Pellegrini could go on the attack
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini could toy with the idea of playing three strikers as he looks for a long-term winning formula.
Top scorer Sergio Aguero has been the lone frontman as City have found some stabilty after a rocky spell by winning their last three Barclays Premier League games.
But Pellegrini does not feel this necessarily represents the best system and would rather operate with more forwards, even though his reliance on his favoured 4-4-2 has brought mixed results - and criticism - this season.
Asked if he might have settled on the optimum system after wins over West Ham, Aston Villa and Tottenham playing 4-2-3-1, Pellegrini said: "No, I don't think so. I think that a big team must play with two strikers at least, or three, if you see Barcelona play with (Luis) Suarez, Neymar and (Lionel) Messi, and Real Madrid play with (Karim) Benzema, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Gareth) Bale.
"But I don't think that is the most important thing. The important thing is in the way you play and the style you want to have with your team."
Aguero has profited in the new system, scoring in each of those last three games to take his tally for the campaign to 28.
But in past seasons the Argentinian has benefited more from the presence of a reliable partner.
He has not had that this term with Alvaro Negredo having left, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic having lacked form and fitness and new signing Wilfried Bony yet to spark.
Bony, the B#28million January signing, has so far been a disappointment, scoring just once, but Pellegrini insists the Ivorian will come good and solve more problems than he creates.
He said: "It is not a problem - it is a solution to the problem. Both of them are, and Edin Dzeko in some moments.
"Last year was Negredo with Kun (Aguero), Dzeko with Negredo, Dzeko with Kun, and Jovetic, and we scored 156 goals during the whole season.
"I never think that good players and strikers can be a problem."
Pellegrini believes relegation-threatened QPR, this weekend's opponents at the Etihad Stadium, can also be flexible in their attack.
Seven points adrift of a safe position with three games to play, Rangers have little room for error in their survival battle and Pellegrini expects them to look to get forward.
He said: "Maybe in the position they are in in the table, they need to win the three games.
"Maybe you can come here with two strikers, as they did against us in London with (Bobby) Zamora or (Charlie) Austin or they can speculate and try to win the game on the counter-attack.
"But it doesn't matter who is the team we must play against, they are always difficult teams with difficult players.
"It is very important to keep the same spirit we had in the last three games."
Playmaker Samir Nasri will miss the clash having been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Frenchman pulled up with a groin injury soon after coming off the bench against Tottenham last week and will not feature in City's final three games of the season.
Captain Vincent Kompany (groin) and midfielder Yaya Toure (hamstring) are both fit to return.
QPR's survival hopes look bleak but Leroy Fer has promised the players will fight until the last.
This has been a difficult return to the Premier League and one which looks like being all too brief for the west London club.
Defeat at Manchester City will seal an immediate return to the Championship with two games to spare - a fate Fer is determined to avoid, having dropped out of the top flight with Norwich last term.
"We have to do everything to try to win the game," the Holland international said.
"It is not over until you are down. We must try to win the game.
"We also have to do everything we can not to concede an early goal because if they do that, they can just play around you and score more."
Manager Chris Ramsey says he is down to the "bare bones" for the trip.
Steven Caulker (hand), Clint Hill (hamstring) and Mauricio Isla (knee) are all doubts for the Etihad Stadium encounter, while forward Bobby Zamora is rated as 50-50 to feature.
Nedum Onuoha misses the trip to his former club through suspension and Rio Ferdinand is absent following the recent death of his wife. Eduardo Vargas and Alejandro Faurlin (both knee) remain sidelined.
Source: PAR
