Title Race

[Scott_M]

26 minutes ago, an tha said:

What is problem with Salah?

Allegedly has had cramps in his hammy. 

[Barrington Womble]

55 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Maybe. I’m more or less fine defensively and midfield, I’m concerned up front & players running out of gas.

 

Assumption is Jota won’t be available, Nunez allegedly 50/50 for Wembley & talk Mo is 50/50 for Luton now.

 

Just as well Bradley and Quansah have stepped up this season, we’d really be in the shit without them. Maybe Kadie Gordon could help us out as well? 
 

 

Koumas and Danns have been training with the first team. I wouldn't be shocked to see either of them involved too. 

[an tha]

9 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Allegedly has had cramps in his hammy. 

Ha fucking hell

[No2]

18 hours ago, Scott_M said:

Despite what I’m about to post, I am fully focusing on beating Luton and Luton only and fully agree with the one game at a time mantra…

 

…I am concerned about the amount of fixtures we have coming up and how many players seem to be dropping like flies, especially as injuries to Jota & Jones seem to be serious ones. 
 

Before the next international break, we have…

 

Luton - H

Chelsea - N

Southampton - H

Forest - A

EL - A

Man City - H

EL - H

Everton - A

 

…I get players get injured, we can’t have important players like Trent & Szoboszlai breaking down with the same injuries again. Hopefully Alisson & Nunez injuries are only minor. 
 

I imagine we can rotate Gomez, Quansah, Tsmiskas easily enough for Luton and / or Southampton, we’re running out of options elsewhere. 

Everton away makes that list look more difficult than it is. That should change to an FA cup match which changes that list into 4 full teams and then 4 heavily rotated teams. We could really do with the Europa league and FA Cup draws being kind to us.

[Scott_M]

5 minutes ago, No2 said:

Everton away makes that list look more difficult than it is. That should change to an FA cup match which changes that list into 4 full teams and then 4 heavily rotated teams. We could really do with the Europa league and FA Cup draws being kind to us.

Ah, didn’t realise that. 
 

Hopefully Coventry or Maidstone take The Ev’s place. 

[Scott_M]

13 hours ago, El Rojo said:

Just to pick you up on something there, personally I think it’s great that we’ve so many games before the next international break as that hiatus can be hugely problematic for us. At least we’ll keep our rhythm going. 

 

Do well in this next group of fixtures and we’ll be in a fantastic position.

 

Of course it’s taxing and the injuries seem constant this season, but the rewards are immense. 

 

From what little I’ve seen of McConnell and Clark, I reckon they’ll get the FA Cup game and other minutes here and there.

Get where you’re coming from, keep the momentum going. I’d be delighted if McConnell, Clarke, Koumas etc all contributed over the next few weeks / months, it is starting to feel like we’re spread very thin. 

I think the Man City game is a must not lose game. Keep it in our hands. Thats a tough task with our best side, it’ll be even more difficult being somewhat depleted. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

1 hour ago, Scott_M said:

 

I think the Man City game is a must not lose game. Keep it in our hands. Thats a tough task with our best side, it’ll be even more difficult being somewhat depleted. 

It's at Anfield. City have won once in over 20 years at Anfield (when we had Fabinho and Henderson at Centre Back).

[Scott_M]

5 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

It's at Anfield. City have won once in over 20 years at Anfield (when we had Fabinho and Henderson at Centre Back).

I get that and I’ll never, ever, EVER discount us, especially at Anfield. I’d be more relaxed if we had a full strength side out. 

[dave u]

Seeing what Chelsea did on the counter attack against City, I think the first goal is key to that game. If we go ahead and they have to comer at us, we could tear them a new arsehole on the break.

 

Any team that has pace up front and plays smart can cause them problems, but far too many are too scared to be positive against them. Chelsea sliced them open so many times in that first half I reckon our front lads will have been watching it and licking their fingers.

[Barrington Womble]

1 hour ago, dave u said:

Seeing what Chelsea did on the counter attack against City, I think the first goal is key to that game. If we go ahead and they have to comer at us, we could tear them a new arsehole on the break.

 

Any team that has pace up front and plays smart can cause them problems, but far too many are too scared to be positive against them. Chelsea sliced them open so many times in that first half I reckon our front lads will have been watching it and licking their fingers.

 

It wasn't even clever stuff. It was right out of pochetino's play list from his spurs days against big sides, but with lesser players. Hold deep in numbers, but the wide players will try and go the width of the pitch when you win the ball back and aim at them and the space in front of them over the halfway line. It was like how teams set up against us when Trent can't be arsed doing any right back work, except both flanks where there for taking. 

 

They might not play that badly again though. City were poor throughout the team, even de bruyne didn't look superhuman. 

[Carra_is_legend]

Chelsea had chances on the break but the lanky fuck missed a hatful including 2 free headers. On another day they would have comfortably won 3-1. 

[Smell The Glove]

24 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

 

It wasn't even clever stuff. It was right out of pochetino's play list from his spurs days against big sides, but with lesser players. Hold deep in numbers, but the wide players will try and go the width of the pitch when you win the ball back and aim at them and the space in front of them over the halfway line. It was like how teams set up against us when Trent can't be arsed doing any right back work, except both flanks where there for taking. 

 

They might not play that badly again though. City were poor throughout the team, even de bruyne didn't look superhuman. 

Chelsea did well because Guardiola set up far too aggressive. Some of the stuff written and spoken about Fernandez and Caicedo is a load of bollocks really, especially the former. Add in Gallagher and they were winning the ball back for fun against a midfield of basically Rodri. Tackle, break. Expect to see Kovacic in against us. No way he's that aggressive at Anfield.

[Barrington Womble]

4 minutes ago, Smell The Glove said:

Chelsea did well because Guardiola set up far too aggressive. Some of the stuff written and spoken about Fernandez and Caicedo is a load of bollocks really, especially the former. Add in Gallagher and they were winning the ball back for fun against a midfield of basically Rodri. Tackle, break. Expect to see Kovacic in against us. No way he's that aggressive at Anfield.

The league table might have to dictate that though. If he's happy with a draw, then maybe. The thing with guardiola, is he can out think himself at times. 

[Smell The Glove]

5 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

The league table might have to dictate that though. If he's happy with a draw, then maybe. The thing with guardiola, is he can out think himself at times. 

Odds are the table won't have changed much if at all when we meet. I think he'd be happy to get a point and get the fuck out. 

[Smell The Glove]

Just had another look and forgot that rat Bernardo only came on midway through the 2nd half as well. Add that despicable cunt with Kovacic and it becomes a completely different set up.

[Scott_M]

This is what our schedule could look like until the end of season…

 

 

…imagine if that game at Woodison is the penultimate game of the season with the title on the line! 

[Bobby Hundreds]

I reckon we finish 3rd. Which is far better than I thought pre season.

[Smell The Glove]

4 minutes ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

I reckon we finish 3rd. Which is far better than I thought pre season.

I'm just going to have to call bollocks on this. We don't come this far, with our home record to be resigned to fucking 3rd

[Bobby Hundreds]

3 minutes ago, Smell The Glove said:

I'm just going to have to call bollocks on this. We don't come this far, with our home record to be resigned to fucking 3rd

This is the way!

[Scott_M]

We could certainly do with getting Maidstone at Anfield in the 6th round. 

[joe_fishfish]

1 hour ago, Scott_M said:

We could certainly do with getting Maidstone at Anfield in the 6th round. 

I don’t think we’ll get that far, I think it will be the U21s with Kelleher and Elliott for the Southampton game

[Scott_M]

1 minute ago, joe_fishfish said:

I don’t think we’ll get that far, I think it will be the U21s with Kelleher and Elliott for the Southampton game

That’s the spirit. 

[an tha]

That schedule looks fucking mad - potentially exciting but mad...Just not having enough fit players to be able to cope with it is the worry.

[coachpotato]

That type of fixture run in was what did for us season before last, too many games, too little rest time, too many injuries and those who were fit, running on fumes. Including the manager.

Don’t know how we can avoid a repeat, unless the younger players/rotation policy allows the performance levels to maintain. We know the players will do their best, of course they will, but it’s a massive ask, and beating City (and everyone else come to that) is pretty much a pre-requisite.

I’d settle for Carabao Cup (because we’re in the final anyway) and either the League (preferably) or Europa League.

Lovely to think we could get three, dreamland to get all four.

 

 

[Scott_M]

Winning the league at Woodison and sending them down, in a penultimate rearranged game is the stuff wet dreams are made of.