EPL tonight: City Vs Everton

[Happy Axeman]

Part 2 of our 3 encounters with Everton this month is tonight, kickoff 7:45.

After throwing in the towel and accepting the 2-1 defeat in the away leg of the League cup, we now have to face them just a week later in the league.

This is probably more important, we need the 3 points to keep ahead of Tottenham (who entertain Leicester) and to keep the pressure on Arsenal (who play at Liverpool), this is a MUST WIN GAME, we could go top if the Pool win, and spurs draw or win.

So its all down to the players to come out with a fast tempo and put Everton on the back foot straight away. I am hoping this will be without Yaya in the side, he just does not seem committed to put the work in you need to against Everton.

Mangala and Kompany are both ruled out, so we have the Demi/Otamendi partnership at the back, which is a concern.
Dunno why i'm bothering, i never get Pellegrini's selection right! lol but the Team I'd go for...

                     Hart
Sagna Otamendi Demmi Cliche
         Fernandinho Delph
De Bruyne                      Silva
                Kelechi
                        Aguero
Silva and De Bruyne both free to roam, both Fernandinho or Delph are box to box players and will run all day supporting both defence and attack, this is the energy we need from the middle two. and with Kelechi and Aguero both pressing from the front.

we would be playing pretty narrow, but Navas and Sterling would could be brought on for the last half hour for the injection of pace on the wings to continue to attack! And that's what we must do... Attack attack attack

Your thoughts? prediction?

[stevenryals]

really need a win tonight.. not just for the points but to give us a boost for the return fixture in the cup.. 
They used to be our bogey team, but we've done well recently.. lets hope we can continue that run again everton with a win tonight.. 

Would like to see iheanacho start with aguero.. 

still have a few injuries to deal with as well.. but we're close enough to full strength.. should have enough for the win..

when can we buy barker?  lol

[stevenryals]

have to give credit to everton for being resolute. 
:/

[stevenryals]

oh dear.. clear penalty in the 92nd minute..  ffs.. 

[Happy Axeman]

Terrible again, and it was freezing lol
the team he picked....
                 Hart
Sagna Demmi Ottamendi Cliche
           Fernando Yaya
  Navas      DeBruyne    Sterling
                 Aguero

As soon as i heard it was a middle two of Fernando and Yaya, I really did think we would lose.
Everton changed formation from the last game and played 3 at the back. They found it really easy to cut through the midfield whenever they tried, the fact they decided to set up to defend and hold is the real reason they didnt win!
Yaya did his usual token jog around without really closing his men down, collapsing in a heap whenever he lost the ball or he was too far up the pitch to run back, leaving huge gaps like he always does in a two man midfield. He seems to think he can get away with doing 1 or two good things to mask his failing performance. Yaya is actually frustrating me more than Navas at the minute, and his delivery was once again poor, selecting to cross it along the floor to no-one every single time.
Pellers had no bottle to change things round and was happy for us to just keep playing into evertons hands.
Aguero was kicked left right and center with no protection offered from the crap referee Roger East, who decided to not award a stone wall penalty in the dying embers of the game.

On a night when both Arsenal and Leicester drew, we missed an opportunity to go just a point behind them both, and go 6 clear from the threat of Tottenham.  Although after the 0-0 draw it is still 3 and 4 respectively, so in the grand scheme of things a point is not that bad, is the only positive i can take. 

[stevenryals]

1st half was poor, for sure.. 
but you have to admit that pellers made the tactical changes needed to take over the game in the second half.
on another day we would have scored 2 or 3..  with a ref who wasn't bent we would have had a pen..
Navas arguably was man of the match just for his workrate.... that and the fact that nobody really stood out.. 
His end product is attrocious, he's fast, but I wonder if he's been told to look up and see who's in the box and where before making his "cross".. 

Honestly crossing on the floor is our best chance at success from crosses..  Who do you think is going to win a header in the box, sergio? sterling? silva?  we're a team of midgets  lol 
(mind you, agueros header a couple weeks ago was magical)

meh.. CTID..  not the end of the world..  but on current for I can see us struggling to challenge in May

[Happy Axeman]

crossing along the floor when there is no chance of reaching a City shirt is great yeah. lol at least put in a cross that will get further than cut out at the near post... mix it up... or beat your fecking man with your pace and skill for a change then cross from the byline unmarked...but Jesus doth do that doesith he.

we need to find some form, and drop Yaya to the bench. 

[stevenryals]

right..  he has his moments though.. 
hey,he scored in 2016 already and hit the post once..  could be a banner year for him  LOL 

yes, i agree.. i think it's time to bench yaya..  too much loafing about.. we don't have room for passengers..  he does great things for 5 minutes of the match, but the other 85 is spent walking, falling down whenever someone takes the ball from him, and he's starting to get McManaman Syndrome with all the pointing

[Happy Axeman]

lol he's not as bad as Mcmanaman was, but he sure needs a slap and a kick up the backside.