Manchester City v Sunderland 12.45 Sky Sports 2

onemorechance

Manchester City manager unhappy at two-day rest after Dortmund game


Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/EPA

"Roberto Mancini believes it is "incredible" that Manchester City are required to play Sunderland in Saturday's early kick-off after their 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening in the Champions League. City in effect have two days' less rest than Manchester United, who face Newcastle at 4pm on Sunday having had their Champions League group game on Tuesday. Chelsea, the Premier League leaders, kick off at 3pm on Saturday after winning at Nordsjaelland on Tuesday."

...

Jamie Jackson
The Guardian, Friday 5 October 2012 23.02 BST


Martin O'Neill wants Adam Johnson to party on the pitch for Sunderland


Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

"Before joining Sunderland, Adam Johnson assured Martin O'Neill that his "party lifestyle" had been consigned to history. As Johnson prepared to face his former employers at Manchester City on Saturday O'Neill acknowledged that he challenged the England winger about his off-field routines before paying City £10m for him this summer."

...

Louise Taylor
guardian.co.uk, Friday 5 October 2012 22.00 BST

Last 6 matches:
Man City vs. Dortmund D - 1:1
Fulham vs. Man City W - 1:2
Man City vs. Aston Villa L - (2:2) 2:4 (OT)
Man City vs. Arsenal D - 1:1
Real Madrid vs. Man City L - 3:2
Stoke vs. Man City D - 1:1

Sunderland vs. Wigan W - 1:0
MK Dons vs. Sunderland W - 0:2
West Ham vs. Sunderland D - 1:1
Sunderland vs. Liverpool D - 1:1
Swansea vs. Sunderland D - 2:2
Sunderland vs. Morecambe W - 2:0

Head to Head:
31/03/2012 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 3:3
03/04/2011 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 5:0
19/12/2009 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 4:3
22/03/2009 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 1:0
05/11/2007 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 1:0
05/03/2006 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 2:1
21/04/2003 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 3:0
23/08/2000 Premier League Man City vs. Sunderland 4:2
17/01/1998 Championship Man City vs. Sunderland 0:1

I've stuck a tenner on Sunderland @ 10/1. :pac:

Xavi6

First game of the season I won't see, stupid friend's birthday :mad:

Might be a blessing in disguise given our form though. Predicting a head wrecking 1-1.

IvySlayer

Hey Paully D, you want more loving? :P

starbelgrade

Man City 0 - 6 Sunderland.

You read it here first.

Pro. F

Quality OP.

_blank_

Mancini having a whinge?

Unearthly

JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

inmyday

Des wrote: »

Mancini having a whinge?

A lot of managers do in fairness. Sure Ferguson was giving out that there was only 4minutes added time last week.
I think top level managers have to moan, in the contract!

Paully D

Can't see anything but a defeat here, but then again I thought that in both games against Manchester City last year and we ended up taking 4 points off them (and it should really have been 6). This is the type of game that players like Johnson usually shine in too. Going back to his former club with something to prove.

That said, Manchester City are just stronger in every department and will win a tight game 1 or 2-0.

IvySlayer wrote: »

Hey Paully D, you want more loving? :P

Haha, I think that ''PM sent'' post is my most thanked post ever on Boards :pac:

Turtyturd

Mancini has a valid point about the fixtures but City should have enough depth in the squad to pick up a win here.

Leiva

Comfortable City win.

eagle eye

No Aguero for City?

Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Lescott, Kolarov, Milner, Barry, Y. Toure, Silva, Balotelli, Tevez

eagle eye

Cuellar back for Sunderland

Mignolet, Gardner, Rose, Cuellar, O'Shea, Colback, Larsson, Johnson, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher

p.oconnor

eagle eye wrote: »

No Aguero for City?

Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Lescott, Kolarov, Milner, Barry, Y. Toure, Silva, Balotelli, Tevez

Well there's my Fantasy Football fcuked ....

Stuck a small bit on Fletcher anytime scorer at 4's for interest. Good time to play city after a Cl game

Will I Amnt

I liked Mancini up until lately. All he seems to do is bitch and moan about everything and anything now.
They're not the first team to play a game with just 2 days rest and they won't be the last.

You must hate Fergie then!

Most top managers have a moan

Blatter

A lot of changes for City from midweek, I suppose they had to with only two days rest. Sunderland will probably be up for it and make a game of it but I still expect City to win by the odd goal. 2-1.

Will I Amnt

rarnes1 wrote: »

You must hate Fergie then!

Most top managers have a moan

It's incessant at this stage. The thing I liked about him was he didn't get involved in all that shìte. He's getting more and more like Benitez every day who I also liked at the start of his Liverpool term.
Expect a conspiracy rant sometime soon.

PhlegmyMoses

Yeah, tbf Cambo, there is no way that Fergie wouldn't moan about this. He'd be right to as well. Ridiculous having to play so early on a Saturday after a CL match on a Wednesday.

Paully D

eagle eye wrote: »

Cuellar back for Sunderland

Mignolet, Gardner, Rose, Cuellar, O'Shea, Colback, Larsson, Johnson, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher

Great to see Cuellar back and Titus out.

Cattermole is going to be a huge loss here. He was our best player against City in the home game last year and is always one of our most important against the bigger sides.

Will I Amnt

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Yeah, tbf Cambo, there is no way that Fergie wouldn't moan about this. He'd be right to as well. Ridiculous having to play so early on a Saturday after a CL match on a Wednesday.

I'm not saying Fergie wouldn't do it.
It's just everytime I hear about Mancini lately he's always moaning about something.

It's deflecting, a lot of good managers partake in it.

MagicMarker

Lots of folks still in bed, plenty of empty seats.

MagicMarker

Shocking tackle.

PhlegmyMoses

Cuellar very lucky. He was low, which probably saved him from getting a red.

Kiwi_knock

Great goal

Blatter

You'd have to expect the keeper to save that...

Paully D

Oh well, we had to lose some time.

PhlegmyMoses

WTF Mignolet? Launch yourself at it. Cuellar's tackle on Tevez was pointless considering he had no support. pays for it now.

Scuba Ste

Des wrote: »

Mancini having a whinge?

Des having a whinge?

1-0 already. Yes.

Jax Teller

Mignolet must be a city fan . He played crap against them here last year too

PhlegmyMoses

If City have to win this, a Tevez hat trick with 3 assists from Toure would be nice.

Will I Amnt

Lol. Holding his face :rolleyes:

J. Marston

Only wasting their own time.

Paully D

McClean is pissing me off so much lately. He really needs a rocket up the arse.

Danye

Paully D wrote: »

McClean is pissing me off so much lately. He really needs a rocket up the arse.

Thought that since the start of the season. I don't know if he believes his own hype or maybe because it's his 2nd season.

PhlegmyMoses

Rose looks lively. Accurate with his passing provides an out ball up field. What happened to Sessegnon? Seems to have lost the plot a bit this season.

The_Kew_Tour

Tevez with lovely football just there.

Paully D

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

Rose looks lively. Accurate with his passing provides an out ball up field. What happened to Sessegnon? Seems to have lost the plot a bit this season.

Was excellent last week. Had no pre-season at all so it's taking him a while to catch up. Also, O'Neill deciding to put everyone behind the ball when we take a lead against the likes of Swansea and West Ham hasn't really helped him either.

Will I Amnt

Zabaleta not giving McClean an inch.

Paully D

cambo2008 wrote: »

Zabaleta not giving McClean an inch.

The way McClean has been playing since he came back from the Euros means that Zabaleta could give McClean 15 yards of space and the result would still be the same.

Will I Amnt

Paully D wrote: »

cambo2008 wrote: »

Zabaleta not giving McClean an inch.

The way McClean has been playing since he came back from the Euros means that Zabaleta could give McClean 15 yards of space and the result would still be the same.

On the right now anyway, might get more joy down that side.

The_Kew_Tour

Once only goal in it you never know.

Tevez looks like he has goal in him.

homer simpson

Paully D wrote: »

McClean is pissing me off so much lately. He really needs a rocket up the arse.

Trying to resist urge to make smartarse Elton John comment....

.... he is the rocketman after all :pac:

Prick!

only 1-0, always hope.

IvySlayer

Offside, but Hart is a machine!

IvySlayer

FFS McClean.

Will I Amnt

Almost pass of the season there to Johnson from Sessegnon. Great effort.

Will I Amnt

Should have been 2. Horribly mistimed from Balotelli.

Turtyturd

Great save.