Pellegrini simply must make this change

Manuel Pellegrini needs to make one vital move at the back before deciding how he is gonna attack Spurs on Saturday afternoon.

He needs to return Angelo Ogbonna to his rightful place alongside Issa Diop and not simply because Fabian Balbuena hasn’t shown himself  good enough since his return to the team.

But because in so doing we have seen a decline in Issa Diop’s game – the two things may not be unconnected. Given the Roberto scenario -pray God he has a blinder and gains some confidence – we need our best central defenders on duty.

Both the stats and a simple reading of their time together at the back, demonstrates that Oggy and Issa – despite sounding like  comedy double act – are the guys for the job.

I have mentioned several times that Pelle’s reasoning for playing Balbuena – “he deserved the opportunity” – is unacceptable. Probably nearer the truth is managers like to play their own signings but sadly The General has been looking more like a corporal.

Oggy is a must for me.

The big question of course – should Noble not be fit – is who sits alongside Declan and we seem to have the choice of Wilshere, Sanchez or Zaba and that really is scary.

It would also demonstrate again the extreme folly of not buying the defensive midfielder for whom so many of us have been screaming out.

Given the manager’s fondness for tinkering, selecting a team for the match is extremely tricky but for now I’m gonna hope to God – unlikely though the reports suggest – that Noble is fit.

If so this is the team I think he will go with: Roberto; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble/ Zabaleta, Rice;  Snodgrass, Anderson, Haller:

Bench: Martin, Masuaku,  Balbuena, Noble or Zaba, Antonio Fornals, Yarmolenko