With only two days passed since the heroics against Liverpool on Monday night, Mancini is likely to call upon our squad strength for the tie against Timisoara tonight. As the game against Sunderland is only another two days break from here, a large number of the 25 will see action this week. Three games in six days, with barely a breath in between, shows why it may not be as difficult to keep the players happy as has been suggested.
Monday night benchwarmers Adebayor, Wright-Phillips, Vieira, Silva, Jo and Zabaleta are all thought to be in with a starting chance. Whilst I am sure they all wanted to be involved against Liverpool from the off, they will get their chances to stake a claim to Sunday's starting line-up, and this should ensure that City retain a high-level of performance and therefore take out the possibility of underestimating the opposition. Such is the beauty of the competition for places, that players will be forced to seize the opportunities they get.
The ever interesting training scouts on the forums, and Daniel Taylor of The Guardian, spotted that Mancini took aside ten outfield players who could make up the line-up tonight. Whilst the goalkeeper remains a mystery in this scenario - with thoughts that it will hinge on Mancini's meeting with Given yesterday - the possible team would look like this:
Hart
Richards, Boyata, Kompany, Zabaleta
SWP, Vieira, De Jong, Silva
Jo, Adebayor
With seven changes from the team that faced Liverpool, this would really flaunt our squad strength. Milner was not registered in time for these ties and, the star of the away leg, Mario Balotelli is still suffering from a knee injury and is hoping to be fit for his league debut on Sunday.
Jo has been rewarded for his pre-season displays with an official vote of confidence from Mancini yesterday:
"I have been able to see Jô close-up in the last two months and what I have seen makes me think he's a good player. I can also remember seeing him play for CSKA [Moscow] a few years ago when I was with Internazionale and he's a good striker. We want to keep him."
It is early to say whether he will finally find his feet at City, but he must find it reassuring to finally be under a manager who believes in him. Jo's young career was mishandled by the uncertainty during Sven and Thaksin's final months at City. Already singled out by Sven as a high-priority target, Jo arrived under the newly appointed Mark Hughes, who inherited him rather than necessarily wanting him. Whilst this doesn't excuse his less than professional attitude during his early City career - maybe a settled, maturing Jo could finally fulfil some of the potential that brought him here for what was a club record fee. If he scores a couple tonight, he may start to seem a better piece of business than Roque Santa Cruz was for a similar fee!
Anything other than a loss will see City through tonight but, with the momentum from Monday night, we will be hoping to do it with a bit of a flourish.
JO, has never been a lead the line striker, as Hughes played him. He is young, and severely lacked guidance and confidence. He is very much a support striker as he did in Moscow with vagner love.
ReplyDeleteMancini will remember him scoring against inter twice. He can be a handy player for us, he already looks more confident.