Leroy: Beware City – we’re a top team in top form

LEROY (1)My head is saying a 3-2 City win but I can’t shake the feeling that we could get a draw or even a win!

And that’s based on City’s defence. They always give teams a chance. Players tend to charge forward from the back and sometimes no-one fills in behind. In those circumstances teams, and definitely the Irons with their pace and movement, have a real chance.

The whole secret to the game from our point of view is stopping the supply to Aguero because once he’s on the ball he is a magician.

I watched him cut inside and score with left and right foot last weekend so we are going to have to get very close to Yaya Toure – his main supply line and James Milner.

It’s no good being even a couple of yards off those guys. We have to be bang on top of them so they can’t get their heads up and find the striker. Do that and we have a decent chance.

From an offensive point of view I think Aaron Cresswell’s pace down the left and his ability to cross beautiful balls into difficult areas is going to be important.

I’m very impressed with this lad. He could be a big player tomorrow along with Carl Jenkinson who looked class at Burnley.

The other key will be keeping possession and breaking up play, even giving away the odd free kick to give ourselves some breathing space – certainly, giving the ball away is not an option against teams  like this because they can murder you.

We are not a team that goes back to front anymore and Stewart Downing can make things happen for us. It has the look of a top top game and I am not going to rule out a Hammers win.

Enner Valencia, like Aguero, can do magical things out of nothing and there’s no better game for Diafra Sakho to continue his scoring run.

Like all of you, I’m very excited and see lots of goals in the first Boleyn top four game in many years. City will know what is waiting for them -a top team in top form who at their best can beat them!

They will need to beware!

COYI

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon