Joe Hart has dominated pre-match discussion this week, with McLeish using the meeting with City to enter negotiations. McLeish has suggested Joe would be 'devastated' to spend next season on the bench, whilst Mancini has said that the potential of Champions League football would require two top class goalkeepers and he wasn't talking about Stuart Taylor. However, the feeling seems to be that City value the potential of Hart and therefore, if a compromise needs to be reached to keep Joe happy, then a season's loan would be by far the least damaging solution. All of which is irrelevant to the game itself as he will not be playing.
Birmingham will instead call upon Maik Taylor, who will have to blow away the cobwebs and try to perform at the top-level after so long waiting on the sidelines behind Joe Hart (the fate Hart will undoubtedly be fearing next season). This obviously can only be good for City and Mancini has already hinted that he wants the side to carry on attacking in the style seen last weekend.
The only injury dilemmas for City regard fullbacks. With Micah struggling with injury and Zabaleta serving his final game of suspension, Nedum will probably be preferred at rightback. Whilst injuries to Sylvinho and Bridge should see Garrido return - unless something more drastic involving Gareth Barry is seen as a little more solid.
Nigel de Jong was rested for the Burnley game in order to protect his yellow card record and, with no disrespect for Birmingham, I presume he wasn't being protected for this game. So it could be another game for Barry and Vieira in the middle.
Probable team, 4-4-2:
Given; Onuoha, Toure, Kompany, Garrido; Johnson, Vieira, Barry, Bellamy; Tevez, Adebayor.
Birmingham's 2009 form has faltered since the turn of the year and whilst they probably should have won at St Andrews, it shouldn't be the same sort of test this time round.
With Tottenham and Villa involved in FA Cup ties this weekend, this is another opportunity to put some space between us and the chasers, and also to test City's collective mentality and if it is able to keep up with the levels (or something close to the levels) seen at Burnley last weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment