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

[volpeazzurro]

16 hours ago, filbertway said:

Ward

 

Riccy P

Amartey

Vestergaard

Castagne

 

Ndidi

KDH

 

Lookman

Nacho

Barnes

 

Daka

 

These are not that good and that front 4 will be good enough to see these away. I mean these are really poor in comparison to us, I'd expect a full second XI to put them away at home.

 

We can kill this game in 20-30 minutes if we press hard and play at a fast tempo.

 

 

We need our best available defence (and side) imo. For me, this is more important than Leeds. Albeit remote, its a genuine opportunity to try and get a trophy that also offers Champions League football which may convince some of our players to stay whilst we strengthen again. Why even try and attain European football if you're not going to give it your best shot?

[Phube]

 

6 hours ago, peach0000 said:

 

Edited 3 November 2021 by Phube
Repeat post!

[Lako42]

prioritise this. 

 

The league is boring the tits off me 

[Chocolate Teapot]

I'd play this. Vestergaard needs a chance next to Evans to prove he's of any use at all and Cags needs a rest....

 

Kasper

Castagne

Evans

Vestergaard 

Bertrand

Youri

Ndidi

Soumare

Lookman

Barnes

Daka

 

Then Ricky, Soyuncu, Thomas, vardy and Maddidon can come in fresh for Sunday.

 

I know I'm going to get pelters here for both vestergaard and Bertrand playing but at some stage they've got to stop being so shit. This lot are terrible too so if they can't do it here we should get rid immediately.

Edited 3 November 2021 by Chocolate Teapot

[Chocolate Teapot]

18 hours ago, Foxes96 said:

Back to 4-2-3-1 now Ndidi is back for me. Might be time to bring Perez back on the right  Wasted somewhat out there but, it’s preferable to 3/4 wasted in the current 3 at the back system. Harsh on Lookman who’s looked decent when he’s been given a chance but just think we need Perez workrate and defensive contribution, although not opposed to Lookman starting in midweek as we can hopefully get away with it against Moscow.
 

Got to go strong for this one, and can then look to rest Evans, Youri, Wilf as and when depending how we’re getting on. 
 

                       Schmeichel

Castagne - Evans - Söyüncü - Bertrand 

                   Ndidi - Tielemans 

          Perez  -  Iheanacho  - Barnes 

                           Daka 

 

against Leeds: 

                     Schmeichel 

Ricardo - Evans - Söyüncü - Castagne 

               Tielemans - Ndidi

         Perez  -  Maddison  -  Barnes 

                          Vardy

 

 

 

Perez is injured.

[Lako42]

I fear Bertrand is not a form issue. Covid seems to have ****ed him over royally 

[Paulfoxes]

Why club not let people buy 3 tickets from same family 

[coolhandfox]

1 hour ago, Lako42 said:

I fear Bertrand is not a form issue. Covid seems to have ****ed him over royally 

It took Kai Havertz at Chelsea a good 3 or 4 months to get over it.

[Hamilton Fox]

1 hour ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

I'd play this. Vestergaard needs a chance next to Evans to prove he's of any use at all and Cags needs a rest....

 

Kasper

Castagne

Evans

Vestergaard 

Bertrand

Youri

Ndidi

Soumare

Lookman

Barnes

Daka

 

Then Ricky, Soyuncu, Thomas, vardy and Maddidon can come in fresh for Sunday.

 

I know I'm going to get pelters here for both vestergaard and Bertrand playing but at some stage they've got to stop being so shit. This lot are terrible too so if they can't do it here we should get rid immediately.

Imagine the uproar on here if we play Vestergaard and Bertrand and go out of Europe, I’ll pass thanks!

[KrefelderFox666]

1 hour ago, Lako42 said:

prioritise this. 

 

The league is boring the tits off me 

Agreed, and the Carabao Cup.

 

However, the European lineups are usually fairly strong and give players like Daka the chance to shine and get valuable minutes.

[Munshi]

Kasper

 

Castagne

Soyuncu

Evans

Thomas

 

Lookman

Ndidi

Tielemans

Barnes

 

Daka

Iheanacho

 

As close to our strongest as possible, lets beat these and Legia in our next two and get qualification out of the way.

[ARM1968]

This seriously needs to be our focus now. Too many out of form players, injured players, inconsistent performances and tactics to really hope for anything but mid table in the league. We need to push this and go as far as we can. 

[coolhandfox]

5 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

This seriously needs to be our focus now. Too many out of form players, injured players, inconsistent performances and tactics to really hope for anything but mid table in the league. We need to push this and go as far as we can. 

Form can change throughout a season, as we have seen over the last two seasons.

 

There is nothing to say we can't reverse the last two seasons: start slow and finish well instead. 

 

It's far too early to be giving up on finishing in the European places in the league after ten games.
 

[STEVIE B]

5 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

Form can change throughout a season, as we have seen over the last two seasons.

 

There is nothing to say we can't reverse the last two seasons: start slow and finish well instead. 

 

It's far too early to be giving up on finishing in the European places in the league after ten games.
 

I agree to a point, but this inconsistent form isn't just 10 league games. It's been like this since February unfortunately. 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

I'd play this. Vestergaard needs a chance next to Evans to prove he's of any use at all and Cags needs a rest....

 

Kasper

Castagne

Evans

Vestergaard 

Bertrand

Youri

Ndidi

Soumare

Lookman

Barnes

Daka

 

Then Ricky, Soyuncu, Thomas, vardy and Maddidon can come in fresh for Sunday.

 

I know I'm going to get pelters here for both vestergaard and Bertrand playing but at some stage they've got to stop being so shit. This lot are terrible too so if they can't do it here we should get rid immediately.

Fascinating your reasoning on them pair vs KDH in the other thread. Precisely the point @Foxy-Lady was alluding to. In general, experienced players will get chance after chance, especially when serious benjamin's have been parted to pay for them. 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Lako42 said:

I fear Bertrand is not a form issue. Covid seems to have ****ed him over royally 

He was heinous for Southampton ever since the return from lock down for the final part of 2019/20. He has declined significantly, hopefully Rodgers can spark him back to life like he has with quite a lot of players in their 30's but the signs don't look good. 

[Chocolate Teapot]

13 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Fascinating your reasoning on them pair vs KDH in the other thread. Precisely the point @Foxy-Lady was alluding to. In general, experienced players will get chance after chance, especially when serious benjamin's have been parted to pay for them. 

The fact is their both international footballers who at some point have done it at the top level.

 

KDH barely stood out in the 23s and so far has looked like a fish out of water even against millwall. And I'm not saying he doesn't deserve a chance, I'm saying he hasn't taken them when given. Equally he's against sounare, ndidi and youri - all of whom are fresh and miles better than him.

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Chocolate Teapot said:

The fact is their both international footballers who at some point have done it at the top level.

 

KDH barely stood out in the 23s and so far has looked like a fish out of water even against millwall. And I'm not saying he doesn't deserve a chance, I'm saying he hasn't taken them when given. Equally he's against sounare, ndidi and youri - all of whom are fresh and miles better than him.

It's a very blinkered way of looking at it though. Vestergaard has been a huge flop in English football and yet we've gone and got him anyway. So now we're lumbered and will have to see him periodically being given chance after chance in the blind hope that he makes it.

 

KDH won't be given as many chances with similar dog shit output put it that way. Fair? Absolutely not. Expected? Absolutely. That's football.

[crazies]

1 hour ago, Paulfoxes said:

Why club not let people buy 3 tickets from same family 

Register all family members online and then link their profiles to yours 

[Chocolate Teapot]

3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

It's a very blinkered way of looking at it though. Vestergaard has been a huge flop in English football and yet we've gone and got him anyway. So now we're lumbered and will have to see him periodically being given chance after chance in the blind hope that he makes it.

 

KDH won't be given as many chances with similar dog shit output put it that way. Fair? Absolutely not. Expected? Absolutely. That's football.

That's not true at all. Thomas has played as many games if not more than betrand this season and both have been largely poor. Vestergaard gets a chance because we've so few options at the back. If youri went and got a serious injury kdh would get far more opportunities as vestergaard has with fofana being injured.

 

And to say he's been a flop in English football ignores his last year at Southampton.

 

Equally the home grown status means players like choudhury and kdh are going to get more of a chance than they possibly deserve. Is someone seriously arguing that kdh and choudhury are better than praet and mendy? 

[coolhandfox]

2 minutes ago, STEVIE B said:

I agree to a point, but this inconsistent form isn't just 10 league games. It's been like this since February unfortunately. 

Since the 31st of January, we have played 27 games across the end of last and this season.  We took 41 points during those games at 1.51 pts per game.

 

Over a 38 game season, 1.51 pts per game would get you 58 pts which was around 9th and only 7 points behind 6th. 

 

Turning this around isn't very achievable. 

[Foxes96]

2 hours ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Perez is injured.

I thought he was just ill? Appeared in todays training video… 

[moore_94]

18 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

The fact is their both international footballers who at some point have done it at the top level.

 

KDH barely stood out in the 23s and so far has looked like a fish out of water even against millwall. And I'm not saying he doesn't deserve a chance, I'm saying he hasn't taken them when given. Equally he's against sounare, ndidi and youri - all of whom are fresh and miles better than him.

Why bring up the under 23s which until recently has been poorly run anyway and not that last season he was one of the best centre mids in the Championship whilst playing for a bottom half Luton side?

 

If you are expecting him to come in and play top quality football in 2 games a month apart you aren’t giving him much of a chance.

Edited 3 November 2021 by moore_94

[Chocolate Teapot]

1 minute ago, moore_94 said:

Why bring up the under 23s which until recently has been poorly run anyway and not that last season he was one of the best centre mids in the Championship whilst playing for a bottom half Luton side?

 

If you are expecting him to come in and play top quality football in 2 games a month apart you aren’t giving him much of a chance.

He was the best centre mid for Luton yes, a poor championship side. I'm not digging him out I'm merely responding to the argument he's not been given a chance. He has and he's been average so can't expect to get much more of a chance with a fully fit midfield. And as for the 23s, I don't see how it's not relevant.

[Chocolate Teapot]

7 minutes ago, Foxes96 said:

I thought he was just ill? Appeared in todays training video… 

Ah so he is. Was told he was out for a few weeks after banging his knee against the Brentford keeper. Clearly alright.

Edited 3 November 2021 by Chocolate Teapot