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Match Europa League - Ferencváros vs Tottenham. 5:45, Thursday 3rd October

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Yes, and I want to win the EL as much as anyone. I just don't think the "prize" of avoiding two play-off ties is worth injuring half our first team by February.
Players do get injured in Pl ,matches and training. Players cannot play in all matches and do need resting at times but we have a bad experience at making lots of changes and need to make as few changes as possible. Any away match in Europe is hard and we need to start well rather than send on the big guns to rescue the match in the 2nd half.
 
Go big or don't bother.

3-4 changes at most. As always.
Make 2 or 3 vs Brighton. Keep making a small number of changes game after game, not a large number of changes competition to competition.

We have more chance of building cohesive play by maintaining consistency.
 
Yes that was the rationale I kept hearing before the Qarabag game. Reality doesn't work like that though. What actually happened was Son ended up playing 80 minutes running himself ragged against 10 men and did his hamstring.
Had we lost to Qarabag we would need to put a much stronger team out Thursday or risk the extra matches in January which as a busy month would risk us losing . Others have suggested we need 15 points for a top 8 finish and that means winning this match as it is one of the easiest away matches.
 
I think Bergwall is a guaranteed starter, just 'cos of what happened last time out...

Just build the team around him, and get on with it!
 
15 points is likely enough to get top 8 here and skip the additional knockout round.

5 wins from 8 needed.

If we can get the win here, then we can experiment a little more in the remaining 6, only needing to win 50%.

I would keep it fairly strong for this one.
Only we're very thin on the ground right now and cannot afford any injuries to Solanke or Johnson with Sonny, Richarlison and Odobert all out currently. If ever there was a game for Lankshear to start it is this one.
 
Yes, and I want to win the EL as much as anyone. I just don't think the "prize" of avoiding two play-off ties is worth injuring half our first team by February.
Every time we're in this comp there's a portion of the support that think all that's needed to advance is to send the bottom of the squad and academy kids out on the pitch to thump the badge. And then we lose every time we're in this comp.

We're the best team in the EL if we take it seriously. But we need to take it seriously.

It's good for our squad to thump some teams, too. Teach them to stop taking their foot off the gas when we go up 1-0 to fucking Leicester.
 
Every time we're in this comp there's a portion of the support that think all that's needed to advance is to send the bottom of the squad and academy kids out on the pitch to thump the badge. And then we lose every time we're in this comp.
1) When have we ever gone out of the Europa group stages?

2) This new league format is even more "safe" for the big teams than normal, because you can finish as low as 24th and still qualify.

It's all fine and well saying you want to play the first XI in every game. But you'll also be the ones moaning that we didn't rotate come February when half our squad is crocked.

oh and 3) I'm not advocating sending the "bottom of the squad and academy kids". Just not our fucking 32 year old winger for whom the back up should he get an injury is Timo fucking Werner.
 
It's been said a million times I know but my God the Spence decision is unbelievable.

Anyway, I was listening to the view from the lane pod today and Danny Kelly was saying these are no mugs and have bought big from other european sides,
a 1-0 win would be immense.

I'd absolutely love Will Lankshear to get some game time.
 
I could understand criticism of the front 3 being weak, bur Sarr and Bissouma were 2/3 of our first choice midfield for most of last season, inc. the first 10 games. Bergvall needs game time, and after being sacrificed early last week think he is nailed on to start.
Could well be that pair in quite a few EL games until we hear about the Bent ban.
 
When Solanke tears a hamstring after relentlessly pressing hard from the front for 4 games in 14 days, 1 game in which we were 10 men, then what do we do for the next 8-10 weeks? We really need to look after the front five players (Maddison, Solanke, Son, Johnson, Kulu) due to our insane press, and our FBs due to the ground they cover with intense srpints due to our high line. When Odobert and Richy are fully fit we'll be much better placed to rotate more effectively and share minutes across multiple games. But in their absence we need to trust Lankshear and Moore. And the decision to exclude Spence from the EL squad looks even more ridiculous with every great cameo he makes as sub.
Dom has been around the block. I don't see him having hamstring issues.
 
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It's been said a million times I know but my God the Spence decision is unbelievable.

Anyway, I was listening to the view from the lane pod today and Danny Kelly was saying these are no mugs and have bought big from other european sides,
a 1-0 win would be immense.

I'd absolutely love Will Lankshear to get some game time.
I think he will play some minutes in this game.
 
He was awful yesterday

I just don’t trust Sarr and Bissouma. They are both inconsistent and we sometimes lose control when they start. Inwould absolutely start Maddison or Kulu, both if fully fit. Let’s keep momentum up and chalk off the wins so we can really relax on Thursdays
To be fair to Sarr he played a part in all 3 goals vs Qarabag. He is a bit inconsistent but he’s also a great engine.
 
The Spence situation highlights for me that Europe/Prem should now allow 28man squads (they could push up the HG 1 with a 3 overall increase).

Modern footi is much more injury strewn.
 
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