Man Utd (A) pre march, Sat 2 April

[sylofox]

Surely this game is post march?

[FoxinNotts]

3 hours ago, Nicolo Barella said:

I seem to recall him doing quite well but only when playing as the middle centreback, not the LCB

you might be right there

[leicesterseddon]

2 hours ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Important games we've won playing 3 at the back over the last 2 years...

 

Weve beaten Man Utd three times, Chelsea and Man City, to name a few.

 

When we play 3 at the back with three centre backs who can pass the ball and full backs that can play high its a very good option. When we've neither of those, it's not very good.

Appreciate that. My reference to the first half of the season was more about chopping and changing the back line from one game to another - realise now that I left that unexplained! 

[An Sionnach]

We could be at near full strength and with reasonable form behind us. Man Utd. are inconsistent to say the least and no doubt , if fit , Maguire will play. This match will illustrate how good we really are . If we don't compete in this match then we will know that this set of players are unlikely to challenge for the top six again and changes will need to happen. This will need considerable expenditure and the owners will have to take on a lot more risk.

[Jobyfox]

Interesting. 

 

I wonder if the people advocating rotation and to concentrate on the ECL, are the same people that will be calling for Brendan to be sacked after the first poor league performance with a weakened team?

 

 

[An Sionnach]

2 minutes ago, Jobyfox said:

Interesting. 

 

I wonder if the people advocating rotation and to concentrate on the ECL, are the same people that will be calling for Brendan to be sacked after the first poor league performance with a weakened team?

 

 

Just check the back posts to find out. The one overriding thing on here though is "don't quote me " . I no longer make any comments on Rodgers , the analysis is too often based on emotion.

[FoxinNotts]

4 hours ago, An Sionnach said:

We could be at near full strength and with reasonable form behind us. Man Utd. are inconsistent to say the least and no doubt , if fit , Maguire will play. This match will illustrate how good we really are . If we don't compete in this match then we will know that this set of players are unlikely to challenge for the top six again and changes will need to happen. This will need considerable expenditure and the owners will have to take on a lot more risk.

I think this is already known, and is a given tbh. If we want to consistently challenge the top six, this season has demonstrated that we need strength in depth, which we don't currently possess, and we know that we need to change it up.

[les-tah]

Amartey-Evans v United

Fofana-Soyuncu v PSV ? 

 

I would say A fully fit Evans/Fofana would be our safest back line in the most important game but they are both coming back from injury so I would say mix the partnerships in these 2 games.

[Sunbury Fox]

47 minutes ago, FoxinNotts said:

I think this is already known, and is a given tbh. If we want to consistently challenge the top six, this season has demonstrated that we need strength in depth, which we don't currently possess, and we know that we need to change it up.

Not sure I agree with this. It could be argued that if we finish in the top half (which remains possible) despite missing 3 or 4 of our first choice back 4 throughout the entire season then it is in fact testament to our strength in depth. Our 4th choice CB has played around two thirds of league games. Not even sure I can name the 4th choice CB for most PL clubs.

Edited 29 March 2022 by Sunbury Fox

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Jobyfox said:

Interesting. 

 

I wonder if the people advocating rotation and to concentrate on the ECL, are the same people that will be calling for Brendan to be sacked after the first poor league performance with a weakened team?

 

 

Depends who the opposition is. I believe its the correct decision to rotate and prioritise Europe over the league but nothing changes really in regard to overall results. We have to accept that by prioritising one over the other that there's more scope for inconsistency in the league if a weaker team is picked as a result but again it depends on the team put out and the opposition. 

 

It also depends on our injury problems. Nothing yet suggests we will maintain a squad without several injuries or more and therefore we do have to look to prioritise Europe over the league much more starkly, as opposed to having more players available and therefore a degree of risk can be placed on playing certain players in both the league and Europe and not facing the consequences of them getting injured and missing crucial European games that our entire season now falls upon.

 

If we put a weaker side out and lose to Man Utd than we have available then I'll tolerate and understand that better, especially if the manner in the defeat isn't a lack of effort but if we're at home to mid or lower league opposition even with a rotated XI and we lose then there's still cause to expect more as we are an ambitious side looking to compete across numerous competitions domestically and in Europe and Rodgers knows that.

[foxinsocks]

23 minutes ago, les-tah said:

Amartey-Evans v United

Fofana-Soyuncu v PSV ? 

 

I would say A fully fit Evans/Fofana would be our safest back line in the most important game but they are both coming back from injury so I would say mix the partnerships in these 2 games.

Madness... amarty amd soyuncu for psv

[foxinsocks]

2 hours ago, Jobyfox said:

Interesting. 

 

I wonder if the people advocating rotation and to concentrate on the ECL, are the same people that will be calling for Brendan to be sacked after the first poor league performance with a weakened team?

 

 

Like when we got hammered by Forrest?

[Ric Flair]

13 minutes ago, Sunbury Fox said:

Not sure I agree with this. It could be argued that if we finish in the top half (which remains possible) despite missing 3 or 4 of our first choice back 4 throughout the entire season then it is in fact testament to our strength in depth. Our 4th choice CB has played around two thirds of league games. Not even sure I can name the 4th choice CB for most PL clubs.

There's a huge gulf between finishing top half or in the top 7, by around 15-20 points. It's not so much squad depth, I think we can all agree we aspire to improve the squad and/or the starting XI but it's simply the catalogue of injuries that makes a lot of this futile if it continues. We will never have 25 players all as good as each other and therefore even 10+ injuries at any given time isn't that much of an issue, but whilst we do have such relentless unavailability then all planning and ambition is under huge jeopardy.

[Sunbury Fox]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

There's a huge gulf between finishing top half or in the top 7, by around 15-20 points. It's not so much squad depth, I think we can all agree we aspire to improve the squad and/or the starting XI but it's simply the catalogue of injuries that makes a lot of this futile if it continues. We will never have 25 players all as good as each other and therefore even 10+ injuries at any given time isn't that much of an issue, but whilst we do have such relentless unavailability then all planning and ambition is under huge jeopardy.

Yes, the key thing is ensuring we only have a maximum of 2 or 3 first team players missing at any one time. It's alright for squad players to fill in now and again but they shouldn't become regulars as that will inevitably mean quality will fall - unless you have limitless resources like Man City. 

[LFox99]

1 hour ago, les-tah said:

Amartey-Evans v United

Fofana-Soyuncu v PSV ? 

 

I would say A fully fit Evans/Fofana would be our safest back line in the most important game but they are both coming back from injury so I would say mix the partnerships in these 2 games.

Doubt that that's how we'll pair up our CBs. Brendan has stated multiple times in the past how he likes to have at least one quick and athletic player at CB. One of Cags or Wes will start against United.

[Raw Dykes]

3 hours ago, FoxinNotts said:

I think this is already known, and is a given tbh. If we want to consistently challenge the top six, this season has demonstrated that we need strength in depth, which we don't currently possess, and we know that we need to change it up.

I disagree. We've had a cobbled-together defence all season. Setting the reasons for the appalling injury record aside, it is very unusual for any club to have this number of injuries, especially all in one area of the team. Any club is going to suffer with 4 of their best defenders out for most of a season.

 

As @Sunbury Fox says, it's actually testament to our strength in depth that we could quite easily still finish top half and end up having a decent league campaign with the number of absentees we've had.

 

I'd say any more strength in depth would be unrealistic for a club our size to ask for. You'd essentially either be asking a new full-back to play second fiddle to Ricardo, JJ, Castagne and Thomas, or benching one of those players. Can we really ask for a better 4th choice CB than Amartey?

 

You can have a squad like Man City's, but injuries can still decimate it.

 

It might be overly-optimistic, but I think all we need to be challenging the top six again could be as simple as having a much better injury record, which, after this season, shouldn't be too difficult. If this season demonstrates that we need more strength in depth, then don't the past two seasons demonstrate that we don't? Besides, it's likely that we won't be in Europe next season, so we can probably afford less strength in depth, if anything.

[Raw Dykes]

2 hours ago, les-tah said:

Amartey-Evans v United

Fofana-Soyuncu v PSV ? 

 

I would say A fully fit Evans/Fofana would be our safest back line in the most important game but they are both coming back from injury so I would say mix the partnerships in these 2 games.

It will be interesting to see who plays which game. I do think your reasoning is valid, but I think Fofana and Evans are probably about fit enough to play a full game. Fofana did 80 mins in the last one, and Evans 60 for NI. I think they might both start one game (with Evans maybe rested towards the end), with the settled partnership of Cags and Dan playing the other.

 

Can't work out which partnership plays which game. I agree that Evans and Wes is the best on paper, but they are both only just back, as you say, and Cags and Dan are settled and have been playing well of late. I guess it would make sense to give Fofana and Evans minutes asap and play the settled partnership in the more important game.

 

I'll go...

 

Fofana - Evans vs Man Utd

Amartey - Soyuncu vs PSV

[foxfan92]

On 28/03/2022 at 08:10, sylofox said:

Surely this game is post march?

That's not fair. I said that joke days ago and nobody commented on it. Favouritism. 

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Raw Dykes said:

I disagree. We've had a cobbled-together defence all season. Setting the reasons for the appalling injury record aside, it is very unusual for any club to have this number of injuries, especially all in one area of the team. Any club is going to suffer with 4 of their best defenders out for most of a season.

 

As @Sunbury Fox says, it's actually testament to our strength in depth that we could quite easily still finish top half and end up having a decent league campaign with the number of absentees we've had.

 

I'd say any more strength in depth would be unrealistic for a club our size to ask for. You'd essentially either be asking a new full-back to play second fiddle to Ricardo, JJ, Castagne and Thomas, or benching one of those players. Can we really ask for a better 4th choice CB than Amartey?

 

You can have a squad like Man City's, but injuries can still decimate it.

 

It might be overly-optimistic, but I think all we need to be challenging the top six again could be as simple as having a much better injury record, which, after this season, shouldn't be too difficult. If this season demonstrates that we need more strength in depth, then don't the past two seasons demonstrate that we don't? Besides, it's likely that we won't be in Europe next season, so we can probably afford less strength in depth, if anything.

Incredibly naive to think the injury problems will simply clear up and that it shouldn't be very difficult to clear it up, why will they? What evidence is there that it's going to improve, this is why I get so annoyed. Fans think its simply bad luck and absolutely no possible way that it could be something that is being exacerbated by the management and his staff. 

[The_77]

Big Dan’s going to be justifiably hungover. Give him a rest this weekend. 

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

3 minutes ago, The_77 said:

Big Dan’s going to be justifiably hungover. Give him a rest this weekend. 

Don't stop the Amartey.

[Raw Dykes]

3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Incredibly naive to think the injury problems will simply clear up and that it shouldn't be very difficult to clear it up, why will they? What evidence is there that it's going to improve, this is why I get so annoyed. Fans think its simply bad luck and absolutely no possible way that it could be something that is being exacerbated by the management and his staff. 

I didn't say I think the injury problems will clear up - just that if BR wanted to improve things, he should find it easy, considering the horrific record this season.

 

I know it's not simply bad luck, but you have to admit luck does play at least some part. As far as I'm aware, there's not a lot you can do about the ACLs and the assaults in pre-season friendlies, and they've been the worst ones, and they've all been to key defenders.

[The_77]

10 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Don't stop the Amartey.

 

[Ric Flair]

How many extra injuries in these last 2 weeks are we going for then?

 

Thomas injured, Barnes seen wearing strapping on his ankle so probably good for a few weeks out, Evans will need a month to recover from a pointless friendly for N.I. and a nice bonus for someone key like KDH or Youri.

[foxfan92]

10 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

How many extra injuries in these last 2 weeks are we going for then?

 

Thomas injured, Barnes seen wearing strapping on his ankle so probably good for a few weeks out, Evans will need a month to recover from a pointless friendly for N.I. and a nice bonus for someone key like KDH or Youri.

It wouldn't seem right somehow to play a game this season with an almost fit squad ...