Skoorb
Alert Team
Time is my enemy and so it has to be MDT Lite for fixture which sees City start their first domestic cup competition under Pep Guardiola. I would like to wax lyrical about the football we have witnessed but that will have to be left for other threads. Suffice to say it has been sumptuous and all the sweeter for the wheels that have taken on a serious wobble at Sold Trafford.
There always seems to be less weight attached to the League Cup (or to refer to it by it's new, funkier name, the EFL Cup :064: ) and it rarely is a competition where retention appears to be a priority. Pep Guardiola wants to win every single football game his sides play in - you would only have to see his reaction in the post match press conference at the weekend to the inane question as to whether City are going to try and win all four trophies this season. But as the first of a series of eight away games in 12 days one would not be surprised to see an element of pragmatism enter his team selection for this fixture. Rotation may be the name of the game but he will maintain his exacting standards and expect his footballing philosophy to be followed by whomever he selects.
Sergio The Brute Agüero remains complete the last of his three match domestic suspension just as Nolito commences his. He may come to regret his indiscipline at the weekend because as one door closes another opens and this may provide Sané with an opportunity to start his first game for the club. After a couple of short cameo appearances as a substitute where he has shown glimpses this may be the opportunity to step up and show what he can really offer.
Iheanacho is likely to continue his run in the side in Sergio's absence and Sterling, brimming with confidence, may provide the width on the opposite wing. De Bruyne is totally peerless at present and his almost telepathic vision will continue to be critical in the potential continued absence of Silva. Gündogan is gaining fitness and experience and I would expect to see him feature.
At the back things get more tricky - will Guardiola blood some younger players at full back? Will Kompany get some game time?
Swansea have not had the greatest start to the season but they have to potential for ambushing anyone who takes them lightly. Complacency and Guardiola are not good bedfellows and I do not believe that he will underestimate any opponent this season - and so he will not expect his players to either. A slip - as experienced by Otamendi against Bournemouth in the second half - a free kick in a dangerous area, a corner, a decision by an official........football can throw up some brickbats at you when you are not paying attention.
So no let up, no foot off the gas, no passengers. This game marks the start of a critical period in City's season. Make no mistake, Guardiola is well aware of the significance of this sequence of games and he knows he faces the next big test of his tenure as the coach of Manchester City FC. He's done pretty well so far and it has been wonderful to see the media swallowing some of their scepticism.
We will learn a lot about him and how far he has taken the squad so far during this period and the learning, whatever the outcome of these matches, will continue.
Buckle up City fans and enjoy the ride.
Come On City!!
There always seems to be less weight attached to the League Cup (or to refer to it by it's new, funkier name, the EFL Cup :064: ) and it rarely is a competition where retention appears to be a priority. Pep Guardiola wants to win every single football game his sides play in - you would only have to see his reaction in the post match press conference at the weekend to the inane question as to whether City are going to try and win all four trophies this season. But as the first of a series of eight away games in 12 days one would not be surprised to see an element of pragmatism enter his team selection for this fixture. Rotation may be the name of the game but he will maintain his exacting standards and expect his footballing philosophy to be followed by whomever he selects.
Sergio The Brute Agüero remains complete the last of his three match domestic suspension just as Nolito commences his. He may come to regret his indiscipline at the weekend because as one door closes another opens and this may provide Sané with an opportunity to start his first game for the club. After a couple of short cameo appearances as a substitute where he has shown glimpses this may be the opportunity to step up and show what he can really offer.
Iheanacho is likely to continue his run in the side in Sergio's absence and Sterling, brimming with confidence, may provide the width on the opposite wing. De Bruyne is totally peerless at present and his almost telepathic vision will continue to be critical in the potential continued absence of Silva. Gündogan is gaining fitness and experience and I would expect to see him feature.
At the back things get more tricky - will Guardiola blood some younger players at full back? Will Kompany get some game time?
Swansea have not had the greatest start to the season but they have to potential for ambushing anyone who takes them lightly. Complacency and Guardiola are not good bedfellows and I do not believe that he will underestimate any opponent this season - and so he will not expect his players to either. A slip - as experienced by Otamendi against Bournemouth in the second half - a free kick in a dangerous area, a corner, a decision by an official........football can throw up some brickbats at you when you are not paying attention.
So no let up, no foot off the gas, no passengers. This game marks the start of a critical period in City's season. Make no mistake, Guardiola is well aware of the significance of this sequence of games and he knows he faces the next big test of his tenure as the coach of Manchester City FC. He's done pretty well so far and it has been wonderful to see the media swallowing some of their scepticism.
We will learn a lot about him and how far he has taken the squad so far during this period and the learning, whatever the outcome of these matches, will continue.
Buckle up City fans and enjoy the ride.
Come On City!!
