Manchester City vs. Manchester United

I find it interesting from a City point of view that a left-back they signed for £16m is deemed a lesser option than a right-back who's merely competent on the left. It's a sad indictment of Kolorov and indeed their whole transfer policy if that's the case.

The same applies to Dzeko and Balotelli as neither would have had a look in if Tevez had been fit(although I rate Dzeko highly and feel he'll come good eventually).
 
City have zero creativity in midfield. I think SAF can go 4-2-3-1 in this and not worry so much about City holding possession like Barca or Chelsea could in a 4-3-3 because those sides can actually create from midfield.

So drop Carrick and Scholes in the two man role, toss Valencia and Nani wide with Berbasexual and Hergoaldez up front, then destroy City on the wings while Berbs and Scholes control tempo.
 
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand won’t be going out until after Saturday’s historic Wembley derby, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“The manager always says you don’t play the occasion, you play the game. If you get too wrapped up in all the stuff that goes on around it you lose sight of where you want to get to,” said Ferdinand.

“We won’t be taking much emotion into the game the way the fans will do. We have to remain calm and then anything is possible.

“How do you cope when so much is going on in Manchester surrounding the game? You just don’t go out!

“Everyone would be coming up to you, like they always do in derby week, telling you to make sure you win the game. Or you get City fans giving their two pence worth.

“You have to brush all that aside and get on with it. You have to read the papers, though, because you want to know what people are saying!

“But Saturday is massive for us. It is a massive week and we have now got one of the games away having beaten Chelsea. Now we look forward to City.

“It is a huge game for all our fans and all concerned and we want to make some people happy on the way home.”
 
Red Dreams said:
several people think Rio will be rested for this one. initially I felt the same because he seemed to be injured Tuesday. But I think Fergie wants his big game experience.

Expect Smalling for both Newcastle and Everton and Rio for this one and Schalke 04.

Lets see if I am right.
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I like your thinking RD, you could well be right.
 
Drifter said:
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand won’t be going out until after Saturday’s historic Wembley derby, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“The manager always says you don’t play the occasion, you play the game. If you get too wrapped up in all the stuff that goes on around it you lose sight of where you want to get to,” said Ferdinand.

“We won’t be taking much emotion into the game the way the fans will do. We have to remain calm and then anything is possible.

“How do you cope when so much is going on in Manchester surrounding the game? You just don’t go out!

“Everyone would be coming up to you, like they always do in derby week, telling you to make sure you win the game. Or you get City fans giving their two pence worth.

“You have to brush all that aside and get on with it. You have to read the papers, though, because you want to know what people are saying!

“But Saturday is massive for us. It is a massive week and we have now got one of the games away having beaten Chelsea. Now we look forward to City.

“It is a huge game for all our fans and all concerned and we want to make some people happy on the way home.”
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:lol:

I think he is giving City a finger mentioning 'massive' a couple of times.
 
:D
facupv.jpg
 
Fact 1
No team has scored more than 1 goal in an FA-Cup game against us since Middlesbrough in March 2007, this is a run of 17 games.

Fact 2
We`ve conceded only 2 goals from a team in two FA-Cup games (Middlesbrough away 2-2 + Reading away 2-3) since the last Manchester Derby (4-2 home win) in this competition in February 2004, this is a run of 36 games.
 
Allforone said:
Ok, my dad has told me today he has been informed of Citys intended line up for saturday via a friend in the Manchester eve news, now ive never posted any ITK stuff on here before so ive no reason to make this up, this is what apparently they will start with against us fitness permitting on saturday:

........................Hart

Richards - Kompany - Lescott - Zabaletta

......................De Jong

Milner - Yaya Toure.......Barry
...........................................Silva

.......................Dzeko​

If that is true then id fancy our chances.
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Not saying this is right or wrong, but why would they have decided on their team so far in advance and then tell a journalist?
 
I see two ways we can go about this. A version of the team we put out in the last FA Cup game against a top 4 team:
1302822504336025.jpg

Or a combination of the strategies that were successful against the West Ham and Chelsea:
1302822637379330.jpg
 
It won't be anything like the team we put out against Arsenal IMO. That was down to injuries and saving players for Marseille 3 days later
 
Allforone said:
........................Hart

Richards - Kompany - Lescott - Zabaletta

......................De Jong

Milner - Yaya Toure.......Barry
...........................................Silva

.......................Dzeko​

If that is true then id fancy our chances.
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Using Yaya Toure as your main playmaker is pretty bad. I mean they 'technically' are playing three defensive mids. They should use Silva in central midfield right behind the striker and use Toure and one of Barry/De Jong as defensive midfielders. Adam Johnson is really good on the right wing. They could use either Milner or Balotelli on the left wing.

Toure------------------------------De Jong/Barry


Johnson----------------------Silva------------------Milner/Balotelli


-------------Tevez/Dzeko--------------​
 
I see Maninci is spouting his "We can make history" line again, he used the same thing before the Carling Cup semis. You can't use the same talk twice.
 
I wonder if Ferguson will drop any injury doubts into his press conference. Perhaps say X or Y won't make it, knowing they will.
 
Solius said:
I see Maninci is spouting his "We can make history" line again, he used the same thing before the Carling Cup semis. You can't use the same talk twice.
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Surely losing would make history, another year without a trophy despite spending a gzillion pounds is more historic than spending all that money and winning something. You'd expect them to win something wouldn't you?
 
"Everyone is fit from the other night,” revealed the boss. “We’re missing Wayne obviously which is the only downside.

Ferguson otherwise has a fit squad for one of the most significant derbies in recent memory, with the midfielder Anderson pushing for a start after coming through a midweek reserve-team match.

"He is much better now," said Ferguson. "We thought the Chelsea game [the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday] would be too much for him because we knew what the pace was likely to be."
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I have feeling Gibson might start.
 
Anderson to start against Citeh?

From official website:

12:08 The boss seemed to hint that Anderson could start at Wembley tomorrow. The Brazilian played just over an hour in the Reserves win over Everton on Wednesday night after his run-out against Fulham last weekend and looks likely to be involved against City. "He's looking much better," said Sir Alex. "It would have been too much to play him against Chelsea. I knew the kind of the game it would be - played at a high tempo and very competitive. Having another hour in the Reserves after playing last Saturday [against Fulham] means he's much better." (GT)

I personally think it's a risk :nervous:
 
Not exactly fictional as it's based on that one company. But yeah as the guy said:

“To be honest we find this a lot with United games. They are used to big occasions and the club are really efficient at organising trips so I think it's because a lot of their fans do that instead of travelling with us.”
 
jeston said:
Not exactly fictional as it's based on that one company. But yeah as the guy said:

“To be honest we find this a lot with United games. They are used to big occasions and the club are really efficient at organising trips so I think it's because a lot of their fans do that instead of travelling with us.”
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:drool:
 
450-50
Does that mean there will be only 450 city fans there? Or does it mean only 500 people from Manchester prefer that mode of transportation and those numbers mean nothing other than that
 
From that article:

For Blues fans without tickets, City are beaming back the action on a big screen to Eastlands.
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I wish United would do this, they've done it in the past, I remember going with my old man to watch a derby being played at Maine Road on a massive screen at OT, the South Stand was used to seat everyone and the screen parked in the middle of the pitch it was great. I think it was only a few quid to get in, you just had to queue and pay on the gate.
 
VDS
Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, O'Shea
Valencia, Scholes, Anderson, Nani
Berbatov, Chicha

Bench: TK, Giggs, Carrick, Owen, Park, Brown, Fabio
 
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