This maybe a pivotal week in the league season - 2 home matches against sides we don't beat often enough, and on paper probably the easiest away match of the season. A minimum requirement of 2 wins, though we can't afford fo drop many more points at all if we want top 4. Of course the 'Spursy' thing to do will be to win the 2 home matches and lose at Brighton! But with the injury news winning tonight just a whole lot harder. I don't have much confidence in any of the left back 'options' and even though Salah and Trent AA's form has not been great they will rubbing their hands with glee when they consider our possible left backs - Tanganga looks the best option though he has barely played and looked rusty v Wycombe the other option would see Aurier play left and Doherty right probably weakening both flanks simultaneously. We can only win tonight by going toe to toe with them opt for an open game and hope that our better players come out on top.
Why wouldn't we just play Doherty at left-back, where he's played a bunch of times for Wolves? https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/matt-doherty/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/171679/saison/ges/pos/4
Because we could beat Wycombe without a left winger, we can obviously beat Saltypool without a left back!!!
The more I think about it, the more I am tending towards playing Bale at LB. Lloris RB (whichever is not injured), Dier, Toby, Bale Sissoko, N'Dombele, PEH, Kane Bergson
If Bale can do a good 70 mins of old school Bale speed 70m+ running, then your thought process is IMHO sound. Only he and Jose know whether he is up to that.
Bale against Salah/ Mane/ Shaqiri would be horrendous in my opinion. He’d be torn to shreds. He’s spent the last 7 or so years playing as a right winger and won’t have the right defensive mentality any more. I’d like Bale to start the game as I thought that despite missing some chances he looked a lot more livelier against Wycombe but I definitely don’t want him at LB.
The premise is that a formation that has Bale in proper left side MF would stop the Poool RB from pushing up too far/often for fear that he will get skinned by Bale in a foot race counter. You saw a kindred thing in the Chelsky PL game (the back four + some CM not pushing up for fear of the Kane/Son counter that killed Citeh) .
They wouldn’t be scared of Bale’s lightning pace on a counter though because he doesn’t have that same level of acceleration anymore. And if I were Trent and Salah and saw Bale at LB, I’d be licking my lips to be honest. He was never really a great defender in his first spell with us before he switched to the wing. He was good going forward but I don’t think Bale has the engine to get up and down any more like Reggie does now. He still has brilliant ability with the ball, which is why I think that with more game time he’ll provide a great asset up top with Kane and Son for the second half of the season but I really don’t want to see him at LB/ LWB. Truly think it’ll be a recipe for disaster. I’d rather we re-register Rose for the Prem squad and play him tonight than start Bale there to be honest.
I see Liverpool have been using Leyton Orient’s facilities to prepare for tonight. Disappointed with Orient on this, I thought they had standards.
In defence of the Os, they : 1. need the money 2. will be applying anti-Poool disinfectant after the event
We really need to win this game to cancel out Liverpool's win against us at Anfield. I agree Bale would make a terrible LB - I don't even remember him being a very good defender! I would rather we chance Doherty there. Curious as to why Liverpool are preparing at L.O? Don't the travelling team normally head straight to the home stadium and prepare there?
I had no idea Doherty had ever played left back, lets be honest he has hardly looked a right back since joining us so he probably can't be any worse on the left.......Can he?
Line up or formations can't be an excuse tonight If we don't win it's because the majority don't have the minerals for this fixture. We seem to gift them victories, that's not tactics. COYS
1. They ain't won in 5 league games. 2. They ain't scored in 4 league games. 3. We have a chance to overtake them and West Ham and get into the top 4 and have a game in hand over both. 4. We have a chance to go 6 points clear of the goons with a game in hand. 5. We have a chance to go 3 points behind Leicester with a game in hand and a better goal difference. So...does anyone seriously doubt what will happen tonight?
