Under normal circumstances City would be looking forward to today's game against Blackpool. Alas someone has a wicked sense of humour and has decided to appoint Mark Clattenburg, the man who makes Uriah Rennie look like a competent official, as the referee for the contest.

About the only positive thing you can say concerning Clattenburg is that he is an equal opportunity buffoon. There appears to be little rhyme nor reason to his decision making so it's always possible that City will prevail. But having single handily made a mockery of the FA's Referee Respect campaign, neither side is likely to be looking forward to today's contest.

A shame really as from a tactical standpoint this could be a quite fascinating contest. It all depends on City's formation. The victory over Aston Villa notwithstanding a 4-2-3-1 formation at home is usually a poor choice as said formation is a counter attacking mode that relies on catching an opponent on the break. When used against an aggressive team, such as Chelsea, it can be particularly effective.

Ian Holloway, Blackpool's manager, has constantly attacked this season other than the one game against Chelsea where he tried to park the bus and got ripped to shreds in the first half of that encounter. Such a philosophy is the perfect set up for a 4-2-3-1.