I hate this fixture, if i remember correctly they've won 7 of the last 8 including all 4 Mancini fixtures. Last seasons games were as frustrating as they come. Here's to hoping its a little different this time.
The ultimate bogey team, should I bother waking up to go to the match? Early kickoffs be damned, we need to break this hoodoo Everton have over us. They were extraordinarily lucky last season, especially at our place where they had three goalkeepers and their defenders blocked about four shots with their hands. And Balo hit the post. Mancini has a job deciding on lineup though with Munich in mind...
I'm thinking this is a draw. Everton no matter, what we spend or do, seem to always have our number. That number is 1-1 I'm guessing.
I hate being wrong about my prediction... i mean love being wrong about my prediction. Nice to see Milner get off the schneid!
Couple of pics I took (right click -> view image for bigger size). A gloomy day but the rain only came down with any might right at the end. Giant "Goodyear" blimp at the match today, our new lucky mascot against Everton? Sold out in advance, another league game sold out. People are clutching at straws when they go on about our attendances, our league games are now virtually all sell outs. Empty seats are season ticket holders no-showing or (that cluster in the middle, second tier) corporates doing likewise. I don't think most teams would get 47,000+ crowds with a three decade trophy drought (before May), we have some of the most loyal fans in England.
I'm not sure how they do it in england but attendance in the states is only evaluated by tickets sold. The fact is regardless of who's there, if we keep selling out games... we probably need a bigger stadium!
The demand is there for a bigger stadium - but only for league games right now. Mid-week evening games are a different prospect as City nowadays has a lot of young fans (a good sign in itself) who wouldn't be able to go on a school night which is why the north stand (Family Stand) often has so many empty seats for mid-week games. Still, I expect us to sell out or near enough most of our Champions League games, and I don't think any top sells out early round Carling/FA Cup games unless it is a big fixture (ie. City vs. United). I think the north and south stands will be expanded in the coming years so the entire stadium is three tiers high. That would raise capacity to maybe 55,000 or so which is a good next step.
Shit, I'd go to those mid week games... you know all i need is a thousand/week to throw at flight, hotel, exchange rate etc... and job that allows for more flexible time off. I'll save money by not buying a pie.
Haha, I go to every home game and went to the Birmingham game. We were the victims of the usual taunts from bitter rival fans about empty seats but Chelsea, Arsenal, and others had crazy amount of empty seats. United had 30,000 of them last season against Wolves in this competition and they have the audacity to sing "20,000 empty seats" to us when we don't make any claims of being the biggest club in the world. This was the scene against Brum although the side of the ground I was sitting, the famous South Stand area was mostly full. Third tiers were closed off. Most people don't care about the Carling Cup till the last 8.
Like how City does these backstage videos. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JokmIclsjKA"]Manchester City v Everton: Get behind the scenes with tunnel cam - YouTube[/ame]