Liverpool or United - Which fixture is more important?

[Alec-mcfc]

would love nothing more than to win the league against them. I despise them more than anything and it would be the utter insult.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

All very romantic - but it won't happen, if he makes too many changes we won't win the league this Saturday.
2/3 changes maybe but a whole team surely not??

No it won’t happen.
Consider my post more of a wishlist.
In reality I think Pep will play the strongest he has for the next three.
Maybe Vinny will get a rest, although personally I’d like him to play against the Rags.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Thing is, I truly, truly want to beat the dippers. Not least because if we don’t, they’ll go on and on about how everybody knows that they are the real champions, and about how we should hand over the PL trophy when we finally win it by a record margin, incidentally putting about twenty points between us and them (just as some of them still do today about 2013-14).
But the way the PL calendar has panned out, this is a chance in a million. It might never again transpire that we are champions by beating our direst enemies, who gave us the shit of their contempt for years and years. No, this in its way is historic too.
Surely we can do both, with the team and squad that we’ve got?

 

[Didsbury Dave]

As long as one of De Bruyne or D Silva starts we should beat united. When both are missing it inevitably has a hugely disruptive effect. They are just so influential, we can usually manage without one of them but there's a massive drop off in performance when both are left out. Perhaps 45 min each?

Those two will be first on the team sheet for all 3 games. Don’t worry about that. Pep is no fool.

 

[LevyBee76]

I can see us being full strength for the next 3 games then resting players against Spurs, wrap up the league then just constant rotation till the end of the season to keep everyone fresh for the CL

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

the derby.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Those two will be first on the team sheet for all 3 games. Don’t worry about that. Pep is no fool.

I agree. I think the drop off is pretty dramatic when even just one of them is missing. I think we saw that in the 3-4 at Anfield. They were able to constantly have several players on KDB, effectively playing him out of the game knowing that they could probably risk that without Gundogan really punishing them. I don't think they can afford to do that tomorrow.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Those two will be first on the team sheet for all 3 games. Don’t worry about that. Pep is no fool.

I'd say Fern and Eddie are the first two on the sheet but yeah, I get your point.
Thing is, it wouldn't surprise me if Dave in particular and Kev get rough treatment against the Rags.
We want both fit for Tuesday andthe end of the season.

 

[St.Pauli support]

Well I guess it depends on the result at Anfield tomorrow.
If City don't clearly finish off the tie - win by 3 at least - Pep will definitely use his advantage of a strong bench.

The only changes I can forsee are Laporte for Kompany, Gundogan for KDB or Silva, Bernardo for Sterling and Aguero for Jesus. Hardly massive downgrades. It's not like Foden, Diaz and Nmecha are going to start the derby.

And may I add: of course LB, whoever it is.

CL means so much more for Pep than for many on here, who only seem to think about the rag banter at the office on Monday mornings...
Decades of pain I guess.

 

[citytilllidie]

So, Pep going to rest players for the derby of all derbies.
Make sure you let them all know that.
Isn't it funny that Liverpool was always their biggest game.........and now it's ours!