Supermonkey92

I don't like hazard on the right, and this doesn't seem to be the match that suits willian in the middle. Costa doesn't need to drift so wide and certainly not so often, we are already dominating possession. Stay on the last man and make the villa defence drop deeper, making a bigger space behind the midfield. I'd bring Luis on for Dave, put hazard in the left. Have the fullbacks stretch the play and let the AM's drift.

Bloody hell Dave is not needed in these games compared to what Luis brings!

Link for iPad anyone?

It seems that the aim is to play with a right attacker who naturally cuts inside most times with a RB overlapping. This overloads the attack. Defensively Iva has akways dropped more central to his CB, even Dave naturally does it too, that's why we are one of the best at parking the bus. We end up having 4 CB's with our wingers back as fullbacks. Then it is for the pivot and number 10 to shield the middle, problems arrive when the wingers lack concentration, or the distance between a tucked in Iva and the defending right winger is large, providing dangerous space as Man city showed. Jose was not in charge for our reserves reaction when we went 1-0 up, it was just a natural tendency from our fullbacks to tuck in, rather than spread out wide and push up slightly, with the CB's spreaded too. Man city, arsenal, you name it play that way because it makes the pitch bigger and helps possession. This is what we need to do, Luis is capable but i don't think Iva it to a lesser degree out centre backs are capable

Zouma's actually capacity to play football is very limited, which is odd because as a cb he has a very high ceiling. Defending against players with the ball he is very good

Every option on the right it seems has quite a big flaw. Willian has the decision making of Ramires, which is more frustrating because he is capable. Schurrle is probably the worst candidate when the ball is at his feet, I'd put salah ahead of him. If Sarah's finishing was better last season I think he'd have more of a shout. Decent defensive coverages and can link up but at times seems average

Cech Azpi zouma Cahill Luis Matic ake Salah boga schurlle Remy

Yeh take the piss out of mourinho. I tell you what, we should have given it a real go, lost 5-3 but play good football. We would have got praise from around the country for taking part in a greatly entertaining game. Hey, we didn't win but we played really nice stuff, arsenal would be proud.

Also consider the sheer frustration in pellegrini. He kept saying the same bullshit, we didn't come to win, they have a style the will stick to blah blah blah. Last year they could have lost the league. If it wasn't for this boring boring chelsea Liverpool could have easily one. This year stoke has shown how to get points. Would you rather have a team that dogmatically sticks to one style regardless of results or be as adaptable as ours?

We have practically been defensive diabolical. Big game, away to the champions. Defensively superb. One mistake doesn't take away from that. This midfield will not beat a man city midfield head to head. They have more power, speed and strength, in fact I cannot think of any other team with a midfield, and also fullback who did tuck in, as physical imposing as city. The smart teams change when they know they cannot win a game playing their normal game. No Shame in that, Barcelona are incredibly unique in that sense. Every other big team does this. Adaptability is a plus, I don't think jose had control over us being so poor on the counter attack, he obviously wanted fabregas on the ball more for control, this will come as the team gels more. Not the ominous signal we wanted to send, but because the result wasn't perfect doesn't mean it wasn't good

Nothing from with frank scoring, he was always described as a great professional, though you have the right to be pissed. At the end I see it as Scurrle scores and messed up like an ass clown for the goal. Same as a 0-0 with more drama. DRogba is longer a good player I have to say. Cannot see why Remy was not put on. It was like 10v10 with didier on. Just not affective

City are a great side, plus this is the first game they have played this cb partnership which is best in prem IMO

Let's go at them now. Hazard and willian to run at them

I have to highlight positives. Probably our best game defensively. It's good to see we can defend in games we need too! Let's give willian some minutes. He has both speed and can keep the ball when pressured unlike Oscar and schurlle we each lack in one if those areas. Playing bad but players are allowed a chance to improve and we all know willian can especially in games with space. If not I would take him off for Remy and tell costa to drop deeper and help against yaya and fernandinho

If man city don't get a player sent if it's because the ref wants to get it 11-11. Willian should stay on, he draws fouls like no one else on out bench can. When toure or silva is sent off bring on Remy

Willian RuN at them!!!

Though I don't think city can keep this pressing up. To compare their pressing to ours is to compare PS4 to PS1

Something I feel we have been quite thoroughly outdone by this city team in the last few years is their athleticism and physicality. Matic is the only one with a chance. Costa I don't think counts because his area in the pitch doesn't control the game.

The one game that playing willian on the left and hazard through the middle would be effective

Man city have been mad dogging us

Man city are really sharp through, we seem over awed a tad

Again tackle through the back from fernandinho

4-2-3-1 it seems. Matic-Fabregas Ramires- willian- hazard We will see how this turns out, hopefully not how I'm expecting :/

Under the cosh!

Good analysis on SKY. The pivot last year between matic and Luiz was great in the big matches. Both could press and drop deep, and if they wasn't close together most of the time as all pivot players should be it was the cover dangerous space. Today we will have to win a different way, Ramires is just not a pivot player in terms of moving in tandem with Matic so the 3 is needed, hoping that we put our foot on the ball and keep hold of it as that's what we're suited too