How do you beat Citeh?

[Big Ronaldo]

The problem with Man City is that They don’t lose very often.
In the premiership last season, they only lost 4 times.
They won the FA cup and the carabao cup so no defeats there.
They only lost 2 games in the champions league last season, 1 in the Semi-final.
So, across all competitions, I make that 6 defeats in a whole season?
They are a team that on a good day can field a team with a net worth of in excess of £300 million.
Undoubtedly, they are a great team.

If we are just planning on rolling over then fair enough.
Keeping the score down is a noble quest as you let them pass on through here on the way to the semi-final.
We do have a League to win fter all.

But my question is...what if we were seriously going to try to beat them, how do you do it?

How do you unpick a team bristling with superstar players?

Your thoughts...

 

[Scotchegg]

The one team in recent years who have consistently pushed Man City have been Liverpool, and they have done so by playing a high tempo game, closing City down high up the pitch and trying to keep them on the back foot for 90 minutes.

Of course, Liverpool are a very different proposition to Oxford, but we play in a similar way when we're at our best.

John Stone was allowed to look like Beckenbauer with the time he was given last year, but Mackie would close down the defence quickly so they can't stroll out with the ball. Our defence is solid and will need Ruffels and Long/Cadden to get out to the ball early to prevent Sterling/Mahrez etc from getting free runs into the area. Gorrin will need to be on his game as there will be ball carriers from all over the pitch who can take a little touch and take him out the game if he commits too early.

But, let's not forget that for all of their strengths, Man City can also be exposed. The likes of Baptiste and Brannagan could dance through the middle, Fosu could make the likes of Otamendi looks stupid if he runs at them, Taylor is a poacher that only needs a half chance as we saw against Portsmouth.

So, I wouldn't worry too much about the result. Play with freedom, confidence and stick to our natural game. If we're lucky (and we'd need to be!) we might just get something from it. If not we could get hammered, but as least we would do it by being true to what we are as a club.

 

[Essexyellows]

Give them a good old Division 3 kicking....... ? ? ?

Bring back Briggsy & Shotton and a few others for a game.

In reality............... a good bit of "shithousery" and let them know we are there mixed with our normal flowing game and some crossed fingers that it bounces of someones backside and goes in.

 

[Roge]

That’s a very interesting question you have posed. You can’t argue with the stats.

My thoughts:

Hold them to a draw over 90 mins win on penalties!

Shoot from outside the area when we get any chance. When Norwich beat them in September, they had seven shots and scored 3, with only 30% of the possession

Realistically we might get 25% possession, so defensive formation relying on a breakaway goal

I am looking forward to the game, but if I am being honest the Wycombe game on the following Saturday is massive for us ,it will be interesting what team we put out.

 

[EastStandKieran]

I would say kick the s**t out of there superstars grab a couple of goals when we get chance and defend for our lives they are beatable Wigan done it a couple of years ago so why can’t we

 

[Essexyellows]

[QUOTE="gerrysummers, post: 200759, member: 218"
I am looking forward to the game, but if I am being honest the Wycombe game on the following Saturday is massive for us ,it will be interesting what team we put out.
[/QUOTE]

I thoroughly despise this "what team we put out". Its their JOB for which they get paid well, best team we can. Period. Both games. If they can`t "work" for 4 hours a week feckin sack `em !

 

[Scotchegg]

[QUOTE="gerrysummers, post: 200759, member: 218"

I am looking forward to the game, but if I am being honest the Wycombe game on the following Saturday is massive for us ,it will be interesting what team we put out.

I thoroughly despise this "what team we put out". Its their JOB for which they get paid well, best team we can. Period. Both games. If they can`t "work" for 4 hours a week feckin sack `em !
[/QUOTE]

I'm sure every player would love to play in both games, but with a number coming back from injuries it may not be good for everyone to play Wednesday night/Saturday afternoon. We pay them well to PLAY, not be be on the sidelines because they've been pushed too far, too quickly.

We have seen against West Ham that we have a strong squad and should look to use that appropriately with so many big games coming up over the Christmas period.

 

[Leysboy]

Wigan knocked them out of the cup, when they were a Lge one club.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Thinking on it for a moment, we don’t actually have to beat them, just hold them off for 90 minutes.?
We will need the luck of a leprechaun selling clover to do that.
I agree that what you cannot do is sit back and hope to ride it out. You have go for it - At least early on.
I hope that we don’t passively allow them to play like last year. However difficult that may be.
No-one wants us to get a tonking and We do have other pressing engagements to consider, But we have to try to show more cut this time. Try to Make them a little more wary of us.
I see Fosu as our outlet ball. He can get us on the front foot if we can get it out to him.
Our defenders will need to play the game of their lives though and it will need the quickest of them to stop those lively strikers of city’s from filling their boots but I feel that it can be done.

Now that would be headlines across the world!!

 

[Canterburyexile]

The city game is a free hit and chance for us to get some exposure. They are beatable. Occasionally. I think it’s more a case of if they turn up. If they do, we’ll do well to keep the scoreline acceptable. If they don’t, and we are set up to hit them on the counter attack, and a couple of our better players have great games and we get the bounce of the ball then why not?

 

[Foley]

We will have to defend incredibly well (for most of last years game we defended well )
They will have 75% possession in all likelihood.
So we need to catch them on the break and when we do break we need to go for them. Fosu will be critical as he has the pace.
We need to score first and then get quite a lot of luck....

 

[TailsWeWin]

We will have to defend incredibly well (for most of last years game we defended well )
They will have 75% possession in all likelihood.
So we need to catch them on the break and when we do break we need to go for them. Fosu will be critical as he has the pace.
We need to score first and then get quite a lot of luck....

Score first, but do so in the 89th minute.

 

[DavidB]

I’d sooner get to tonked going for it, rather than go for damage limitation. But I’m not sure Karl will look at it that way.
Not good reading on the CV.

 

[Scotchegg]

Score first, but do so in the 89th minute.

And twice more in injury time!!

 

[horseman]

as always i will try to show respect to past players but despite keeping our shape and defending fairly well we had no outlet, you will not generally create many chances against them but unlike last time we have 5/6 players capable of taking a chance when we do get one.
They are a fantastic side but i do wonder if some clubs are beat before stepping onto the pitch, there is also the 11 behind the ball mentality of which Newcastle springs to mind who made no effort whatsoever to even try launch an attack. What's clear is you can't win a game if you don't at least make an effort to build attacks and create chances.

In the modern way many sides are just trying to stay in the league so pick games where they can have a go and virtual accept defeat against the bigger clubs which is an awful mentality. Ian Atkins had a similar outlook against Arsenal with a plan not to have a go until the last 15 minutes.

of course City have far better players but that does not mean your beat before you start, it's a one off cup match and anything can happen with the right mentality and approach.

 

[Belgium Yellow]

It's easy!!
Look at the colour of the shirts of the two teams who have beaten them this year!!

 

[SteMerritt]

Make them park their team bus more than 5 feet from the entrance and not let them move it, we know that will freak them out.

 

[Ox4Eva]

Just get right into their faces and go for it as we have nothing to lose!

A couple of early robust tackles as well

 

[chuckbert]

I think some shithousing and robust (but L1-fair) challenges early on might help. My biggest fear in this kind of game is the last half hour. OUFC have to reserve some concentration and energy for the end of the game or could get taken apart at the end.

 

[Morris Oxford]

Hopefully it will be pissing down with torrential rain, sleet and snow plus a force hurricane gale blowing in from the fence end. Making sure the sprinklers are on maximum velocity before the match and and at half time.

 

[Gary Baldi]

Defensively, they are a bit of mess. One for Mackie and Taylor to get about them. With the Xmas period, they could put a weaker team out due to higher priorities...

 

[Sarge]

Defensively, they are a bit of mess. One for Mackie and Taylor to get about them. With the Xmas period, they could put a weaker team out due to higher priorities...

they have a slightly bigger squad to choose from than we do.... despite which, I fancy therell be a league cup upset on Dec 18, live on Sky TV

 

[FalmouthOx]

We could just sign 8 x 8 foot tall fatties and line them up on the goal line, all wearing top hats with 3 defenders doubling up in front of them

 

[brassmonkey]

Its a full moon on the 12th december. Therefore by my astronomy calculations its a yellow and blue moon on the 18th December. We therefore have to sing yellow and blue moon louder than blue moon to win.

 

[Marked Ox]

Injure both keepers, or better yet get both sent off and then they'll put Kyle Walker in goal.

 

[Gary Baldi]

they have a slightly bigger squad to choose from than we do.... despite which, I fancy therell be a league cup upset on Dec 18, live on Sky TV

They do, but to quote a friend of mine. Otamendi is a complete <bleeping> liability and Stones ain't much better. We didn't sign Maguire because of FFP and we're back to playing Fernandinho there because Pep trusts him.

 

[SwissYellow]

At the 30 second mark. Give the Ball to Fosu. Simple.

 

[ttg17]

I know it's not strictly relevant, but has anyone seen Otamendi's back tattoos? They're comfortably the worst set of ink I've ever seen.

Start Mackie to get in their faces for the first 70 mins, and then bring on Taylor to hopefully poach a goal late on. The defence is get-at-able. With their tough run of fixtures then, Pep will presumably rest his few healthy CBs, so the central pairing, and perhaps even the wingbacks, will be less solid than last year's Kompany (who went on to play a key part in their run in) and Otamendi (who was not yet the joke figure he currently seems to be), with Stones sitting in front.

It's a shame we don't have Whyte any more for games like this. While Fosu is excellent, he does not possess the kind of blistering pace that will put even top-level defenders on their heels if he runs at them. I would play CB and Henry in front of Gorrin; Baptiste may have started last year, and can be great on his day, but on days like this we will need calm older heads like Henry's if we are to get anything - which seems much more likely than last time.

 

[brassmonkey]

We just need to play like liverpool did today and hope the referees on our side

 

[OX14]

Attack down the wings and put crosses in early. Can see this being a game for Mackie chasing down the defenders and goalie.