Mancini has announced the side to meet Newcastle in a few minutes, with one or two surprises.
With his counterpart, Alan Pardew looking at 4-5-1 with a possibility of 4-4-2, Mancini has elected for a loaded midfield with Tevez as the lone ranger up front.
Hart in goal is unopposed as Given hovers around the exit either for good or on loan, the back four has more robust look with Boateng onthe right, Kompany and Lescott in the centres and Kolarov on the left. This is not doubt to try to contain the combative Carroll up front for the Mags.
Across the midfield, we have De Jong and BArry holding, Silva and Milner, wider out and Yaya Toure looking to support Tevez up front in a fashion that has started to work.
Milner is not for me in this one. He has promised much but not delivered yet and I would have seen Johnson as more of a natural outlet and supporter of Toure and Tevez.
Super Mario can wear his hat on the bench today where he teams up with the susual suspects, Given, Zabaleta, Richards, Jo, Vieira & Johnson.
I expect Pardew’s side to be a compact one, aimed at keeping its shape up and down the field and trying to feed Carroll in the air. Vincent Kompany will have his hands full but he is class isn’t he?
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