FISO

We had a story a few days ago that Mendy was set to miss about a month of the new season, and with Angelino looking a bit dodgy in pre-seaon and Zinchenko having finished last season with a run in the team, it seemed we would have a relatively safe 5.5 City defender to start the season with. However this article (in French) suggests (via auto-translate) that Mendy will be back in pre-seaon training on 29th July.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actuali ... 32d834d12f

Obviously still one to keep an eye on but what are people's thoughts here? Is Zinchenko a no-go?

I will probably have Mendy in my squad as he is the most expensive then see what happens in the CS....

This was posted on Reddit the other day.



I would take from zinchenko's and city's run of clean sheets at the end of the season coupled with Mendy's injury that he's reasonably likely to play (and so in my team).

In my team

Zinchenko is in my team and will be even if Mendy declared for for the start of season.

I think Stones is also likely to start for man city alonside Laporte for start of the season, so there is a potential double up of two 5.5 defenders starting for man City ( so far ) defo changes if they get Maguire

based on the above, Walker, Stones, LaPorte and Zinchenko looks pretty nailed. Kompany, Delph are gone, Mendy is injured, Otamendi and Danilo are surely 1st reserves?

I expect to go Zinchenko too, assuming we get some corroborating info about Mendy's fitness nearer GW1. Could do with the CB situation being clarified.

Great option at 5.5 seems they did well when he got that run in the team.

senorjoeyo wrote: ↑21 Jul 2019, 13:01 This was posted on Reddit the other day.

Kompany though!
Played 13
8 different back 4’s
5 CS
Never conceded more than 1 in a game

Droughton wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 02:23 Great option at 5.5 seems they did well when he got that run in the team.

senorjoeyo wrote: ↑21 Jul 2019, 13:01 This was posted on Reddit the other day.

Kompany though!
Played 13
8 different back 4’s
5 CS
Never conceded more than 1 in a game

Prefer Zinchencko.
Played 14
10 clean sheets
Only 1 goal conceded in the 4 games he let one in.

Im just talking myself into this guy more and more, the way he finished last season, even if Mendy was fit and Angelino had an amazing pre season ( which he did not ) id still back Zinchecko to start.

He be near to 6 million come the end of August

Stevieste wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 07:27

Droughton wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 02:23 Great option at 5.5 seems they did well when he got that run in the team.

senorjoeyo wrote: ↑21 Jul 2019, 13:01 This was posted on Reddit the other day.

Kompany though!
Played 13
8 different back 4’s
5 CS
Never conceded more than 1 in a game

Prefer Zinchencko.
Played 14
10 clean sheets
Only 1 goal conceded in the 4 games he let one in.

Im just talking myself into this guy more and more, the way he finished last season, even if Mendy was fit and Angelino had an amazing pre season ( which he did not ) id still back Zinchecko to start.

He be near to 6 million come the end of August

Or you lose a crucial 0.1m when his price drops when Angelino starts ahead of him!

He will 100% be the starting left-back until at least the international break, but I'm going with Laporte from the off because I know he will start ~35 games, whereas Zinchenko begins to contribute to weekly anxiety the second Mendy is declared fit (which might never happen in fairness).

Neath boy wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 08:58

Stevieste wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 07:27

Droughton wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 02:23 Great option at 5.5 seems they did well when he got that run in the team.

senorjoeyo wrote: ↑21 Jul 2019, 13:01 This was posted on Reddit the other day.

Kompany though!
Played 13
8 different back 4’s
5 CS
Never conceded more than 1 in a game

Prefer Zinchencko.
Played 14
10 clean sheets
Only 1 goal conceded in the 4 games he let one in.

Im just talking myself into this guy more and more, the way he finished last season, even if Mendy was fit and Angelino had an amazing pre season ( which he did not ) id still back Zinchecko to start.

He be near to 6 million come the end of August

Or you lose a crucial 0.1m when his price drops when Angelino starts ahead of him!

That wont happen though, there is no way Angelino is getting in that team at the start of the season before Zinchenko.

He had an awful debut giving away and pen and almost another and Pep will stick to what he knows and ease him in gently in carbao cup for example.

I think Zinchenko a must have for start of the season as man city will keep a lot of clean sheets and for 5.5 and possiblity of assists as well, than what is not to like

Have you lot read the report from France saying Mendy is on course to be fit for GW1 and says that the English story about the end of Sept is wrong?

blahblah wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 09:15 Have you lot read the report from France saying Mendy is on course to be fit for GW1 and says that the English story about the end of Sept is wrong?

Nope, but like ive said before even if Mendy was fit, he would not walk straight back into that Man City team.
Zinchenko will start the season for Pep as he knows he cant rely on Mendy all season and Zinchenko has been great for him for the 2nd half of last season and deserves to hold onto that position until form or injury says otherwise

I'm leaning towards set and forget Ederson at the moment to remove this headache

Ederson isn’t going to get you a lot of assist and is 0.5 more than Zinchenko (or Stones for that matter)

Or Zinchenko. He is Mr pass backwards

In today's Daily Mail (so probably not true )

Zinchenko - who believes he goes into the new season as Pep Guardiola's premier left back - was reduced to tears when Kompany told the squad he was leaving City in the minutes after lifting the FA Cup at Wembley.

Talkie Toaster wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 23:59 In today's Daily Mail (so probably not true )

Zinchenko - who believes he goes into the new season as Pep Guardiola's premier left back - was reduced to tears when Kompany told the squad he was leaving City in the minutes after lifting the FA Cup at Wembley.

Maybe... maybe not...

He will start Zinchenko simply to scare other teams into thinking there 2 KDB on the pitch

raoul wrote: ↑22 Jul 2019, 21:21 Or Zinchenko. He is Mr pass backwards

This may or may not be true, but if it is it doesn't seem to affect his attacking threat, which isn't Mendy levels but isn't non-existent either. If we look at him in comparison to Seamus Coleman - probably the other front runner at 5.5m - then Zinchenko had the exact same xAp90 as Seamus Coleman in the 18-19 season and more key passes p90. Coleman has more goal threat, but ZInchenko has higher clean sheet potential. Partly down to how City dominate possession, Zinchenko also dominates Coleman for most of the final third stats (touches, passes received etc). Coleman's heatmap is more encouraging to be fair, the 'hot' red part extends almost all the way down the right flank, whereas Zinchenko's stops around the 18-yard line.

Coleman had a poor season for attacking returns last season though.

Zinchenko gets a lot of touches and MC press, so he gets a lot of touches about 25-30 yards out. He showed almost zero desire to pass the ball forward when I watched him, so if I picked him it would be purely for CS potential.

This is of course based purely on eye test not stats, but that's my view and why would MC want him to change, given they have plenty of other options going forward.

@Blah Did he? Since records began, it was his best season for assist potential.

2 Goals and 2 Assists in 2.5k mins is poor for him, imho.

blahblah wrote: ↑23 Jul 2019, 14:55 2 Goals and 2 Assists in 2.5k mins is poor for him, imho.

actually those stats look fairly consistent and a bit concerning. I would have expected more in general...

raoul wrote: ↑23 Jul 2019, 14:59

blahblah wrote: ↑23 Jul 2019, 14:55 2 Goals and 2 Assists in 2.5k mins is poor for him, imho.

actually those stats look fairly consistent and a bit concerning. I would have expected more in general...

Pretty much my point, from above, and he got an OG last season....

I do think that it is Digne or Pickford from their defence, until Coleman shows something of his glorious past.

Pep Guardiola on Benjamin Mendy: "He came back two days ago and he’s trying to train on the pitch. Hopefully next week he can be with us."

Pep also said the players who have been playing pre season will start the Charity Shield, and confirmed Bravo would start in goal.

I'm a little worried the 5.5m City option is going to be a bit short lived, if they don't sign a CB maybe Stones is the better pick but he's been really poor when selected.

With Maguire looking set to complete his United move this weekend could he be the safest and best long term 5.5 pick?

In Mendy isn't yet on grass he's a month away at least, Pep will keep him at least until the other side of the international break

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Gambit wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 15:29 ...
Pep also said the players who have been playing pre season will start the Charity Shield, and confirmed Bravo would start in goal.

...

But not the first season game...