Manchester City go into tonight’s Premier League game against Blackburn with one eye on the Champions League fourth spot.
Luckily Fat Sam’s side have both eyes on their Semi-Final against Aston Villa on Thursday this week.
Given Allardyce’s history of playing percentages, it would seem that all City need to do is to score early on and the Blackburn player’s appetite should seep away quicker than you can say ‘bigger fish to fry!’
Brett Emerton is fit to return to Sam Allardyce’s starting line up after recovering from a groin problem, but Vince Grella is still nursing a thigh strain and will not be risked, while the de’spit’able El-Hadji Diouf is suspended after his cowardly red card in last Saturday’s FA Cup defeat at Villa.
Roberto Mancini will surely go with the formation that was used effectively against Stoke City as Blackburn line up in almost identical fashion as their Pottery counterparts.
The three major decisions Mancini has to make all involve personnel and which to use. Does he use Dedryk Boyata or Micah Richards to partner Vincent Kompany at the back?
Should the powerful Santa Cruz be given a start against his old club or will the dynamic duo of Tevez and Bellamy be unleashed on the brave but cumbersome giants that are Nelson and Samba?
Finally, will Patrick Viera be fit to make his much anticipated debut and if so will Pitbull De Jong, Steady Eddie Barry or Superman be dropped from a midfield that has looked back to its best in recent weeks?
All will be revealed tonight at 19:30 so don’t forget to tune into your wirelesses or pictureboxes to witness the Sky Blue Juggernaut in full flow.
Key opponent: Gamst Pedersen
McCarthy may be the assassin and Roberts the steamroller, but without the service of Pedersen the pair will be isolated up front alone. Stop him!
Prediction: City 2 Blackburn 0
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