JOEY Barton's ban means boss Stuart Pearce is facing a selection headache for the trip to West Ham.
Barton, who was sent off for lunging at Wanderers' Abdoulaye Faye, lost his appeal at the Football Association's headquarters in Soho Square on Thursday afternoon and will be joined on the sidelines by injured fellow midfielders Trevor Sinclair, Didi Hamann, Claudio Reyna and Michael Johnson.
Also missing will be Jihai Sun and possibly Paul Dickov, who has an injured toe. Darius Vassell is a doubt with a sore groin.
Micah Richards (dead leg) is also facing a late fitness test as City go in search of their first back-to-back victories since October 2005.
"We have a few problems with injuries but we cannot use those as an excuse," said Pearce on the eve of his return to a club he once served as a player.
"We had a pleasing victory at Sheffield United but I still feel that there is more to come from my team.
éMy eyes are telling me that the ability we show in training isnét always being shown on the pitch.
éWhat I would say is that we have a lot of character in our dressing room and that the players have delivered in some critical matches.
éThey always stand up to be counted and I can always get a reaction from them, but what I donét like is the inconsistency.é
éI look at Bolton and I see a consistency of individual performances and as a team and we need to unlock some of that.é
How would you shuffle the squad? Have your say.
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Am I right in saying that Distin is about to sign a new contract? If not why has SP let Steven Pressley sign for Charlton? He would be ideal as a replacement and increase competition for places too without any transfer fee. Perhaps he isn't injury prone though which seems to a key requirement for SP.
Hamann arrived at the club injured,has played the odd game in which he has been completely ineffectual.I presume he still picks up his substantial wage packet every month.Another example of the mismanagement that plagues this once great club.Remember
Macmanaman? Whatever happened to professional pride?
Why do the club always seem to attract these parasites?As for the West Ham game,our top scorer is out but every game is vital.We simply cannot afford to lose any game from now to May.
â€oeI look at Bolton and I see a consistency of individual performances". Well, I look at Bolton and see that they get 1/10th the number of injuries that we do. You need to be fit before you can be consistent. Someone needs to look into what Bolton are doing differently than City as regards training and all these injuries.
weaver - richards - dunne - onuoha - distin - trabelsi - dabo - ireland - jordan - vassell - samaras
Is anyone else just dreading the sort of players our sad excuse for a top football club is likely to sign in the window. False economy now could see us relegated and missing out on the bumper new Sky TV deal money and potential new investors. That might just seal the end for many many long standing season ticket holders.
Happy New Year by the way!
how can SP say we are inconsisitent we are definetly the most consistent side in the league!!!!!!!!!!
consistently inconsistent!!!!!!!!!
Spot on Ray, Bristol. Steve Pressley could be the difference between Charlton staying up and City going down. Good opportunity to cash in on Distin has been missed.
Well said Chas,Shrewsbury.
Bolton play a much more aggressive,physical game than City yet have none of the spate of injuries.I'm no expert
but surely this cannot be right.
Shaun at his desk - not lose another game between now and may? It'd be nice if it happened, but hardly critical. XI for Upton Park (3-5-2): Weaver, Onohua (rcb), Dunne (cb), Jordan (lcb), Trabelsi (rwb), Dabo (dm), Ireland (m), Richards (m), Distin (lwb), Vassell (st), Samaras (st). Subs: Isaksson, Thatcher, Miller, Corradi, Sturridge
Time for Mark Laird to be promoted to the senior squad.
3-5-2, please.
WEAVER.
ONUHA.DUNNE,DISTIN
TRABS,IRELAND.DABO,RICHARDS,VASSEL
CORADI-SAMARAS/
2-0 WIN!
Maybe our free kicks and corners will be alot better, Weaver, Richards, Dunne, Onuoha, Distin, Trabelsi, Ireland, Dabo, Beasley, Corradi and Vassell. CTID 2-0 to city.
Weaver - Onouha, Richards, Dunne, Distin - Trabelsi, Dabo, Ireland, Miller or Beasley - Vassell, Carradi. Eye Of The Tiger City! Come on!
Not sure what formation he's going to play tomorrow. He could stick to 3-5-2 with Richards taking Bartons place and M Mills or Jordan taking Richards in defence. Or he could switch back to 4-4-2 and maybe we could see Beesley get a game. Hes only been with us half a season...Either way its going to be a tough game they haven't got Konchesky or Reo cocker and Ashtons still out so we're in with a chance. 1-0 city Richards to score...
4 - 3 - 1 - 2 Isaksson / Onuoha - Dunne - Distin - Thatcher / Trabelsi - Richards - Dabo / Ireland / Corradi - Vassell. Subs = Weaver - Jordan - Beasley - Samaras - Sturridge.
When are we going to give Ishmael Miller a chance in his true position up front. The only reason he was playing left wing was because of the strikers we had in the reserves and youth team. He has the physique, aerial ability and power to cause trouble in opposition defenders.
Play him and Vassell up front. My Team would be Weaver, Onuha, Dunne & Distin as centre backs. Trabelsi and Jordan as wing backs. Dabo, Richards and Ireland in midfield with Miller & Vassell up front.
The bench should be Isaksson, Thatcher, Samarras, Sturridge and Laird.
Didi Hammann cost approx £300,000 plus his £40,000+ a week wages..... I have seen hot water bottles in Wilkinsons that could warm the bench more effectively than he ever could..... The board are throwing money away!
Our first team can only just beat Sheff utd !!! So quite how our second string will fair against a resurgent west ham is anybodys guess !!! I expect to loose
I was surprised to read that we played 3-5-2 at Sheff U, it certainly wasn't apparent watching the match!
Are people having a laugh saying Stephen Pressley could bethe difference in us staying up or down ??? They are buying him for the Championship cause they are as good as down. And missing a chance to cash in on Distin ?? He aint going anywhere until the Summer when he will pick up a nice 3m signing on fee as a free agent ! I wish some people would get back to the real world.
Trabelsi to take the free kicks
Come on you BLUES!
Does'nt really matter what assortment our 'hoof it in the stands' manager puts out, 4 - 0 to the 'ammers.
I would like to watch City training for a day and see all the supposed ability that Pearce says he sees day in day out. I`ll bring a packed lunch and watch the likes of Distin/Dunne/Onuha/thatcher hoof the ball up as far as possible and let inch high private eye make one of his ill fated runs which so often ends in a booking- maybe the club store will make some footage and add it to the end of season DVD? marvellous.
Pearce should be sacked on the strength of two issues, signing Samaras and Didi Hammanplus the FACT he is clueless.
I can see us getting a bit of a hammering tomorrow. 3-0 to West Ham, and Pearce's last game in charge. Come on West Ham, do it for me.