Europa League: v Spartak Moscow (H) Pre-Match Thread

[st albans fox]

I think we will start pretty strong with a view to making five subs (2 at half time, 2 more after an hour and 1 after 70 mins )  - the idea being we are comfortably ahead by half time and can coast through the second 

 

 

 

[RowlattsFox]

I'd prefer to give Ndidi a half or 30 minutes and make sure he's ok for Leeds. We will need his running ability in that game. Let Soumare and Tielemans dictate the ball in this one. 

Edited 1 November 2021 by RowlattsFox

[sacreblueits442]

48 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Ndidi will start this, so back 4 please.

 

We have to win this game by any means possible, got to have the same mental fight that we did at their gaff a few weeks ago but would rather we didn't let them go 2 nil up first.

 

 

.. can see a win coming here something like 5-3...Daka hat trick!!!

  Daka use to this pace and style of play and will be comfortable. Our defence not good against very technical players, can see us being pulled about.

 

[moore_94]

56 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Do you not think its possible for us to play 4-4-2 with him as the ball winner but with the ask of being told to keep things simple?

 

I'm so torn on what the best set up is for us to try and get back to what we are capable of. There's now just as many questions as answers based on Saturday. Do we scrap the 2 up top and 3 at the back (please do that bit) in return for 2 wingers and 3 central midfielders? Can we put together a midfield that allows us to play 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1 and excel against most teams? 

 

What I'm pretty set on is that 3 at the back from a defensive and general play point of view isn't reliable enough. We concede a lot of goals with an extra defender and the wingback seldom have good games. All that does happen is the front 2 are more involved and often our only source of goals bar the odd Tielemans screamer. Now that Evans has put a few games together and is building momentum, and Ndidi is back then we have to go to a back 4. It's just whether we go back to 4-2-3-1 (was better when it was a 4-1-4-1 with Ndidi purely a DCM) or if we can get Iheanacho in with Vardy or Daka.

I think you kind of want to do it as more of a 4411 with Wilf and Youri in a 2 but like you said with Wilf sitting deep and keeping it simple

 

Then I think Nacho does his best work on the edge of the box rather than in it like Vardy/Daka so you want him dropping off into the 10 role / be a supporting striker - providing an option in between the defence and midfield but not leaving the main striker isolated

 

It is of course a good problem to have with 3 top quality strikers, but a detriment in a way to the rest of the squad if you are doing everything to suit them and making other areas weaker - which is what we are doing now

Edited 1 November 2021 by moore_94

[TonyN11]

Perez will be back for this 

[foxfan92]

1 hour ago, TonyN11 said:

Perez will be back for this 

Hope so. He was playing well.

[Matt]

Let's just look like a team that want to be there and want to show an ounce of attacking flair ah?

[Corky]

1 minute ago, Matt said:

Let's just look like a team that want to be there and want to show an ounce of attacking flair ah?

Like they did two weeks ago?

[Matt]

1 minute ago, Corky said:

Like they did two weeks ago?

Correct.

 

But unlike they did on Saturday.

[Corky]

We had more shots on target on Saturday than in Moscow....

[Matt]

Just now, Corky said:

We had more shots on target on Saturday than in Moscow....

Didn't look like they wanted to be there though.

 

I must say I don't blame Rodgers for Saturday, I don't blame the sideways football, we didn't do that (Thank goodness - it'll return though) but were we sloppy, were we half arsed, absolutely, that one was on the players.

[StanSP]

1 minute ago, Matt said:

Didn't look like they wanted to be there though.

 

For most of the second half I'm not so sure.

[Jazzy_Jeff]

Schmeichel

 

Castagne

amartey

soyuncu

bertrand

 

Perez

ndidi

soumare

barnes

iheanacho

daka

 

No more than an hour for Castagne, Ndidi and Barnes so fresh for leeds

 

 

 

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

Schmeichel

 

Castagne

amartey

soyuncu

bertrand

 

Perez

ndidi

soumare

barnes

iheanacho

daka

 

No more than an hour for Castagne, Ndidi and Barnes so fresh for leeds

 

 

 

Thursday is more important than Sunday. PL season is as good as over from a top 4 perspective. Strongest XI please.

[sacreblueits442]

40 minutes ago, Matt said:

Didn't look like they wanted to be there though.

 

I must say I don't blame Rodgers for Saturday, I don't blame the sideways football, we didn't do that (Thank goodness - it'll return though) but were we sloppy, were we half arsed, absolutely, that one was on the players.

....strangely enough, we could have done with the backward sideways passing to take the heat out of the game at the start!!!

We just could not get on the ball or be trusted to use it.

[urban.spaceman]

 

 

[moore_94]

21 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

 

 

Wish we had a social media admin like this, ours was posting articles about Arsenals greatest achievements before the game ffs

[The People's Hero]

Decided last minute to take my son to this - but seems you can only buy 1 ticket online and the site is also just playing up for me. Such a shame about lack of general availability; we really do need the expansion. You don't have to fill it every week.

[hejammy]

One thing I've noticed in the last few games (except perhaps Vs Man U) - whenever we get a throw in, no-one seems to want the ball, there is very little movement, everyone pointing to someone else and no outlet for the thrower. I noticed this especially Vs Arsenal - not sure if this is a confidence thing or what it is?

[moore_94]

11 minutes ago, The People's Hero said:

Decided last minute to take my son to this - but seems you can only buy 1 ticket online and the site is also just playing up for me. Such a shame about lack of general availability; we really do need the expansion. You don't have to fill it every week.

1 ticket per person / account isn't it? Does your son have his own account?

[rachhere]

14 minutes ago, The People's Hero said:

Decided last minute to take my son to this - but seems you can only buy 1 ticket online and the site is also just playing up for me. Such a shame about lack of general availability; we really do need the expansion. You don't have to fill it every week.

 

2 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

1 ticket per person / account isn't it? Does your son have his own account?

Looks like there's loads of tickets together in M1? Like @moore_94says, I imagine it's a case of you needing to set up an account for him. It really needs to be clearer on the website. 

[The People's Hero]

13 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

1 ticket per person / account isn't it? Does your son have his own account?

He's 9 mate. He's only just got his own haircut.

[moore_94]

1 minute ago, The People's Hero said:

He's 9 mate. He's only just got his own haircut.

All kids who have season tickets or are members etc. will have accounts / profiles

 

As it says on the ticket section, just go through the link it gives and you can set up a profile linked with yours for him (he doesn't need an email address)

 

[The People's Hero]

Sweet; cheers mate. Someone might be missing school on Friday.

[gw_leics772]

On 30/10/2021 at 17:46, turlo said:

Back to 4 2 3 1. Give Nacho a go as a 10 behind Daka

That should.have been the end result when he got subbed against arsenal. Maddison should have gone off instead. If he didn't do it then, I have little hope he would drop maddison for nacho at number 10, even in the "lesser" Europa matches unfortunately.

 

On the other hand, good.time to try it after arsenal plans didn't work.

 

On a tangent, apart from that sub, brendan made huge strides for me in bringing lookman and Barnes in at half time.