season
That is exactly my point, people are so fixated on loaning that for the past 4 years not a single player was given a consistent first team opportunity. Raheem sterling, Nastasic, Baloteli are a few names whose start rose/ have risen due to first team opportunities at very young age. I am not saying to put every single youth in first team line up to bleed them. But I am sure we have at least one or two players that can weather the first team storm and grow. The fact that we have not been able to produce a single player from our academy for the at least past 4 years is truly alarming.
My statement above is not 100% correct as we had Ireland and Sturridge but unfortunately Sturridge was let go and Ireland got messed up. But it does not change the fact that they were nurtured by first team opportunities.
“Nurtured with first team opportunities” at a time when we were stone broke, Siamack!
Stephen Ireland was an exceptional talent coming out of the Academy and would have made it through even today. Michael Johnson was probably the best I have seen come through the Academy since Paul Lake in pre-Academy days. Joey Barton too would probably have broken through. Sturridge was not ‘let go’ he refused to sign a very lucrative contract because he wanted to go to Chelsea. He is a very big ego, and a selfish player but with exceptional talent. If that can be harnessed and he learns to bring others into play more generously, he could be very good, however, the way he has developed he would not be ahead of any of the strikers we have at City right now.
Alph
I can fully understand the descisions that have had to have been made the past few years in relation to such players. Despite many of our youth players having many qualities you would hope that descisions to move such players on is based on their statistics and more thourough evaluations than any of us will make.
But I too still have a soft spot for many players who have been with us, and can’t help wondering if they could have played a bigger role. Players such (as in no particular) order Vladimir Weiss, Adam Johnson, Shauny Wright, Onuoha, Boyata, samaras (joke). Don’t really rate Sturridge all that much… Skillful but not clinical enough (yet at least).
Also Jerome Boateng, De Jong, maybe Ireland, and a few more. Admittedly most of them will have wanted to move on for more regular football… And others haven’t exactly set the world alight at other clubs. But still have a soft spot for many of them and feel many could be doing alright for us even now. Especially those who show some sense of loyalty to their club (such as shauny and onuoha perhaps). That counts for alot more than is often recognized.