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The glorious march to CL qualification

nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
Dont worry I know what you mean.

Id play essentially the team I intend to play Wednesday, basically.

Might be one or two need a break, but otherwise keep the first team playing.
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I don't think Poch will make massive changes, basically he hasn't got the players to do it anyway.

I would not start Sissoko. He was obviously on the bench last night as it was probably touch and go whether he was fully fit. Getting the minutes he did, and coming thru ok is a bonus, but the other thing he proved was he is essential to having some kind of control over this Ajax team. That's too much to risk by playing him at Bournemouth.

Besides, Dier needs game time and hopefully can show some form that will put him contention for Ajax. Against the fast flowing youth, Wanyama worries me. Dier and Sissoko is the aim for next Wednesday.

Foyth should carry on at RB/RWB. Son and Moura will play next Wed so I don't need Trippiers crossing ability (not that we see much of it these days).

Saturday
Lloris
Foyth Toby Sanchez Davies/Rose
Dier Skipp/Wanyama
Moura Dele Eriksen
Sonny

Wed

Foyth Toby Jan/Sanchez .Rose
Dier Sissoko
Moura Dele Eriksen
Sonny


Leaves Trippier, Wanyama, Skipp, Davies, Llorente one of Sanchez or Jan
 
I do think Sissoko will be a big player Wednesday, so Saturday really depends on his fitness requirements. The guys a machine, it might be he is fine to play both.

I dont think Wanyama was that bad to be honest, I think he has been doing a lot better than people credit him - but he doesnt work well with Alli as a CM2.

Dier needs minutes, happy for him to play.

Foyth at RB is an interesting one. I love him, something about him just gets to me. And while I think its obvious he isnt a RB he does do a credible job.

However.... His use there begs the question - whats happening with KWP? Personally Im unconvinced he will make it, but plenty rate him - what does it say that foyth is preferred out of position ahead of him?
 
Can't be bothered to look back through the appropriate thread for accuracy, but there was a big debate post-City on the impact the semi final would have on our top four ambitions.

Many said it won't make a difference and we shouldn't be rotating, as West Ham and Bournemouth aren't problem games.

How's that looking now then? Players look leggy. Picking up more injuries. Poch short of tactical options. Now looking reliant on Janssen of all people. Woefully shot of any form.

I've serious fears we're going to blow the lot at this rate. Bournemouth (movement of Brooks and Wilson in particular) worry me much more than they really should do.

I really don't want to go into the final day relying on getting a result against Everton.
 
Would like it if we could give Eriksen and/or Alli a slight breather against Bournemouth. For example by starting one with the plan to sub him for the other after an hour if the game gonoes well. Would also leave us with a quality attacking player with fresher legs to bring on if we need to push for a goal (or goals) with half an hour left. That's been lacking recently.

If we can actually do that with our injuries I'm not sure...
 
braineclipse said:
Would like it if we could give Eriksen and/or Alli a slight breather against Bournemouth. For example by starting one with the plan to sub him for the other after an hour if the game gonoes well. Would also leave us with a quality attacking player with fresher legs to bring on if we need to push for a goal (or goals) with half an hour left. That's been lacking recently.

If we can actually do that with our injuries I'm not sure...
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We've made a rod for our own backs by messing up games before the CL kicked back in unfortunately.
Now we don't have the luxury of resting players. No way we can take Bournemouth lightly after our previous endeavours. They are not going to be on the beach as many think of mid-table teams at this stage. They have the players to get goals against us, no problem.

Nope, we need to just get that final win done and then, only then, focus on Ajax.
We've ridden our luck big time of late, both with other teams results and some decisions going our way in CL / Ajax hitting post. I fear one more fudge up from our side will be a step too far and see our luck elsewhere run out.
 
Gutter Boy said:
It would be much better to blitz Bournemouth and kill the match off in the first 30 minutes. Then put our feet up and make subs. It would also be a confidence boost

Eriksen and Trippier should be the only players who are properly fatigued. Others like Alli need to play themselves into form. And players like Dier and Wanyama are actually rusty.
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I agree. Play a strong team v Bournemouth and try to get some confidence back by (a) winning and (b) securing CL qualification

I’d play Sissoko and Dier in CM and then Dele and Son behind Janssen. Back 3 plus KWP and Davies.

That team should be able to win and actually even a point would be massively valuable as it would mean that a draw v Everton is almost certainly enough for top 4 - we wouldn’t need to beat them.




Sitting on my porcelain throne using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app
 
To skimp on a few million and not bringing anybody in, Levy may well cost the club tens of millions. He has taken a big risk, let's hope it doesn't come back to bite us on the bum.
 
Gilzeantoscore said:
To skimp on a few million and not bringing anybody in, Levy may well cost the club tens of millions. He has taken a big risk, let's hope it doesn't come back to bite us on the bum.
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Qualify what you mean by a "few million"

Not directed at you @Gilzeantoscore but in general....
I love the way people throw millions of pounds around on here as if its peanuts, this player is only £40 million, that player is only 50, we are not a financially doped club that can just take a punt on a £40,000,000 player and then just discard him if it doesn't work out. Take Sissoko for a moment, here is a player that cost us a lot of money and in the first year was a disaster, if we were Blue Scum or EMM we could have dumped him for a loss, loaned him out or let him rot in the reserves, but we're not and we had to make the investment work. Personally I don't want to support a club that operates in cheat mode I want and do support a club that is well managed, prudent and only spends to improve and if that means we can't always bring someone in that will improve us then we shouldn't throw money away just to appease Sky brainwashed supporters.
 
I think the "just a few million" thing is a bigger deal than people realise.

When clubs get a reputation for paying over the odds, or being able to be pushed for "just a few million" more, then its not something that happens occasionally - it becomes every transfer.

Levy being Levy, as much as its frustrating to miss out sometimes, is actually key to our success.

We NEED to be miserly, we need to drive a hard bargain and we need to get the best deals possible. And walking away from deals when we feel clubs have an unrealistic value of a player is a must. Clubs then know that to do a deal, its got to be fair.

Aside from which, our finances are that well balanced "Just a few million" on player X could well take a second move for an equally important player off the table.
 
NoLimits01 said:
Qualify what you mean by a "few million"

Not directed at you @Gilzeantoscore but in general....
I love the way people throw millions of pounds around on here as if its peanuts, this player is only £40 million, that player is only 50, we are not a financially doped club that can just take a punt on a £40,000,000 player and then just discard him if it doesn't work out. Take Sissoko for a moment, here is a player that cost us a lot of money and in the first year was a disaster, if we were Blue Scum or EMM we could have dumped him for a loss, loaned him out or let him rot in the reserves, but we're not and we had to make the investment work. Personally I don't want to support a club that operates in cheat mode I want and do support a club that is well managed, prudent and only spends to improve and if that means we can't always bring someone in that will improve us then we shouldn't throw money away just to appease Sky brainwashed supporters.
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Dembele went for 11m. Knowing we had Wanyama and Winks as part of only 4 first team CMs in the squad. It's the one thing I moaned about in the transfer thread - the state we'd left CM in. It's affected Dele's season as he's been shuffled back, and now we have absences up top that need filling.
 
I honestly think we can lose the last 2 games and still get top 4.

Tottenham 70 Pts +29
Chelsea 68 Pts +22
Arsenal 66 Pts +20
Man Utd 65 Pts +13


Chelsea have Watford(h) Leicester(a). They arent getting more than 4 points from this so 72 Pts
Arsenal have Brighton(h) Burnley(a). They arent getting more than 4 points so 70 Pts (I think they'll finish on 68)
United have Hudderfield(a) and Cardiff(h). United have won 2 games in 10. I cant see them finishing on than 69 points.

A draw against Bournemouth or Everton will definitely do us.
 
Benny_Lad said:
Dembele went for 11m. Knowing we had Wanyama and Winks as part of only 4 first team CMs in the squad. It's the one thing I moaned about in the transfer thread - the state we'd left CM in. It's affected Dele's season as he's been shuffled back, and now we have absences up top that need filling.
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Dembeles fitness was completely failing him. We could have turned away £11m, not played him again because he was on the treatment table, and still been in exactly the same place.

Its like Lamela, isnt it? Good as he can be, he just isnt reliably available when you need him.
 
NoLimits01 said:
Qualify what you mean by a "few million"

Not directed at you @Gilzeantoscore but in general....
I love the way people throw millions of pounds around on here as if its peanuts, this player is only £40 million, that player is only 50, we are not a financially doped club that can just take a punt on a £40,000,000 player and then just discard him if it doesn't work out. Take Sissoko for a moment, here is a player that cost us a lot of money and in the first year was a disaster, if we were Blue Scum or EMM we could have dumped him for a loss, loaned him out or let him rot in the reserves, but we're not and we had to make the investment work. Personally I don't want to support a club that operates in cheat mode I want and do support a club that is well managed, prudent and only spends to improve and if that means we can't always bring someone in that will improve us then we shouldn't throw money away just to appease Sky brainwashed supporters.
Click to expand...

Our squad is too thin and this was always going to happen wasn't it? You know losing Kane, Lamela, Sissoko and Kane for a semi final of the champion's league. Who knows, had he spent some money and provided a bit more cover, particularly in mid field, we would not have been so exposed and would have had an outside chance of qualifying for the final. After that who knows what could happen. Poch was right, he needed to be brave. We will never have a better chance than this to win a champion's league
 
Gilzeantoscore said:
Our squad is too thin and this was always going to happen wasn't it? You know losing Kane, Lamela, Sissoko and Kane for a semi final of the champion's league. Who knows, had he spent some money and provided a bit more cover, particularly in mid field, we would not have been so exposed and would have had an outside chance of qualifying for the final. After that who knows what could happen. Poch was right, he needed to be brave. We will never have a better chance than this to win a champion's league
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We also needed room for those players, something we didnt have.

As well as the ability to pull them in, which it seems (and quite understandably) there wasnt a lot of interest in moving in Jan. Players we might want were already committed for the season.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
I think the "just a few million" thing is a bigger deal than people realise.

When clubs get a reputation for paying over the odds, or being able to be pushed for "just a few million" more, then its not something that happens occasionally - it becomes every transfer.

Levy being Levy, as much as its frustrating to miss out sometimes, is actually key to our success.

We NEED to be miserly, we need to drive a hard bargain and we need to get the best deals possible. And walking away from deals when we feel clubs have an unrealistic value of a player is a must. Clubs then know that to do a deal, its got to be fair.

Aside from which, our finances are that well balanced "Just a few million" on player X could well take a second move for an equally important player off the table.
Click to expand...


I'm telling you, what would have been going through Levy's head midway through the first half when Ajax were going through our mid field like a hot knife through butter, "oh, no, I knew we shouldn't have banked that Dembele money." Lol
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
We also needed room for those players, something we didnt have.

As well as the ability to pull them in, which it seems (and quite understandably) there wasnt a lot of interest in moving in Jan. Players we might want were already committed for the season.
Click to expand...

Well we had a vacancy in central midfield after Dembele left. And now we have a shortage there with Sissoko and Winks being injured.
 
Gilzeantoscore said:
I'm telling you, what would have been going through Levy's head midway through the first half when Ajax were going through our mid field like a hot knife through butter, "oh, no, I knew we shouldn't have banked that Dembele money." Lol
Click to expand...

Ha! I doubt that! More like "fudging injuries, why always us? Maybe I need to sack someone in the medical team..."


Gilzeantoscore said:
Well we had a vacancy in central midfield after Dembele left. And now we have a shortage there with Sissoko and Winks being injured.
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Janssen who was out of the squad came in to Dembeles place. Its extremely tight at the moment (NKoudou loaned as well as no room).

Personally I think a fair amount of deadwood will be moved on to make space this summer, but in Jan it was certainly an issue.
 
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