What can I possibly tell that you that you do not already know?
Real Madrid indoors and I stand by my suggestion the other day that we clear it with UEFA and our lot wear Bernie Clifton ostriches. At least for the bit when they run out and do the police identity line up number at the beginning.
Having watched the last leg in Stellascope and then had a good look at the other loves remaining in this competition I can reveal that having summoned the wisdom of the ages and decided things look decidedly iffy.
Aside from all our usual idiocies (opposed to idiosyncrasies) we are approximately one million miles away from being genuinely fit to continue in this competition. Hardly resounding proof that I am related to Winston Churchill I grant you, but those other brutes, have you seen them? Some of them have been shaving since they were seven.
Real Madrid – as I alluded after the last debacle – have that Jose template all over ’em. They aren’t just footballers, they’re marines. Trained, programmed and unforgiving mercenaries, ready to conquer. By stark contrast, we have our dinner money hidden in our sock and our Y fronts folded up in our bag so that they can’t wedgie us.
And it turned out that Azza didn’t bottle it, more a case of our crack squad of highly trained experts not understanding that a course of antibiotics has to ordinarily to be completed in order for it to work. Years of administering magic sponges and the occasional Junior Asprin can I guess fog even the most finely tuned medical minds.
On an upbeat note, we have a license to go bonkers and play in a somewhat unshackled manner, ‘It’s over here, I’ve got it! Let’s run up this way and shoot again!’ as we are the very definition of people with nothing to lose.
There are some creative bets doing the rounds and if you want to be the one to tell your grandchildren that you had a nicker on us to win and that’s how you set up their trust-fund then now is your moment.
Spurs to win 5-0 is 150/1. If you are unfamiliar with betting parlance then this indicates but by no means guarantees that there is more chance of ‘My Lovely Horse’ being number one in the hit parade next Christmas.
[bet_365 type=’generic’ size=’468′ af_code=’365_061513′]
My genuine belief is that we will throw the kitchen sink at Los Blancos, who will more likely than not, place it down gently to one side before holding us to a 2-2 all draw. Which at 11/1 has some – however optimistic – basis in reality and a few quid down will at least mean you don’t face the ignominy of tomorrow’s lunch break with home made sandwiches, but can soak up the consolatory beers of the night before with something classy, like a Super Sized extravaganza from Burger Me or whoever.
“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”
Sounds like Niko may not make it so I would go for:
Gomes
Kaboul Dawson Gallas Ekotto
Lennon Hudd Modric Bale
VDV Pav
With Hudd playing deep firing exocets to the wingers and Luka patrolling the centre circle looking for trouble and getting forwards whenever possible. The strikers are the weakest link but just maybe they can click. We need a miracle of course but if we can get to h/t at 1-0 or 2-0 and the fireworks are going off at WHL then we have a chance. We got nothing to lose anyway.
I like that with the exception of Sandro for Hudd; not sure if Thudd is fully match fit yet, plus we need Sandro to marmalize the chorizo chompers.
If the first leg was 0-0 I could see your point of Sandro but tonight we need to score and the wingers are our main goal threat. So who passes the ball to Lennon+Bale better – Hudd or Sandro?
need 2 strikers we at home must go for it and have fun
I cannot believe people would want Hudd to play instead of Sandro, let`s `ave these slags
believe me there’s a lot who prefer Thudd over Sandro…..and thats not a slight at Sandro just common sense; we need early goals and creativity not brute force and vigour
Right on, Toddspur!
We need early goals yes, we cannot concede though. The way Etherington skipped past Hudd at the weekend I’d be a little concerned there. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy to bits, but we cannot concede, so being a bit light in the middle isn’t an option IMO.
Also, if Hudd isn’t 100%, and VdV isn’t 100% (and rarely lasts the 90), perhaps it would be wise to start with Hudd and Sandro, and swap Hudd for VdV when we’re 3-0 up early in the 2nd half. ;-)
Start with Bale and Lennon, Hudd, Sandro, Modders in a five man mid, swap out Hudd for VdV, swap out whichever is knackered next for Defoe. I’m starting Pav here up front, btw – and expecting him to get support from wide and Hudd/Modders.
Actually, the truth is I expect we’ll try hard but still struggle to win, let alone score five. But if we’re going to give it a go, Harry needs to be brave – and make brave decisions – plan for the full 90mins.
MysteriousStranger – the form of both VDV and Pav means a case can be made for adding Sandro to the middle at eithers expense and/or even swapping either with Niko or Pienaar if fit. But I would not leave out Hudd tonight. If he plays deep he can influence the game without his stamina being tested and for what we can get from him he is a fitness gamble well worth taking imo.
AS – I made the fitness point myself for both Hudd and VdV in my post, I said play Hudd (initailly) and Sandro, I suggested leaving VdV out initially, and bring VdV on later.
I’m confused. You appear to be challenging me for suggesting Hudd be left out, but I did the opposite and said he should start, but not at Sandro’s expense. :ermm: :ermm:
Am I missing something from your reply, or did you miss something from my initial remarks? :blink:
Maybe you’re just agreeing with me. :freu
It was Fiedor who made the initial +Sandro -Hudd point that I disagreed with. I thought you were disagreeing with me too at the start of your post then you seemed to doubled back one yerself. But you made the interesting point of +Sandro -VDV which is tough to argue which is why I replied.
Basically imo the back nine are nailed on in some formation or another
Gomes
Kaboul Dawson Gallas Ekotto
Lennon Hudd Modric Bale
Adding VDV and Pav up front as I did is fairly safe and standard but I couldn’t really put up a fight for either. Most likely variation would be +Sandro in the middle and one less ‘striker’. Makes sense but would be a little bit of a surprise. Doing that either means dropping fans fave and charmains star buy against his old club or starting with zero proper strikers in a game where we need to score.
im with you Sandro much better all round player captain of the future
Oh and VDV cant run either
can score though thudd one goal a season that is not PL standard
Big Tom or Sandro? We could have Superman in there and still lose this tie.
But if we’re foolishly to entertain the belief we can score 4 without reply against the 9 times champions of Europe who have a manager well versed on English shores, I’d suggest having someone in the midfield who can get in amongst it. Unless you’re looking for Tommy to start ‘pinging’ in goals for fun, looking for a 7-2 8-3 etc.
Given that it looks like we don’t have a fit right back (and the one on the other flank ain’t much cop), why not go for it with a 3-5-2 formation (Kaboul, Dawson and Gallas at the back; Lennon and Bale as wing-backs; Huddlestone, Sandro and Modric in the middle with VDV and Pav up front)? After all, what have we got to lose?
this is what im talking about
We do have the players to fit that system but not sure I would want to try it out for the first time tonight.
Think we should have tried it before now.
Just to confirm — it is Barcelona we’ll be playing in the semis, right?
This, the mindset needed tonight :freu