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9 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Quintilla on the left then? He must be fit now. 

You’d hope, just perhaps not match sharp.   In this instance it is a shame our full backs aren’t a bit larger - in the old days you’d fill in with one of them, but Mumba and Aarons in particular aren’t quite built for a stint at cb.  Simon Charlton managed ok when he did it for a while, though.  I imagine it will be Sorensen as we were told he’s played cb a fair bit before....he’s proving a rather decent utility signing and has barely played in his preferred role!

Edited by Branston Pickle

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Genuinely shocking situation we find ourselves in. Farke said as of the time of the presser that most of the international players hadn’t returned yet, and the ones that had had done so in the early hours of the morning with very litte sleep. The EFL are an absolute shambles for allowing this to happen. Either we play our ‘strongest’ side and risk serious injuries to key players who were on international duty, or we give them a rest and potentially lose a game at a crucial point of the season. Worth noting Preston only had one player away on international duty, and apparently didn’t agree to have the date of the fixture moved (though you can’t really blame them for that, the EFL should have taken it out of their hands).

Skipp, Hanley and Krul played every minute of all 3 games over the break, with Pukki also featuring in all 3, Aarons playing twice, Giannoulis and McLean playing the full 90 minutes of last night’s matches. With the exception of Krul I don’t know how it’s possible for any of these players to start tomorrow so soon after their previous game plus all the travelling inbetween, particularly Hanley and Skipp for who it would be their 4th game in 8 days. Add that to the injuries we really are in a spot of bother. Farke hinted at a change of formation to accomodate the absentee’s so maybe something like:

Krul
Mumba Hanley Tettey Omobamidele Xavi
Sorenson Vrancic
Buendia Hugill Cantwell

Subs: Nyland, Aarons, Giannoulis, Skipp, McLean, Dowell, Stepi, Hernandez, Pukki

As I said though I don’t know how Hanley’s really gonna be able to start this game. Might be an idea just to give him and a few of the others a rest and get them fully ready for Huddersfield on Tuesday, and then the rest of the team will just have to do their best to get anything we can from this one. I mean we still have a strong team, especially going forwards, so this game certainly isn’t a right off, but I personally am not expecting much.

Edited by Pukki Blinders
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I think I would go for the three centre backs idea.Hanley flanked by Sorenson and Omobamidele. Aarons and Skipp I think will be ready to go.McLean and Demi would be my main concerns but I like to think that we have enough depth in the squad to cope. 

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1 hour ago, Jim Smith said:

I think we will have to play Sorensen at CB and I actually think he could be very good there.

Krul

Aarons Hanley Sorensen Gianoullis

Skipp McClean

Buendia Dowell Cantwell

Pukki

This is a big weekend. Need to bank the points. 

Yes, I think this is the potential team.

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Much will also depend on players returning from Internatioanl duty will need to return negative covid results. Some will of passed already as home, but many wont be back till later.

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5 hours ago, Captain Holt said:

Some musings:

Krul - no problems, back and ready

Aarons - very unlikely to be ready, along with Skipp and Cantwell, so I'd say Mumba starts.

Hanley - fine, played a fair bit but should be with the squad as we speak as Scotland were at home last night.

Zimmerman - 100%

Giannoulis - No chance, leaves Quintilla or Lungi. Reckon he'll go Sorensen in midfileld so it'll be Xavi.

Skipp - See Aarons - would be Sorensen or Tettey but I think recent comments suggest Lungi is now an out and out midfielder and will only play full back in desperate situations. Not sure this qualifies when we have a fully fit LB available. Sorensen starts.

McClean - See Hanley

Buendia - 100%

Rupp - No Cantwell (See Aarons) so Dowell will be out wide.

Dowell - see Rupp

Pukki - See Krul.

 

 

 

 

Hanley & Kenny will be fine, ditto Cantwell Skipp and Aarons subject to a COVID test. Rupp is injured. Tettey in for Zimbo.

I dare say we’ll use all 5 subs though! 

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I agree with Jersey, I don’t think there will be wholesale changes as players will want to play. I think all of the England/Scotland contingent will start. I doubt they’ll all finish though. Get results in the next 3/4 matches and they can all rest up as much as required! 

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Seems to me the games our players have played in hardly would sap much energy, the flights probably will cause more problems than the 90 minutes football 

 

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                             Krul

Aarons     Hanley     Sorensen     Quintilla

                   Tettey     Vrancic

       Buendia     Dowell     Cantwell

                           Hugill

I'm happy to see any of Mumba, Giannoulis, McLean, Skipp, Omobamidele or Pukki start if deemed fit & available or if the likes of Aarons or Hanley need a breather. Aarons & Skipp might want to keep their 'ever present' record going. Although it wouldn't be the end of the world to drop points tomorrow, I'm not overly concerned about the quick turnaround as we have plenty of competent squad members available and there's a nice cushion to get the job done through April. Gutted for Zimmermann though. Avoidance of injuries to the likes of Pukki & Hanley is huge so use of the bench will be important. Hopefully we can keep the unbeaten run going. No reason to fear Preston, despite the challenge posed. 

As an aside, after pondering this starting 11, Josh Martin has seen very little pitch time over the season. With hindsight, a loan away would probably have been the better option. I thought he might have made his mark this year.

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Towards the end of the press conference Farke suggested there were reports of a couple of injuries to the guys still travelling back, and he'd need to wait on those before deciding who travels.

Any clues yet to who those may be? All seemed to come through unscathed, although Todd was on the receiving end of an awful challenge.

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And the poor devils have to run out in that awful mock Ipswich kit. Good job there aren't supporters at the ground to suffer the embarrassment.

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16 hours ago, Satriales said:

Had a look on the PNE forum, they have zero sympathy for our international break situation. I guess we would be the same if it was the other way round.

Disagree. I think they're bang out of order not agreeing for the game to be moved. Obviously I understand the reasons why, but I just think it's a really classless move and totally unsporting. I really hope we give them a kicking today. If it were the other way round, I'd want us to move it. It's the EFL's fault for allowing them to make the choice on moving the game but it's really poor form for Preston. Doesn't send a great message to Preston players either imo - "we're literally too scared to play full strength norwich"....

Edited by kick it off
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Farje mentioned we are finding a solution to the defensive shape for the next few games. Tettey, Lungi and Omobamidele would have been aware and the group would be preparing for thus. Communication would have been made with players on international duty so all the group are in the know.

We will have a number of players back ready for Preston and we also have one of our best players who did not even go on international duty, Buendia.

Yes there will be growing pains with a new system but we have a great group that will rally around 'to finish the job'

I say bring on the game and bring on huddersfield, let get into them and move forward

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1 hour ago, kick it off said:

Disagree. I think they're bang out of order not agreeing for the game to be moved. Obviously I understand the reasons why, but I just think it's a really classless move and totally unsporting. I really hope we give them a kicking today. If it were the other way round, I'd want us to move it. It's the EFL's fault for allowing them to make the choice on moving the game but it's really poor form for Preston. Doesn't send a great message to Preston players either imo - "we're literally too scared to play full strength norwich"....

To me it seems pretty natural from Preston’s part, and the blame is squarely with the EFL. But then again perhaps years of diving, time wasting, feigning injury and everything else has desensitised me in how teams conduct themselves in order to win. Fair to say that football is hardly a beacon for class and sportsmanship...

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It’s quite simple, particularly given there’s currently no crowds - PNE could easily have been told by the league to move both weekend games, to Sat/Tues.  No harm done to anyone.  Oddly, had our game been moved for Sky that’s precisely what would have happened.  But it is what it is.

Edited by Branston Pickle

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21 hours ago, Matt Juler said:

There was a chartered LoganAir flight last night from Glasgow at 10:57pm to Norwich, guessing this was for Kenny and Hanley.  I'd imagine this same aircraft will head up to Manchester with the team later.

I did wonder whether Norwich might have done the same for the U21 guys, starting off in Slovenia and dropping into Switzerland to pick up Pukki on the way through, but can't see anything.

Edit: There was a private jet (nice little Cessna Citation M2) that arrived in Norwich from Zurich this morning.  I'd say too coincidental not to be Mr Pukki.

Love that you have done this! Please do this for future games after the internationals!! 

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I'm hopeful of this. We have nothing to fear, incoming players with things to prove and nobody will blame us if we do come unstuck all things considered. We can simply go for it.

Preston are going to get spanked as karma for their poor sportsmanship in refusing to move the game.

There, said it now!

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