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Zachariah Lovespoon

First 11 good enough to keep us up

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I genuinely feel that if we can play the majority of the remaining games with our best team on the pitch we have enough to keep up.

Had Tettey & O''neil been on the pitch Saturday I think we would''ve had enough to see the game out even without Bennet/Klose.

With these two (with Howson for O''neil depending on the opposition) plus Klose to come in we have a decent lower mid table match day squad. If we land the 1 or 2 extra the manager identifies even better but either way still plenty to be optimistic about for me

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I agree that had we had one (or both) of Tettey and O''neil we might have held out. We imploded because we were exposed to easily. I think both O''Neil and Tettey are hugely underrated at times - it''s a shame O''Neil was a silly boy and out being banned, but what most disappoints me is Mulumbu - surely he would have been perfect?

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I agree. This is stating the bloody obvious but if we can improve defensively then we''ll be OK. There''s only a few times this season when we''ve looked rubbish going forward - we normally look like scoring. I think it''s going to click for us soon and I wouldn''t be surprised if a team took a hammering from us. We were excellent going forward on Saturday.Where we are now is different to last time when we never looked like scoring. Hopefully with Klose in we''ll look better at the back. We''re not a terrible side, far from it, but we are very prone to errors at the back. I''m hoping we get another striker in too.

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I agree, it is to me blatantly obvious that there is plenty to be optimistic about but you wouldn''t think it looking on here since Saturday, even from the previous comments of some saying that it''s obvious!

As for our best 11, if you replace Martin & Dorrens with Klose & Tettey from Saturday''s starting 11 & possibly O''neil for Howson depending on who & where we''re playing then I think that''s about it.

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We need a top class goalkeeper of premiership quality who is not only commanding in defensive situations but commands the 18 yard box.

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Does AN know his first 11? The line up has been changed far too often. There has been no consistency within the team. We are almost into Feb and no nearer a settled team than we were in August.

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I don''t think he knows his first 22, let alone 11,

P.S. What''s this Mulumbu nonsense.

Good player. Have they clashed?

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[quote user="shaunieboy77"]Does AN know his first 11? The line up has been changed far too often. There has been no consistency within the team. We are almost into Feb and no nearer a settled team than we were in August.[/quote]

So do 14 other prem clubs.

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[quote user="Yellowbeagle"][quote user="shaunieboy77"]Does AN know his first 11? The line up has been changed far too often. There has been no consistency within the team. We are almost into Feb and no nearer a settled team than we were in August.[/quote]

So do 14 other prem clubs.[/quote]

Sorry comment wasn''t meant for you was the one about needing a commanding Gk. I blame the bloody iPad.

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Paul Lambert always rotated the side and it worked.

The defence will improve and we need Mulumbu 100% fit and on his best form. We can perform against the best sides.

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I don''t have a problem with changing the team around. You can''t play the same at Man City away as you do against Aston Villa at home. This is particularly true for the forward and holding centre midfield players.

Having said that there is much more of an argument to keep a settled back four more often than not. Having found the best CB partnership was Bassong and Bennett he should have kept with it until Kloser was up to speed.

The Newcastle game is often given as evidence that Martin should not play at CH but for me the Everton at home game is the better example. First half we were torn apart and were very fortunate to go in only one down. Second half Wisdom goes off, Martin goes to RB and Bennett comes on and plays like a rock. We play much better and earn a good draw.

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What the heck happened around just 12 months ago to Leicester? they were in a far worse position than we are in now, then suddenly found something, and went on an incredible run, and even a change of manager didnt halt their amazing rise, and now look where they are. Whatever they found, if City had even half of that, our worries would be over.Its a combination of that old soft underbelly, that City have suffered from for seasons, and the players that no way should be in the first 11. Whitts thank goodness is out the way, Martin  has to be removed, the longer Alex keeps him around the more the fans will turn on Alex. Obvious i know, but we need a defence and midfield made of good solid steel, well organised and holding firm position. Sadly, time for Wes to play less also, as much as he is great with his magic, age is rapidly catching up.First 11 good enough to keep us up? on paper, and with the belief that Leicester had combined with strong defensive solidity, yes. On the actual pitch, with Alexs team selections  and to many City players who do not show the belief or the workrate, not a cats chance.

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I think the problem here is that we don''t have a first 11. I think I''m correct in saying we haven''t fielded the same starting 11 for 2 consecutive matches? I''m sure I heard that somewhere at the weekend. This I feel is a major contribution to the defensive problems we''ve had, never had a settled back 4 that can gel as a unit.

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[quote user="alartz"]State the obvious much. Go tell that to the great Neil[/quote]

You''re a big brave boy behind your keyboard, why don''t you go up to Neil and call him a c*** to his face like you do on here

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Our 4-2-3-1 formation is an exciting one going forward but if we''re going to play Redmond, Wes and Naismith in the same team, we will need better defending midfielders behind them. Tettey and O''Neil would be my first choice.

With both absent, you''d have thought that Dorrans, Howson, Mulumbu and Ofoe would be good enough to do that job, but it didn''t pan out that way.

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I think the most concerning thing is the number of people who are talking like we are already down. There is a good reason why there are three teams below us and two more who we could go above with a win. We have several issues to be addressed but so do they, there is all to play for and we have as good a chance of staying up as any of them.

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[quote user="Gordon Bennett"]I think the most concerning thing is the number of people who are talking like we are already down. There is a good reason why there are three teams below us and two more who we could go above with a win. We have several issues to be addressed but so do they, there is all to play for and we have as good a chance of staying up as any of them.[/quote]

I agree but I think most of the debate is about how things need to change in order to gain the advantage over those other clubs. It''s doable but our manager can''t keep looking for excuses to play R.Martin at CB and he can''t play a midfield without a holding player any more times. People are worried and a lot of it is because it looks like the manager is failing to learn some pretty obvious lessons.

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I think we have as much of a chance of staying up as Newcastle, Sunderland and Bournemouth and can comfortably make a case for all four of us going down and staying up!

It will be a dog fight until the end and will probably be decided by our performance across April looking at those fixtures.

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