The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 7
Filed under: The Preamble - Posted by: Mark
As readers of this weekly column will know, it’s always difficult to avoid letting both Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson barging their way into my Saturday morning thinking, gatecrashing the party, Ferguson clutching a bottle of supermarket red.
This week is no different, while I was determined to offer the old “scatter gun” template of random team news, the Manchester clubs dominate matters, simply because they are regularly serving up problems and causing both myself and the press to second guess.
Mancini is again the protagonist this week, teeing us up for the first teamsheets of the day with a warning that he’s about to rotate his troops for the visit of Sunderland. He rested players in the midweek Champions League tie with Dortmund, notably Carlos Tevez and he’s insisted that he’ll now be forced to freshen things for the visit of the Black Cats…
“We played on Wednesday night and on Saturday we start at lunchtime – it doesn’t give the players much time to recover which is why I had to rest some players against Dortmund…We need at least five or six of the team to be fresh against Sunderland – every other country has at least three days before their next game – some have four – so this is a problem for us and for the teams in this country.”
Such a revelation has caused havoc with the predicted lineups. Scanning the papers this morning, there seems to be a glorious mix of configurations thrown at the problem.
It comes as some relief that Tevez looks to be assured a start – he’s present and correct in all our six press lineups this morning but is partnered by a cocktail of Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and is even predicted to be foraging alone up front.
The Guardian, The Times and The Independent all stick with the trusted Aguero/Tevez partnership – and past evidence suggests that they could be right; Mancini has often stuck by Aguero after Champions League games.
That doesn’t stop the Mail and the Sun suggesting that Balotelli will get the start with Tevez, while in the Telegraph, we find the Argentine in a 4-2-3-1 system with David Silva presumably charged with supporting the lone striker.
Interestingly we’re seeing three of the papers opting for a start for Scott Sinclair, perhaps hinting that Mancini will look to his workrate to help counter the threat of Adam Johnson for the visitors. We also see some variation in the back four with the Telegraph opting to keep Matija Nastasić in Mancini’s defence with Joleon Lescott missing out; all of our other papers predict a recall for the former Everton man.
Not to be outdone, there are some interesting quotes from Ferguson this morning regarding the rotation of his two keepers. The United boss states that he is looking to continue alternating David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard for the foreseeable future but does at least indicate that, eventually, he’ll settle on one for a sustained period…
“I think everybody wants to play and goalkeepers are no different. But the way I look at it, at the moment, is giving the two of them experience will help them in the long term. Obviously, at some stage, one of them will take over if he shows real consistency, top-level performance and maturity. At the moment, neither has got that big-game experience but they will get that in time. I’m not setting any targets [in terms of a time-frame for that to happen].”
The fact is Alex, while your back four continues to look as stressed and close to collapse as Jamie Redknapp’s trousers, I’m not sure us Fantasy managers are all that fussed what you do with the pair of them. Eventually though, when the nitty meets the gritty and the quest for clean sheets and 1-0 wins comes to the fore, then we’ll be interested.
Ferguson’s lineup for Sunday has fewer question marks dangling over it than his Manchester counterpart. The press has decided en masse that both Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney will start in tandem at Newcastle and it’s hard to argue.
Four of our papers – The Sun, The Guardian, The Independent and The Times, all opt for that strike pairing flanked by Shinji Kagawa and hopelessly random Nani. Only the Telegraph suggest that Kagawa will be disappointed, while the Mail bravely punt that Antonio Valencia is fit to take his place on the right flank. An oversight, surely?
That stab in the dark is close but fails to claim the award for “do they know something we don’t?” The Mail are the front runners, however, suggesting that Eden Hazard will be omitted from Chelsea’s lineup for the home clash with Norwich – again, surely an oversight given that the Belgian was rested to the bench for the midweek European tie. They also feel that Nigel Adkins will have been at the sauce, forget he has Gaston Ramirez in his squad and leave the £12 million man out of his starting XI for the visit of Fulham. Oh dear.
Perhaps the most surprising inclusion this week, however, can be found in the Independent – so often the most reliable of our Saturday morning sources. Somehow they’ve opted to include “Barnett” at left-back for West Brom against QPR. I can only presume they refer to Leon Barnett who left the club last year and who is likely to be lining up for Norwich at Stamford Bridge. Clearly a Time Lord was working on that particular lineup for them. There’s no sign of Cyrille Regis up front, though – much to the relief of Mark Hughes.
Away from the mirth, it’s perhaps worth informing you that Carlos Cuellar is predicted to be on one team sheet this morning – and that’s in The Mail – for what it’s worth. Elsewhere, Andy Carroll is given the nod in every West Ham lineup aside from the Guardian who stick with Carlton Cole, while the Sun have opted to hand César Azpilicueta his Chelsea Premier League debut against Norwich at the expense of Scout Pick Branislav Ivanovic. Not something that we, or any other member of the press expect will happen, but certainly an interesting possibility. That would come as a blow to Ivanovic’s 27% ownership with a potential clean sheet beckoning.
It would certainly make a change for Roberto Di Matteo to draw our wrath when it’s been Mancini and Ferguson jostling for that role each week. I’m sure I speak for us all when I say I’m hoping for a trouble free weekend when it comes to the teamsheets. With another dull international break beckoning like a week spent at the parents who are still on dial-up (another priceless insight into my existence), we all need to go into such a void on a positive note.
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“Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.”
Mark
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October 6 at 12:24 pm
Brutus619 says:
Mancini owed me £2m, I could have made some real nice upgrades to my team if I stuck with Tevez -_-
October 6 at 12:22 pm
Chu Young Ping Pong says:
Well, I told you so..
October 6 at 12:23 pm
dwmr says:
Best call your lawyers.
October 6 at 12:25 pm
Brutus619 says:
*Owes
October 6 at 12:26 pm
Giggs Boson says:
But Carlos didn’t play mid week, he was shirley sure to start.
October 6 at 12:30 pm
Brutus619 says:
I didn’t bring in Aguero this week so I did still get the benefit of a goal v Fulham. I blame the schedule tbh, Mancini wasn’t going to play Aguero 2 times inside 4 days :/
October 6 at 12:25 pm
Chu Young Ping Pong says:
GOALLLLL, Fletcher!!!
October 6 at 12:24 pm
Crouch Potato says:
Excellent, have him as captain, get in there!
October 6 at 8:47 pm
john woods says:
Yes fletcher will be equally as brilliant next week against the castle
October 6 at 12:25 pm
King Cabbage says:
And to think – you’re the sperm that won!
October 6 at 12:25 pm
Blue Teets says:
You’re the sperm your mum should have swallowed…
October 6 at 12:26 pm
Euro Fantasy League code: 8669-5262 says:
O Teri.
October 6 at 12:26 pm
Hiphopopotamus says:
I like that line Teets. I shall use it in the future.
October 6 at 12:27 pm
Euro Fantasy League code: 8669-5262 says:
ReallY?
October 6 at 12:26 pm
The Viper says:
Hasn’t even started lad, don’t mind him/her
October 6 at 12:26 pm
DownUnder says:
^ haha
October 6 at 12:27 pm
Chu Young Ping Pong says:
What’s funny about that?!
October 6 at 12:32 pm
DownUnder says:
The fact that it hasnt started and “really?”
October 6 at 12:27 pm
Giggs Boson says:
… is what no-one will say to today.
October 6 at 12:26 pm
Chu Young Ping Pong says:
October 6 at 12:28 pm
MartinUnreal says:
October 6 at 12:30 pm
Giggs Boson says:
I want Sunderland to win, just not from that lucky Fletcher again, he’s starting to annoy me!
October 6 at 12:30 pm
MartinUnreal says:
You better get used to it. We can only win if he scores…
October 6 at 12:27 pm
afcblegend says:
Watching football focus, this dialogue about tweets and the ridiculously slow process of sorting out this racism case just makes me want to switch off! Feel for the pundits who have to talk about this stuff 24/7
October 6 at 12:27 pm
EL BERBOSSA says:
TEVEZ GOLASOOOOOOOO X3
October 6 at 12:27 pm
rohan says:
Right, looking ahead to next week, Really want Berba if he is fit. .Thing is who do I get rid of??.. RVP,Ba or Jelavic?
October 6 at 12:28 pm
MartinUnreal says:
Two Unbeaten teams go head to head…One of them will surely win…leaving only one unbeaten team (with Chelsea likely to lose to Norwich) My money is on Sunderland to be the only unbeaten team by the end of this weekend…
October 6 at 12:27 pm
DownUnder says:
SUUUNNNDDERLLLANNDDD!!!
October 6 at 12:28 pm
Dave Whelan's Press Officer says:
Interesting theory
October 6 at 12:29 pm
saints says:
Any money left?
October 6 at 12:34 pm
mutatedllama says:
Erm no
October 6 at 12:29 pm
The Viper says:
Yaya starting is also a relief given the ‘doubtful’ talks that were swirling around yesterday..
Tevez assist for a Yaya goal would be lovely, not too much to ask!
Went with RVP (c) in the end..
October 6 at 12:30 pm
saints says:
You’re safe viper, I got rid of Yaya so he’ll score plenty this week.
I also have RVP (c) and Tevez….
October 6 at 12:30 pm
The Viper says:
Mata should do fine. Infact, I would have captained him if I were you
October 6 at 12:31 pm
saints says:
Was tempted to (c) Bale….. Just know if I uncaptain RVP he’ll bag a brace.
October 6 at 12:29 pm
All Up On The Interwebs says:
One of my fave Prem goals ever, don’t know why but it’s just such a class finish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....38;t=0m13s
October 6 at 12:33 pm
mutatedllama says:
Insane finish
October 6 at 12:30 pm
mr messi says:
Aguero could still come on and score, right? *nervous laugh*
October 6 at 12:35 pm
saints says:
I think that’s very likely personally
October 6 at 12:31 pm
The Dom-Bastic scale says:
Mancini is actually Andy from Toy Story. All his players think they are Woody and Buzz, but they are actually Mr Potato, hehe!
October 6 at 12:35 pm
Crouch Potato says:
Hey lay of the potato’s mate!
October 6 at 12:41 pm
The Dom-Bastic scale says:
Opps, thought you were away having your way with the soldiers! Sorry!
October 6 at 12:31 pm
Jafooli says:
Watch Johnson rip it up today……massive point to make, which ai think he will…..
October 6 at 12:30 pm
Stern John Terry Wilson Palacios says:
Hope he does an Adebayor in reverse
October 6 at 12:29 pm
Duffman91 says:
+1
October 6 at 12:32 pm
scored says:
Nobody can run the length of the pitch, that fast, backwards!
October 6 at 12:35 pm
Stern John Terry Wilson Palacios says:
October 6 at 12:35 pm
The Dom-Bastic scale says:
Yeah baby!!!!
October 6 at 12:32 pm
Locarno says:
Sess any-time goal at 5/1 is interesting.
October 6 at 12:34 pm
Giggs Boson says:
Nice.
October 6 at 12:33 pm
isacki - losing makes winning sweeter says:
I think the two most likely upsets this week are Newcastle over United and West Ham over Arsenal. In both cases the underdog is physical and good in the air against defences particularly vulnerable to those sort of tactics. Both are also strong at home. Arsenal might have problems scoring against West Ham’s deep defence – they’ve had problems scoring against every team that sat deep, including cleanies for Stoke and Sunderland and a single goal against Chelsea. It’s only against sides that play high up the pitch like Southampton and Liverpool that they’ve had joy. If it’s true that Newcastle are missing several first choice defenders, it’s undoubtedly a boost to the United attack and I fancy them to score. But I don’t see it as inconceivable that United lose the physical battle in midfield and defence and concede a few too.
October 6 at 12:33 pm
TwoKnightsTheKnight (formerly Mak_Gold) says:
NEW POST:
http://www.fantasyfootballscou.....ameweek-7/
October 6 at 12:34 pm
nomar says:
Jeepers! Now Aguero’s no longer safe from rotation?
Steering clear of city forwards now. Too risky. Suarez it will be then.
October 6 at 12:42 pm
The Dom-Bastic scale says:
Have I died and am stuck in September 2012?
October 6 at 12:34 pm
Giggs Boson says:
Mancini actually playing a few English players today, about time
October 6 at 12:35 pm
Stern John Terry Wilson Palacios says:
Sinclair still nowhere
October 6 at 12:35 pm
mosstapha says:
why are city conceding so much this year? anyone have any theories?
October 6 at 12:38 pm
DownUnder says:
Rotations no good for a teams morale
October 6 at 12:38 pm
Jonny says:
1) Constant defensive rotation – it’s baffling
2) No Nigel de Jong – equally baffling
October 6 at 12:39 pm
kroky says:
Mancini not settling on a back four I think is the main reason.
October 6 at 12:37 pm
AriseSirGiggsy says:
Questions I ask about City / Mancini are:
How many times this season will the team be Hart, Richards, Clichy, Kompany, Lescott, Barry, Toure, Silva, Nasri, Tevez, Aguero?
How many times will they win WITHOUT this lineup, and is it enough?
Why is this winning lineup / formation (particularly at home) not being pushed?
I ask because it seems that Mancini has weakened his squad with the sale of Johnson and De Jong replaced with Garcia and Sinclair, and his 3 at back formation effectively means removing an attacking player (Nasri main candidate) in favour of a CB (kolo Toure for some reason) the upshot of which is their ball retention and chance creation is curtailed and their team balance compromised…..
Today looks like 4-3-1-2 so another one to get my end around…..
October 6 at 12:51 pm
Manani says:
KOLAROV FGS!!
thanks!!
October 6 at 12:52 pm
Paul says:
Kolarov!!!!!!!!