Leeds (H) | Pre-Match Thread

[Hart of the Matter]

Conditions good. Pitch not so good...

 

[RobinHood]

I expect we'll give them a hiding. Everyone playing for a place in the big ticket games..

I also expect to give them a hiding.

 

[SWPISHOME]

This could well be like the West Ham game where we just have to find a way to win. It's incredibly tough after a midweek Champions League fixture in a game that we got tested to a certain extent.
I don't care how we play along as we get three points.

Come On City.

 

[PragueBlue]

I suspect we'll see something like:

Ederson

Cancelo Laporte Ake Zinchenko

Bernardo Fernandinho Foden

Torres Aguero Sterling


Though it wouldn't surprise me to see Dias and KDB start as they rarely seem to get a rest when fit. Jesus may also start instead of Aguero if we are planning on playing a false 9 in midweek.

I guess 3 at the back with Mendy and Cancelo as wing backs is also a possibility.

 

[Turner92]

Ederson Cancelo Dias Laporte Zinchenko Fernandinho Bernardo Foden Sterling Marez Jesus

 

[Semper aggressus]

Three points please City, and no injuries.

And a Spurs win tomorrow.

 

[balotellishaircut]

Sorry but my bum won’t squeak that easy ... we’d still be 5 points head, that’s a two game margin still with only five games to go. But four other games won around those league ties would mean we’re in the semi final of champions league (we’ve won first leg of that semi), we’ve won the first trophy beating Spurs and we’re in the final of FA Cup ... so yeah if the trade off is all that for two league games, I’d take it right now. Losing first three of those other games would mean out of three cups, and that fourth game won’t even come then ... so choice is pretty clear, next two league games are the least significant in the whole season - if one can actually look at the big picture.

Yeah your big picture is no rotation in the league because we lost the last two, and major pressure in a 2 legged champions league semi final, against Bayern or PSG at the same time, brilliant.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

This could well be like the West Ham game where we just have to find a way to win. It's incredibly tough after a midweek Champions League fixture in a game that we got tested to a certain extent.
I don't care how we play along as we get three points.

Come On City.

Don’t forget we have match winners who didn’t play on Tuesday who’ll start today.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Before the season began, you’d probably look at the midfield options and say that 3 of Rodri, Fernandinho, Gundogan, KDB, Bernardo and Foden would play in any one game, considering we then had Aguero, Jesus, Sterling, Mahrez and Ferran for the front 3.

But with the way the season has materialised, we actually have a lack of rest/rotation options for central midfield in the ‘easier’ games sandwiched between the bigger ones. With Aguero being anonymous and KDB playing often as a false 9 and with Foden becoming a permanent fixture on the wing, most would say that it’s actually FIVE from our midfield options that we want starting as opposed to the expected 3. So in a way, we only have Fernandinho to bring in.

So the upshot of all that is it seems to make sense (to me at least) to play Zinchenko in midfield today. It’s defence and the front 3 where we have the fresher options, so to be able to rest one more midfielder, I want Mendy left back and Zinchenko in midfield with Fernandinho.

Probably won’t happen, but logically it makes sense to me.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Before the season began, you’d probably look at the midfield options and say that 3 of Rodri, Fernandinho, Gundogan, KDB, Bernardo and Foden would play in any one game, considering we then had Aguero, Jesus, Sterling, Mahrez and Ferran for the front 3.

But with the way the season has materialised, we actually have a lack of rest/rotation options for central midfield in the ‘easier’ games sandwiched between the bigger ones. With Aguero being anonymous and KDB playing often as a false 9 and with Foden becoming a permanent fixture on the wing, most would say that it’s actually FIVE from our midfield options that we want starting as opposed to the expected 3. So in a way, we only have Fernandinho to bring in.

So the upshot of all that is it seems to make sense (to me at least) to play Zinchenko in midfield today. It’s defence and the front 3 where we have the fresher options, so to be able to rest one more, I want Mendy left back and Zinchenko in midfield with Fernandinho.

Probably won’t happen, but logically it makes sense to me.

I'd love to see Zinc get a game in his natural position but can't imagine Pep would go for it.