- Jul 22, 2008
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Any views from Fulham fans???
I'm really worried about Lennon exposing Riise if there's nobody there to help on occasion. (I worry less about Riether.)
Barely has the dust settled on last night's game than another one is on us. With Spurs one thing that can be guaranteed is that the tempo will be higher, especially on their wings.
My team selection is therefore based on three factors. Firstly, we need to stop the service to their wide areas. Secondly, we need someone up front to keep their back four occupied and thirdly we need someone who can pass the ball behind their defences. Obviously we've still got the known absentees and while Diarra would normally be an automatic choice, he seems to need more R&R. So the starting line-up I'd go for is -
............Schwarzer.............
..Riether...Hughes..Senderos...Riise..
.............Baird.........
..Duff...Kara...Sidwell....Frei..
............Berbatov...
My line-up would be
................Schwarzer.......
..Riether...Hughes...Senderos...Riise..
.....Baird.......Diarra........Sidwell......
.........Frei.......
......Berbatov.....Petric..........
The reasons
If you have only one striker up front the two Spurs full backs will have license to go forward.
I'd have the three up front 'rubber banding' ie changing positions like at the Emirates.
I don't think Spurs central defenders would coup with one on one, so their full backs will have to stay put.
Hope Diarra is fit to take care of Dembele if he plays, Riise and Riether will have to curb
their forward runs as Spurs away play counter attack, and that's how Sunderland caught us out, so a solid back four with
Baird and Sidwell defensive mid-field is the order of the day for me.
One thing I'd do is leave Frei up front when they have a corner kick. (Still don't understand why we pull everyone back).
Spurs have lightning pace on the flanks with Bale and Lennon, but no pace up the middle with Dempsey, Dembele and/or Sandros.
So I'd try to match pace for pace with Frei and Duff on the wings, Diarra and (Baird or Sidwell) in the middle, then have Petric play in front of Berbs.
I've been watching Dempsey's performances for Spurs and he's not had the impact most people expected. Some of that may be due to missing the pre-season or the fact that Jermain Defoe won't pass the ball, but his performance on Sunday against West Ham was the first time he's looked at all like himself.