Pacos Ferreira v Tottenham Hotspur (Euro Conference) Thursday 19 August @ 19.30

[Elias]

Big surprise is that Aurier is NOT included in the squad..... and nor Ndombele.

You're not kidding.

So we've named Paskotsi as one of the 17 allowed Overseas Trained Players, and left our record signing, Ndombele, out of the squad!!!!!

The situation between Ndombele & the club is clearly in serious trouble.

But now that PSG have signed Messi & massively breached any meaningful FFP, I can't see any obvious buyers for Ndombele at a decent fee, on those massive wages.

Wot a clusterfuck.

 

[peter merison]

We are the team with the best rank playing this competition.

No Spanish teams and our biggest oposition could be.... Roma from Mourinho.

This is a huge oportunity to bring a european trophy to home...

Its there to be won, so go win it.

 

[StripiestPilot]

I don’t feel comfortable playing Winks and Sissoko in this match. I think Hojbjerg will start this one as he still needs minutes to build his fitness. We saw what those two gave us against Zagreb when they thought they could just stroll about. I also don’t think Kane will be involved, until the window closes I don’t expect him to play (if he stays).

Gollini
Doherty Romero Rodon Davies
Hojbjerg John
Gil Lo Celso Bergwijn
Scarlett

We are the team with the best rank playing this competition.

No Spanish teams and our biggest oposition could be.... Roma from Mourinho.

This is a huge oportunity to bring a european trophy to home...

Its a good opportunity but remember that some teams will drop down from the Europa League for the knockout phase. The level of opponents will not be like the group phase.

 

[Jenny Talia]

Not sure on the rules but if we could somehow cup tie Kane for European competitions that would be hilarious.

 

[sudoku]

So Nuno prefers Paskotski to Aurier....

 

[jack sparrow]

it's better to use the same players for the first matches IMHO
maybe 2-3 changes (romero, gil, lo celso)

 

[NorseYid]

So Nuno prefers Paskotski to Aurier....

:nunothumbs:

 

[ShutUpPatrik]

We need to take them seriously. Pacos are not a bad team as I understand it. And as we saw against Zagreb anything can happen over two legs.

I am not saying start the same 11 as against City. But put out a decent team. No sending out the youth to start just because. Make sure that we qualify and then we deal with the group stage.

 

[Wellsey]

Ultimately if we cock this game up which will be very hard we always have a 2nd leg at home where maybe we can play a stronger XI if necessary.

But away goals are so important?

 

[NorseYid]

We need to take them seriously. Pacos are not a bad team as I understand it. And as we saw against Zagreb anything can happen over two legs.

I am not saying start the same 11 as against City. But put out a decent team. No sending out the youth to start just because. Make sure that we qualify and then we deal with the group stage.

I agree, but often it's as much a question of attitude as line-up.

Obviously youth players should not carry the team, but IMHO it's more about the senior players who do start and how they approach it.

 

[Wellsey]

Is this on BT?

 

[Nutter-Naylor]

How much is Mr Levy charging for this?

 

[ArtyB]

 

[ShutUpPatrik]

I agree, but often it's as much a question of attitude as line-up.

Obviously youth players should not carry the team, but IMHO it's more about the senior players who do start and how they approach it.

Agreed.

On paper we should win this but we cannot afford to take them lightly. Again, like Zagreb. We need to take them seriously and approach it professionally.

 

[NorseYid]

Agreed.

On paper we should win this but we cannot afford to take them lightly. Again, like Zagreb. We need to take them seriously and approach it professionally.

The attitude presented says a lot more about the senior than junior players. If we can't trust players from squad spots 12-25 in games like this, why do we pay them at all?

 

[MouraThat]

I'd be starting a complete different XI that played today.

We are playing Wolves on the sunday and if we bring all those players with and play them , they will be leggy which is not ideal early in the season.

With that in mind :

Gollini
Doherty Romero Rodon Davies
Lo Celso Winks Ndombele (IF FIT)
Clarke Kane (IF FIT) Gil

Now that might not work. A lot of players who haven't played with each other so have some others on the bench as assurance. Sure.

Sissoko, Aurier , Sessegnon and Scarlett and John. 5 players who wouldn't have started either game but will be in the squad hopefully.

Hard to predict though. Ndombele/Kane hopefully get into that squad as they clearly need to build up fitness.

Ok So now that Ndombele isn't in the squad I'd expect either Sissoko or John to play instead of him

 

[Benny]

Is this on BT?

I think so?

BT doesn't specify it's the Tottenham game but surely...

 

[Mike81]

Its a good opportunity but remember that some teams will drop down from the Europa League for the knockout phase. The level of opponents will not be like the group phase.

That’s true, but let’s not overstate it either. It’s teams who will have finished third in their Europa League groups.

They shouldn’t cause us too many sleepless nights. But this is us…

 

[Benny]

Difficult to guess, we've got to rotate as we've got a game on Sunday but who knows how serious this tie will be taken.

 

[StripiestPilot]

That’s true, but let’s not overstate it either. It’s teams who will have finished third in their Europa League groups.

They shouldn’t cause us too many sleepless nights. But this is us…

We've gone out of Europe to Gent and Dinamo Zagreb in recent years, we barely scraped past Plovdiv at this point last season. We are nowhere near good enough to feel superior to smaller teams.