West Ham v City: Preview

May 08, 2010

HOPE: Gareth Barry

Gareth Barry should not give up on his World Cup dream insists City boss Roberto Mancini.

The Italian is keeping his fingers crossed that the midfielder will make it to South Africa with England.

Barry, 29, is facing four weeks on the sidelines after damaging ankle ligaments during Wednesday night’s home defeat against Tottenham.

That means he will definitely miss England’s two pre-World Cup friendlies later this month.

And England boss Fabio Capello must decide whether to name Barry in his provisional 30-man squad on Tuesday.

England will face Mexico at Wembley on May 24, before tackling Japan in the Austrian city of Graz six days later.

Capello will then cut his party down to a final 23 for South Africa.

Barry, who has 36 caps to his name, played in eight of England’s 10 qualifying games for the World Cup, establishing himself as a key part of Capello’s midfield.

He visited a specialist on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury – and the length of his absence.

England will kick off their World Cup campaign five weeks today, against the USA in Rustenburg.

Mancini is expected to give Capello’s right-hand man Franco Baldini the full low-down on Barry’s injury tomorrow at Upton Park, where City take on West Ham.

And the City boss said: “I am very sorry for Gareth, because he is a fantastic guy, a fantastic player.

“I hope that he can play in the World Cup. But that is a decision for the England medical team and Fabio Capello.

“But I hope that Gareth will recover in time for the World Cup.”

Barry was an unused England squad member at Euro 2000, but has not featured in the final party at any major international tournament since.

He went almost four years without winning an international cap before Steve McClaren recalled him for a friendly against Spain at Old Trafford in February 2007.
While Barry is definitely out of tomorrow’s West Ham clash, Mancini is not planning too many more changes.

He said: “It’s important to finish with a win at West Ham. We want to finish fifth, ahead of Liverpool, who are a strong team.

‘If we finish ahead of Liverpool, that will be a good achievement.

“We want to win this game. For me, that’s important. I may change one or two players because a couple are very tired. But there will not be too many changes.”

West Ham league form: DWLWL

City league form: WLDWL

Key opponent: Scott Parker - Stan-out performer in a struggling side this season

Prediction: West Ham 0 City 3 - Hammers on the end of a Blues backlash

Agree with the prediction? Have your say.

Click here for all the latest odds from Betfred.

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stan bowles, warrington (08/05/2010 at 17:05)

Tricky game for City tomorrow against the Hammers who will want to put on a good show in front of their home fans. If we are up for it we should get the 3 points. Let's go for it and get that 5th place secured. Then we can all head for a nice well-earned break ahead of the new season and hope for some top quality additions to our squad.

Mansour City (08/05/2010 at 17:19)

Hope Carlos can score super hatrick and grab the golden boot

Sam Haggar Lowestoft -MCFC-CARLOS TEVEZ ONCE A RED AlWAYS A BLUE (08/05/2010 at 17:23)

like to see City finish the season in style like to give a few kids a chance

Fulop

Onouha Kompany Toure Bridge

A. Johnson De Jong Viera Bellamy

Tevez Adebayor

City to win 2-0

Coach, Oslo (08/05/2010 at 18:23)

Who cares? They have failed in everything this season. 3 defeats to the rags, out of the cups with a whimper, and can not win a must win game (Spurs) I'm not getting my hopes up for next season. Mancini is not a top manager.

boy blue, burnage (08/05/2010 at 18:25)

west ham 1-5 man city.

Bristol Blue, Bristol (08/05/2010 at 18:39)

I'd like to see both Santa Cruz and Nielsen given a start. I think people underestimate the effect that the shootings had on Adebayor - time for him to go away and have a rest. As for Nielsen, this could be his only chance to get a start.

a lesson in pride , Manchester (08/05/2010 at 19:07)

Enjoy the day Carlos, I've always respected the Hammers for the way they play the game and glad to see they've stayed up. Shame we are not playing this one for fourth place, but maybe we need another year to build a strong cohesive team to launch a champions league assault. Score prediction: 2-2 (Tevez 2)

mark jones (08/05/2010 at 22:04)

give it the final big push no letting up,there,s city fans who have payed big money to go down to rag country,so lets finish in style, go with your best team.

City Slipper, Manchester (08/05/2010 at 22:19)

Sam Haggar Lowestoft -MCFC-CARLOS TEVEZ ONCE A RED AlWAYS A BLUE,
8/05/2010 at 17:23

I would put SWP in for Johnson or Bellamy and RSC in for Ade. Definitely agree with Onuoha in for Zab.

Infijar Ken, Angola (08/05/2010 at 22:58)

Sam, so which kids are you willing to give a chance then? Surely not Viera?

ctid09 (09/05/2010 at 05:35)

“It’s important to finish with a win at West Ham. We want to finish fifth, ahead of Liverpool, who are a strong team.

liverpool cant catch us anymore mr roberto, or did u mean villa?

Jock Casale (09/05/2010 at 05:53)

I thought this article was supposed to be a preview of West Ham vs Mancy!

the legend that was glauber leandro honorato berti, oceanic 815 (09/05/2010 at 10:04)

Has Mancini lost it already ? Win ,lose or draw we will finish above Liverpool. Only Villa can catch us.

Still cant get over our indifferent performance against Spurs.At least the crowd and pre-match tenor seemed up for it. Sadly too many times Mancini has got the tactics and team selection wrong in the "must win" games eg Man U / Liverpool / Arsenal / Stoke ....Hull !!!

So for a new start at West Ham :-

I don't want to see Viera in a city shirt again.Sadly he is well past it and he won't make the French World Cup squad.
I don't want to see any more high-balls to Ade when his back is towards the oppositions goal.It doesn't matter who is marking him he NEVER wins the ball.Play to his strengths and we will get more goals from him.
I don't want to see our shortest players marking their tallest atackers at set pieces.
I don't want to see 6 unmarked opposition players standing outside our 18 yard area at corners , just waiting to play the ball straight back in.
I don't want to see Mancini coming out and sitting on the bench at half-time not even acknowledging the team when it comes out.What the hell is that all about !!!

I'd like to see Kompany back in midfield , we have missed his passing ability.
I'd like to see Bellamy and Johnson swap wings during the match.
I'd like us to start games with a tempo rather than waiting till the second half to pick up our game.

This season should have delivered so much more.We had the opportunities but sadly blew everyone.
Typical City still Mr Cook.

A big win today for Chelsea and us and I can face the summer with renewed optimism.Again !!! CTID and as I'm getting older that day is getting nearer so come on Blues give me a team to match the one that won my heart so many decades ago.

Tommy "Chopper" C, Oz (09/05/2010 at 11:46)

Don`t expect Tevez to be involved in this one.

micheal ok, kilworth,county cork ireland. (09/05/2010 at 12:31)

should be a cracking game,pleanty to play for despite what the rags in the media might say,we will want to finish the season on a high with a big win and the hammers will want to give their fans something to cheer about too.

i reckon a city 3-1 win

goals from tevez and bellamy (2).
CTID

quesera, SouthWest (09/05/2010 at 12:37)

Hope there is no truth in the rumour of Bellamy going to Spurs.
We can afford to keep him and even if he has to be a super sub, we need him, to sell him to teams who are in competition to us is silly
Dunne to Aston Villa being a point in question.

Donald Farrer, Rochdale (09/05/2010 at 12:59)

I think we will get beet today and then we should get rid of macini and go for Roy Hodgsen from Fulham.

Sam Haggar Lowestoft -MCFC-CARLOS TEVEZ ONCE A RED AlWAYS A BLUE (09/05/2010 at 13:06)

Infijar Ken, Angola
8/05/2010 at 22:58

I would like to see Ibrahim get a chance he looked good when we played Scunthope in the the FA Cup. I also like to see Alex Nimely signed a new contract a week ago he came on against Burnley he looked good but proberly Mancini wont play none of them.

Sam Haggar Lowestoft -MCFC-CARLOS TEVEZ ONCE A RED AlWAYS A BLUE (09/05/2010 at 13:08)

Donald Farrer, Rochdale
9/05/2010 at 12:59

Do you realy think getting rid of Mancini will give us champions leagie next season give the guy a chance this sqaud is still mark Hughes apart from Adam Johnson and Viera.

Infijar Ken, Angola (09/05/2010 at 13:28)

Sam, my thoughts exactly. Cool.

The Insider, CTID. (09/05/2010 at 13:40)

Donald, were have you been fella, hav`nt you heard Ian Dowie is our new manager for next season !!! CTID BELIEVE.

MART (BEBB) Broughton Blues, SALFORD (09/05/2010 at 13:49)

D F, Rochdale 09/05/2010 15:59 "I think we will get beat today so then we should get rid of Mancini and go for Roy Hodgson from Fulham". NEARLY FELL OFF MY SEAT LAFFIN` WHEN I READ THIS ONE! I MEAN, PLEASE, FOR ROY HODGSON Fulham, read GEORGE BURLEY Ipswich = which was TOP4 Prem 1 year and Relegation the season after - crucially both small clubs being managed (Fulham & Ipswich) with limited budgets, BURLEY continuing to manage unsuccessfully at Derby, Hearts, Soton, and Scotland without any kind of success.

ONLY 1 MAN COULD BETTER Mancini`s POINTS RECORD FROM THIS SEASON (1.85PTS PER GAME) - MOURHINO (CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE(?)), AND NOT BECAUSE HE IS ARGUABLY A BETTER MANAGER, JUST THAT HE (Mourinho) CAN ATTRACT PLAYERS LIKE NO OTHER MANAGER CAN (whether you`re in TOP4 OR BOTTOM4 OF A PARTICULAR LEAGUE.

ONWARDS & UPWARDS WITH MANCINI !!!!!!!!!!

Citizen Smith!, Ardwick (09/05/2010 at 14:23)

When did they let Daft Donald out?

dingdongbell, north (09/05/2010 at 14:59)

let's hope the players can lift themselves up for the west ham match, unlike there efforts for the spurs
game which proved that spurs wanted 4th more than our players from the way they played.

and hope the rumour that we are prepared to put in a bid of 40 mill for Torrres is untrue, he is far to injury prone and it wasn't to long ago that he was saying that we had no history

BristolStevefromOldham, bristol (09/05/2010 at 15:17)

"We want to finish fifth, ahead of Liverpool" Nothing wrong with this: fifth would be ahead of Liverpool. It would also be ahead of Villa but presumably Mr Mancini doesn't thinbk they are a 'strong team'. Forward with Mancini the man for the job.

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