Manchester City Vs Sunderland [R]

[MVF]

Well, Considering it is starting today i am chucking a thread up.

GO MAN CITY.

Fully expecting at least a 2-0 win with hopefully Bianchi to start up front.

[Razcle]

The Game is Tomorrow, unless I have slept Sunday away....nope.tomorrow

Monday, November 5, 2007
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
15:00 ET Man City v Sunderland City of Manchester Stadium

[Lynne_mcfc]

Well, Considering it is starting today i am chucking a thread up.

GO MAN CITY.

Fully expecting at least a 2-0 win with hopefully Bianchi to start up front.

Put it down to the time difference, I would. :D

Bianchi to start - is SGE listening to us! No more Samaras PLEASE! I don't want to predict a result, might jinx the match. I'm hoping our supporters will be right behind our team - looking forward to hearing "Blue Moon" echoing around the stadium.

Come on you Blues

[MVF]

Ahh yes.

Quite a disapointment, running to the BBC website to see the game had not been played :p.

Woops ! Put it down to overexcitement :D

[servotron]

Looking forward to a big game from the midfield... Elano and Petrov are both in my fantasy team and have been for some time :D

[CityBlues]

From Soccernet (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=221328&cc=5901):

Croatia defender Vedran Corluka believes Manchester City owe their supporters a big performance at Eastlands when they face Sunderland.

Despite the Carling Cup victory against Bolton in midweek, he is still hurting from the mauling by Chelsea.


Corluka, 21, is aiming to help City bounce back in the Barclays Premier League and record their seventh straight home win.


He said: ``We want to show everyone we are a better team than the one that lost at Chelsea.


``Hopefully it was just one bad day. We all felt horrible. It was a horrible display.


``We did not defend well as a team but now we have to move on.


``It was important to get that victory against Bolton after what happened in London.''


The Chelsea match apart, City have played some free-flowing, attractive football under manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.


Corluka likes the way the former England boss sets his teams up.


He said: ``We like to play the ball on the floor and people enjoy that.

``We have a lot of skilful players and our results overall have been good.


``No-one really expected us to be high in the table at this stage but I feel we can still improve.''


Corluka looks set to switch to the centre against Sunderland - Micah Richards has a knee problem - with Nedum Onuoha returning at right back.

That would not be a problem for the former Dinamo Zagreb star, who arrived in the summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £7million.


Corluka said: ``I partnered Richard Dunne against Aston Villa so I am used to that role.


``I am happy at centre half as well as right back and will play wherever the manager decides.''


Bulgaria winger Martin Petrov could return after missing the cup victory against Bolton because of a toe injury.


Eriksson, however, remains guarded about whether Sweden's Andreas Isaksson will retain his place between the posts and keep out Joe Hart.


``They are both good goalkeepers, who deserve to play,'' said the City boss. I have not made my mind up.


``While Joe did not play at Bolton it had nothing to do with the Chelsea result. We had decided before that game to change goalkeepers for the cup game.''


Meanwhile, Kenwyne Jones admits he may have surprised everyone but himself and his manager with his blistering start to life in the Barclays Premier League.


The 23-year-old Sunderland striker has already contributed four goals to his club's first campaign back in the top flight, three of them in his last three games, to announce his arrival in the big time.


There were raised eyebrows when Roy Keane decided to pay Southampton £6million for their Trinidad and Tobago international, although the Irishman insists his price-tag was far from excessive.


He has been proved correct in his judgment with Jones scoring at Arsenal and West Ham, where he terrorised Alan Curbishley's defence throughout, as well as in the home games against Reading and Fulham.


But as his reputation grows by the week, Jones is simply taking it all in his stride having always believed he had what it takes to make it in the Premier League.


He said: ``Surprised? No, I haven't been surprised. It's just a case of believing in your own ability and going out there and doing what you know you can do.


``I don't think it is any surprise to me - it might be a surprise to everyone else, but it is not a surprise to me.


``It's always nice scoring goals, and the few I have got so far have helped me to settle up here. It has been going well so far.


``Whatever position you play in, it always depends on goals or clean sheets or good performances, but it has helped me to settle into a new environment and I am happy about that.


``Sometimes you have good days and sometimes you have bad days, but hopefully, I will be on my good days for most of the season.''


Keane will hope Jones can make an impact again as his team attempts to end a run of five league games without a win against a City side which was hammered 6-0 at Chelsea last weekend.


However, injuries and suspensions have taken their toll with Paul McShane and Greg Halford both banned and Andy Cole, Dean Whitehead and Carlos Edwards back in training, but still short of match fitness.

[CityBlues]

Some more info:

Location: COMS
Time: 3:00 EST
12:00 PST
20:00 GMT
TV: Setanta Sports (US) Coverage beings at 2:45 EST
Soccernet Gamecast Here (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=221328&cc=5901)

Here are some links for ya:
Setanta Listing (http://www.setantasports.com/en/TV-and-Entertainment-0000238/TV-Channels/Setanta-Sports/?facets/tv-listings-space/north-america-locale/setanta-sports/)
Official Website (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/www.mcfc.co.uk)
Soccernet Team Page (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=382&cc=5901)
BBC Match Preview (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7065173.stm)
Kitty O'Sheas (VA) (http://www.kittyosheasva.com/)

As always let me know with any corrections, daylight savings time just happened so still a little confused :D

[chinesefootballfan]

This won't be an easy one guys. Roy Keane is the coach for Sunderland and he knows his soccer. Sunderland is doing well considering it just got promoted from LC. I expect this to be a narrow margin low scoring game.

[CityBlues]

Just an hour now, man I am sick of these weekday matches! I'll be stuck at work watching the gamecast :( I am beginning a to miss the team.

Hopefully we pull this one out. I feel like this is going to be a scrappy one, low scoring, but I think we come out on top.

[chinesefootballfan]

Just an hour now, man I am sick of these weekday matches! I'll be stuck at work watching the gamecast :( I am beginning a to miss the team.

Hopefully we pull this one out. I feel like this is going to be a scrappy one, low scoring, but I think we come out on top.

i couldn't care any less about the goal differentials for now. as long as we get the 3 points.

[CityBlues]

City goes with:

Hart, Sun Jihai, Corluka, Dunne, Garrido, Hamann, Johnson, Ireland, Petrov, Elano, Mpenza

Subs
Isaksson, Ball, Geovanni, Bianchi, Vassel

Thank goodness, no Samaras, even on the bench.

Sun Jihai in defense is a little suprising, I would think Nedum?

[CityBlues]

No Goals on 20 mins of play. Possesion to Sunderland at 62%

[Manchester City]

25': Another great attacking push destroyed by Mpenza's heavy touch.

[Manchester City]

27': Great passing and run by Elano; not-so-great finish--easy stop by Gordon.

[gman26]

What's up with FSC? They don't have the Man City/Sunderland game today. Setanta seems to have taken a lot of their games. Unfortunately, Setanta is a pay channel for me on Dish Network. Bad job out of FSC losing those games.

[Manchester City]

30': Fluid one-time passing string on a wonderful attacking push with Mpenza open on the right wing, only to fire mid-stride wide right.

31': Mpenza strike from left channel, good power. Gordon makes an awkward stop.

[Manchester City]

33': Powerful right-footed shot from Elano on the right wing sails over the goal.

[Manchester City]

34': Johnson header destined for goal headed of line. Possession retained by Sun only to be given away as he slips and the ball rolls to Sunderland for a dangerous but ulitmately failed attack.

[Manchester City]

39': Petrov corner easily headed out of the box.

[chinesefootballfan]

it would be a nightmare if we draw or lose this game