MAN CITY v Sheffield Wednesday – The PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team
3 Jan
Willy Caballero will continue in goal after stepping in for the clash with Sunderland. Bacary Sagna and Aleks Kolarov will likely be stationed in the fullback positions with Dedryck Boyata partnering either Martin Demichelis or Eliaquim Mangala in the heart of defence.
Fernando is expected to return after suspension and with Yaya Touré leaving for the African Cup of Nations after this fixture, he will be looking to depart on a high. James Milner and Frank Lampard are both nailed on to start, with Scott Sinclair a possibility out wide. Jose Angel Pozo and Stevan Jovetic may well be vying for one place up front.
Here is the side Pellegrini could select:
Prediction: MAN CITY 3 – 1 Sheffield Wednesday.
I realise we have to win this; it remains the most winnable of the three competitions we are in, but it remains a game and a competition that offers opportunity to rest players key to out PL campaign, get fitness and sharpness into one or two of the fringe players and encourage the development of the youngsters ready to step up and most likely to succeed like Jose Angel Pozo, Thierry Ambrose and Angelino.
Sinclair will probably get a game but I can’t for the life of me see why. It’s no good putting him in the shop window, he was a huge mistake in the first place, is hugely over paid, isn’t going to take a pay cut and has already refused to go anywhere else to play ‘on loan’ to reduce the net cost to the club, prefering to take the money and live the high life. He is another in the long line of wasters who have taken the money and laughed all the way to the bank. Nigel Clough, Laurent Charvet, Bear of Little Brain (aka Danny Mills), to name but a few.
It’s a time to look to the future and to give playing time, preferaly starts, to the afore mentioned Poz and Ambrose and if Seko Fofano is back from Fulham and fit, I’d have him on the bench too. He did well in Vieira’s squad and played several games for the black and whites on loan and was well regarded.
…………Caballero,
Sagna…Boyata…Nastasic…Angelino
……….Yaya…Fernando
Ambrose…….Pozo………..Milner
Bench: Hart, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva, Jovetic
Not a chance we will see that but I can hope can’t I?
Alph
Not a chance we play that team, but that’s because you only picked ten players mate.
I certainly want pozo to play, ambrose, celina and angelino on the bench to all come on if we are winning well with 30mins to go would be my shout.
I expect we will see
Caballero
Sagna boyata mangala kolarov
Milner Fernando lampard yaya pozo
Jovetic
Bench of hart, demi, angelino, fernandinho, celina, nasri, navas.
Would be nice to see ambrose in place of nasri or navas who could both benefit from a rest.
Giving the full day off to clichy zab and silva, is for me an absolute must.
Nice one blob! – counting was never my strong point.
Jove was supposed to be up front!!
Alph
Why is this Ya Ya’s last game? His first game for the Ivory Coast isn’t till the the 22nd.
We will struggle without him. We couldn’t even beAt Burnley without him
Rules is rules, they are entilted to have the player 2 weks before the comp starts and the CI coach has NEVER leant over a centimetre to help any club, ever!
Alph
Sinclair is rubbish and does not deserve a start. At home we should be able to put the Owls away with no trouble.
Any news on Iheanacho?
Don’t think so Jim; City have applied for a special talent exemption from the rules for a non-EEC work permit and are expecting to get it for the lad but in the current immigration climate there’s the opponents with their “one rule for the rich and another for the poor” to overcome. I think we will win this but it seems we are being made to sweat!
I must say he looks a gem from what I have seen. I was at Tynecastle when City visited Hearts pre-season, almost a home game for me as I live in Argyll, and the lad lit the place up. I can’t recall any City player of his age impressing me as much as he did, his touch, control and acceleration were all electric. Needless to say, there’s a lot for a 18 year old to add to his game and there has to be the right attitude and professionalism before he makes the grade at the very top but if this is a sign of things to come we can probably allow Sinclair to go
Alph