This is the thread for discussion on the Manchester City Starting XI, opinions, banter, general chat etc

According to the RP, it's 4-3-3 this year for City:

Given
Zabaleta K Toure Boateng Kolarov
De Jong Y Toure Barry
A Johnson Tevez Silva

Looks a bit unbalanced on the RHS if you ask me. More likely to be a 4-2-3-1 with Barry being sacrificied and Adebayor up front, NdJ and YYT being the water-carriers. We have definitely strengthened in defence and that was much needed. Kolarov looks an interesting FF pick as he has a shot and a half on him, takes set pieces and likes to get forward, maybe that's why they have Barry in providing cover for him? I thought Boateng was more of a RB than a CB but apparently he's another one of those "flexible" players that Mancini loves, like Zabaleta.

And this is before we (apparently) sign Milner - an excellent young player but do we really need him? - and the volatile Balotelli. I can see us nicking fourth spot off Spurs but no better than that and talk of a title is ridiculous at this stage.

maybe

GK
back 4
2 DM's
Milner Silva Johnson
Striker

Would you have Barry / De jong as the 2 DM's

edit - if so where would Toure Fit or will Toure above both Barry and De Jong in the DM pecking order

Wouldn't surprise me if he went for a midfield of De Jong, Barry & Yaya Toure

Y.Toure would seem to be on top of the DM pecking order. I wish he is accompanied by de Jong in our first XI but today we lined up 4-3-3 with Barry, dJ & Y.Toure all on the pitch. I sincerely hope this was just a case of experimenting and that our actual formation will be reminiscent of what andye suggested (minus Milner, really really hope he doesn't come ).

So what did we learn from yesterday, myself not having seen the game but read a few reports?

It was a bit of a surprise to see Hart in goal. Was this a sop to Joe and we'll see Given named in Saturday's XI? I don't think anyone knows, although the Daily Mail think it's Hart's. In the back four, Richards ahead of Zabaleta at right-back was also a mild suprise but I expect these two to play about half the games each this year.

Boateng in the middle surprised me a little bit as I thought he was a right-back but, in a recent interview he says his best position is in the centre of defence but he can play RB as well. That said, according to the MuEN, he "soon swapped places with Richards". Indeed he was playing the attacking full-back and his cross provided the assist for Barry's goal.

Kompany ahead of Kolo Toure - wasn't expecting that but I'm happy with it. Kolarov is pretty sure to start as first-choice but Bridge will be there if he doesn't settle or gets injured. According to Vital Football, "every set-piece really did have his name on it." I'm increasingly tempted by Kolarov - he has a fierce shot on him too - although I notice he's been priced fairly high for a KC, in the games I play anyway.

A midfield three of de Jong, Yaya Toure and Barry was unfortunately not a surprise. Mancini loves his water carriers but three of them starts to betray it as a bit of an obsession. Of the three, Toure is the most likely to get forward and he sounds like he was in the thick of the action yesterday. I'm more and more tempted by him in games where his price is cheap although Milner's imminnent arrival could dampen that enthusiasm.

Tevez, who was captain incidentally, and Silva, "used in a creative role behind the strikers" (Vital Football again), were both hauled off in the first half as they were "clearly not match-fit" (official site). Surely, they now need to be considered as doubts (or late fitness test at least) for next Saturday. Adebayor didn't impress but I can't imagine he'd be sold and I see him as number two pick in the forward line, behind Tevez, even with the expected arrival of Balotelli.

Thanks Snout. Confirms my decision to stay away from ManC until the team settles down. Adam J and Y Toure are on my watchlist.

Johnson oh Johnson...Damn I like this little wizard way too much. Why can't city just settle with having this incredible young lad on the wing? Play him from start every game, no way silva/milner/balotelli/bellamy/SWP will do better than him. From a FPL point of view I guess this is just too much to except isn't it? Adam will most likely be passing the water from the bench, am I right?

My guess with A Johnson is he'll start about a third or half of the EPL games but come on as first sub in a lot of them. And he'll probably start a lot of cup games. But no-one really knows. To be fair, he is still cutting his teeth in the Premiership; it looked like he took to it like a duck to water last season but it might make sense for Mancini to limit his exposure for now.

Apparently M Johnson still figures in our plans, which is good to know. Although you have to wonder if he'll make it back from two year-long injuries to displace some of the big names in our midfield. I for one however shall be cheering him on, maybe with a loan spell at some local club. No news on when he's due back from injury but it's supposed to be soon.

Would this be a reasonable approximation of the City line up, once settled and everybody match fit?

Hart
Richards K Toure Boateng Kolarov
Y Toure Barry
A Johnson Milner Silva
Tevez

Or supplanting one of the midfielders, Johnson presumably, with Adebayor/Balotelli?

Sure hope not and at any rate, Milner is hopeless in the middle (much much worse than Ireland, for example) while that's where Silva played for Valencia, so can't see why they'd lineup like you suggest.

Fortunately with the Hart/Given goalkeeper question, the first game is the 12.45 lunchtime kickoff, so we can wait for team news as to who's the preferred choice.
Just hope the website can take the strain

Is that a typo?

I'm sure the last smiley should be a

Back 5 for Saturday ?

Hart
Boateng Kompany Toure Kolarov

Help me out now. I like Adam Johnson way more than is rational. FPL-wise, is it total insanity to pick him while I'm playing with modified game rules not allowing any transfers at all until mid season? This means it's pretty important with not only 11pointmakers but 15 as they most certainly all will be used due to injuries and such. I really want Johnson in my team, but I'm feeling that's pretty much a suicide mission if he only plays a third of the games. Of course it's impossible to predict how many minutes he'll get, but at least tell me if it's just me, or is this kid truly brilliant?

He is brilliant, and should be a nailed-on starter if there was an iota of justice in this world.

Maybe you should wait until the last second to see what happens with the Milner-deal; I know it'll probably drag out until the end of the month but get the readings on saturday and then make the decision.

Not very helpful, I know, but it's the best I or you can do. At the moment, he is easily the best pure winger in our ranks and if Mancini forgets about the 3 CDM -nonsense, A. Johnson is sure to start.

Well this was as much help I was expecting really, thanks mate. What do you think, could the 3cdm-strategy be something for Mancini to use against stronger opponents, whilst against weaker opponents it may be more likely with a 4-4-2? Am i right when I think the only pre season game city lined up with 3cdms was against Valencia? Or am I just trying to fit A.Johnson in?

That would be correct, but the worrying fact is that vs. Valencia was the first match so far where Mancini had anything resembling a full squad at his disposal... and smack bang there they were, 3 CDMs loittering about. Curiously, Silva was still utilized at where he should be utilized i.e. behind the forward(s), so it sounds they went with a really narrow formation where the FBs have a license to bomb forward all night long.

Now as to which formation Mancini should go for , it's obvious that a fashionable 4-2-3-1 would be best suited considering the personnel we have. I'm thinking Silva in the hole, A.Johnson & Tevez on the wings and Adebayor up top (assuming no new arrivals). Last season we went 4-4-2 but I feel that was mostly due to lack of a central playmaker (Ireland is one, but Mancini doesn't rate him). Now that we have Silva, we should make the most of him... While still retaining a strong wing play.

Hasn't Tevez had less than 45 mins preseason?

This is just encouraging me to think that the new LB is the only Citeh player worth thinking about.

Yeah, if by preseason we mean matches played during the preseason. That's still 45 minutes more than certain Gunners, for example , and Tevez is sure to start on saturday.

BBC Gossip Column:

2020 BST: Mario Balotelli's agent is "very confident" the Inter Milan striker will shortly join Manchester City. (Sky Italia)

I don't have them, either.

At this rate, the bold part could very well refer to the year when this "any day now" -deal is finally completed.

any idea why boateng didnt start yesterday? Not even on the bench.

picked up an injury in the mid-week friendly. not sure how serious, nothing big was made of it so i imagine should be back soon

Having seen some games now this season, it seems City seem to be reasonably settled at the back and keeping clean sheets. Can anyone enlighten me on the first choice back 4, injuries aside? I play Dreamteam which has very few transfer windows but one is coming up. Assuming you can't change your City back 4 for three months in the game once you've picked it, who would you go for? I currently have Hart/Kompany/Toure and want to add another to get a block defence but I'm not sure how secure Kompany's position is or which full back to go for. Any inspired thoughts based on what you have seen so far? Many thanks!

The first choice back four in front of Hart is: Boateng - Toure - Kompany - Kolarov.

Obviously the two full backs have been injured to date but I would expect them to come in when they regain their fitness. Richards has improved with his run in the side, but Boateng should displace him and I don't think any of Lescott, Bridge and Zabaleta will stop Kolarov coming straight back in. I would also say that Kompany's place in the team is more secure than Kolo Toure's.

Both of the new full backs are more adventurous then the ones we already had, which could mean City are more susceptible to leaking goals, but they should also give us an extra threat going forward.

Thank you - that is really helpful

Interesting wee article on the way that Silva's absence tomorrow night may affect Mancini's tactics.

http://blogs.soccernet.com/manchesterci ... _means.php

I agree with the author that Mancini will go there hoping for the draw, especially with so few forward options available to him.