[Mystry]

Playing Rojo is going to cost us.

 

[Thugmann]

I feel company will be dominating Martial and keeping him at bay. Rooney must step up today.

 

[bosnian_red]

On paper, based on the line-ups, City look a lot better. Especially with our full-back situation. I really don't trust Rojo at all and Valencia only a little bit more.

If anything it looks 50/50. Our midfield 3 is better then theirs, front 3 overall not that much in it, and defence theirs edges ours because of fullbacks.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Valencia has been poor again this season. De Bruyne will tear him open

If he's playing at left back he will but I doubt LvG is that mental.

 

[bosnian_red]

I feel company will be dominating Martial and keeping him at bay. hopefully Rooney can step up.

If he does then he'll be woefully out of position.

 

[Sied]

11/11

It pays to do a quick prediction midweek and then forget all about it.

 

[Manny]

City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany (C), Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure, Sterling, De Bruyne, Bony

Valencia and Rojo are our best suited fullbacks to deal Man City's wingers.

Darmian and Blind would have got torn apart. We saw what Sanchez did to Darmian.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Don't have too much of an issue with Valencia and Rojo at full back. Their wide areas are stacked with pace. Valencia and Rojo are quicker than Darmian and Blind respectively. Valencia has better recovery pace and is decent one on one against quick wingers. His positioning lets him down, but he's strong against fast attackers head on. Rojo gives us a bit of height when the full back needs to tuck in and from set pieces. Rojo and Martial defended the left hand side well against Everton, so hopefully they can do it again.

Just hope we don't start like we did in the last derby, or like we did against Arsenal. We need a quick start and control it form the off.

 

[Ish]

I feel company will be dominating Martial and keeping him at bay. Rooney must step up today.

Martial will surely play wide left?

 

[jem]

Are Blind and Darmian going to get back into the side any time soon? I don't have a big problem with Rojo, but I think Blind is better at left back. As for Valencia, I guess he links up a bit better with Mata, but I'd prefer Darmian's defensive work. In any event, I'm fairly happy with the lineup. Hopefully Herrera has cemented his place in the starting 11.

 

[mitchmouse]

I'd have seriously considred going with Fellaini today - just to give their defence something different to deal with. We are far too predictable. Would also have thought of going with Carrick. But what really worries me again is the lack of a game-changer on the bench

 

[Silverman]

Martial vs Sagna and Kompany lacking matchrhytm can be interesting.

Martial gonna rip Sagna apart.

 

[gooDevil]

It's only like a couple mins early.

Oh okay, the Soviets only got our nuclear secrets a couple minutes early no problem then.

 

[Ish]

Good team IMO.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

Darmian and Blind did for me. I can understand the choices regarding pace, but defensively prefer the other two.

Darmian and Side Show for me.

 

[mitchmouse]

If he's playing at left back he will but I doubt LvG is that mental.

yeh but de bruyne floats when aguero isnt in the team

 

[Silverman]

Valencia has been poor again this season. De Bruyne will tear him open

Thats exactly why I think Darmain should be in instead. Darmian is a more clever defender.

 

[pseudo_canadian]

I really do not like having Rojo at LB.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Are Blind and Darmian going to get back into the side any time soon? I don't have a big problem with Rojo, but I think Blind is better at left back. As for Valencia, I guess he links up a bit better with Mata, but I'd prefer Darmian's defensive work. In any event, I'm fairly happy with the lineup. Hopefully Herrera has cemented his place in the starting 11.

There's the Capital One Cup match during the week, so you would presume they will play then.

 

[Dobba]

Still can't see us winning but I'm glad Van Gaal is, seemingly, sticking with the midfield and attacking threes.

 

[SalfordRed1960]

No excuses. Good side.

Going to be close, but I still think if we turn up (all 11) we will knick it.

Pretty sure there is going to be some finger biting, but the players have got to want this.

 

[Massive Spanner]

yeh but de bruyne floats when aguero isnt in the team

I doubt he'll be that far over to our right side so much that he'll 'destroy' Valencia.

 

[mitchmouse]

Playing Rojo is going to cost us.

I'd play him at CB, bring in Darmian and drop Jones (who is the one likely to cost us)

 

[Red Dreams]

obviously van Gaal has thought this one...Valencia for Darmain.

 

[Happytom82]

No he hasn't

Agreed, he was poor in one of the early games when subbed on, but he's been good everytime bar that. Nothing more than good though, but as a fullback if you have a good match=sufficient. Shaw was alienish before the injury

 

[Von Mistelroum]

Rojo playing will cost us badly I suspect.

 

[mitchmouse]

I doubt he'll be that far over to our right side so much that he'll 'destroy' Valencia.

mind you, my nephew could take Valencia so it's whoever is over that side

 

[DWelbz19]

Team is about right, apart from Rojo. He was absolutely petrified to go past the half way line against CSKA. Hopefully he supports Martial a little more today at home.

 

[Manny]

Valencia has been poor again this season. De Bruyne will tear him open

Has he?!

Valencia has also been hooked off at half time.

When?

 

[the hea]

Valencia has been poor again this season. De Bruyne will tear him open

No he hasn't and De Bruyne will surely play on the right and be up against Rojo.

 

[Brwned]

Fernando and Fernandinho in the same midfield rarely works out for them but we beat them with ease last year by taking advantage of Toure's laziness. Interesting to see how that one works out.

Valencia should do ok against Sterling 1v1 but his positional play is atrocious and Sterling's movement is very clever. Guaranteed they'll score a goal from Sterling running of the back of Valencia. Darmian is far better at tracking his runner so I would've played him for that reason. It'd be a defensive move but a worthy one.

That said, he could expose Kolarov if we play it right.

 

[BW.k]

Valencia has had Sterling in his pocket a few times when both have met. And he must be high on confidence after a good outing in midweek.

 

[Organic Potatoes]

Those are two quite confusing midfields. Hopefully NBC gives us good announcers today.

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

Team I was kind of half-expecting... Valencia and Rojo need to be on their game. Schneiderlin will have a huge role to play today, it's a must that we don't let them dominate midfield.

 

[TheSamulator]

Oh okay, the Soviets only got our nuclear secrets a couple minutes early no problem then.

 

[syrian_scholes]

The fecking idiots at the college cafeteria said they were showing the game only to turns out they had the time wrong thinking it's 3 hours after it really begins, I'm guessing I'm going to murder someone.

 

[royboy16]

I think LVG has got the full back selection wrong for this game.

 

[Stringer]

Well, pretty sweet cross for Herrera at Goodison..

Well that's changed my mind...

 

[Slevs]

Basically I don't trust our defense except for Smalling, Blind and Shaw

Hopefully the full back decision is forrect today

 

[Silverman]

Our bench is stronger.