Here’s my predicted lineup for the home game against Manchester City. I think David Wagner will replicate the system that worked so well against Manchester United. This means playing without a typical number 10, and instead having three central midfielders, with Mooy and Williams taking it in turns to roam forward.
GK: Jonas Lössl
I think this will be one of those games where Lössl plays it safe with his distribution and mostly kicks it long for Depoitre to chase down. His instinct is to play it out from the back, but against City, we can’t afford any mistakes, so route one might be the best option.
RB: Florent Hadergjonaj
I thought Flo was one of our better players against Bournemouth last week, so deserves to keep his place. He’s also a bit quicker than Tommy Smith, so might stand more of a chance of keeping up with the likes of Sane and Sterling when they’re running forward.
CB: Christopher Schindler
We badly missed Schindler’s quiet authority and leadership last weekend, so he’ll get straight back into the team. He’ll be up against one of the most potent attacks it’s possible to face, so there’s another chance for him to prove himself.
CB: Zanka
I know that Zanka’s divided opinion among fans this season, but I’ve been impressed with him and think he’s improved steadily as the season’s gone on. Obviously, Schindler’s been sensational, but Zanka’s done a lot right too. He’ll be put to the test against City.
LB: Chris Löwe
Malone was at fault for the third goal against Bournemouth and was caught out of position several times. He was, however, good at getting forward and looked good on the ball. Against the top team in the league the fullbacks will be told to hang back, so Löwe feels like a safer choice.
DM: Jonathan Hogg
For us to have a chance in this game we need Hogg to play out of his skin. If he can contain De Bruyne then it could stop City from building their attacks.
CM: Danny Williams
Another body we can put into midfield to compress space and stop City from ripping us to shreds. We’ll also need him to get forward and drive the ball upfield when we get the ball.
CM: Aaron Mooy
Hopefully, he’s had a good rest this week and will be fit and ready to play against his old club. Not that he ever played for City, but I’m sure he’ll want to show Pep what he missed out on.
RW: Rajiv van La Parra
All David Wagner needs to say is “do what you did in the Man United game”. His strength is picking the ball up in deep positions and running upfield with it, which is vital in games against the big teams. His skill and ball control make him hard to tackle, and he can relieve pressure on the defence with his counter-attacking runs.
LW: Tom Ince
This game should be a chance for Ince to play out wide, rather than through the middle. We’ll need him to be an outlet and to push forward and support Depoitre. He’s still waiting for his first goal for Town despite regularly getting into good positions and getting shots away.
CF: Laurent Depoitre
There’s competition between him and Mounié for the striker role, but I think Depoitre has done enough to get the nod. He’s particularly good at making something out of fairly hopeless balls and can bully defenders. Mounié would be a better option to bring on later in the game when the defence is tired from being shoved around by Depotire.
Read more about Sunday’s game in the TerrierSpirit.com Manchester City at home preview.