Good morning ladies.
Stevenage away it is and at the risk of sounding like a crazy man I’d suggest we rest a few, but really put out a strong team. The game at Watford was a clear warning that some genuine thought needs to go into the team selection and the tactics.
My team would look a lot like this then: Cudicini, Walker, Dawson, Livermore, Nelsen, Sandro, Kranjcar, Bale, Azza Blud, Defoe and Saha. Which hopefully reflects a few injuries and a few folk putting their feet up and having a nice cuppa.
Eye-catcher bets are slim pickings as the bookies don’t see Stevenage as a foregone conclusion either. Anytime Goalscorers Azza 5/2, Kyle Walker 7/1. Ful time score 2-0 is 9/2.
BIOYSTC!
we looked like we would give it a right go and compete well in their league :hae:
Just a thought.
Perhaps at our new facility we should lay down the sort of pitch we were presented with at Stevenage. Hard. Uneven, etc. Might prove useful as acclimatization when asked to play the Stevenages of the future.
And so it goes…
What in theory is a good idea would undoubtedly be shunted aside from a “risk of injury” perspective.
They wrap ’em up in cotton wool these days, and (aside from cup days such as this) only let them train/play on fine carpets of lawn.
To make a comparison: If you look at the Cheltenham Horse Racing festival (over jumps), they ensure that the track is watered (if neccessary) to a level on the soft side of “good ground” before the meeting starts. They never allow going to be on the firm side, they take the jar out of the ground, ensure the surface has more give. It means the horses that prefer (act better on) firm ground are disadvantaged, but the watering is done purely for welfare reasons/injury prevention.
They do the same with football pitches. Clubs’ capabilities in this regard differ greatly at different levels. I’m quite certain the rest of the Prem teams have undersoil heating, with the possible exception of Fulham – up til a couple of years ago they definitely didn’t have it, not sure about now. Spurs’ new training facility is supposed to have undersoil heating for the professionals’ training pitch.
All clubs will try to produce as good a pitch as they can, with watering/drainage considerations and so on – and within their budgets of course.
A number of Championship teams’ pitches have undersoil heating, but once we drop to the level of Stevenage, the majority of League One teams and beyond won’t have it for their grounds, and will struggle to consistently reproduce a good pitch throughout a season.
Most of our lot played Stevenage like they didn’t at all enjoy conditions out there, and Stevenage by comparison were naturally (and literally) much more “at home” – but when we get back on “good ground” I expect it’ll be a totally different story.
Of course, what I omitted emphasising was the specific angle of injury prevention to protect our investments. A (insert value) footballer is only a (insert value) footballer for as long as he can still play. It wouldn’t look too clever if someone suffered a career threatening or serious injury training on a bumpy, hard pitch.
Too much emphasis on the pitch here. We’ve seen it before, the mindset of a team which believes just turning up will be enough, with one eye on a future game (scum).
Add that to a largely unfamiliar formation devoid of central midfield creativity, and yet another striking partnership destined to fail (can Defoe actually form a partnership with anyone?), it’s not that surprising we were served up with such dross. As I pay for my streams, I feel slightly cheated.
Barring total capitulation, CL footy should be mere fomality, and our route to the semi final not too difficult at all. If the players stay focused and Redknapp can avoid grand standing in front of FA officials, i.e. avoid showing off his tictacs, it could all turn out wonderful.
Cue TGF…
Don’t disappoint me now.
29:33