Dugout Discussion

De Bruyne in advanced role as Man United deploy midfield diamond for derby

Pep Guardiola has afforded Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) an advanced role once again as Manchester City travel to Old Trafford.

The Belgian has been operating as a number 10 increasingly often this season having previously only played in that position in the big games.

And they don’t come too much bigger than a city derby for Guardiola’s men, so De Bruyne’s 24.5% ownership will be relishing his advanced runs tonight.

He features at the centre of an attacking midfield trio in support of Gabriel Jesus (£9.3m), flanked by Raheem Sterling (£11.4m) and Riyad Mahrez (£8.4m), who enjoyed a disparity of fortunes against Fulham.

Elsewhere, it is a third consecutive Premier League start for John Stones (£4.8m) at the heart of City’s defence, while João Cancelo (£5.5m) retains a berth, switching to the left-hand side, pushing Benjamin Mendy (£5.9m) to the bench and allowing Kyle Walker (£6.2m) back into the side.

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to have tweaked his Manchester United outfit with respect to the opposition, changing his favoured 4-2-3-1 system into a midfield diamond shape.

Fred (£5.3m), Paul Pogba (£7.7m) and Scott McTominay (£4.9m) are all included in the line-up behind Bruno Fernandes (£10.9m) in support of Marcus Rashford (£9.4m) and Mason Greenwood‘s (£7.1m) two-man strike pairing.

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) is still an option though, named on the bench alongside Alex Telles (£5.5m).

Manchester United XI (4-1-2-1-2): De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay; Pogba, Fred; B Fernandes; Rashford, Greenwood.

Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Walker; Fernandinho, Rodrigo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Mahrez; Jesus.

Lessons learned from FPL Gameweek 12

1,330 Comments Post a Comment
  1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Aguero injured still/again?

    1. Fudgy
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He has gastric issues I think

    2. TOLV TUMS
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Bit of a cold apparently. NOT Covid.

    3. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He is ill. (Not COVID.)

    4. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Always

    5. Ze_Austin
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Illness. Not Covid-19

    6. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Cheers

  2. COLLIN QUANER
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Man up Fred

  3. EmreCan Hustle
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Bruno should be made United captain. He has good leadership qualities and a very competitive nature.

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Maguire a much better fit, imo.

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Lol ; worst captain evaaaar

    2. thegaffer82
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      He’s vice captain so he is still a leader in the team

  4. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    I feel like a Bruno masterclass here puts him in the conversation for best player in the league

  5. Grounderz
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Maguire has been solid so far. Intercepting, tackling and winning duels.

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Don’t worry he’ll find a way of spoiling all that

      1. Grounderz
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Just like how you spoilt this.

        1. Salah’s Sonnet
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Eh?

    2. Gnu
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Long time no see, how you keeping Grounderz?

      1. Grounderz
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Not too great, stuck at 3m OR. Small progress step by step since GW1 but hoping (desperate) for a big climb. Still waiting. Hehe, yourself?

        1. Gnu
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Hahaha, It doesn't get any easier.
          Poor start again but crawled up to about 700k but tough going.

          I'm trying to remember what team we were in, was it Iran?

          1. Grounderz
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 4 months ago

            Team Pakistan. I remember 4vets reaching out to me on this by mail.

            1. Gnu
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 4 months ago

              Yeah, I was already thinking that.
              4Vets, the most brutal manager in football history. 🙂

              1. Grounderz
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Not seeing him here for a long time. Is he still here or also on Twitter?

                1. Gnu
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 14 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  No, he's chucked it.
                  Came back last season but has chucked it again (so I heard)

  6. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Boring game so far

    Both teams too cautious

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Standard mid-table dross.

      1. Scholes Out For Summer
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        "Only title you’ve ever won and you’re *ucking giving it the big’un. *uck off.”

        Gotta love Frank

    2. ⭐ ABHISHEK - THE CURIOUS …
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      First half 0-0

    3. TOLV TUMS
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      This. Deadly dull opening fifteen minutes

  7. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    City are too predictable, not hard to defend against.

  8. Fudgy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    This game needs fans. This is so boring jeez

    1. TOLV TUMS
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Surprised you're still awake 😉

  9. Hotdogs for Tea
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    poor quality game

  10. mad_beer ✅
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Can city concede a penalty please?

    1. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      +one mirrion

      Many single and double city def out there.

  11. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Just switched it on. What shape are United playing? Very confusing

    1. TOLV TUMS
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      4-3-3 looks like

    2. _Ninja_
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      442 diamond, Bruno at the top of it.

  12. TOLV TUMS
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Now seems a good time to spice things up with some My Season is Over banter

  13. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Really miss those full blooded tackles from derby matches

  14. COLLIN QUANER
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling is brilliant. Love watching him.

    1. dark91
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      That is a bit too much of an overstatement. But at the end it is your opinion so should be respected

    2. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Could become more consistant

      1. COLLIN QUANER
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Agreed. That is true

    3. ⭐ ABHISHEK - THE CURIOUS …
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Playing like C.Ronaldo Of Man United days

      1. TOLV TUMS
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        minus the 42 goals in a single season

  15. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    What a boring gw so far

    5-4-1 the new template?

  16. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    United with no no-9, how are they going to score? Penalty?

    1. Camino Aleatorio
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      That’s what Bruno can Do

    2. thegaffer82
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Pogba pinging a ball into Bruno who’s made a run in behind

    3. Pacer.
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I can't work out what they're doing. Is it a 4-6-0

    4. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Bruno is basically playing as a false 9

  17. Camino Aleatorio
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling - he must let a 4 year old girl fix his hair

  18. Pacer.
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Reports of City being BACK are... premature

    1. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Almost like United are a decent team that they lost thrice to last year

      1. Pacer.
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        This isn't united doing this. City aren't playing well

    2. Camino Aleatorio
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Yeah

      WBA next, difficult to ignore MCI but I certainly want to

  19. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    baffles me how Jesus has the chance to counter and tries to do some crappy flick over united heads

  20. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Jesus converts the conversion.

  21. Valar(Keith)
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Anyone else considering Zaha? Seems like his breakthrough season after years of huffing and puffing is finally here. Good price and ok fixtures(apart from LIV and MCY I like his fixtures till Feb end!). Would be my Jota replacement.

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Think I'll do the same.

    2. Vazza
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Don’t do it

  22. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Sterling technical ability matches the state of his hair

  23. Hattrick Harry
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    De Gea is young talent

    1. NULL-X-VOID
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      who's this? A new player?

  24. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Nice ball by Mahrez, Jesus needs to try harder

  25. Cok3y5murf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Why do I own Jesus? He's a bang average footballer

    1. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      I mean so is Sterling but he gets in the points

    2. TOLV TUMS
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      We all want him to be Aguero

    3. COLLIN QUANER
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Me too lol. Got him as a bit of a punt to gain some rank but it hasn't paid off so far!!

    4. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Bang average footballers can be great FPL assets, like Bamford

  26. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Mahrez been good again! No points still haha

    1. RamaJama
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Not for anyone, even though both kdb and Bruno are on the pitch

    2. Right In The Stanchion
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Hilarious

    3. Hattrick Harry
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Not true, has 1p already

  27. Vazza
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    This game needs some Lingard

  28. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Two wicked crosses from mahrez!

  29. Right In The Stanchion
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Mahrez with some excellent assisting. Going to waste

  30. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    City badly need a better number 9.

    1. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Erling x Sterling soon

      1. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Would be interesting!