What is Manchester City’s best starting XI for the 09/10 season?
This is where you get to pick City’s best starting line-up for this season. First up, I’ll reveal my selection (based on their squad at time of writing).
My default XI (in a 4-3-3 formation):
Shay Given
Micah Richards, Kolo Touré, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge
Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, Gareth Barry
Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robinho
That’s the team I’d pick for home games against all but the best teams in the league. With SWP – instead of Nigel De Jong, say – alongside Stephen Ireland and Gareth Barry, it’s very attack-minded, but the immense work rate of Ireland and Barry makes it workable, as we’ve seen already this season. And with Lescott in the back four, instead of the rather unfortunate RIchard Dunne, it really does look like a very powerful team in the making. And who’s at the heart of it, pulling the strongs? Little Stephen Ireland. Madness.
And for games where Mark Hughes wants a more solid formation, with more cover in midfield, he could opt for something like this:
Shay Given
Micah Richards, Kolo Touré, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge
Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland, Gareth Barry, Martin Petrov
Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor
Can’t argue with that XI either – though Robinho might not like it so much. Impressive strength in all positions, and certainly strong enough to challenge the league’s big four clubs.
That’s my take. Let’s hear your XIs…
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I reckon our away side should still be 4-3-3, but with Given
Richards/Onouha/Zabaleta, Toure, Lescott, Bridge/Silvinho;
Ireland, De Jong, Barry;
Tevez, Adebayor, Robinho
My thoughts are that with SWP and Petrov on the bench, we can afford to take off De Jong and Robinho if needed. Imagine having one of those flying at you once you have had to deal with the rest of the attack for 60 minutes…
^^^^^^^^^^^^êxactly what Dezza said^^^^^^^^^^^^
dont understand the idea behind swapping robinho with petrov for away games when petrov is just as attack minded ahd doesnt really put in a shift defencesivly…i would bring in bellamy for away games as i dont think with all his injuries he could cope with 2/3 games a week anyway and as he showed against blackburn in trhe second half je will run that line all day long and put a real shift in.
Madness that De Jong and Kompany don’t seem to fit into either squad. City are definitely going to be there or there about this season.
i think the number of options available is key this season… 5 strikers which all offer differnt qualities (bellamys pace and workrate, tevez workrate and skill, robinhos skill, adebayors skill and presence, RSC size and heading) the option of swapping SWP for de Jong against teams with stronger midfields, petrov and weiss for when natural wingers are needed. all our attacking players with the exception of maybe RSC are fluid in movement. Richards/Toure/Lescott/Bridge or Zabba/Onouha/Kompany/Sylvinho are 2 possible back 4s which i wouldnt feel too uncomfortable with either. and the best GK in the league.
at the mo Given, Zableta/Richards, Lescott, Toure/onouha, Bridge/silvinho/McGivern, SWP/Weiss, Barry, Ireland, Robinho, Tevez, Adebayor.
given
Zabaleta/richards,toure,kompany,lescott/bridge
SWP,barry,ireland
robinho
adebayor,RSC
dont rate tevez, bellamy works just as hard and has a better 1st touch. tevez’s 2nd touch is always a tackle
Or a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2
given,
kompany,toure,lescott
swp/richards bridge/petrov
ireland,barry/de jong
robinho
adebayor/RSC,bellamy/tevez
Spanish La Liga’s blog: click here.
What about
Given
Richards/Toure/Kompany/Lescott
SWP/Ireland/Barry
Tevez/Adebayor/Robinho
Bench
Onuoha/DeJong/Bridge/Bellamy/Petrov/Johnson/Sylvinho/RSC/Zabs/Weiss
Wow, we really have some depth now
shay given
micah richards
kolo toure
joleon lescott
wayne bridge
shaun-wright-phillips
stephen ireland
gareth barry
robinho
emmanuel adebayor
carloz tevez
i love city agree with dezza
our home team
given
richards
toure
lescott
bridge
swp
ireland
barry
robinho
adebayor
tevez