Roma (A) | 5th May 8PM - UECL Semi Final 2nd Leg - Pre-match Thread

[Ric Flair]

If Maddison and/or KDH are fit then it'll be 4-3-3 but if they aren't then we would be stupid to not go 3-4-1-2 as we don't have the midfield to provide enough creativity and energy to support a front 3. 

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

If Maddison and/or KDH are fit then it'll be 4-3-3 but if they aren't then we would be stupid to not go 3-4-1-2 as we don't have the midfield to provide enough creativity and energy to support a front 3. 

Theyll be fit.

 

Rodgers only would have said it to avoid accusations of throwing the game against Spurs.

 

This is just a guess but there's no way they miss this game.

Edited 3 May 2022 by Chocolate Teapot

[Deeg67]

Yeah, we never lose any players to injury under Rodgers.

[Ric Flair]

4 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

Theyll be fit.

 

Rodgers only would have said it to avoid accusations of throwing the game against Spurs.

 

This is just a guess but there's no way they miss this game.

Yeah I suspected that and it was the correct thing to do. I still think the system they play and their real lack of quality in midfield means we should match them up and try and over power them. Smalling had a dominant game but if Vardy and Iheanacho were up against their 3 with Maddison in behind then I think they'll flap, they seemed so unfit compared to us.

[Fear Of The Fox]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

If Maddison and/or KDH are fit then it'll be 4-3-3 but if they aren't then we would be stupid to not go 3-4-1-2 as we don't have the midfield to provide enough creativity and energy to support a front 3. 

Why don't we go 5-3-2 when defending and change it on the fly to 3-4-1-2 when we have possession? Are Ricardo/Justin or Thomas so tired they can't provide full attacking and defending support? 

[AKCJ]

If KDH and Maddison are actually injured then we need to match these up and hope we can nick something on the break. 

 

Kasper

Castagne Fofana Evans

Ricardo Tielemans ??? Justin

Lookman Vardy Barnes

 

I'm fairly certain that if we go there to play football then we'll be beaten. Just as we did at the weekend.

[Ric Flair]

27 minutes ago, Fear Of The Fox said:

Why don't we go 5-3-2 when defending and change it on the fly to 3-4-1-2 when we have possession? Are Ricardo/Justin or Thomas so tired they can't provide full attacking and defending support? 

I was more coming at it that if we go 4-3-3 and only pick 1 striker who often gets isolated without someone like Maddison close to him and we don't have him and KDH available then that system looks a terrible choice and in which case go 3 at the back with 2 strikers and hope that causes them problems.

[lcfcsnow]

I hate it when we start matching teams up, thinking about the opposition more than ourselves as we did on Sunday. It's not like we are good in a back five either, quite the opposite so it's a real head scratcher for fans to be calling for that formation given it's ruined the last two seasons - is it going to make it 3 on the trot?

[Ric Flair]

11 minutes ago, lcfcsnow said:

I hate it when we start matching teams up, thinking about the opposition more than ourselves as we did on Sunday. It's not like we are good in a back five either, quite the opposite so it's a real head scratcher for fans to be calling for that formation given it's ruined the last two seasons - is it going to make it 3 on the trot?

Go on then pick a midfield 3 if Maddison and KDH are out.

[fox_up_north]

Based on what I saw last time, I think their 7 and 22 were doing a lot of work on the wings but we had chances to get in behind round the corner. If we can exploit that and not just cut inside every time, some good opportunities.

[volpeazzurro]

2 hours ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Did you believe this was the case when Puel departed and Rodgers got the job? 
 

I’ve just looked up the team from Puel’s game and it’s a set of players I’d never associate good enough for top 4 on paper.  

Puel initiated Tielemans on loan but not until the end of his tenure and not fit. Maddison's first season, Barnes just starting out. By the time Rodgers started his first season proper, he had a far better squad than Puel and most of the other underlying problems had been solved for him. He inherited a very situation and squad otherwise he wouldn't of jumped ship from Celtic would he. Rodgers may be quite a few things but he's not stupid. 

[volpeazzurro]

2 hours ago, fuchsntf said:

Excellent Post IMO, and I thought you might be Falling by the wayside and becoming a bit of a moaner,& unappreciative of where we were/are on our journey.

If Shows all of us can learn by Reading the diverse post, over longer periods, to see even in those Frustration moments, the all round Pictures doesn't get lost

From the Backbone of FT-posters...

I think moaning sometimes comes with frustration. Lost the faith? Never. Appreciative of what we achieved? Absolutely. Who exactly was responsible for those achievements is debatable between us all I suppose but it's a team effort. The same goes for underachieving. It's just my personal belief that the manager, for me personally  is more culpable than anyone else for the latter. By definition therefore you would assume that he would be responsible for the former also but I personally don't think so, on the contrary, to a large degree I think they did it despite him. The players abilities got them to 5th, Rodgers tactics, team selections and substitutions etc robbed us of 4th ... twice. The FA Cup,  by virtue of it being a knock out competition and random opponents, always carries a bit of fortune for every team, but in fairness to Rodgers, he picked a strong team throughout and we know not all managers do that. On the day itself I think we were also very fortunate 🤣 but we got there and that's what counts. 

 

I do moan about Rodgers but I don't hate him. He frustrates the hell out of me with what he does with what he's got. Nevertheless, he has his good points ie man management from the outside looking in, and that can't be easy these days with some of the primadonnas you can get.

[CosbehFox]

7 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

Puel initiated Tielemans on loan but not until the end of his tenure and not fit. Maddison's first season, Barnes just starting out. By the time Rodgers started his first season proper, he had a far better squad than Puel and most of the other underlying problems had been solved for him. He inherited a very situation and squad otherwise he wouldn't of jumped ship from Celtic would he. Rodgers may be quite a few things but he's not stupid. 

Just proves how Rodgers developed them, improved them with coaching. Maddison and Barnes have gone from Championship players to England internationals under Rodgers. Less so Tielemans progression, albeit last season saw him reach the pinnacle of his club career. 

The starting eleven in Puel’s last game had four players whom had qualified for the Champions League before via finishing high in a top four league. Two of them with Leicester, Fuchs with Schalke and Evans with Man U. Ricky Pereira had done well with Porto additionally. The squad had potential but to suggest top four is revisionism. Rodgers probably looked us and thought he get 7th/Europe. In process repairing his reputation. 
 

By the team we played Wolves first game under Rodgers first season, there was four changes.
 

Soyuncu in for Maguire 

Chilwell in for Fuchs 

Hamza in for Barnes 

Perez in for Ghezzal 

 

The only new arrivals on the bench are Justin (another player whose gone from League 1 to cast iron England call up before an ACL) and Praet. 
 

Hardly the ‘far better squad’ that some revise. Certainly weaker defensively as Chilwell at that point had nothing to suggest his improvement and Soyuncu had barely played. 

[daddylonglegs]

As per most matches, it rests on Kasper having a stormer and us taking our half chances. 

 

As others have said, no chance KDH and Maddison aren't injured. Imagine the uproar if he admitted he'd rested two of our best players in a PL game when the other side actually had something to play for. 

 

Also, don't care how average he is on occasion, Marc Albrighton has to start an away game at a European giant. We've got a handful of players with years of big-game experience to count on, we need as many on the pitch as possible. 

 

 

 

 

 

[fuchsntf]

3 hours ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Plastic

 

I am plasticbubbles-man...

[Ric Flair]

4 minutes ago, daddylonglegs said:

As per most matches, it rests on Kasper having a stormer and us taking our half chances. 

 

As others have said, no chance KDH and Maddison aren't injured. Imagine the uproar if he admitted he'd rested two of our best players in a PL game when the other side actually had something to play for. 

 

Also, don't care how average he is on occasion, Marc Albrighton has to start an away game at a European giant. We've got a handful of players with years of big-game experience to count on, we need as many on the pitch as possible. 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem is, Albrighton has been a liability vs PSV and Roma and wasn't much better vs Spurs either. He's hit one of his spells where it's very easy to criticise him. It's a huge gamble to select him right now.

[coolhandfox]

11 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

The problem is, Albrighton has been a liability vs PSV and Roma and wasn't much better vs Spurs either. He's hit one of his spells where it's very easy to criticise him. It's a huge gamble to select him right now.

Can never doubt he commitment or work rate, but his had some stinkers in recent weeks.

 

I can't see Marc starting after playing the whole 90 minutes at Spur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The_77]

We’re about to play in a winner-take-all match against a huge team in Rome that could get into our first ever European final. 
 

But, by all means, more about Claude Puel…

Edited 3 May 2022 by The_77
Typo

[FoxinNotts]

11 minutes ago, The_77 said:

We’re about to play in a winner-take-all match against a huge team in Rome to could get into our first ever European final. 
 

But, by all means, more about Claude Puel…

Unreal isn’t it! We’ve gotten into a position, where we win two games, (TWO Games!) against not even the best teams in Europe, both definable winnable, and we’ll have picked up a European trophy and qualified for Europe for next season, to go with our recent Premier League, FA Cup and Charity Shield wins and people still focus on negativity! People need to wake up, and get a grip

Edited 3 May 2022 by FoxinNotts

[KrefelderFox666]

Schmeichel

 

Justin

Fofana

Evans

Ricardo

 

Tielemans

Maddison

KDH

 

Barnes

Vardy

Lookman

[Gamble92]

5 minutes ago, FoxinNotts said:

Unreal isn’t it! We’ve gotten into a position, where we win two games, (TWO Games!) against not even the best teams in Europe, both definable winnable, and we’ll have picked up a European trophy and qualified for Europe for next season, to go with our recent Premier League, FA Cup and Charity Shield wins and people still focus on negativity! People need to wake up, and get a grip

I agree with this in terms of I am still behind Rodgers, but you aren't going to win anyone over by papering over this seasons cracks like that. A glorified friendly and a competition that we are only in because we've missed out twice on champions league at the last hurdle and failed dramatically against minnows in another is probably the way most look at it. Not to mention the league form and the worst result in a decade in the cup. 

 

Like I said in another thread, the biggest issue I have with Rodgers is when the failings are glaringly obvious to us, he seems more bothered about spinning it for his own reputation than addressing it. Its always someone else's problem or we've been overacheiving. It isn't on and he needs to win this trophy to avoid being under massive pressure next season.

[Sunbury Fox]

3 hours ago, Fear Of The Fox said:

Why don't we go 5-3-2 when defending and change it on the fly to 3-4-1-2 when we have possession? Are Ricardo/Justin or Thomas so tired they can't provide full attacking and defending support? 

One thing for certain is that we must never ever play Thomas as a wing back again. He lacks the pace and dynamism required. Justin, Castagne and Ricky P are options as wing backs, though. 

[CosbehFox]

Just now, Gamble92 said:

I agree with this in terms of I am still behind Rodgers, but you aren't going to win anyone over by papering over this seasons cracks like that. A glorified friendly and a competition that we are only in because we've missed out twice on champions league at the last hurdle and failed dramatically against minnows in another is probably the way most look at it. Not to mention the league form and the worst result in a decade in the cup. 

 

Like I said in another thread, the biggest issue I have with Rodgers is when the failings are glaringly obvious to us, he seems more bothered about spinning it for his own reputation than addressing it. Its always someone else's problem or we've been overacheiving. It isn't on and he needs to win this trophy to avoid being under massive pressure next season.

Some description of Napoli and Spartak Moscow that 

[Ric Flair]

Putting all the endless shit about Rodgers and our issues this season to one side, its still pinch yourself stuff that we are yet again deep in a European competition, it just doesn't feel real. This is what we've all dreamt of, I don't care its the 3rd tier competition, the level of opposition has made this knockout stage a decent standard and I've been pretty pleased with how we've handled it.

 

It's a massive occasion on Thursday, I'm gutted I am not going to be there after a false dawn on Friday that I could make it. Our season very much rides on this as we go in search for another trophy in this glorious era of ours. We can do it.

[Gamble92]

11 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Some description of Napoli and Spartak Moscow that 

We lost to Legia Warsaw. And Moscow are hardly our standard.