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Thick & fast

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dee

dee

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From the resumption of the season post-International break to the Boxing Day game we have 10 games in just 31 days. Thanks to the shit show against Toulouse we can't let up on any fixture. Whilst we have fared better with injuries so far we do have a few out for these games already and this is where injuries are likely if the squad isn't managed well.

25/11 EPL Man City (A)
30/11 EL LASK (H)
3/12 EPL Fulham (H)
6/12 EPL Sheff Utd (A)
9/12 EPL Crystal Palace (A)
14/12 EL Union St. Gilliose (A)
17/12 EPL Man Utd (H)
20/12 LC West Ham (QF, H)
23/12 EPL Arsenal (H)
26/12 EPL Burnley (A)

At first glance it does look kind in terms of opponents compared to our rivals but we are far from invincible and the run up to Xmas could well define our season.

Injuries:

  • Robbo - out to NY
  • Bacjectic - Out to NY
  • Thiago - Out to NY
  • Konate - unclear but suggestion not a bad one (thigh) and back soon
  • Joe Gomez - no news
  • Gravenberch - expected to be available for Man City
  • Jones - expected to be available for Man City
 
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For example the City fixtures look like:

25/11 EPL Liverpool (H)
28/11 UCL Leipzig (H)
3/12 EPL Spurs (H)
6/12 EPL Aston Villa (A)
10/12 EPL Luton (A)
13/12 UCL Red Star Belgrade (A)
16/12 EPL Crystal Palace (H)
19/12 CWC TBD (SF)
22/12 CWC Fluminense (F)* (game vs Brentford postponed)
26/12 EPL Everton (A)
 
I'm expecting us to bury LASK on the 30th Nov. and Toulouse won't win at Union St. Gilloise so that will be the EL group won - giving us a free hit (youngsters) away at Union St. Gilloise for the last game in the group, and a nice rest for the senior players between Palace on the 9th and United on the 17th.

Xmas by far the worst of that fixture list because of the West Ham ¼ final in the LC just before Arsenal 3 days later.
 
The City game obviously stands out as the one you'd take a point from now. The rest of those fixtures are all that daunting.

If we can bin off the Union SG and League Cup games it's pretty manageable
 
Dee said:
From the resumption of the season post-International break to the Boxing Day game we have 10 games in just 31 days. Thanks to the shit show against Toulouse we can't let up on any fixture. Whilst we have fared better with injuries so far we do have a few out for these games already and this is where injuries are likely if the squad isn't managed well.

25/11 EPL Man City (A)
30/11 EL LASK (H)
3/12 EPL Fulham (H)
6/12 EPL Sheff Utd (A)
9/12 EPL Crystal Palace (A)
14/12 EL Union St. Gilliose (A)
17/12 EPL Man Utd (H)
20/12 LC West Ham (QF, H)
23/12 EPL Arsenal (H)
26/12 EPL Burnley (A)

At first glance it does look kind in terms of opponents compared to our rivals but we are far from invincible and the run up to Xmas could well define our season.

Injuries:

  • Robbo - out to NY
  • Bacjectic - Out to NY
  • Thiago - Out to NY
  • Konate - unclear but suggestion not a bad one (thigh) and back soon
  • Joe Gomez - no news
  • Gravenberch - expected to be available for Man City
  • Jones - expected to be available for Man City
Click to expand...

What's going on in NY?
 
Given the all-around general levity I'm assuming everyone is chilled with regard to our pre-NEW YEAR schedule.

Personally I'm not, hence the post, I worry our squad is short at full back, midfield (due to injuries) and Mo-replacement.
 
Dee said:
Given the all-around general levity I'm assuming everyone is chilled with regard to our pre-NEW YEAR schedule.

Personally I'm not, hence the post, I worry our squad is short at full back, midfield (due to injuries) and Mo-replacement.
Click to expand...
We aren’t winning the league this year but we will get top 5 so I’m not concerned that will be drop points with that schedule and our current squad depth.
 
Is that it these days? Are you younger people happy with a target of 'decent mediocrity'? Not really interest in winning things as long as you get to watch European footie on a Wednesday and a guarantee of being better than Everton?
 
Dee said:
Given the all-around general levity I'm assuming everyone is chilled with regard to our pre-NEW YEAR schedule.

Personally I'm not, hence the post, I worry our squad is short at full back, midfield (due to injuries) and Mo-replacement.
Click to expand...

I don’t think we’re that badly off - Gravy & Curtis should be back - add them to Endo, Slobbers, Mac A & Harvey and that’s pretty much full strength if you don’t count the 2 walking dead - Badger & Thiago.

I don’t think we’re “short” at RB because Trent is going to play there regardless unless he’s injured - Gomez is the cover.

I don’t know what this Mo cover is? - is it for the 2-3 league games he’s away for AFCON?

What’s more important is key players hitting a bit of form - Trent, Tsimikas, Endo/Mac A & Darwin/Gakpo for example.
 
StevieM said:
I don’t think we’re that badly off - Gravy & Curtis should be back - add them to Endo, Slobbers, Mac A & Harvey and that’s pretty much full strength if you don’t count the 2 walking dead - Badger & Thiago.

I don’t think we’re “short” at RB because Trent is going to play there regardless unless he’s injured - Gomez is the cover.

I don’t know what this Mo cover is? - is it for the 2-3 league games he’s away for AFCON?

What’s more important is key players hitting a bit of form - Trent, Tsimikas, Endo/Mac A & Darwin/Gakpo for example.
Click to expand...

Sorry let me be clearer

We are short at Full Back as we only have two specialists that I believe to be at the right level; Trent and Robbo. One is injured and out until New Year at least. Without Trent too we'd be mighty fucked. Hence we are 'short'

Regarding midfield we have two long term injured, one seemingly 'fragile' (Jones) and Gravenberch potentially so too. Leaves us with Szobo, Mac Allister and Endo as our core midfield. A bit of a worry for 10 games in 31 days

Finally up front we have a luxury of options for the left and the centre but neither Doak nor Elliott feel good enough to cover for Mo. We can't expect him to do all 10 and then fuck off to the AFCON
 
Dee said:
Sorry let me be clearer

We are short at Full Back as we only have two specialists that I believe to be at the right level; Trent and Robbo. One is injured and out until New Year at least. Without Trent too we'd be mighty fucked. Hence we are 'short'

Regarding midfield we have two long term injured, one seemingly 'fragile' (Jones) and Gravenberch potentially so too. Leaves us with Szobo, Mac Allister and Endo as our core midfield. A bit of a worry for 10 games in 31 days

Finally up front we have a luxury of options for the left and the centre but neither Doak nor Elliott feel good enough to cover for Mo. We can't expect him to do all 10 and then fuck off to the AFCON
Click to expand...

This is the problem then at Full Back - we have backup, but what you actually want is people to use in direct rotation and I don’t agree with you entirely.

That’s like saying we’re short at keeper or CB because we don’t have people as good as Alisson or Virgil to come in.

Trent isn’t on top form, likely due to his little injury and Gomez is fine to fill in for the odd game.

Tsimikas needs games as he’s spent most of his time picking splinters out his arse - I wouldn’t expect him to be on fire - but he can do better. I agree there’s a long term replacement discussion there.

I wouldn’t be against Quansah at LB - he’s got the technical ability on the ball.

Jones has little niggles - but that’s why we bought Gravy - Gakpo can fill in as well. Use McConnell if we need to.

I mean it all boils down to how big a senior squad you want - I’m not a huge fan of this “oh if he gets injured then we’re fucked” - any team that gets loads of injuries is fucked - but we have close to a full squad of senior players, so we’re no worse off than any other team.

I agree we could do with a DM and a CB - although they’re likely to be younger players for developing.

Also - what’s the point of having really good young players if you don’t give them experience - Bradley’s back in full training, McConnell looks hungry for a crack, Nyoni’s made the bench, don’t know Bobby Clark’s injury situ, but if fit, there’s a reason he got included in the Euro squad.

I just think we have enough for now - I mean there’s nothing we can do before January any way.
 
StevieM said:
Also - what’s the point of having really good young players if you don’t give them experience - Bradley’s back in full training, McConnell looks hungry for a crack, Nyoni’s made the bench, don’t know Bobby Clark’s injury situ, but if fit, there’s a reason he got included in the Euro squad.
Click to expand...

Is he? I missed that.

Also McConnel being a crackhead is not good news, I guess.
 
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