MAN CITY v West Ham – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
10 May
We’re 90 minutes away. Just one final effort, one final performance, one final burst of attacking football to drive us over the finishing line. The title is in our sights, teasing us as it stands there, waiting for us to grasp it tightly, but remaining, for the moment at least, just out of reach. It should be in our possession come Sunday evening.
For the fans, for those who have experienced self-inflicted misery time and time again, and for those whose hearts have barely recovered from the quite remarkable events of two years ago, nerves are inherent. They’re there, prominent, battling without much resistance to stand proudly at the forefront of our minds. We will worry. It’s what fans do. We will try to avoid thinking of the worst possible outcome but it’s inescapable. An unfortunate own-goal, a last-minute Andy Carroll header, a fraught and frustrating first-half in which we struggle to knock down a resilient opposition door. Those thoughts will have passed through the minds of many a Blues’ supporter over the past few days: hope tinged with concern, optimism buried beneath a mound of anxiety.
Yet it must be remembered that the players don’t think like fans. They are a group of highly skilled, highly focused, highly determined individuals who have maintained a consistent approach to the season. If not quite ruthless, they have a clinical streak and an assured professionalism. In this position, just one game from the end and with the power to turn our dreams into reality, they will be fine. They’ll stride out onto the Etihad turf on Sunday confident, hungry and, above all, professional. This is a group of winners, of leaders, of characters who will not let this opportunity slip.
In terms of selection, it is a relatively simple one for Manuel Pellegrini. He has declared the whole squad fit for this encounter, the first time this season the whole playing staff has been available, but there will be minimal changes. Sergio Aguero is not quite 100% but he’ll start, most likely in place of James Milner. Aleks Kolarov will surely retain his place on the left of defence, his rotation on a game-by-game basis with Gael Clichy a feature of Pellegrini’s selections over the past couple of months, but the Serbian’s greater offensive threat is expected to get the nod.
The only dilemma is a choice between Javi Garcia and Fernandinho. The Brazilian has supposedly been carrying a slight knock in recent times but has still been fit enough to feature on a consistent basis from the bench and he would be my overwhelming choice, but I would expect the manager to stick with Garcia, his height as an obstacle in front of Andy Carroll perhaps a redeeming feature.
Here is the side Pellegrini could select:
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Prediction: MAN CITY 3 – 0 West Ham – Cold-bloodedly, we should be fine. We are a superior side to West Ham, better on the ball, better off it and with such rewards at the end of an exhausting season, I can’t see the players passing up this glorious chance for silverware. An early goal would settle us down and I expect we’ll come out firing early doors and hopefully – hopefully – run out comfortable victors. I’m predicting goals to be scored by Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri.
This is it! Final game of the season. 90 minutes away from the dream. To be honest i had nightmares about this game-93rd goal header by Carroll but WE ARE THERE and we will do it.
As for the line-up, exactly the same as the Aston Villa game. No change. Garcia than Ferna in order to track Carroll and Kolarov instead of Clichy for obvious reasons. As for the score, I’ll agree with VFAB. 3-0 but with a Dzeko hat-trick. He deserves it. He was consistent throughout the season and its his time to be idolised.
No matter what everybody thinks about tomorrow, at 17:00 WE WILL BE CHAMPIONS, like it or not. As for the people who are coming to Etihad…give everything you have and prepare to make the stadium a living HELL!
BLUE MOON RISING…or as i like saying, BLUE MOON ALREADY RISED! COME ON CITY
Twitter: @michalis_ch
Had the same bloody dream but it was Nolan finishing off a Carroll knock down, Woke up in pools of sweat, was I dreaming what a bloody relief !!!!
Now into reality City are too Tough at the back to allow this one to slip Zabaleta and Kompany will be like mad dogs of war ready and waiting !
CITY 2 West Ham 0 Dzeko,Toure – yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Ειμαστε παντου οι Ελληνες! Καλως ηρθες φιλε
Είμαστε. Έχει 1-2 χρόνια που παρακολουθώ το VFAB αλλά είχα διαφορετικά names. Πάμε δυνατά!
In Crown Plaza hotel in Manchester, waiting to go out before I go to watch City tomorrow.
I would rather play Fernandinho, but Garcia’s ability at set-prices might give him the nod.
I’m really nervous,but this web-site usually gets the score right
You’re absolutely right VFAB, you cant help but think of all kinds of negative permutations. It comes with the territory of supporting our beloved city, and that of being a fan of any club which involves not being in control of what happens out there, but like you say its not the same for the players and they should do the job.
However, you did miss one possibility that I was imagining today, it would just be our luck if we came out looking solid and confident but a west ham player still manages to score a worldy early on and subsequently get the nerves really jangling. It would of course be so nice to be 2 or 3 up at half time, but that would just be too easy wouldn’t it?
Man.City 5 West Ham 0
Just out of curiosity what was the prediction before the QPR match? I would imagine pretty similar although Rangers were fighting for survival. City just do not do a fan cruise, City ALWAYS give us the bleedin roller coaster, come on lads just look at the history, never never simple. However they always get there in the end. My prediction for what it’s worth is 3-1 City with the Hammers taking the lead, a lead that wakes the boys up from a slow start. And a lead that gives us that sinking feeling just one more time before the season is over…..sure it wouldn’t be City without it.
The prediction for that game was 4-1. Well, I got the right number of goals in the game…!
Haven’t had a good sleep all week’ I wonder why??, there’s a very good read in the the telegraph by Mr winter, also a good article by David conn in the guardian about ffp – I don’t see uefa banging down Mr Chelsea’s door’ it sounds to me that uefa are looking for a “bad guy” & are using city as the whipping Boy’s, suits who have the green eyed monster, we know that beast well here in Ireland, give them nothing & fight them all the way’ 50 million pound – are they having a laugh??, no big prediction’s about tomorrow, we are in the position we wanted to be in’ go do your job boys….. No panic, no slow start’ enjoy yourselves & show no absolutely no Mercy.
P.s congratulations to Mr fernandhino on making the world cup squad’ very well deserved sir, excellent footballer & a gentleman’ who ever said that footballers are brain dead & haven’t a clue about life???, not these bunch of lads’ they’re a credit to all concerned – a joy to watch them on & off the pitch, congrats to to martin d on winning player of the month’ lovely seeing him with his son going to school – it seems that city are full of charming men.
Not a lot of city fans over here in Pakistan so this website is a distant friend. Feelings are the same over here guys. Fingers crossed. Almost there…….
I am a Man Utd fan and you better not mess this up LP can not be champions, for this one time i´ll support the ugly blue shirt
Thanks for your sick support but actually we didn’t need that
OOPS WE DID IT AGAIN!