Club Football/Internationals Post South Africa

Man City will not win the Premiership this season. Mario Balotelli is vastly overrated.

I agree with issues facing ManU and Chelsea (who are still making some interesting signings, btw) but I'm confident ManCity will not win the title. There's a reason that stability in a club helps to win championships. The players will not have had time to gel, and who knows what their line-up will be. Also, there is a huge difference in wage packets between certain players (the longer you've been at the club, the less you're making is what it basically boils down to) and this has the potential to cause problems.

As for Balotelli, he's talented, no doubt about it. He's a physically impressive specimen, like Jozy Altidore, but with a much more impressive skill set. However, he's a 19 year old boy and acts like a 15 year old girl much of the time. You can certainly blame some of his attitudes on the racist fans in Italy, but that is only a small part of the problem. He's an arrogant SOB, evidenced by his wage demands and general attitude/demeanor, and I don't see him becoming a "world beater" as you put it, until he can overcome his attitude problems.

Citeh is a team of over-valued and over-paid players. They were not even the best players at their former clubs before taking the fat payout that Citeh offered and jumping ship. The only way they will win the league is if they get special dispensation to play a starting XXI with all of Viera, Barry, Yaya Toure, de Jong, Silva, Ireland and SWP included.

I have no doubt that they have a fantastic team. This would be my starting 11:


And then 7 subs? Santa Cruz, Adebayor, M. Johnson, Hart, De Jong, SWP, Barry

That's a pretty stacked team. Certainly better than Arsenal and Liverpool, just as good as ManU, the only squad that might be better is Chelsea. The problem is getting all these players to all play well together.

That squad is certainly not better than Arsenal and probably not better than Liverpool. Manchester United is more experienced in the league, have played together longer, and are much better managed than Manchester "Fifa 10" City. Tottenham has a very strong squad on paper too and they proved they can play with the big boys last campaign. Everton is always a dark horse and if they stay healthy, I think they look more convincing than the fantasy team City has lined up at the moment. Your line-up has 4 players out of position. You might want to check that out. Try something more along the lines of this: Boateng is a RB, not a LB. Kolarov is miles better than Richards (he's also a RB). You have two world-class defensive midfielders and you wouldn't start both of them? Adam Johnson is a RW not a LW. David Silva is a LW, not a RW. Come on, dude! I don't think Adebayor will be starting if Balotelli is signed, but I'm hesitant about that. Bellamy didn't displace him last season and I don't think he will this year. Tevez is more of a CF than an in-and-out striker which is why he's placed behind Adebayor here. I see Hart getting the starting spot due to age and potential over Given's proven experience, although this is subject to debate. However, whichever one of them does not start will be loaned out. They both need to start to make their national teams, so riding the bench is not an option. The bench would end up something like this: Bellamy, Ireland, Barry, Zabaleta, Lescott, SWP, Vieira.

i saw the Brazil/US friendly. great show by the Brazilians....not so much from the Americans.

Saw the US/Brazil game, that kid Neymar is going to be special.

It's hard for me to respond to this, because you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Boateng is a leftback, that's where he played for Germany during the World Cup. I'm not Roberto Mancini so I don't determine the formation, but I find a 4-4-2 infinitely more appealing than a more defensive 4-2-3-1. De Jong has never impressed me, and I think benching Stephen Ireland would be a waste of one of the more creative players on the roster. Bellamy was often played as a left winger in a 4-3-3 formation for City last season, but I think he performs better as an out and out striker. They certainly have better personnel than Liverpool, and Arsenal as well. The Gunners manage to score a glut of goals every season but always have difficulty defending and don't seem to possess the mental fortitude needed to grind out tough games. Arsenal at least have an advantage in that the state of their squad, and first XI especially, is not in such flux. But all of this is academic because if you re-read my post I said that would be "my" team. That is the team that I would play on Sundays. Nowhere did I say that's who Roberto Mancini would play, where he would play them, or what formation they would be playing. Silva and Johnson are both capable of and known for playing both wings, Boateng is capable of playing in several defensive positions but will most likely line up for city as a LB, and as long as Tevez is playing centrally whether as a CF or as a ST then he is going to get goals. EDIT: As for Hart displacing Given, it's possible, but he's nowhere near the quality of keeper as his Irish counterpart. He benefited from an extremely stingy defense this past season at Birmingham and I hope he gets sent out on loan again so he can continue to develop.

Insults aren't necessary, especially when you're very wrong about your dismissing of others views and opinions.

Just because a player plays in one position for their national team, does not necessarily mean that's where they play for club. As I predicted, Ireland is on his way out and Hart started over Given. I believe I know what I'm talking about, as clearly proven by the current going-ons at City. I don't see Mancini sending out Hart at all, especially after his display against Spurs.

Also, I realize you said it would be "your" team. My post was to say that your team selection seemed very off and made little sense. Of course, if "your" team refers to you using players on Fifa 10, be my guest.