mancityblues.com

Tough times at the moment, but we'll still be top of the league on Monday night and with David Silva closer to returning (he may even play a part against Wigan), our "crisis" should be diminishing. As usual a win against the Latics is vital and is far from being a foregone conclusion as our recent form shows all too well. It's not surprising that City have had a wobble when one looks at the players we're missing, but it has been disappointing that one or two haven't stepped up to the plate in the absence of Kompany, Yaya and Silva. Nigel De Jong, Aleks Kolarov and Adam Johnson can perform much better than they have. Savic has come in for some stick, but the lad is still only twenty-one and it would be unfair to expect him to give Kompany-esque displays. I don't think that he was helped by the lack of leadership from Lescott and, to a lesser extent, Micah, so I'm not willing to write the lad off just yet.

However, the fact remains that City have looked disjointed and unimaginative lately. It was notable that when playing our typical 4-2-3-1 formation the team looked rather fragile at the back and lifeless going forward, yet the change to 3-5-1-1 (or 5-3-2) brought about a marked improvement. Mancini may wish to cut his cloth according to the players he has available, and personally I'd start with three at the back against Wigan. Many feel that such a formation is too defensive, but it doesn't have to be as the likes of Barca and Napoli have shown, and playing this formation will allow the following advantages -

1. With Kompany missing, the added security of three central defenders allows a better foundation on which to build from the back. Neither Lescott nor Savic (or Richards for that matter) look to have the quality distribution that Vinnie possesses, but the extra player allows more options both defensively and when looking to pass forward.

2. City have been prone to getting caught on the counter-attack - playing this formation makes it less likely. Using wing-backs gives the team the width that we've lacked (for quite a while, actually). We have players perfectly suited to this role - any two of Micah, Kolarov, Clichy or Zaba (or even Onuoha) can cause problems for the opposition both defensively or offensively.

3. Without Yaya, City's ability to control games from midfield is reduced. Barry is a much underrated player, but he needs quality alongside him to shine, and for me De Jong is unable to provide enough imagination to make the opposition think twice about how to approach their game. This allows Barry to be more closely marked, reducing his time and space on the ball. However, when using a 3-5-1-1 set-up, there seem to be many more options for midfielders of relatively limited vision - a spare man is more often available either on the flank or in the hole - and so the opposing midfielders begin to leave gaps which can be exploited by individuals with Barry's attributes.

4. As a corollary of the above, the attacking players are able to find space more easily. Without real pace in the team, City struggle to get behind defences unless the likes of Silva can thread a perfect pass or Yaya can power through the lines of defence. Richards is a real menace when he gets forward, but in a four man defence his opportunities are more limited, especially if he's worried about whether the likes of Savic can handle things if Micah gets caught upfield. Getting Richards forward stretches the opposition defence, again creating space for the movement and vision of Aguero, Dzeko or Balotelli, but crucially it also give the attacking midfielder(s) opportunity to create.

5. Bottom-line, City are more difficult to beat and more likely to win playing like this in my opinion. When the heavy-hitters return, reverting to our more typical formation is preferable, but for the time being, I'd go with this team for Wigan (and Liverpool/Spurs) -

---------------------------HART--------------------------
----------SAVIC--------ZABALETA----------LESCOTT----------
RICHARDS--------------------------------------------CLICHY
-------------------------BARRY----------------------------
-----------MILNER----------------------NASRI--------------
---------------------DZEKO------AGUERO------------------

BENCH: From - PANTS, KOLAROV, ONUOHA/REKIK, DE JONG, RAZAK (SILVA), AJ, (MARIO), (SUAREZ)

I prefer Micah on the right as opposed to central defence to utilize his attacking prowess. Zaba comes into the heart of defence for his organizational skills and his better distribution than Savic, Lescott or Micah. Clichy takes the left wing-back slot, linking with the improving Nasri or getting behind the Wigan defence when possible. Barry plays in central midfield along with Milner and Nasri, whilst Dzeko and Aguero patrol the final third, one or the other dropping back on occasion where required. I'm assuming that Silva will be eased back into the hurly-burly - I'd rather see him fully-fit against Liverpool or Spurs if possible.

In summary, City have to play to their strengths, and imho this is the way to go at the moment. With all due respect to Wigan and their fans, I'm not overly concerned about their threat as much as I'm concerned about City's ability to right the ship, so a return to tight, disciplined football will be welcome. I'll be delighted with a relatively event-free 1-0 victory after all the drama of recent games - just hope that the referee doesn't try to be the star-of-the-show once again.
BLOOVIC