Some Dutch fitness expert has been ranting about the way that fixtures in the Europa League can lead to poor form in the league, using us as his main example: http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/h...ions-league-qualification-2-seasons-in-a-row/ The two day rest/three day rest thing may be true and it might help to explain our injury issues, but we shouldn't be in this position, anyway. We started the season with a massive squad and could easily have played two entirely different XIs from weekend to midweek, which might have helped our new signings to bed in, too. The Premier League certainly doesn't seem to help it's clubs in Europe though, does it? That's what happens when you chase the cash as badly as everyone here has though, I guess.
Don't get me wrong anything can happen but recent form and the way Benfica easily controlled us at the Lane added to the fact they're immense at home just makes it one huge uphill battle and one that realisticall, I really can't see us succeeding. We need to score 3 goals without reply to go through and doing that at the Estadio da Luz is a massive ask. They won't get another chance to play this season so why not? There'll still be a few first team squad players in need of game time, it won't be a full U21 squad. We're already down to 0 first team CB's for the game anyway.
Being optimistic, I would put a tenner on Soldado getting a hat-trick. But, and a big but, our defence is non-existent!
Well, we need a goal relatively early. If we can get that, the chance goes from almost nonexistent to small. If we haven't chipped away at the deficit by halftime... If only we were playing us. You know that if we had a 3-1 edge going into the second game at home, it would go to extra time.
Benfica, thinking they're the billy big bollocks after beating us 1-3, relax through their over confidence. We catch them sleeping straight after our second goal and score from the half way line. We all praise Tim for playing Sandro out of position. Best centre back we've seen since King.
Provisional squad: Friedel, Archer, McGee, Naughton, A McQueen, Fryers, Rose, Ball, Ogilvie, Sandro, Chadli, Veljkovic, Eriksen, Winks, Sigurdsson, Bentaleb, Onomah, Lennon, Townsend, Kane, Soldado. Where's everybody gone? Do we really have more injuries than players or have a bunch of the senior players simply decided to stop playing for Sherwood?
Ha, sooo true. Anybody remember the league cup semi against Burnley a few years ago. 4-1 up from the first leg and we managed to be 3-0 down after 90 mins in the return leg. Turned it around in extra time but really should've gone out on away goals after 90 mins.
I'm not even going to watch it. I also see, from an article in The Torygraph, that Sherwood is now demanding full control over transfer policy. Dream on, Timmy, I can see Levy and Baldini going for that one. You have to grudgingly admire his nerve though. Got more front than Blackpool!...
Don't know what the fuss is about,there's 12 there, who have all appeared quite often for the 1st team
http://www.london24.com/sport/totte...n_tottenham_s_squad_to_face_benfica_1_3455016 Just who are the seven youngsters in Tottenhamâs squad to face Benfica? please log in to view this image
