Anzhi Makhachkala Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[JayB]

If we see Soldado, it could mean we will see Defoe against his old club.

Oh definitely, I think there's certainly a chance of that. I'm just saying that I'd start Soldado in both in order to get his confidence up and then keep it up.

 

[Tottenham_God]

Oh definitely, I think there's certainly a chance of that. I'm just saying that I'd start Soldado in both in order to get his confidence up and then keep it up.

So you think he will start both and Defoe will start neither?

 

[dondo]

see alot of you have fryers in ypur lineups, would love to see him get a game but im sure it will be walker right back naughton left back

 

[chrissivad]

So you think he will start both and Defoe will start neither?

no, it was what he would do, not what he thinks AVB would do.

I cant see us starting Soldado in both.
While it could build Soldado's confidence what would it do to Defoe and other players that have these game to try and fight for a first team place?

Last 3 games West Ham have conceded 6 goals, although most of the goals have been at home

 

[JayB]

So you think he will start both and Defoe will start neither?

I'm not sure what AVB will do but if I were picking the team that's what I'd go with, not because Defoe doesn't deserve a start but because whoever is our striker today is going to have a field day. I hope that getting off the mark from open play would give Soldado a real boost psychologically - something that would need to be maintained by starting him again on Sunday. That being said, though, Soldado's real problem is a lack of quality service, something that won't be fully addressed IMO until Lamela is integrated into the first XI.

I cant see us starting Soldado in both.
While it could build Soldado's confidence what would it do to Defoe and other players that have these game to try and fight for a first team place?

I do agree that it would be very harsh on Defoe, and in all likelihood probably will not happen. AVB is big on meritocracy and benching Defoe while he is firing on all cylinders in order to help Soldado become more settled doesn't really fit with that philosophy, I just think it'd be nice to give Soldado a boost.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

see alot of you have fryers in ypur lineups, would love to see him get a game but im sure it will be walker right back naughton left back

Your probably right but I really hope we start Naughton and Fryers. We shouldn't be playing Walker against week Euro teams, we can't afford to loose him to injury.

 

[chrissivad]

see alot of you have fryers in ypur lineups, would love to see him get a game but im sure it will be walker right back naughton left back

Fryers was sat next to AVB during yesterdays press conference.
Normally a good sign that they will be getting some game time

 

[PMS]

Doss any one have a scooby if the match will be on catch up TV later?

 

[Lilbaz]

I'm not sure what AVB will do but if I were picking the team that's what I'd go with, not because Defoe doesn't deserve a start but because whoever is our striker today is going to have a field day. I hope that getting off the mark from open play would give Soldado a real boost psychologically - something that would need to be maintained by starting him again on Sunday. That being said, though, Soldado's real problem is a lack of quality service, something that won't be fully addressed IMO until Lamela is integrated into the first XI.


I do agree that it would be very harsh on Defoe, and in all likelihood probably will not happen. AVB is big on meritocracy and benching Defoe while he is firing on all cylinders in order to help Soldado become more settled doesn't really fit with that philosophy, I just think it'd be nice to give Soldado a boost.

He already scored 2 from open play in the Europa.

 

[SlunkSoma]

Stronger squad than I expected. Glad too. Get out there, win the match and we are in early control of the group which should allow us some breathing room later on to throw in the odd youngster.

Holtby Defoe Sigurdsson and Lamela to start I imagine, with Sandro and Dembele behind.

 

[chrissivad]

Doss any one have a scooby if the match will be on catch up TV later?

Doesnt look like it. For some reason its saying it currently unavailable and links you to the ITV page

http://www.itv.com/itv4/

 

[dondo]

I think the line up will be

loris
walker vlad dawson naughton
dembele sandro
lamela holtby chadli
defoe

Would like us to rest dembele walker and dawson for sunday but thats what i think AVB will go with

 

[dondo]

Fryers was sat next to AVB during yesterdays press conference.
Normally a good sign that they will be getting some game time

Hope so because the full back positions we are seriously lacking in cover.
Think we should rest walker and rose (when fit) in the group games of EL snd capital cup and play naughton in his correct position and fryers to devolp their game and hopefully improve our squad

 

[Sweetsman]

I'd say that Kaboul, Sandro, and Chadli are near certainties to be given runouts to help with match fitness. I imagine that Holtby will keep his place and Lamela will continue to be played in this competition to integrate him into the squad slowly. I'd expect Chiriches to be started for the same reason. As for the goalkeeper it seems to me that AVB has to decided to play Lloris in the league and Europe (our top priorities) while Friedel will be played in the domestic cups.

So the main questions for me are which striker will be played and who will be chosen between Dembele and Sigurdsson. Personally I'd go with this:

--------------------Lloris------------------
Naughton--Kaboul---Chiriches--Fryers
------------Sandro-------Holtby----------
----Lamela-------Chadli-------Siggy----
-------------------Soldado----------------

I went with Soldado because I think it'd do him a world of good to score a couple from open play. It'd be very harsh on JD to leave him on the bench for both this game and West Ham (which would be necessary to keep Soldado's confidence up, which is the whole purpose of playing him in this one), but I think getting Soldado up and running is important enough to do it.

In midfield I went with Holtby in a deeper role because I'd like to see him get more comfortable there so that he and Eriksen can be played together (which would be quite handy against teams that park the bus), and because I'd like to see Dembele rested. I put Chadli in the middle because I think it's probably his best position (it is where he has established himself consistently in the first XI for Belgium, after all) and because I think Sigurdsson, when played centrally, slows down our play with his poor control. Like with Dempsey last season, I think we're better off if he is not hugely involved in build-up play and can focus on finding dangerous positions in and around the box to do his damage.

I really hope we trounce these ****s after the BS they pulled in the Willian fiasco, and see no reason why we shouldn't be able to smash them by four or five.

Siggy's control is just fine.

 

[D-Man]

Hugo
Naughton Kabooml Vlad Fryers
Beast Holtby
Lamela Eriksen Chadli
Defoe

 

[Wardy]

Almost forgot this game's on at 5pm! Stupid Russia

 

[Bofbro]

 

[JayB]

He already scored 2 from open play in the Europa.

Good point, because that was a qualifier I had sort of mentally grouped it in with the preseason games. I still think it'd help for him to get the start tonight and for him to potentially bag a couple of goals against a poor opponent.

Siggy's control is just fine.

I disagree, it often takes a few touches for him to get the ball under control, the moves that are on get snuffed out by the defense and he has to pass backwards. He's also really easy to bully off of the ball. We can quibble over the semantics of what these deficiencies should be called but the end result is that our build-up play gets bogged down when it goes through Sigurdsson, and we're better off having someone like Chadli, Eriksen, or Holtby - who are better at keeping the ball moving quickly - playing through the middle.

 

[TaoistMonkey]

Looks a bit fresh out there!

 

[Bofbro]

Looks a bit fresh out there!

I think the bibs should be the team tonight, I noticed Lloris, Vlad, Kaboul, Fryers, Holtby, Sandro, Lamela, Chadli, Kane, Defoe; had bibs, could not see a RB though.