Premier League - Manchester City vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday THread

[Frosty]

Manchester City v Ipswich Town




Saturday 24th August 2024 – 15:00



City of Manchester Stadium








Pre-Match Thoughts - Mike



I think it is fair to say that our long awaited return to the Premier League was not only an enjoyable day but a day that ultimately left us all with a sense of optimism, given the quality of our opening day opponents it has to be said that the day could well have finished a lot lot worse than it did. A lot of the footballing world had us down for a heavy defeat to kick off our season and in truth I think a fair few Tractor Boys & Girls were of the same opinion, but thankfully the Boys in blue once again stepped up when asked and despite the game ultimately ending in defeat it most certainly did not tell the whole story.

I think looking back on the game it told us Two things, the first thing was that we most definitely can compete with the best this league has to offer because in that most enjoyable of first halves we more than held our own, in fact we had the better of it, we got our tactics spot on with the man to man marking/press game which we adopted and it was us who had most of the few chances that arrived in that Forty five Minutes, in fact it wasn't until the final Minute of the half that Liverpool had an attempt worthy of the name by which time we had carved out Three or Four with the imperious Jacob Greaves coming closest with a header from a Sam Morsy cross which was smothered on the line by their keeper.

The second thing the game told us was that we have to keep our standards up for 100 Minutes, not Fifty Five because if we don't we will be punished by players with greater quality and that proved to be the case. Arne Slot showed also that our great manager may be a class act and One for the future but also has things to learn to change games and turn them on their head, Slot's tinkering with his team and tactics worked a treat and for much of the second half it was a different story as we slowly started to run out of steam. suddenly they were finding so much more room and too much time on the ball, our closing down was suddenly less intense and while it is hard to maintain that for the whole game we do need to look to continue doing what we were doing so well prior to the break. At the end of the day their quality showed through as they scored Two very quick and well taken goals.

Myself and others have remarked upon how good Leif Davis is going forward but how at times he can be caught out defensively and sadly for Leif this was the case with both Liverpool's goals, it's not looking to apportion blame but these are the things we need to pick up on and improve upon, it was a shame because I thought in that first half our Left back had been excellent.

In conclusion I felt most of our boys did themselves proud, Walton came in late and played so so well, Axel had a super First half, our Two Centre backs did very well for much of the game with Greaves in particular looking the real deal throughout. Omari is starting to look like the livewire we know him to be, while Liam Delap really impressed me again, One touch as he brought it down on the turn to surge forward was sublime, so much so his marker was withdrawn at Half Time. I also watched a rerun of the game on Sunday and I made a point of keeping my attention on Conor Chaplin and I have to say I think a few of us did him a bit of a disservice with our feelings on his performance, world class it may not have been but I would like to see the running and closing down stats for our team because i bet he was right up there, add to that a couple of crucial touches while defending and I think he wasn't as bad as made out to be.

To summerise the day I felt it was a success in so many ways, the stadium is now looking the real deal, the team did us proud before tiring after the break, they instilled belief in us fans that we belong here, we have players to come in to strengthen the team further, and on the subject of the fans, just incredible from start to finish, my God the visiting fans were pathetic while we sang, and sang, and sang some more, we are going to need that every home game.

Moving on to week Two and it is pretty much the hardest fixture of the season as we go head to head with the Champions Manchester City who seem to dominate English Football every season now, running out Saturday at the Etihad will be daunting, scary, call it what you will and while we will all no doubt dream of pulling off a massive shock I am not embarrassed to admit I will happily take a two or three goal defeat as opposed to a right mauling by Five, Six or even more. City are capable of tearing anyone apart on their day so we have to be a lot tighter and compact in our defending, our discipline has to be on point and if anything does happen to drop our way we must be clinical, and even then all that probably won't be enough but hey, as we all know, anything can happen on any given day. It's the hope that kills you.

This is what we all wanted so we need to embrace it and enjoy it while we can, to see the likes of Woolfenden, Chaplin, Morsy and Luongo do battle with giants of the game like Haaland, De Bruyne, Silva & Doku fills me with fear but this Town team will give it their all and if it isn't good enough then so be it, Saturday does not and will not define our season at all, play your Hearts out boys and you could just become immortalised should the unthinkable happen.
IPSWICH TIL I DIE.




The Opposition – Manchester City - Honours




League



First Division / Premier League

Winners (10): 1936–37, 1967–68, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
Runners-up (6): 1903–04, 1920–21, 1976–77, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2019–20

Second Division / First Division / Championship

Winners (7): 1898–99, 1902–03, 1909–10, 1927–28, 1946–47, 1965–66, 2001–02
Runners-up (4): 1895–96, 1950–51, 1988–89, 1999–2000
Promoted third place (1): 1984–85

Third Division / Second Division / League One

Promoted third place (1): 1998–99


Cups


FA Cup

Winners (7): 1903–04, 1933–34, 1955–56, 1968–69, 2010–11, 2018–19, 2022–23
Runners-up (6): 1925–26, 1932–33, 1954–55, 1980–81, 2012–13, 2023–24

Football League Cup / EFL Cup

Winners (8): 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
Runners-up (1): 1973–74

FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield

Winners (6): 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012, 2018, 2019
Runners-up (9): 1934, 1956, 1969, 1973, 2011, 2014, 2021, 2022, 2023


European


UEFA Champions League

Winners (1): 2022–23
Runners-up (1): 2020–21

European Cup Winners' Cup

Winners (1): 1969–70

UEFA Super Cup

Winners (1): 2023


Worldwide


FIFA Club World Cup

Winners (1): 2023




The Manager – Pep Guardiola








League Table as at 21.08.2024








Form Guide






Manchester City




18 Aug Chelsea 0 - 2 Manchester City





Ipswich Town



17 Aug Ipswich Town 0 - 2 Liverpool





Head to Head







Match Referee – Michael Salisbury







MANCHESTER CITY 2 IPSWICH TOWN 1

[Blue Wilf]

Great preview Guys. I will be there on saturday - more in hope than expectation - hut will cheer the boys from start to finish. Anything less than a 4 goal difference will be no disgrace. A goal of our own of any kind would be special for so many reasons. Just gets you thinking about how money has twisted our great game that a team that we used to beat regularly is now seem as so invincible. I find that a bit sad really. Still - it will be a great day out and you just never quite know... burnley only lost 3-1, sheff utd 2-0 and luton 5-1 last season so lets hope the gods are smiling on us. I would certainly take the same result as two of those right now! Safe travels to all attending and enjoy the day - just remember what a certain Maidstone Utd managed a few short months ago... COYB's!!

[Dubai Blue]

Great preview Frosty & Bluemike. Happy you mentioned about Chaplin's role in the high press. He didn't catch the eye against Liverpool but played the role he was presumably given really well. Also folks have been saying that Liverpool were slow starters last Saturday but IMO they were made to look like slow starters because of our energy and aggression in the high press and the midfield battles. This can be repeated on Saturday IMO but maybe we need to take breathers and change shape a little more to preserve energy. Anyway I'm no expert, will be hoping to watch it somehow and enjoy the occasion again.

I'm really confident that we will have learned a lot from the Liverpool game and we are going to learn a lot more from the next game again. IMO it's a great way to start the season if we can, as suggested, escape without a confidence denting mauling.

[Ricco]

Was going to mention Chaplin from that, I think perhaps he's been a victim of his own success. With 26 goals in League 1, I think it's expected that that position is our main goal threat now, especially with strikers that aren't big on goals, Hirst, Delap and now Broja, so when the goals don't flow, it's probably naturally the first place a finger is pointed.

Not looking forward to this one, I think if we're going to try and blood some of our new players, which has to be done at some point, it'll certainly introduce some risk of a capitulation here and there.

Trust McKenna to come up with a plan, but I don't envy him on this one.

[Bluemike]

So what is everyone's team for Saturday, this is what I think it'll be..........

.............................Muric...........................

Tuanzebe.....Woolfy.....Greaves.......Davis

......................Morsy......Cajuste.................

Szmodics.............Chaplin...............Hutchinson

................................Delap..........................


Clearly that's assuming Muric is fit otherwise it's Walton. I've put Szmodics in over Harness and Cajuste over Luongo but KM could just as easy sway the other way with both of them. I don't see Broja being thrown in straight away and Phillips is ineligible.

[Ricco]

Could be, if we don't switch to a back five like we've mentioned elsewhere, but as you say, depends which if any of the new signings are up to speed enough. I'd be surprised if Szmodics doesn't start, but possibly on the other flank to which you have him.

[hallamblue]

Personally I’d be going for the following

……………………………………………………………….Muric………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………(TEAM BUS HERE)……………………………………………………………….

…………….Axel………Edmundson……Woolfie…..Greaves……Burgess…Townsend……..Davis………
………….Cajuste…..Morsy……Luongo………..






……………Delap ( good luck !)………

[Bluemike]

Sadly Liz we can't play 12 players lol

[shabba]

Personally I’d be going for the following

……………………………………………………………….Muric………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………(TEAM BUS HERE)……………………………………………………………….

…………….Axel………Edmundson……Woolfie…..Greaves……Burgess…Townsend……..Davis………
……………………………………………….Cajuste…..Morsy……Luongo………..






…………………………………………….………………Delap ( good luck !)…………………………………………………………………

[hallamblue]

Sadly Liz we can't play 12 players lol

I was thinking why not try the whole 25 lol

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

It's not going to be an easy game at all, but hope springs eternal.

There is a simple way to beat Man City - score more goals than they do. So I'm hoping we don't set up to defend and I don't think KM will set us up like that.

Man City 1 - Ipswich 2

[shabba]

I feel this might be a bit of a beating. Too many players not quite upto speed, or getting used to our system.
Maybe players know how big the challenge is, and no home crowd/TV game etc to roar them on.

Hopefully some new signings get some minutes and we can also gel the team a bit, but I'm not at all hopefull for any sort of result

[Dubai Blue]

I would consider a 5-3-2 for this one with Tuanzebe, Wolfenden & Greaves in the centre of defence and Davis & Johnson on the flanks. But did we try this out in pre-season? If not it seems unlikely that KM will try it out of the blue.

[Ricco]

I would consider a 5-3-2 for this one with Tuanzebe, Wolfenden & Greaves in the centre of defence and Davis & Johnson on the flanks. But did we try this out in pre-season? If not it seems unlikely that KM will try it out of the blue.

I believe they played with 5 at the back at some point in the friendlies? So it shows they've definitely been working on it, whether that's just as a potential plan B, or to actually use regularly as an alternative system remains to be seen.

[ITFC2024]

If we did go with a 5-3-2 (which I doubt we will) this is the line up I'd prefer with Hutch and Delap playing on either side. Szmodics and Davis running the wings. Morsy and Cajuste controlling the midfield and Tuanzebe moving up when Szmodics is forward.

.............................Muric........................................

Tuanzebe..........Edmundson.....Woolfy.....Greaves.......Davis

........Szmodics.............Morsy...........Cajuste.................

..................Hutchinson.............Delap........................

[shabba]

What about this?

Might allow us to drop Johson to RB as a 5 without the ball, then return to 4-2-3-1 in possession?

.............................Muric........................................

............Tuanzebe..........Woolfy.....Greaves.......Davis.....

.........................Morsy...........Cajuste.....................

.....Johnson....................Hutchinson.......Szmodics.....

...................................Delap........................

[Bluemike]

McKenna has confirmed that Wes Burns is out for "a number of weeks"

[hallamblue]

Harness gets his chance then….

[Ricco]

McKenna has confirmed that Wes Burns is out for "a number of weeks"

I don't know if that's good or bad news? It's better than a months and months at least...

[Bluemike]

McKenna has confirmed that Wes Burns is out for "a number of weeks"

I don't know if that's good or bad news? It's better than a months and months at least...

It could have been a lot worse for sure

[Charnwood]

McKenna has confirmed that Wes Burns is out for "a number of weeks"

I don't know if that's good or bad news? It's better than a months and months at least...

It could have been a lot worse for sure

With the number of new players we have on board it could in a bizarre way help create a space to give a new player some game time.

[Bluemike]

I don't know if that's good or bad news? It's better than a months and months at least...

It could have been a lot worse for sure

With the number of new players we have on board it could in a bizarre way help create a space to give a new player some game time.

My thoughts exactly

[hallamblue]

I think there will be a gradual, phased absence of the original squad over the next few months. Town are not spending £100m on players who will be sat on the bench or left at the training ground on a Saturday. A lot of former “ regulars” are going to be getting increasingly less minutes I suspect, and the last thing some of those players want now is to get injured, because I don’t think they’ll get their place back easily.

[Mauswara]

I think there will be a gradual, phased absence of the original squad over the next few months. Town are not spending £100m on players who will be sat on the bench or left at the training ground on a Saturday. A lot of former “ regulars” are going to be getting increasingly less minutes I suspect, and the last thing some of those players want now is to get injured, because I don’t think they’ll get their place back easily.

I'd like to think it of it more as giving our newcomers a chance to fight for one of our regulars place.

[hallamblue]

Oh I'm sure that's exactly the approach McKenna and his staff will adopt. He's no fool is he. But ultimately the cream, as they say rises to the top. It's an unstoppable outcome.

[Mauswara]

Oh I'm sure that's exactly the approach McKenna and his staff will adopt. He's no fool is he. But ultimately the cream, as they say rises to the top. It's an unstoppable outcome.

I wonder what the Demolition Man thinks about seeing Woolfie start in a PL back four?

[hallamblue]

Like me probably, bemused

[Bluemike]

But fair play to him, he was decent against Liverpool alongside Greaves

[hallamblue]

Yes, he was. It's the best I've ever seen him play in a Toen shirt. Play like every week and id have no issues with him. But I also think playing in-between two decent defenders ( Greaves / Axel) his defensive weaknesses are covered more.

It's interesting to note more people are coming out of the woodwork know, stating how he's overrated, and does gave weakness in hid basic defending. Ive been a lone voice on there and taken a lot of flack because of it and I think many people are afraid to say what they feel for fear of getting hounded by the clique, like I have.

But if he continues to step up like he did against Liverpool, I'd be a happy bunny for sure.

[hallamblue]

Just seen this posted on twtd: ain't that the truth !!


2022-24: first away match of the season - Forest Green Rovers (now non-League)

2024-25: first away game of the season - Man City (English Champions four years running)

What a ride we’re on!!