Cardiff v MAN CITY – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
24 Aug
After such an enthralling, thumping and uplifting victory over Newcastle in the opening game of the season, Manuel Pellegrini must be tempted to name as close an unchanged side as possible for this visit to face Cardiff. Vincent Kompany is out injured and could be replaced by one of Matija Nastasic, who has trained fully for the past couple of days, Dedryck Boyata or Javi Garcia. Otherwise, the manager has the opportunity to stick with the players who so comprehensively swept to a glorious win on Monday night.
However, there is the chance James Milner may be given the nod in midfield, while Samir Nasri is a contender afterimpressing as a substitute late on against Newcastle and Alvaro Negredo’s physicality could prove useful in what is potentially a tricky tie. There are options galore for Pellegrini, with the only certainty being that the quality on the bench will offer a reassuring presence in case matters aren’t going as planned.
Edin Dzeko is a hugely tempting 5/1 to open the scoring with Paddy Power.
Here is the side Pellegrini could select:
Referee: Lee Probert – He officiated three City matches last season, with the Blues winning, drawing and losing one each.
Prediction: Cardiff 0 – 3 MAN CITY – The home side will be fired up and determined to cause an upset, but while Craig Bellamy’s pace has the potential to hurt our backline, we should have far too much quality. There is a feelgood factor swirling around the club and goals from Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo will keep that going.
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The only thing I don’t like about reading these pieces is you never predict a player will score twice, and it sort if wrecks the article for me…
Nastasic should not be rushed back and I do believe he should start next week against Hall. In the meantime, Boyata should be given a chance. If he is that bad not to be considered against a fixture like this one, then we seriously need to tap into the transfer market for a CB
i agreed strongly to the lineup so far but nastasic should have been given the nod next week so that boyata could be given the chance, seriously we should go for a defender before champion league commence, but we shall score more 3 goals amen
Slightly concerned as to how we keep three centre forwards happy. Aguero will be first choice which leaves Dzeko and Negredo, both of whom I feel will need/demand regular starts to both stay happy and, more importantly, score regularly. Interesting.
Def need a centre back. Garcia does not have the pace to qualify. Get Van Buyton back (ok no pace but dominant).
hey Crispy, my Blue friend, 4 top strikers were too many last year, mainly because of the attitudes(Teves and Balotelli)but I think that our 4 (Jovetic too) are just right now, Edin a bit less than the others maybe, but they seem more team spirited rather than “me firsters”
Wait til the domestic cup runs and the UCL come around, I think they won’t be too disappointed with the playing time. After RM got the gate after blowing the FAC and no trophies last year, Pellegrini will take all comp’s seriously and we will have a ton of fixture’s even if the CL is bad like last year, which I don’t think it will be.
I was thinking EXACTLY the same, Crispy. VB was great during his short spell with us. Had we had the cash to buy him at the time, he would still have been with us despite the big changes at City. For today I think Boyata should be in instead of Nastasic. 0-2 City.
I can’t see us keeping a clean sheet today, particularly as one of our CBs will be short of match practice. Fancy us to score a few though, so 3-1. Come on City!
Look on the bright side – this might be the push we need to bring in a commanding centre back. Someone who can dominate a game. Zabaleta and Hart were at fault for the goals but Campbell’s confidence would have been boosted by playing against a pedestrian (at best) midfielder playing out of position at centre back. Everyone knows how poor Garcia is yet still he is persisted with. I mean, we knew City were short at he back; we knew Garcia would play there; and we knew he would struggle. I would have preferred Barry there (one paced but can keep a ball) or even Toure.
Anyway, Negredo must start – he creates chances whenever he plays. Early days but Chelsea’s win tomorrow and they are six points ahead so let’s hope for a draw…
Oh, and Hart is a good keeper (clearly as he plays for England) – good at shot stopping and one on ones. However his kicking is woefull, worst I can remember for a City keeper in fact. In addition, he is poor on crosses and fails to dominate his box. To be honest it’s the kicking aspect that does my head in the most but perversely it’s the crossing failure that will cost us the most.
Best keeper I’ve seen (watching at home since 1986) is Tony Coton. No doubt.
Merlin had a day off and he was truly horrible and I am not sure why he was not substituted. I would have loved to see Rodwell or Milner in his place and City would resort to a more direct football. As for Negredo he is a natural goal scorer, he has to start and we need to start hoofing the ball more into the box with Negredo and Dezko there in games like this one