Boro preview

Today is game three of the Roberto Mancini era. Thus far it has gone surprisingly smoothly: two comfortable and confident wins against admittedly limited opposition. Today is another similar test - average opposition, unfavourable conditions, with only the romance of FA Cup third round day pointing against our progress to the next round.

Frankly, I'm not sure how much of a priority the FA Cup is for us this season. In normal circumstances it would be, but that's usually because we have nothing left to play for by New Year. This season, though, we only need to win our game in hand to go fourth, and are in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup with a dream draw against Manchester United Reserves. So we're not in the usual position of making the FA Cup the only vessel for our hopes in the second half of the season.

Of course we would love to do well, but if we can increase our chances of beating United in mid-week by weakening our team today, it's a trade-off that I would be willing to make. I mean this with reference to Craig Bellamy, whose knees will not allow him to play both the Middlesbrough and United games this week. But Mancini has said that he won't do this:

"I have told the players they should not be thinking about the semi-final," said the Italian.

"We must have full attention on the FA Cup. We can prepare for the next game as soon as the final whistle goes.

"I will not be thinking about the match against United next week just what is best for the team and the players.

"I will play the strongest team I can at Middlesbrough but we do have a lot of injuries."

So I guess that Bellamy will play, as will other players - Tévez, Barry, de Jong - who could probably do with a rest. With Kolo Touré now on international duty, Micah Richards will have to play centre-back, leaving Pablo Zabaleta at right back. Javi Garrido should be rewarded for his free-kick at Molineux with a start at left-back. Further up the pitch we don't have the option to rotate even if we wanted it: with Stephen Ireland, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor all out and Shaun Wright-Phillips a doubt we have no choice but to play the big names - Carlos Tévez, Craig Bellamy, Martin Petrov and Robinho should all start. How about this:


I think that we will win. But there is something more important here than mere progress. Twenty months ago we lost 8-1 at the Riverside. It was one of the most shameful results in the history of Manchester City. Most of the people responsible for that defeat - Sven-Goran Eriksson, Thaksin Shinawatra, Tord Grip, Hans Backe, and most of the players have now left. But some are still here. And two of them - Javi Garrido and Martin Petrov - have just returned to the side, with timing that almost feels pre-destined. I don't mean this flippantly, or ironically, or humorously, but this afternoon is a chance for Garrido and Petrov to atone for that most shameful of results. But I back them to do it: they'll both score in a 2-0 win.