Dugout Discussion
14 September 2019 2005 comments
DavidMunday815 DavidMunday815
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Amid fears of Pep Guardiola rotating members of his front-three for the Gameweek 5 trip to Norwich, he has gone to new levels of pulling the rug from under our feet.

While Sergio Aguero (£12.1m) and Raheem Sterling (£12.3m) both start for Saturday evening’s trip to Carrow Road, it was the presumed nailed-on Kevin de Bruyne (£9.8m) who has fallen foul of ‘Pep Roulette’.

After starting every Premier League match so far this season, the Belgian has dropped to the Manchester City bench, while Guardiola has chosen to deploy a central midfield trio of David Silva (£7.5m), Rodrigo (£5.5m) and Ilkay Gündogan (£5.3m).

While Sterling and Aguero both start this one, their owners may just have one eye on Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) and Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) among the substitutes with the Champions League group stages starting midweek.

With options relatively limited in defence, there were no surprises in the back-four named for this encounter.

Ederson (£6.1m) is supported at the back by Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.6m), Nicolas Otamendi (£5.4m), John Stones (£5.4m) and Kyle Walker (£6.0m).

Just as predicted by manager Daniel Farke in his Friday press conference, Norwich do indeed look very short of options in their own defence.

Ben Godfrey (£4.5m) has come through his groin injury picked up on international duty to feature at centre-back alongside defensive midfielder Ibrahim Amadou (£4.5m).

Their inclusion in the side does mean that at the very least, their fit full-backs are not called into central defensive action.

Jamal Lewis (£4.5m) features on the left with Sam Byram (£4.4m) getting his first start for the Canaries on the right.

Meanwhile, both Teemu Pukki (£7.0m) and Todd Cantwell (£4.8m) retain their places in the first team.

Norwich City XI: Krul; Lewis, Godfrey, Amadou, Byram; McLean, Tettey; Cantwell, Stiepermann, Buendía; Pukki.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Zinchenko, Otamendi, Stones, Walker; D Silva, Gundogan, Rodrigo; Sterling, Aguero, B Silva.

2,005 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. La Roja
    7 years, 1 month ago

    KDB already bossing the game

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      7 years, 1 month ago

      What a player

    2. Sailboats
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Best player in the league

      1. FISSH
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Yea and he was benched. Ridiculous

  2. ‘Tis the Season
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Going to be A LONG 30min for Norwich

    1. moment
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      they'll score on the break guaranteed

      1. Nomar
        7 years, 1 month ago

        This

  3. MOZIL
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Lamela or Ceballos?

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Will watch the game tomorrow first

  4. HurriKane
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Ffs it looks like its gonna be 4 straight captaincy blank ,:(

    Salah(sot)
    Kane (NEW)
    Sterling (BHA)
    Sterling (nor)

    anyone else worse?

    1. Mumble Pie
      7 years, 1 month ago

      I was exactly the same till today

    2. SADIO SANÉ
      7 years, 1 month ago

      that's just unlucky (so far) captaincy is BS

  5. Hy liverpool
    7 years, 1 month ago

    I love you norwich

    1. Nightcrawler
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Pool still won't win

      1. ‘Tis the Season
        7 years, 1 month ago

        You sure. Early doors but city def looks very shaky

        1. TheBrazilianRonaldo
          7 years, 1 month ago

          Laporte loss season defining

      2. Hy liverpool
        7 years, 1 month ago

        So what? I still love norwich

  6. Cok3y5murf
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Otamendi has been error-prone every game this season. Not surprising. Hence why I played Pukki. Don't know why so many people were so confident in City's defence after Laporte's injury. They were very much in the wait-and-see zone.

    1. Nightcrawler
      7 years, 1 month ago

      They were in the not see at all zone

      1. Nomar
        7 years, 1 month ago

        This

  7. FPL Daniel
    7 years, 1 month ago

    KDB Sterling and Zinchenko total 4pts. *gulp

    1. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Horrific. Ikr

    2. DandyDon
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Same here and captaining Sterling. Double gulp. At least Pukki is continuing the party...

  8. FPL Daniel
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Is Sterling playing?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      7 years, 1 month ago

      😕

  9. Four Hit Wonder
    7 years, 1 month ago

    A) Trolleem Sterling
    B) Raheem Trolling

    1. Make United Great Again
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Stand up?

  10. Dannyb
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Anyone capping Pukki next week.....

    1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      7 years, 1 month ago

      You?

      1. Dannyb
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Farkeing tempted

    2. Mumble Pie
      7 years, 1 month ago

      +1

  11. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Best defender under 5.3?

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      7 years, 1 month ago

      5.3 or under *

  12. FPL Daniel
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Pep should have started KDB Sterling and Mahrez

    1. Old Man
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Foden says hello

      1. Fred54
        7 years, 1 month ago

        He should be saying Hello from the Other Side and move on, wasted talent at Citeh.

  13. sirmorbach
    7 years, 1 month ago

    I think KDB might be the best player in the world atm.

    1. FISSH
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Yep

    2. Nightcrawler
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Not even the best in the league. Aguero Kane better

      1. Brosstan
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Kane lol

      2. sirmorbach
        7 years, 1 month ago

        I'd take KDB over Kane and Kun all day, honestly.

      3. Effe
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Kane lol

      4. jungle
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Kane haha

    3. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Messi says hi but yeah, hes up there

      1. sirmorbach
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah, you're right. We can't just pretend that little Argentinian doesn't exist.

    4. MOZIL
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Pukki is

      1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
        7 years, 1 month ago

        True, forgot about him

    5. Cok3y5murf
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Can't lace Messi's boots, but best in the PL.

    6. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Not disagree

  14. Brosstan
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Just know Sterling will get something after being terrible for 65 minutes

  15. JIMMY TUGGINS
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Can Pep really afford to rotate his best players with Laporte out? The league was decided by one point last season and they're already chasing.

    1. Positive vibes
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Agree

  16. Nomar
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling coming on at all?

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      7 years, 1 month ago

      He is still on the pitch

    2. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Check the currency exchange.

      1. Nomar
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Sterling falling against the Finnish Euro.

    3. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      He will be the last sub

  17. Brosstan
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Walker has to stop trying long passes. He cant do them.

  18. Pacer.
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Finally Jesus permanently baffled looking face has an appropriate context

    1. Fred54
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Its like he hasn't realised you can't use contactless payments for purchases over £30.

    2. Warbling Wendy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      I've always felt like he looks like a troubled teen anime girl

  19. sirmorbach
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Otamendi, no offence, does not belong in that City squad.

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      There was a time when he was very good fantasy wise

    2. diesel001
      7 years, 1 month ago

      He does. As 4th choice to play against more physical teams and in domestic cups.

    3. HNI
      7 years, 1 month ago

      They havent won UCL. dont think of them.THAT highly

    4. Brosstan
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Stones is even worse

      1. sirmorbach
        7 years, 1 month ago

        Might be indeed.

    5. Warbling Wendy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Just with a decent effort from a corner

  20. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Zinc has surely only increased his odds of being benched for the next game on the back of this dire performance.. .

  21. DandyDon
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling’s performance worrying with Mahrez on the bench!

    1. diesel001
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Should have been benched instead of KDB this game. Too many minutes and needs a rest.

  22. JIMMY TUGGINS
    7 years, 1 month ago

    I have a feeling that Cancelo or Mendy start against Watford.

    1. diesel001
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Ederson
      Cancelo Walker Fernandinho Zinchenko

    2. DandyDon
      7 years, 1 month ago

      Positive Fernandinho will start every game at CB after this game Otamendi and stones will continue to rotate.

  23. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Current squad:
    Pope, Ryan
    TAA, Lundstram, Dunk, Zinchenko, Kelly
    Salah, Sterling, KDB, Mount, Donck
    Wood, Pukki, Jimenez

    1) Time to WC
    2) Jim > Tammy
    3) Wood, Jim out for a hit
    4) Save (OK fixtures across the board in gw6)

  24. HNI
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling captain fail with Jesus taking fwd spot :/

    1. Nomar
      7 years, 1 month ago

      May keep KdB and sell now.

    2. FPL Scoop
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      7 years, 1 month ago

      🙁

  25. FPL Scoop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling c*ck up

  26. diesel001
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Bernardo YC

  27. RAFA THE GAFFA
    7 years, 1 month ago

    I think Guardiola spent too long on here during the IB

  28. Albrightondknight
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling should have let that go to Bilva 2 seconds earlier

  29. Stef rocks
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Am I the only one who thinks that Pep deserves to lose just because of benching De Bruyne 🙂

  30. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
    7 years, 1 month ago

    Oh Raheem