Of the 20 players whom I believe Jol has at his disposal who will play ? Bearing in mind that a point is probably adequate to see us through and the L'Pool game when 3 points are more than just desirable. How about - Schwartzer Kelly, Sendros, Hangeland, Briggs Baird, Etuhu, Gecov, Frei Johnson, SA
Really hope Frei gets a full 90 mins. I think he has a lot to offer and great pace to cause a lot of trouble to their defence. Sa played against Chelsea reserves on Monday so I don't think he'll start. Hopefully Kasami gets a good bit of playing time too.
It's been reported that Jol and the Twente manager aren't the best of friends, so I suspect a strong line up. If fit I'd go for Schwarzer Baird Senderos Hangeland Briggs Dembele Etuhu Gecov Duff Zamora Johnson
I've got every Euro team selection wrong this season, so I wouldn't put a lot of weight on what I say. I'm interested to see what Jol's short-term plans for right back are. I think that if Kelly hadn't picked up a knock on duty for Ireland, he would have played the last couple of Premier League matches. As it is, Jol might feel that Senderos did well enough against Arsenal to keep his place, in which case Bairdinho will probably hold on to the right back position. If Kelly plays tomorrow night, I think it may mean that he isn't in line for playing against Liverpool and may well have missed his chance for a run of games to stake his claim to be first choice. If someone other than Kelly plays, then it may mean that Kelly is being seen as the current favourite for our problem position. Or it may mean that he just isn't properly fit yet. I'd like to see us have a really good go at this one - a win will put us through (I think) and it would be nice to take the pressure off for the Odense match. I'm torn between playing Murphy or resting him. Can anyone remember him having a good performance against Liverpool? I've heard the criticism that while he nearly always shines against Man Utd, he never does against the Merseyside reds. I don't believe for a minute that he doesn't try - he's too good a pro - but my memory is no help on this one. Over to the rest of you - any good DM performances against his beloved reds? The point is, if he is a regular under-achiever against Liverpool, what's the point in resting him for that game? It might be better to get a good game-controlling performance out of him on Thursday. Just a thought.
I can't see how this game matters. A home win next week against Odense assures our place in the next round (Yes, I know, famous last words). So I'd like to see a number of players rested, including Murphy, Dempsey, Zamora and perhaps Hangeland. Dempsey in particular seems either tired or just uninterested in the game right now, jogging back and making little effort to defend or pressure. But I, too, have been out of sync with Jol's team selection on these Euro games. For all I know, he'll put out the "A" team against Twente and again against Liverpool .
Also in favour of resting regular starters. Zamora probably will be out as he was recovering from ta thigh injury and we need him rested for Monday, Dempsey should be rested as well as Murphy. Sidwell is still out ... Dembele probably will need to play with AJ up front. I would play Kasami, Frei, Briggs and Gecov with Etuhu holding midfielder. Give Hangeland a rest and play Hughes with Senderos.
Baird has not travelled for personal reasons. Nor Dempsey because of athigh injury. In all 21 went including Ruiz, so Jol is obviously keeping his options open - possibly waiting to see how others have reacted to recent knocks. Kelly and Briggs need a game; Gecov and Frei deserve one and Johnson played very well against them at the Cottage. So, excluding Baird, I'd stick pretty much with th XI I posted at the beginning.
The best move Jol's made of late (besides sticking with Dembele) has been including Etuhu in the lineup. Whether it was by accident and intentional, Etuhu has (I think) changed our game for the better. I'm hoping he'll get a run out tomorrow night. ... and isn't Ruiz cup tied? I saw this in the BBC preview: Steve Sidwell remains out with a hernia injury, but Orlando Sa, Damien Duff and Stephen Kelly are all available while Bryan Ruiz could features against the side he left to join the Cottagers in the summer. Cottager - you said the same thing. Doesn't cup tied mean he's out of the Europa Cup competition?
Ruiz is definitely cup-tied, unless there's some obscure rule otherwise. Nice one BBC, you wouldn't get that wrong if it were, ooh, almost any other PL club.
I thought the same about Ruiz and the BBC report, but if that's the case, why has he apparently travelled with the team? It could be so he can catch up with his old mates at Twente after the match, but that doesn't seem entirely likely to me. All very confusing.
Typical BBC, give the Fulham page to some armchair loving United office teaboy, who would need a guide dog to find his way to Craven Cottage. He is cup tied, but I think it's a cunning plan to get more Twente fans to buy those Half and Half Fulham Twente scarves. I would suspect it's to give him a chance to thank the Twente fans, as he's a bit of folk hero.
I looked at the Fulham website ... Ruiz is traveling, but perhaps just to help advise Jol on how to play Twente, since he knows them so well. He's cup tied and can't play ... BBC blew it. When I was a newspaper journo 20 years ago, this wise-a$$ police officer was telling me that a lorry (truck) flipped on the highway spilling 40 tons of urea and closing the road. So I asked the guy, "What's urea?" and he proceeds to tell me "it's dried cattle urine." Being a complete moron, I took the guy at his word and put that into my news story. The next morning I get a call from him, "Hey, uh, I was just joking about the urea. It's not dried cattle urine - it's ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer." I'm sure every farmer in a 100-mile radius had a good laugh.
I think he'll play a strongish team. He's done that in the last couple of Euro games, then played a similar team on the Sunday and we've played brilliantly.
Ruiz cannot play for us in Europe this year. It's clearly stated in the relevant Europa rules, isn' it ??? 18.07 As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition (i.e. UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, but not UEFA Super Cup) for more than one club in the course of the same season. Exceptionally, however, a player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club as from the group stage, provided that his former club did not qualify for the group stage of either the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League; moreover, as from the start of the round of 32 (round of 16 for UEFA Champions League), a player can be registered in accordance with paragraphs 18.18 to 18.21 below. A substitute player who has not been fielded is entitled to play for another club competing in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League in the course of the same season, provided that he is registered with the UEFA administration in accordance with the present regulations. 18.18 For all matches from the start of the round of 32, a club may register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches in the current competition. Such registration must be completed by 1 February 2012 (24.00 CET) at the latest. This deadline cannot be extended. 18.19 One player from the above quota of three who has been fielded in a UEFA club competition match for another club in the current season may exceptionally be registered, provided that the player has not been fielded: − in the same competition for another club; or − for another club that is currently in the same competition. Furthermore, if the player’s new club is playing in the UEFA Europa League, his former club must not have played in the UEFA Europa League at any point in the current season. 18.20 One or more players from the above quota of three who have been fielded only in the first, second or third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club that did not qualify for the group stage of either the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League are entitled to be registered.
Good old BBC - their 'preview' also states 5 Live are covering it (great, because I'm at work) but after searching, I can conclude that "coverage on 5 Live" actually means "not at all covered on 5 Live". Why do I bother paying my License fee again?
