Watford (H) Pre-Match Thread

[Finnegan]

I'd be surprised if Nacho starts but I'd expect to see him off the bench again for Perez as the first sub, regardless of the score. See if he can put in a similar show. 

 

Unchanged 11 but the walls are closing in on Perez and Barnes with Nacho and Gray both upping their performance. 

[Crinklyfox]

Players should be selected on merit, fitness and suitability for the role required for a match.

 

In order to keep a squad happy players in form, fit and suitable must be given their opportunity.  Watford at home is an ideal opportunity to give those players who have shown good form like Praet and Kelechi a start.

[lifted*fox]

if liverpool are going to slip up, december and january with the tight fixture list will be the time

 

we need to be pragmatic and rotate the squad skilfully if we're going to capitalise 

[Finnegan]

Way too early to start resting players. We've got weeks til Christmas and our next few league games have a week each between them. 

 

Watford having just sacked the manager is a big potential banana skin and we were a bit average on Saturday tbh. 

 

Definitely play the strongest team here and Sunday at Villa. 

 

Start resting and rotating come the cup game. Who gives a toss about the league cup when we're chasing top two / three finish. 

 

For league games, I'd be looking at West Ham and Newcastle to try and manage the squad a little more carefully. We don't want to lose momentum before we play Man City and Liverpool IMO. Full steam ahead. 

[travellingman]

What a season the Foxes are having.

 

Now, tomorrow you play at home to Watford.

 

In recognition of the League positions of the two clubs, the website I run has made the match their Head to Head.

 

If you would like to see same feel free to visit www.footballcities.co.uk and click on the Facebook page.

 

In conclusion, it would do my team a great favour if Foxes win. Go Foxes!!!

[lcfcsnow]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

It wouldn't surprise me if we started this game 352 with the team that finished against Everton, with Wes in for Barnes

I hope not, in Rodgers first game coincidentally against Watford we did this and lost.

[hackneyfox]

15 hours ago, Gazza M said:

I think Brendan will want to go to Villa with our first choice XI. I think a couple of changes may be likely on Wed night. Evans to earn a rest and Tielemans also. Gray given a bit longer to get over flu. 

 

                        Kasper

 

Ricardo    Morgan    Soyuncu    Chilwell 

 

                Ndidi        Praet

 

   Perez         Maddison    Barnes

               

                        Vardy

 

Subs: Ward, Evans, Justin, Tielemans, Choudhury, Albrighton, Iheanacho

Morgan hasn't looked great in any of the games he's played in this season, the idea of him starting a game worries me.

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

It wouldn't surprise me if we started this game 352 with the team that finished against Everton, with Wes in for Barnes (so Chilwell can play left wing back), Nacho starting instead of Perez and Praet in for Tielemans just to give him a rest. You'd think Watford will be playing for a draw and will go with a deep block and 5 at the back, and they played 532 against Southampton by all accounts. 

 

If we don't we could always switch to the system at half time / 60 minutes but I think there is merit to trying to get 1 or 2 goals early so we can make some tactical subs to rest key players like Vardy and Maddison. We can't take anything for granted, but on paper Watford at home looks like the easiest game this season if you look at their league position, managers sacked and performances thus far.

Haven't scored in the first half for five games now, a couple of early goals would be good.

1 hour ago, Deeg67 said:

The streak doesn't end if he doesn't play.  And I care more about qualifying for thr CL than  a scoring streak.

Are you sure about this?

 

[FoxFossil]

They will park everything, similar to Everton in second half. Perhaps BR will go with plan B with two strikers.

4-4-F**cking- 2. 

 

[Arriba Los Zorros]

Think this will be a frustrating match - I'm wary of playing at home against poorer sides as of late due to the weight of expectation and the inevitable 10 men behind the ball.

 

That said, we've overcome it every time up until now. But don't think this will be easy.

 

I'll go 2-0, both goals coming towards the end of the match. But think 1-1 is just as likely.

[deep blue]

We chose an unchanged, supposedly strongest team v Everton and were well off our best.

 

To say "keep picking our strongest 11" ignores the fact that if a few of those players are beginning to get tired/jaded/stale then their performance dips and the team cohesion suffers.

 

Tricky decisions for the manager and coaches but i think there is a case for judicious rotation to keep everyone fresh and the team momentum continuing.

[Happy Fox]

Pardon my ignorance but when did the evening fixtures change from 7.45pm to 7.30pm?

[mancunianfox]

1 minute ago, Happy Fox said:

Pardon my ignorance but when did the evening fixtures change from 7.45pm to 7.30pm?

For Amazon I presume but no idea why. They have one kicking off at 20:15 too plus league games on a Thursday.

[goose2010]

5 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Pardon my ignorance but when did the evening fixtures change from 7.45pm to 7.30pm?

No idea but its annoying! going to be a right rush to get there.

[Tommo220]

25 minutes ago, deep blue said:

We chose an unchanged, supposedly strongest team v Everton and were well off our best.

 

To say "keep picking our strongest 11" ignores the fact that if a few of those players are beginning to get tired/jaded/stale then their performance dips and the team cohesion suffers.

 

Tricky decisions for the manager and coaches but i think there is a case for judicious rotation to keep everyone fresh and the team momentum continuing.

Fair enough, we weren't at our best for the full 90 but this does a disservice to the performance of an Everton team that played (defensively anyway) out of their skin for a manager with his back to the wall.  

 

For me, rest bodies when the job is done.  unchanged lineup, get our noses in front (before half time ideally) then use your subs to give Youri/Vardy/whoever a break. 

 

4 minutes ago, mancunianfox said:

For Amazon I presume but no idea why. They have one kicking off at 20:15 too plus league games on a Thursday.

Theres probably an algorithm somewhere that tells them they'll snare another half a million viewers by starting 15 minutes earlier.

[whoareyaaa]

3 minutes ago, Tommo220 said:

 

Fair enough, we weren't at our best for the full 90 but this does a disservice to the performance of an Everton team that played (defensively anyway) out of their skin for a manager with his back to the wall.  

 

For me, rest bodies when the job is done.  unchanged lineup, get our noses in front (before half time ideally) then use your subs to give Youri/Vardy/whoever a break. 

 

Theres probably an algorithm somewhere that tells them they'll snare another half a million viewers by starting 15 minutes earlier.

wouldn't surprise you if that was the case or for the simple reason of why isn't the game starting at 8.00 'oh because its on amazon'  

[squarez]

9 minutes ago, Tommo220 said:

Theres probably an algorithm somewhere that tells them they'll snare another half a million viewers by starting 15 minutes earlier.

Tragically, you're probably right.

[mancunianfox]

Looking at the fixtures again they have a 7.30 and an 8.15 on all three days so I assume they are hoping that people will switch to the second half of the later game once the early ones have finished.

[floz]

24 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Pardon my ignorance but when did the evening fixtures change from 7.45pm to 7.30pm?

Us old uns will remember when all of our midweek fixtures kicked off at 7.30. Think it changed to 7.45 in the late 70s or early 80s but no idea why.............

[urban.spaceman]

51 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Pardon my ignorance but when did the evening fixtures change from 7.45pm to 7.30pm?

Been moved for bloody TV again and this is a prime example. 

[volpeazzurro]

1 hour ago, deep blue said:

We chose an unchanged, supposedly strongest team v Everton and were well off our best.

 

To say "keep picking our strongest 11" ignores the fact that if a few of those players are beginning to get tired/jaded/stale then their performance dips and the team cohesion suffers.

 

Tricky decisions for the manager and coaches but i think there is a case for judicious rotation to keep everyone fresh and the team momentum continuing.

Absolutely and anyone less effective can be replaced by those who are busting a gut to play who may offer something slightly different. In particular, if well enough, I think Gray should be given a chance to replace Perez with Iheanacho on the bench. I wouldn't even have Perez in the squad for Wednesday. A consideration may also be Praet for Tielemans who I would have on the bench. 

[Dahnsouff]

4 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Been moved for bloody TV again and this is a prime example. 

Oooh, I see what you did there

[sly1]

7.30 ko not 7.45

[SouthStandUpperTier]

We need to start rotating the squad soon or Spurs fans will accuse us of being on PEDs again.

[Sammy]

I'd bring in Praet for one of Tielemans or Maddison tomorrow with the other sitting out the Norwich home game. Praet is quality and the midfield (other than Ndidi) looked slightly off pace on Sunday

[whoareyaaa]

39 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

Absolutely and anyone less effective can be replaced by those who are busting a gut to play who may offer something slightly different. In particular, if well enough, I think Gray should be given a chance to replace Perez with Iheanacho on the bench. I wouldn't even have Perez in the squad for Wednesday. A consideration may also be Praet for Tielemans who I would have on the bench. 

exactly we have the players in the squad that can offer something different from players currently in the starting 11, a prime example of us going stale was the first half against Everton.. as soon as he makes the change albeit one player we look a completely different team.