Manchester City v Barcelona: Champions League webchat
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Version 0 of 1. 2.50pm GMT14:50 Jamie has signed off. Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy the match. Ok, thank you very much - enjoy the game tonight and may the best team (and football) be the victor... 2.46pm GMT14:46 alibenabia asks: Pellegrini persevered with 4-4-2 in Europe and we were consistently outgunned in midfield. Changing the formation was forced upon him for the last two Champions League games and, hey presto, we won. Will he revert to type tonight and go back to 4-4-2 with the ineffective Dzeko upfront with Aguero? He tried a tinker last year against Barca by playing Kolaraov in left midfield and he/the ploy bombed and Pellegrini hooked him early in the second half so not sure how "adventurous" MP is going to be... I'd still be surprised to see two dedicated strikers, though. I'd have Silva as the No10 behind SA... 2.44pm GMT14:44 pfcbg asks: Do you think Dzeko is overrated, underrated or fairly rated? A bit of all, really, depending on who's doing the rated. My opinion is he's a good squad player for a club of City's ilk.. 2.42pm GMT14:42 Yotambien asks: A question on Barca’s defence/midfield. Should Barca look at playing Mascherano in the pivot position tonight given that his defensive ability and natural ability or use him in the backline and have Busquets as pivot? Clearly defending the counter attack will be important and which player provides most security? I would stay with Busquets, I just hope we see no Oscar theatrics when being tackled from him... 2.35pm GMT14:35 KBania asks: What do you make of the lack of English players in this match? This is exactly the kind of match that English players need to be playing in to get experience they can use in major tournaments. Interesting question - there will be Hart and, erm, that may be it, if Milner left out, so that's hardly a lot: it is a shame, think many fans of football in this land would like to see a blend of English and non-English in all of our teams. City, though, state they are deadly serious about producing their own. They say two, three years, maybe, and we shall all see the fruits of their youth development work. Their new City Football Academy has to be seen to be believed so it is a perfect facility for the club to start a long-running conveyor belt of homegrown talent... 2.30pm GMT14:30 Cryogenic asks: Hi Jamie. On a scale of one to Van Gaal, how much will City miss Toure? A Sir Alex Ferguson? 2.27pm GMT14:27 kiwiloving asks: What’s your prediction for tonight’s score? And please, show your work. 2-0 to Barca 2.27pm GMT14:27 captainkirk93 ask: Will Man city start with two strikers or one? Would you pick Dzeko or Bony to be the second striker tonight? Would Aguero be more suited to playing in the No10 role behind Bony? The thinking being that Aguero has shown good ability playing deeper and Bony could cause massive trouble to Barcelona due to his size and make room for Aguero. Bony if MP goes 2-men up top, but think he may go just with Aguero... 2.26pm GMT14:26 mr_jalfrezi asks: Why is Milner so underrated? Unfortunate timing, maybe. If the two FFs joined before Milner and he was still pulling up trees (relatively) for Villa and City/Pellegrini/Begiristain were looking for a DM to replace the pair then maybe he would be bought and arrive as the present regime's "man" and so get a proper run in his best position. As in life, football is all about timing... 2.21pm GMT14:21 Stefan Bienkowski asks: Silva and Nasri seem to be the key players for City when in attack but it often seems like they’re fighting the tide when trying to create chances. Do you think there’s a case to be made that their brilliance is often in spite of City’s setup? The key player is Toure, really, who allows Silva, Nasri etc to play. But he is, as you will know, suspended. Big big miss as even Pellegrini came as close as he ever would to admitting yesterday. Issue with Silva and Nasri is they can turn a contest but not sure that when Toure is absent they can pull a losing position around, if you see what I mean? 2.15pm GMT14:15 LordXenu asks: The feeling is Vincent Kompany’s reputation has been concealing his poor form for a long time now. Given how much defending City will have to do, is he the weak link tonight? Any chance that Suarez could rediscover his mojo from last season when facing another premier league team? Kompany has been one of the weak links against Roma, at home, and CSKA Moscow away in the group stage this season already. Pellegrini said yesterday that VK grows on occasions like tonight - let's hope so as he could do with a towering display whe really required... 2.10pm GMT14:10 getdfunkout asks: Who do you think will form City’s back four tonight and are they capable of defending against Messi, Neymar and Suarez? Pellegrini may choose Sagna instead of Zabaleta and must surely play Mangala or what was the £42m (yes, not £32m, but £42m as confirmed by club) paid for so that makes: Sagna, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov. Do I think they can repel Barca's Three Amigos? Erm, no, not really. Though I'd like to see them do so... 2.07pm GMT14:07 efilsgod asks: How do you think Pellegrini’s season will be judged if they go out meekly in this tie? Do you think that coming back to win the title would be enough to save his job? His future may be bleak-ish if title defence goes south and City go out in last 16 stage again... He only has a 3 year contract and there will be a year left this summer and its yet to be renewed/extended... A very likeable and classy man, by the way... 2.06pm GMT14:06 Kenner asks: Just walked down Deansgate, wind chill of -15. Neymar’s barnet will suffer, will his wing play? It is a fair barnet... Have to say he has surprised me as I was lucky enough to cover the London 2012 football final - http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/feb/24/manchester-city-barcelona-live-champions-league-webchat#comment-48004113 - and Neymar disappointed, think he's mentioned in last par of my report... But: 'Wow!' Since then, what a player he has proved, really looking forward to seeing him and The Hair try and weave their combined magic tonight... Updated at 2.07pm GMT 2.05pm GMT14:05 Nobudget asks: Why is James Milner so underrated? Great question and observation - I would pick him each week, alongside Yaya Toure, to provide a tough gritty defensive midfield presence who can also play and attack (at times) and score. In my humble opinion, I prefer him to the two FFs (Fernando and Fernandinho) in this berth as I think each can be a weak point for City. 1.58pm GMT13:58 dbgtFO asks: A game with lots of goals or few? I personally think 2-2 is looking quite likely. I'd love to see a 4-2 to City and rip-roaring evening, but may well be a 2-1, to Barcelona... Unfortunately... Updated at 1.58pm GMT 1.57pm GMT13:57 MCR_Andy asks: Hi Jamie. Do you think Pellegrini will learn from previous Champions League games and go for a midfield five with only Aguero up front? Hi Andy, talking and listening to Pellegrini yesterday he is intent on playing his way which is always to attack, according to him. The issue for me in Europe has been defending, from midfield to the rearguard - can City keep a clean sheet? If so even if they don't score themselves, that is a great result - o-o - in my book.. Updated at 1.58pm GMT 1.54pm GMT13:54 ChrisRyanParker asks: Hi Jamie. Do you think City would be better off tonight lining up according to their own strengths, or lining up to counter Barça’s? Always their own strengths as I don't think Pellegrini is the biggest tactical mastermind who has ever prowled a technical area... 1.53pm GMT13:53 Giftedbutlazee asks: Jamie, have you recovered yet from nearly being killed by that runaway program stall outside The Etihad last season? I'm in counselling still... Ta for concern 1.51pm GMT13:51 Lucca De Paoli asks: Do you think that Man City have gained anything other than merely squad depth from the acquisition of Bony (with £25m being an awful lot to just bolster attacking options) or do you think that he will offer something different to the strikers they have? Will he play tonight? Think City have acquired a very good striker who will prove better than Dzeko or even Alvaro Negredo, for that matter. Not sure he'll start tonight... 1.49pm GMT13:49 MrKiddon asks: It looks like there is trouble again between Enrique and the Barcelona players with the story of Messi and Pique going to a casino. Do you think that could affect Barcelona tonight? Also, should Manchester City start with Bony up front? Hello - Yes I do actually, when I asked Enrique about this yesterday, whether he was happy that they were out the day after losing 1-0, he got a little prickly with me and asked what the players had said. When I said Pique had just said it was his private life, Enrique left it at that - hardly a towering defence or otherwise of Pique and Messi.I personally would start Bony, and have Aguero with him 1.00pm GMT13:00 Jamie will be online from 1.30pm GMT to answer your questions In the meantime, here are this week’s Champions League fixtures and some of our previews: Juventus v Borussia DortmundManchester City v BarcelonaArsenal v MonacoBayern Leverkusen v Atlético Madrid Fitter, fresher Manchester City ready to show Barcelona hold no fear Manuel Pellegrini insists that with Sergio Agüero available and with a lighter recent schedule, his side can exorcise the ghost of last season’s defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League Barcelona’s deadly trident can help club bounce back against City A home defeat to Málaga derailed an 11-match winning streak but Barça’s settled lineup been hitting its stride to devastating effect and now looks forward to taking on City in the Champions League The big interview with Sergio BusquetsThe Barcelona player has one eye on the Premier League but right now he is trying to help his club overcome Manchester City in the Champions League Statistical previews: Man City v Barcelona and Arsenal v Monaco Drop your questions into the comments section below |