Fiorentina - Sunday 3rd August @ 3PM

[mod hero]

10 minutes ago, PaulW said:

That comment tells us more about you than it does about Daka.

Oh shit I’ve offended Paul 

[PaulW]

Just now, mod hero said:

Oh shit I’ve offended Paul 

Don't worry about it..I'll get counselling.

[TommyK]

Can someone remind me why we're playing Choudhury at right back? 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

2 minutes ago, TommyK said:

Can someone remind me why we're playing Choudhury at right back? 

Has the team been posted already?

[FoxesFourLife]

My predicted line-up

 

Stolarzcyk

Justin Nelson Vestergaard Thomas

Winks Skipp

Fatawu Page Monga

Ayew

[wardyfox86]

13 minutes ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

Will be interesting to see the lineup today. It should in theory be the side that starts next week (injuries permitting) and might give us an insight into any players close to moving on. My guess is we will line up like so;

 

Stolarcyzk

 

Choudhury

Faes

Nelson

Thomas

 

Winks

Ndidi

 

Mcateer

BEK

Monga/Mavididi (depending on Stephy fitness)

 

Daka

 

If this team starts next week (if the game goes ahead) then 6 academy lads in the starting 11 is very impressive. Although I'd prefer Fatawu over McAteer and Justin over Choudhury.

[FoxinNotts]

7 minutes ago, TommyK said:

Can someone remind me why we're playing Choudhury at right back? 

Choudhury's played his best stuff, in the last two seasons as an inverted right back. Just like Ricardo. With their injury records, they need to share that role this season.

[majaco]

19 hours ago, adejo92 said:

Personally, I think Italian football is a bit more physical than English football, especially at top flight, but id imagine they wont want to be risking injuries either.

 

Can imagine the likes of Fatawu & Monga getting bashed around a bit by the full backs.

 

Daka might aswell stay at home. He'll be spending more time on his knees than my ex.

Is this as toxic as I think it is or is there an innocent interpretation?

[CloudFox]

This will be the third match of Fiorentina's pre-season, so they're a little behind us in terms of prep I'd imagine. So far they've beaten a Serie D and a Serie B side. As others have mentioned, they've got Forest lined up on Tuesday, then facing Man United next Saturday to finish their pre-season.

 

Safe to say that they will rotate heavily, with maybe an entirely different 11 gone 60 minutes—similar to what we've been doing.

 

I would expect us to field pretty much our first 11, and less rotation ahead of our opening fixture next Sunday.

 

It being a pre-season friendly this is a given, but I wouldn't put much stock in the scoreline, whatever it ends up being. What's most important to see is defined patterns of play, organisation (especially in transition!) and signs of where the creativity will come from.

 

The latter two are my main "watch outs"—if the signs are good there then we can feel a bit more positive going into the season.

[mozartfox]

19 hours ago, Steve Earle said:

Just arrived in sodden Salzburg ☔️

Yes - it was very wet yesterday, also on the east side of Austria where I live.  Rain forecast until Thusday and Friday when summer returns.  Enjoy and don't mention the War.......

[majaco]

18 minutes ago, PaulW said:

Don't worry about it..I'll get counselling.

The counsellor might tell you that referring to people as a retard has been offensive for decades 

[SpacedX]

On 01/08/2025 at 20:04, mod hero said:

He does press better but he’s still crap at it. He can’t link play, can’t dribble, can’t control a football, and carries little goal threat. 
 

Ayew can do all of the above much better.

Disagree. He's actually quite good at linking play at this level. A good example of this was away to Leeds in February 2024. Yes, he missed the chance to likely seal the three points when he put a clear chance wide, (he also had a goal incorrectly overruled). The capitulation from the team at the end was appalling but his link play had been exceptional nonetheless. 

[l444ry]

Just hope he doesn't go with Winks and Skipp together or I fear we'll just get run through in their area of responsibility. Needs Wilf in my opinion.  

[st albans fox]

21 minutes ago, mozartfox said:

Yes - it was very wet yesterday, also on the east side of Austria where I live.  Rain forecast until Thusday and Friday when summer returns.  Enjoy and don't mention the War.......

Which one ? 

[Chelmofox]

10 minutes ago, l444ry said:

Just hope he doesn't go with Winks and Skipp together or I fear we'll just get run through in their area of responsibility. Needs Wilf in my opinion.  

Surely Wilf is one who is off? Winks and Skipp need game time. I felt Skipp improved against Kohl (penalty aside) but Winks looked well of it. If Winks plays today he does need to up his game.

 

the one i really worry about is Soumare.

Edited 3 August 2025 by Chelmofox

[Bordersfox]

4 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

Surely Wilf is one who is off? Winks and Skipp need game time. I felt Skipp improved against Kohl (penalty aside) but Winks looked well of it. If Winks plays today he does need to up his game.

 

the one i really worry about is Soumare.

We must be able to get Soumare a loan.  Or even just accept a pittance, he can't have much book value left.  It seems pretty clear he hasn't wanted to be here for some time.  Both he and Ndidi should go this summer, albeit for different reasons.  

[Chelmofox]

Just now, Bordersfox said:

We must be able to get Soumare a loan.  Or even just accept a pittance, he can't have much book value left.  It seems pretty clear he hasn't wanted to be here for some time.  Both he and Ndidi should go this summer, albeit for different reasons.  

There are rumours about Ndidi - i see nothing about Soumare. I think if he is in the starting line up today then the plans are to play him against Sheff Weds. 

[mod hero]

20 minutes ago, SpacedX said:

Disagree. He's actually quite good at linking play at this level. A good example of this was away to Leeds in February 2024. Yes, he missed the chance to likely seal the three points when he put a clear chance wide, (he also had a goal incorrectly overruled). The capitulation from the team at the end was appalling but his link play had been exceptional nonetheless. 

Oh come on exceptional? And one game you can remember out of 4 year stint with us is scraping the barrel.

 

Hes an extremely poor footballer. If reports are to be true he will probably behind a striker from league 1 if we get Kone.

 

Dont forget, we payed £23M for this guy.

[Filberts lovechild]

I don’t know why we’ve all been brainwashed about playing 4 at the back and 2 holding midfielders & everyone saying this is our best line up? We play dross with that formation; understandably we have 7 of our players seeking to defend rather than create.

Why Skipp & Winks or Ndidi and Soumare? Why not just one of them and include say BEK and Alves as 10’s? If the manager says he wants attacking football why would he select a defensive minded formation? No logic in doing what we’ve done for the last 12 months in my opinion we need new ideas

[Sly]

1 hour ago, PaulW said:

That comment tells us more about you than it does about Daka.

I’m quietly looking forward to Daka being the a success this season to be honest. 
 

He’s the perfect pressing forward for Marti. 
 

A bit lot Firminho at Liverpool, his presence, pressing and etc will allow for the wider forwards to score goals. 
 

Daka is a poacher in my opinion, he’s not a lead the line and link up.

 

Ayew is the complete opposite to be honest.

 

It’ll be interesting to see what we opt with, as most Championship clubs would snap your hands off for either Daka or Ayew.

[DJO-FOX]

Anyone know whether they open the 1884 bar for today or just league games?

[copunk]

Taking my both my daughters and nephews to this today, actually looking forward to getting an insight into next weeks starting 11 and the plan for how Marti has got us set up 

[mozartfox]

37 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Which one ? 

WW2 - This is the one they claim they were victims of the Nazis' too.

[jv1]

Looking forward to seeing the 11 and subs - should tell us an awful lot about who we are trying to get out the door - big questions on mads ,Justin , bek and ndidi for me - if they are fit and aren’t on the verge of being sold surely all 4 have to start and keep being played until they either leave or the window shuts - surely he doesn’t leave the 4 of them out even if they ‘might’ be off - bring on 2pm 

[TrentFox]

25 minutes ago, Filberts lovechild said:

I don’t know why we’ve all been brainwashed about playing 4 at the back and 2 holding midfielders & everyone saying this is our best line up? We play dross with that formation; understandably we have 7 of our players seeking to defend rather than create.

Why Skipp & Winks or Ndidi and Soumare? Why not just one of them and include say BEK and Alves as 10’s? If the manager says he wants attacking football why would he select a defensive minded formation? No logic in doing what we’ve done for the last 12 months in my opinion we need new ideas

So much sense in that. The difference in shape is often nuanced, but  4-1-4-1 is a much better attacking shape for us and is adaptable to easily accommodate many of the good aspects of the Enzo period.