Filed under: Birmingham, Manchester City, Carling Cup, Football, Match Previews
CARLING CUP THIRD ROUND: ETIHAD STADIUM, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1945 BSTThis competition might be low down on Manchester City's priorities, but given the squad at Roberto Mancini's disposa, it would be wrong to write off his side's chances of going all the way and winning the Carling Cup.
Mancini, despite seeing the club's mega-rich Arab owners spend more than £300 million on new players, moaned he was short of bodies following their draw against Fulham.
But with him poised to name a 'second string' side that would probably be good enough to challenge for a top six Premier League finish in its own right, then those claims appear more bizarre every time you hear them.
An added boost for Mancini is that his shadow squad will be itching to prove a point against Birmingham - who if anyone had forgot are the Carling Cup holders.
Kolo Toure, who is poised to return after completing his six-month drugs ban, and Carlos Tevez will both be desperate to force their way into first-team contention.
Throw in the likes of debutant Owen Hargreaves, Adam Johnson and Mario Balotelli and it's not such a weak side after all.
mancini will be judged on City's Premier League title challenge and their maiden Champions League adventure, but few can bet against them seeing off Championship side Birmingham and marching all the way to Wembley and lifting the trophy.
Key Match-Up: Kolo Toure v Chris Wood: All eyes will be on Toure as he prepares to make his return to Manchester City colours after a six-month absence. He might take a while to get up to full speed so this is an ideal time for Mancini to ease him back into the fray. Wood, who is on loan from West Brom, has been a rare shining light amid the gloom at Birmingham and has already scored six times this season.
Form Guide: Manchester City lost their 100 per cent record in the league when they slipped up for the first time this season last time out, losing a two-goal advantage to draw at Fulham. Birmingham, relegated from the top-flight last season after their Carling Cup triumph triggered a decline, endured a nightmare summer off the pitch and things have hardly improved on it. They were thrashed 4-1 against Southampton on Sunday and lie mid-table in the second tier of English football.
Odds: Manchester City 1/5, Birmingham 12/1, Draw 5/1
MANCHESTER CITY:
Mancini has vowed to strike the right balance between rotation and maintaining the winning mentality at Manchester City.
The Manchester City manager though has confirmed Toure and Hargreaves are likely to start in a new-look line-up at the Etihad Stadium.
Toure is set to make his comeback after serving his suspension for taking his wife's diet pills.
And the injury-plagued ex-Manchester United midfielder Hargreaves, a surprise deadline-day signing, is in the frame to face last season's winners Birmingham.
Mancini told the Manchester Evening News: "I will change the team absolutely because I need five or six players resting.
"We want to keep going in the competition but we also need to change players.
"We also need to recover Kolo and some of the other players.
"I need to speak with Owen and we will decide if he will play, but he probably will.
"He has been in full training but he is not 100 per cent. He could play maybe 30 to 45 minutes."
Strategy: Mancini's players should be keen to catch the eye and that's why you expect them to be up to pace against the Midlands outfit. The last thing Manchester City need is for them to make the headlines for the wrong reasons and the Italian will be keen to ensure their early-season momentum is not halted with a shock defeat.
Injury Update: Mancini's midfield options remain reduced with Nigel de Jong and James Milner still sidelined.
No comments:
Post a Comment