Blackburn v MAN CITY – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
3 Jan
A trip to Ewood Park is the first hurdle to overcome as City look to go one step further than last season’s spineless defeat in the FA Cup final to Wigan amid rumours of bust-ups, in-fighting and the departure of Roberto Mancini. In contrast to the utter deflation that followed that loss, there is a now an overwhelming sense of positivity coursing through the club, and there will be a determination to lift the trophy having come so close, yet capitulated so pathetically, last year.
There will be the temptation for Manuel Pellegrini to make a number of changes for this encounter. The first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final against West Ham is just a few days away, before Premier League action resumes next weekend, so fringe players will be hoping for an opportunity away to Blackburn.
Costel Pantilimon could be given the nod in goal, whilst Dedryck Boyata, Gael Clichy and Joleon Lescott might feature. With talk that Lescott may depart on loan, City may not want him to be cup-tied, but he will have suitors anyway and I’d select him alongside Vincent Kompany at the heart of our defence.
Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell and James Milner will all hope Pellegrini turns in their direction, whilst David Silva is available after missing the Swansea game through suspension. Stevan Jovetic is still missing so Edin Dzeko is likely to be named on his own up front.
Here is the side Pellegrini could select:
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Prediction: Blackburn 1 – 3 MAN CITY – We should have enough quality to progress to the next round, irrespective of how many changes our made. Goals to be scored by Edin Dzeko, David Silva, James Milner and Jordan Rhodes.
Picked the very same team except I would play Lescott for Nastsic.
0-2 is my prediction
I would like to see Pellegrini make a bold team selection with a mixture of youth and fringe players for the trip to Blackburn. To give 1st team a deserved rest for West Ham and Newcastle coming up.
Hopeful team.
Pantilamon
Boyata Lescott Nastasic Clichy
Milner Adu Rodwell Lopes
Silva
Guidetti
City to 0-2.
Rodwell now has a hammy – ridiculous.
Hey guys we play with Blackburn not with Barcelona! This is a too strong starting eleven for that match. We need to rest some top players and give some time to subs to get some match experience and fitness. This is the starting eleven I would choose:
PANTILIMON
MILNER (I would like to test him in RB even against weaker opposition)
BOYATA JAVI GARCIA (If Lescott goes we need some extra emergency cover at CB)
LOPEZ RODWELL ADU HENSHALL
NASRI
JOVETIC (if he ‘s fit) or DZEKO
They will destroy us if we go with this starting eleven. Too week. Only one player must miss this game: Fernandinho. He must rest. He didn’t miss a game since the start of the season.
destroy us? that’s a joke right
Can anyone recall a worse performance in a City shirt in recent memory than Boyata today?
There were a lot of very poor performances at Ewood Park but Boyata’s was astonishingly bad.
last year clichy against wigan in the final when a 20-year-old player made him look like a retired man.
Yep – a very bad one too but in mitigation McManaman was on fire. Even Zabaleta was poor on that day.
Today Boyata was so bad without anyone putting him under pressure. Anyway, of more concern is the fact we look fatigued and that is before January’s horrendous schedule. We need players back from injury quick.
sure but that was a title-costing perfomance while this wasn’t
The Wigan goal came from a corner.
Couldn’t have a worst result. Better lose than play again with them (worse fixture program)
Pants 5 – at fault for goal but possibly unsighted.
Boyata 2 – would have been a 3 but the sending off was inexcusable.
Lescott 4 – lost his man for goal and painfully uncomfortable on the ball.
Nasty 5 – dip in form this season.
Clichy 5 – fine defensively but not tested as understandably Blackburn targetted Boyata. Offers nothing going forward, partic on crosses.
Milner 6 – poor touches but kept the fight going. Good corners.
Garcia 5 – pedestrian.
Fernandinho 6 – assume taken off to give him a rest but looked busy.
Silva 7 – no right foot but a lovely left. Didn’t quite hit it off but keeps possession.
Negredo 7 – seems to be suffering a slight dip but always willing. Could he have done better with header? Extra point for the goal.
Dzeko 5.5 – one shot from memory but cannot partner Negredo and needs crosses. Misguided header set up goal. Best off the bench.
I may be boorish/boring and stingy but technically work moor row after 2 weeks off so there.
got away with a poor display its the worst I have witnessed boyata play even when on loan lescott push him out total useless.on another point we have not learnt to break down teams that put 10 men behind the ball lucky against palace and Blackburn adapted same tactics got to sort this problem out quick