BEN on FTL spoke to Clive Allen

[Bizness]

Says every player available for Wednesday.

 

[JerryGarcia]

That would be great if true!

 

[Spurger King]

Every player? Brilliant news. Hope it's true as we're going to need Defoe and/or Pav for this match.

Suddenly my confidence has gone up a notch.

 

[C-oops]

I wonder if bale will play LB for this match. If we are going all out attack as Harry has said then him coming from full back will be like playing 5 in midfield.

 

[phil]

Says every player available for Wednesday.

Presumably that means King, Modric, Pav, Defoe and Keane. I don't expect to see the likes of Bentley, O'Hara or Woodgate.

 

[kaz Hirai]

I was always pretty certain they would be fit, expect more "injuries" when we play against a lessor team with a champions league game looming....if we get through :s

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Yeah, "every player available" is a bit misleading when we have obvious injuries.

But I'm delighted that our first choice players will hopefully be fit. Modric, Defoe and Keane should all be key players on the night.

Edit: oh, and the King of course! absolutely key!

 

[Flightrisker]

-----------gomes
corluka-king-daws-ekotto
------hudd-----luka
lennon--------------bale
-------defoe---crouch

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

-----------gomes
corluka-king-daws-ekotto
------hudd-----luka
lennon--------------bale
-------defoe---crouch

I'd be happy with this. I also wouldn't mind slotting Kaboul in as right back.

Wouldn't mind a similar team/set up to the Stoke game either. We've got good options.

COYS! (shitting a brick already, well over 24 hours to go!)

 

[mil1lion]

I'd be tempted to go with..

Gomes
Kaboul....Dawson....King....Bale
Lennon....Huddlestone....Modric....Kranjcar
Defoe....Pav​

 

[danielneeds]

I would only go 442 if one of our strikers drops deep when he don't have the ball. They completely over-ran us in midfield when we had two sitting up top this week, even though this will be a different game, we should still bear in mind the opposition's shape when picking the team - if Fergie does it in Europe, its certainly good enough for us.

 

[mil1lion]

They only overran us because we didn't have Huddlestone sitting in centre midfield. As soon as he came on, we held our shape better. Neither Modric or Palacios are holding midfielders.

Besides, Modric and Huddlestone works great for us. We were poor against Young Boys from the start, but still had better possession. They do have good pace though, so the addition of King and Kaboul can cope with the counter attacks. Not to mention Lennon who will protect the right back better than Giovani.

 

[tommo84]

If our 'doubts' really are all available then for me its:

Gomes
Corluka - King - Dawson - Bale
Lennon - Hudd - Palacios - Modric
Crouch - Defoe

I'd like to see Luka on the left with Bale at LB so that we can match up a bit better in midfield without actually aandoning 4-4-2.

Also, Hudd and Palacios in the middle makes us less susceptible to counter-attacks as it beefs up the middle (although it didnt work out like that in the 1st leg as Palacios was so poor).

 

[tRiKS]

Why would anyone that has seen lennon's performances with corluka compared to without him, opt for Kaboul as right back i have no idea.

 

[jurgen]

True but as a whole right side you weigh up Lennon being most effective vs. Kaboul overlapping and having superior pace against a quick counterattacking team. Would imagine on a proper pitch it will still be Charlie though.

 

[StartingPrice]

Why would anyone that has seen lennon's performances with corluka compared to without him, opt for Kaboul as right back i have no idea.

:shrug: Because they have reached the genius conclusion that a team sheet should consist entirely of the 11 players they think are the best players, in the 11 positions they think are the best positions for those players, with no reference to how the players severally interect with one another, who the opposition, what formation we are looking to play, or what tactics we should use.

This is long hand for :duh:

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Why would anyone that has seen lennon's performances with corluka compared to without him, opt for Kaboul as right back i have no idea.

Mostly cos Corluka has been a little off the pace so far at the start of this season.

Kaboul gives us great pace and athletism as an option.

(this not to say that I don't like Corluka, I do...)

 

[antiloqus]

Gomes

Corluka Dawson King Bale

Lennon Hudd Jenas Modric

Keane Pav

​

Id play Defoe & Crouch though if the Keane stuff is true

 

[rebrab]

Gomes

Corluka Dawson King Ekotto
Lennon Huddlestone Modric Bale
Crouch Defoe


Seemples.

 

[Flightrisker]

For me it's always gonna be Corluka/Lennon OR Kaboul/Gio

But never Corluka/Gio or Kaboul/Gio.


However Gio/Lennon.... nah!