What is Manchester City’s best starting XI for the 09/10 season?

Ollie Irish

27th, August 2009

13 Comments

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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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13 Comments

  1. Dezza says:

    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…

  2. Calvinho says:

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^êxactly what Dezza said^^^^^^^^^^^^

  3. danny says:

    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.

  4. Elio says:

    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.

  5. BringBackBananas says:

    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.

  6. Ashley Slatford says:

    at the mo Given, Zableta/Richards, Lescott, Toure/onouha, Bridge/silvinho/McGivern, SWP/Weiss, Barry, Ireland, Robinho, Tevez, Adebayor.

  7. Pat mustard says:

    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

  8. Pat Mustard says:

    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

  9. dokieh says:

    Spanish La Liga’s blog: click here.

  10. Mike G says:

    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

  11. alfie caudwell says:

    shay given
    micah richards
    kolo toure
    joleon lescott
    wayne bridge
    shaun-wright-phillips
    stephen ireland
    gareth barry
    robinho
    emmanuel adebayor
    carloz tevez

  12. alfie caudwell says:

    i love city agree with dezza

  13. alfie caudwell says:

    our home team
    given
    richards
    toure
    lescott
    bridge
    swp
    ireland
    barry
    robinho
    adebayor
    tevez

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