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Is any Man City defender ‘nailed’ to start without Joao Cancelo?

After three-and-a-half seasons, five goals, 17 assists, 44 clean sheets and 457 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points, we’ve said auf wiedersehen to Joao Cancelo (£7.1m).

A nailed starter until Gameweek 16 and then deemed dispensable by Gameweek 22, his fall from Manchester City regular and FPL royalty status was a sharp one.

He’s been packed off on loan to Bayern Munich for the rest of 2022/23 but he looks unlikely to be wearing the sky blue of City again, with an ‘option to buy’ clause also tagged onto this deal.

We’ve already gone through some Cancelo replacements for your FPL team but now we turn our attention to how Pep Guardiola will shape up his City defence without the Portugal international.

And the key question: is anyone ‘nailed’ as a result of Cancelo’s exit?

THE OPTIONS IN EACH POSITION

Right-backRight centre-backLeft centre-backLeft-back
Lewis, Walker, Stones, AkanjiStones, Akanji, Dias, WalkerAkanji, Laporte, AkeAke, Laporte, Gomez

Above is a very rough indication of who can play where in the City backline. Cancelo’s departure and Rico Lewis’s (£3.9m) rise to prominence probably make some tactical choices slightly less likely: ie John Stones (£5.4m) or Manuel Akanji (£5.0m) starting at right-back, given that there are no real trusted candidates to ‘invert’ on the left.

Just to prove that anything is possible in Pep’s world, however, Stones did indeed end up at right-back (inverting into midfield) in the second half of Gameweek 21, with four recognised centre-halves stationed in the defence.

Of course, the positions listed are nominal ones. A full-back is often not really a full-back in Guardiola’s teams, while even the centre-halves can shift about – as we’re about to discuss in the section below.

HOW PEP HAS USED HIS FULL-BACKS (AND CENTRE-HALVES) IN 2022/23

THE 3-2-5

Since the World Cup, we’ve chiefly seen a 3-2-5 on-the-ball set-up from Man City.

The nominal right-back, in this case Lewis, pushes forward into central midfield alongside Rodri (£5.6m)

The left-back, Nathan Ake (£5.0m) here, shunts over to form a three-man backline with the two centre-halves.

The mirror image of this set-up (with the right-back staying at home and the left-back inverting) is, of course, possible, but Guardiola now has fewer options suited to this approach on the left since Cancelo departed.

With no width provided by the full-backs, it’s generally up to the wingers to stay high and wide.

THE 2-3-5

City began the season in the 2-3-5 system you see above, with the two full-backs – Cancelo and Kyle Walker (£4.8m) here – both ‘inverting’ and moving up alongside Rodri.

It was used to good effect against West Ham in Gameweek 1, nullifying breaks from the narrow Hammers attack.

2-4-4
How will Man City's defence line up without Joao Cancelo? 3

Not that Pep is averse to using more orthodox, attacking full-backs on occasion, or as close to orthodox as you get with the slippery City boss.

Walker and Cancelo were both pushed up the flank in the first Manchester derby of the season, for example, while an early tactical switch in the FA Cup game against Chelsea last month saw Walker and Sergio Gomez (£4.5m) adopt similar roles.

2-2-6

This is a gung-ho approach on paper but it’s generally only used when City encounter a bus-parking exercise from a five-man defence, with one of the full-backs pushed up to effectively form a six-man attack.

The Bournemouth home game back in August featured this set-up, as an example.

HOW CITY HAVE PLAYED WITHOUT CANCELO SO FAR



370 Comments Post a Comment
  1. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Who should be the priority from Odegaard and Nketiah?

    Already own Saka and White.

    1. Fuddled FC
      • 12 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      short term Nketiah
      Medium and long term Ode

  2. CoracAld2831
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Please pick one of these moves:

    A: Salah, Almiron -> Fernandes, Saka
    B: Salah, Wilson -> Fernandes, Nketiah

    Basically Saka v Nketiah.

  3. Erez Avni
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Bench one:

    A. Mitro
    B. White
    C. Botman

    Cheers!

    1. CoracAld2831
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      A.

  4. Westfield Irons ⭐️
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Any tips for me with this lot?
    Kepa
    White Trippier Aurier
    KDB Mahrez Rashord Antony
    Haaland Kane Martial
    (Ward Andreas Bueno Patterson)
    Have 1 FT
    Do I play Martial and Antony and roll FT to get Arsenal (Nketiah and Odegaard next week or is Bruno essential for -4 and losing Kane?

    1. fish&chips
      • 14 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      I don't think martial and Antony will get loads of minutes but it's pretty hard to justify a hit, expecially losing kane. I'd probably hold and hope for the best

    2. CoracAld2831
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      KDB to Fernandes. And then reverse it on GW23, if all goes well?

      1. fish&chips
        • 14 Years
        1 year, 9 months ago

        He's got 3 utd already

    3. Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      Like you, I have triple Utd but no Bruno, and wouldn't dream of bringing him in now. I would suggest staying put and then getting those Arsenal players you suggested.

  5. Crazy RedDevil
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    I'm on wildcard...please suggest the changes:
    Kepa /Ward
    Shaw, Ake, Trippier, Estupinan, White
    Rashford, Odegaard, Martinelli, Rodrigo, Bruno Fernandes
    Haaland, Kane, Mitrovic.
    0.5 m left in the bank.

  6. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    So my rival had already done 2 transfers and sold Eriksen for Rodrigo for -4 last night.

    I’d absolutely love it if he is out

    1. Feanor
      • 15 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      What's he in such a rush for? Madness.

    2. KeanosMagic
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      How do you know?

  7. fish&chips
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Toney owners, what are you doing with him? I'll hold for SOU but thinking to get rid after that. But his fixtures aren't bad and I'm a bit concerned that he'll punish me

    1. Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      Keeping until whatever ban finally kicks in. If it's as late as gw 28, so be it, just before gw 25 would be ideal. Watkins, Havertz and Jesus the likely candidates.

    2. DavidHopkin
      • 14 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      Same conundrum. As per post below, considering selling to Gnonto to free finds to do almiron to Bruno.

  8. DavidHopkin
    • 14 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Thoughts on the following? Have exact funds for Almiron and Toney > Bruno and Gnonto.

    Already own 3 City and 2 arsenal. Can do Bruno to ode/saka next week.

    1. RumBum17
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 9 months ago

      110%

  9. Bacon3339
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Bottomed - Advice Please!

    Would I be right in thinking that now Doherty has left the club entirely that his price will not change?

    i.e. could I hold Doherty for a week - safe that his price won't collapse to deal with other issues in my squad or do I need to ship him now?

    Cheers.

  10. KeanosMagic
    • 2 Years
    1 year, 9 months ago

    Best 3 Arsenal players to own? Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, right?