Line up for Saturday

[Yellow and Green 334]

My head says that Farke will want to play five at the back. My heart thinks he'll go 4-3-2-1, as below:

                        Krul

Aarons  Hanley  Gibson  Giannoulis

   Sorenson  Gilmour  Lees-Melou

          Rashica           Cantwell

                       Pukki

That's assuming Hanley, Cantwell and Pukki are fit.

 

[pete 319]

With Robertson out we need to put in an effort down the right, his replacement struggled when called upon.  One of the new boys to come in to provide a speedy option on the right.  Like to see Tzolis thrown in the deep end against Liverpool.  Rashica fitness uncertain.  Going to be a defensive struggle, need to stay in the match as long as possible.

 

[sgncfc 1,228]

19 hours ago, yellowrider120 said:

Agree with the formation. You seem to have dropped the 'three at the back' tactic pretty quickly!

I am concerned that Farke may want to adopt three at the back as his favoured formation but that would be high risk for us for many reasons:-

1. The team have very rarely played that formation - certainly not at all last season and not in the last PL from memory.

2. Unless you have at least one (possibly two) very defensively aware midfielders to drop back when the so called 'wing backs' 'bomb on' we will get cut open at this level as the centre backs by necessity get stretched across the pitch.

3. As we are unlikely to dominate possession in most matches, the 'three at the back' can very quickly become 'five at the back' as the wing backs get withdrawn leading to the team having an unbalanced, overly defensive nature.

4. The formation invariably results in a more 'offensive' player standing down making the lone striker even more isolated. 

5. Three at the back means the centre back resources are unnecessarily stretched as three of the four have to play every match.

The players know and trust a flat back four and that is what I hope Herr Farke sticks with. 

If we play 3 at the back we will get cut to pieces by Sane, Salah and Firmino. I can see us being 4 down by half time. Seriously, he has to stick to a back 4.

[sgncfc 1,228]

I suspect Maclean will play if fit, as will Hanley, Pukki and Cantwell. Rashica, Sargent and Tzolis may be on the bench, but then with 9 named so will most of the squad.

Once we go 2 down, Rashica or Tzolis will come on to have a go at their stand in left back.

Krul, Gibson, Hanley, Aarons, Gianni, Gilmour, Maclean, Lees-Melou, Cantwell, Dowell, Pukki would be my starting 11.

Subs: Gunn, Mumba, Sorensen, Idah, Rashica, Tzolis, Sargent, Rupp, Omabamidele

 

 

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

Robertson, out Alexander-Arnold on the way back from injury, Van-Dyk only played 20 mins? I hope we get stuck in and rattle them a bit.

I hope Rashica is fit enough to start, we've barely seen him.

[yellowrider120 762]

5 hours ago, curious yellow said:

People are going to be so disappointed when Zimmerman starts and he'll probably get the blame for anything that goes wrong. Farke has never risked unfit players, Gibson and Hanley aren't match fit, Omobamidele is inexperienced. 

We need a ball winner in midfield, Sorensen is our best hope, PLM and Gilmour have faded in the second half. We'll have to make best use of subs. 

I trust Farke to make the right decision as I trust Zimmerman to give100%. We've been told to expect a bumpy start but effort plus home support will help us through. Remember the Man City win wss with a patched up defence

 

Not true.

Pukki 'fractured' / dislocated a toe in November (I think) 2019 yet was rammed full of painkilling injections for sometime and wheeled out. The line..........'we had no choice' is false. If a player is patently unfit then he doesn't play. End of. 

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

6 minutes ago, yellowrider120 said:

Not true.

Pukki 'fractured' / dislocated a toe in November (I think) 2019 yet was rammed full of painkilling injections for sometime and wheeled out. The line..........'we had no choice' is false. If a player is patently unfit then he doesn't play. End of. 

It has been going on for decades.

I distinctly remember Ted McDougall taking a stand against painkillers being used on him  to keep him play through injury.

His stance was that it was a practise detrimental to his body in the long term.

However, on the other hand ... a fractured toe is just that, a fractured toe.

Edited August 12, 2021 by BroadstairsR

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

6 minutes ago, yellowrider120 said:

Not true.

Pukki 'fractured' / dislocated a toe in November (I think) 2019 yet was rammed full of painkilling injections for sometime and wheeled out. The line..........'we had no choice' is false. If a player is patently unfit then he doesn't play. End of. 

Double post.

Edited August 12, 2021 by BroadstairsR

[Newtopia 517]

6 hours ago, It's me, it's Tettey said:

My worry with a double pivot of Gilmour & Lees-Melou is LM is likely to push forward a lot and Gilmour isn't strong enough defensively.

I think given our interest in the likes of Billings & Lees-Melou, we aren't going for an out-and-out DM a la Skipp but instead will be playing a midfield 3 to share defensive responsibilities.

My guess:

4-3-2-1

Krul; 

Aarons, Omabamidele, Gibson, Gianoullis; 

Lees-Melou, Gilmour, Rupp;

Cantwell, Dowell;

Idah

That team would makes a lot of sense (Albeit very defensive), although it seems odd signing Sargent if Idah is trusted enough.

[Norfolk camper 0]

19 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

How's about this what do we think?

I would pick Hanley over Omobamidele personally, but defo put Gibson in.

[Monty13 2,234]

Looks like everyone’s fit except Placheta and Byram. Omabamidele has tonsillitis apparently.

Be amazed if it’s not Hanley/Gibson partnership then unless we are going with the back three.

[NorthCarolinaYellow 197]

4-3-2-1 Christmas tree with Giannoulis, Gibson, Hanley, Aarons, McLean, Gilmour, Lees-Melou, Cantwell, Dowell, and Pukki.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I think maybe Tzolis or Rashica may have to play, unless Rupp goes wide right. Don't think Hernandez comes into the reckoning.

And one CB will be a gamble.

Krul

Aarons Hanley/Andy Gibson Giannoulis

Lees Melou Gilmour

Rashica Dowell Cantwell

Pukki