Team vs Dinamo Zagreb (H)

[Everlasting Seconds]

You wont get the chance to " win this trophy " if you keep putting your best players on the bench .
Once you get to this level it is either folly or arrogance to think you can roll teams over without your best players .
Please give our opponents the respect they deserve and play our best fit eleven .

You don’t respect/disrespect the opponent based on team selection as long as they are from the senior squad.
You respect them or not based on the urgency, intent and effort on the pitch.

 

[Ashley1974]

Hugo
Doherty - Sanchez - Tanganga- Reguillon
Sissoko - Ndombele
Bale - Dele - Lamela
Kane

Subs: Bergwijn, Lucas, Dier, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Vinicius, ,Hart, Scarlett, GLC​

Complete rest for Son and PEH.

Lamela and Dele deserve a start.

Keep Dier away from the starting line up. Give Tanganga a CB start with Sanchez.

take early, commanding lead and sub off Kane, Bale, Reguillon, Ndombele, Sanchez

I notice most people are resting Lucas and saving him for Arsenal Fair play to him for stepping up recently and changing people's opinions.

 

[worcestersauce]

I want this trophy too but do we get it if we run our best players into ground?

Dele, Dier, Sissoko, Tanguy, Davies and Lamela should come in as they did not start on Sunday and that has to be good enough to get a good result at home. You can debate about Tanganga, Vinicius and Bergwijn and rather play first teamers but there is no harm in rotating some fresh legs in, especially before a NLD.

Then we should rotate but our best players should be playing in this competition.
I quite frankly won't give a toss about a NLD or our league position when I'm watching Hugo lift the trophy, this is my priority.

 

[TheRevolution]

Rest Son, PEH, Alderweireld, Reguilon and Lucas.

 

[wirE]

Dinamo is on a good run at home with 5 league wins and 8 in total. I wanna say that we should send the "lesser" team up against Dinamo at home and save our biggest players for Arsenal. Here's my take

Lloris
Doherty Dier Tanganga Davies
Sissoko Winks
Lamela Dele Bergwijn
Vinni​

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

Dinamo is on a good run at home with 5 league wins and 8 in total. I wanna say that we should send the "lesser" team up against Dinamo at home and save our biggest players for Arsenal. Here's my take

Lloris
Doherty Dier Tanganga Davies
Sissoko Winks
Lamela Dele Bergwijn
Vinni​

Apart from Lloris for Hart, you've pretty much put exactly what I was thinking.

My reasoning behind Hart rather than Lloris is purely down to communication & organisation. I just feel, with the inexperienced partnerships/back line, Hart 'could' be the better choice.

 

[Wadec]

Dinamo is on a good run at home with 5 league wins and 8 in total. I wanna say that we should send the "lesser" team up against Dinamo at home and save our biggest players for Arsenal. Here's my take

Lloris
Doherty Dier Tanganga Davies
Sissoko Winks
Lamela Dele Bergwijn
Vinni​

Agree with this, I would have Toby, Pierre and Son not even on the bench, full weeks rest. Kane, Bale, Lucas & Tanguy available if needed from the bench. Hopefully Gio can get some minutes if the game is going well.

I understand why people think we need to go full strength but we have given ourselves the opportunity to compete on both fronts we need to manage the squad minutes, huge NLD on the weekend overrules this game for me as we have the second leg to turn it around if needed.

 

[shelfboy68]

Agree with this, I would have Toby, Pierre and Son not even on the bench, full weeks rest. Kane, Bale, Lucas & Tanguy available if needed from the bench. Hopefully Gio can get some minutes if the game is going well.

I understand why people think we need to go full strength but we have given ourselves the opportunity to compete on both fronts we need to manage the squad minutes, huge NLD on the weekend overrules this game for me as we have the second leg to turn it around if needed.

This is true as long as we are still in the second leg of the tie.

 

[Flashp]

By all means we need to have a fresh best XI for the NLD on sunday.

Toby has played 3 games in a week, so I'm sure he'll be rested for this. Dier and Sanchez should under no circumstance start together, so Tanganga with Dier it is.

Reggie is just back from injury, and we really need him fit, so I'd be careful managing his fitness too. Aurier was not in the squad for Palace, which also suggests an injury. I'd be tempted to start Davies and Doherty, even though we look much better with at least one pacy fullback.

Ndombele will probably start after his rest against Palace, and I'm prety sure Sissoko will be his partner.

Bergwijn and Alli looks nailed on starters as well, with the last spot in the three behind the striker being anyones guess. Lamela has played the least minutes of him, Lucas, Bale and Son over the last week, so he probably starts.

I also think Kane starts, as we need to take a good lead to Croatia.

In summary it means this:

Lloris/Hart
Doherty - Tanganga - Dier - Davies/Reggie
Ndombele - Sissoko
Lamela - Alli - Bergwijn
Kane

 

[Nayim60yards]

One of the keys here is to keep a clean sheet at home.

Strikes me that it's a toss up between going strong, try and get a 3-0 lead and then get all the big guns off, shut up shop and don't concede any away goals. We can then go to the 2nd leg with a rotated side and manage out the tie

OR

We rotate and hope that we can still win the game without conceding even if only 1 or 2-0. I have no concept of how good Zagreb are.

The thing is, we can win EL. Getting top 4 in the league is by no means a given, even if we were to go on a ridiculous unbeaten run in the league. One could argue it would be easier to win EL, if we really go for it, than to get top 4. It also gives a trophy that we desperately need.

I get the feeling Ndombele was rested last night to allow him to play on Thursday which gives an idea of Mourninho's intent. I think we'll go strong.

I'm in the "Don't die wondering" camp. Play a strong team and look to get it done in one go or at least make the second leg easier. This could be our best shot at CL football next season depending on how PL results (not just ours obviously) go over the next month. Arsenal will take care of itself, we will be bang up for that game regardless and Arsenal will be as tired or more tired than us when kick off arrives unless they themselves rotate. I don't think the gooners will go weak on Thursday given that they got knocked out last season by the same outfit so they either have to go weaker against us or play players who played long stretches and travelled as well. Either way with our front players all in form we will be fine and our boys will have enjoyed the luxury of remaining in London which they have done for the last five matches.

 

[worcestersauce]

I'm surprised how many fans are effectively just writing this trophy off.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

I'm in the "Don't die wondering" camp. Play a strong team and look to get it done in one go or at least make the second leg easier. This could be our best shot at CL football next season depending on how PL results (not just ours obviously) go over the next month. Arsenal will take care of itself, we will be bang up for that game regardless and Arsenal will be as tired or more tired than us when kick off arrives unless they themselves rotate. I don't think the gooners will go weak on Thursday given that they got knocked out last season by the same outfit so they either have to go weaker against us or play players who played long stretches and travelled as well. Either way with our front players all in form we will be fine and our boys will have enjoyed the luxury of remaining in London which they have done for the last five matches.

Most important thing is to keep a clean sheet in the first leg. As long as we do that, we have the firepower to go to their gaff & get a result.

As for Arseanal taking care of itself, and the players being bang up for it. Don't count your chickens, bud. Yes we're playing much better over the last couple of weeks, but it's going to take me a fair while to forget about the limp, passion-less & lackadaisical displays against Chelsea and West Ham. Both are/were derbies that you'd think we'd have been up for.

 

[Ashley1974]

I'm surprised how many fans are effectively just writing this trophy off.

the form we are in, this trophy can be ours!

and considering Liverpool or Chelsea could with the Champs League and not finish in the top 4 - we shouldn't be pinning our hopes on finishing 4th*

(* this would only deny us a CL place if Arsenal or Man U also won the EL and finished outside the top 4)

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

I'm surprised how many fans are effectively just writing this trophy off.

Gotta say, I'm in full agreement with @Ashley1974 & am starting to believe we could end up lifting the trophy.

Yes there's a way to go & a couple of good weeks/performances doesn't necessarily mean we've definitely turned a corner.

But if we can maintain current form/performances, with previously injured players returning, getting fitter & finding form, we're gonna take some stopping.

The next couple of weeks will answer many questions.

 

[Flashp]

You'd expect a slump in form again sometime before the season ends, unfortunately.

But if we suddenly find ourselves in a semi-final or even final of the EL, I'd definitely back a Mourinho managed team to win it.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I'm surprised how many fans are effectively just writing this trophy off.

Could win it

 

[Japhet]

I think we need to go pretty strong and try to put it to bed in the home leg. We also need to build on the recent momentum. Zagreb are no mugs and need to be respected, especially at their place. Shame Rodon can't play.

Lloris

Doherty
Sanchez
Tanganga
Davies

Winks
Ndombele
Lamela

Bale
Kane
Dele

Early subs for Kane and Ndombele. GLC to get minutes if he's fit.

 

[cozzo]

Strongest team until we are 3-0 up with 25 minutes left

 

[Jenko]

Zagreb will be wrecked in the last 20/30 minutes if we run them ragged with a fresh team. If the results in doubt after 60 then we have 5 subs to bring on to kill them off with Kane, Son, Bale, TND, etc.... Rest the team, we got this.

 

[We'llWinThePrem]

Lloris
Aurier Tanganga Dier Davies
Sissoko Ndombele
Lamela Dele Bergwijn
Kane​