Good morning.
There will be some feeling as we travel oop north today we have far too much in common with the one legged man who entered into a bottom kicking competition.
Striker-less is an unkind phrase as midget gem and all round diminutive dynamo Jermain Defoe is ready, willing and able. As he proved the other night for England. But is he what we really need? Well, my dears …he’s what we’ve got. On an upbeat note, he’s never in his career have a better opportunity to ‘turn it on’ and really prove he’s worth his place. Nevertheless for me he’s benched.
I’d have to run with a 433 and essentially try to implement a ‘best of’ the preseason formations. This is a Premier League game of course so I’m struggling to see the benefit of Rafa as a substitute. That’s a scenario which says once Defoe’s finished bombing around like a mentalist for 65 minutes we throw on a guy who’s prepared to have a few shots from outside the 18 yard box.
Back four picks itself with Vertonghen and Kaboul standing strong front and centre. Dawson seems to lack the finesse for the Villas-Boas method, but the option to bring him in if he’s needed is a bit of a coup. Let’s hope there’s no hair brained scheme to sell him to Liverpool being considered.
Our midfield needs Sandro like a flower needs water. Despite his unavailability for the preseason the boss said of him, “He has had the best training possible in terms of playing time so you can say that he is one step ahead in terms of physical preparation.” Livermore should find Sandro inspiring company and whilst there is obviously no Modric, we are still fielding four players in advanced positions who I’d deem as intensively creative.
The deep lying front line will let van Der Vaart drift slightly forward of Bale and Gylfi who have clearly been developing an understanding. This could be dependent upon AVB’s instruction of course as close to the 433 High Line™ as we have yet seen. Despite the overuse of the phrase High Line™ the only glimpse we got of it was against Valencia went we went into ‘all hands to the pump’ mode after their second goal went in.
The last words from the boss: “It will be very difficult but we have our ambitions and strengths, which we will look to use. It will be a match fully charged with emotion but we have to be solid and stable. If we do that we can take something from the match.” This says to me he’s minded to avoid a loss, try a nick a win. He may well have got that just about right.
Yeah I was told the same – Hudd and Daws have not travelled for some reason. Still trying to dig deeper and work out why.
————Brad————
Walker—Jan—–Kabs—Benny
——-Jake—–Sandro——-
–Azza——Siggy——Bale–
———–VDV————–
Siggy and Bale can easily swap around but I see Siggy sitting in the hole and movement between him, VDV and Bale being fluid. Depending on VDV’s fitness it could be Defoe that starts, but Defoe would be more dangerous at the end of the game when it’s stretched – he’ll likely score and the debate him starting will rage on.
1-1
Where did you get the news about Hudd and Daws not traveling with the team?
Don’t know about Dawson but AVB doesn’t rate Hudd. He played some minutes in the first two pre season games and played poorly. Passes going astray and giving the ball away too much. He wasn’t played again after that.
But Huddlestone has been out for a year, it’s only natural in his first couple of games he isn’t going to be at the same standard. He doesn’t fit into the AVB mold of a midfielder though due to his lack of pace but he’s still a better option than Jenas or Carrol, for me.
Hudd’s been injured for much longer. It was last year they finally operated on him, but the original injury goes back to the season before and beyond, hence his ‘non performance’ V City, which finally proved to the management that surgery was needed.
Huddlestone and Modric as a 2 man mid, were far more effective than our 3 or 4 man line ups, and if we can get a replacement similar to Modric, AVB still has the big man to use,if and when his fitness is proved-a huge loss to us last year all the same.
Tug boat Tommy is one of the most overrated players at the club.
Lets not panic just yet
our biggest asset is nobody has a clue how we are likely to line up. So keep calm and carry on!!
Defoe will start imo, it would be an insult with no other strikers if he didnt, and AVB said he wants him to stay. Also scored that cracker on Weds…
Anyone know whats hapenning with this Fryers lad from Man U, we def got him??
Still wrangling with United for a fee apparently – but he’s definitely coming in. It’s just whether we can reach an agreement amongst ourselves or whether it goes to a tribunal.
Just wanted to say how sorry I am and what a wally I’ve been. I’d like to come back to play again and I promise not to be silly ever again. I did play professional football. I did!
who for and when?, then i can look for the guy thats 6ft 9″ drives a lambourgini, and commutes in from mars, thatll be you