January watch

We're about to lose 4 'Ki' players in January for an assortment of reasons, so here's a thread to keep a close eye on what's going on and when these players may be returning to first team action.

Maybe we should look on the bright side (Bob the Slob: you can ignore this bit if you're having trouble) - at least there is no Arctic Cup of Nations to which we could have lost Gylfi Sigurdsson to...

We have:

1. Ki Sung Yeung at the Asian Cup
2. Wilfried Bony at The Africa Cup of Nations
3. Jefferson Montero - injured
4. Jonjo Shelvey - suspended for 4 games

1. Ki Sung Yeung at the Asian Cup

Now here's a tournament I know virtually nothing about. ........(checking on Wiki).......
Held every 4 years, this one is hosted by Australia. Japan would appear to be the current holders. The tournament lasts from the 9th - 31st January 2015.

There are 4 groups of 4 teams with the top 2 in each group progressing to the knock-out phase.

Group 'A' - Australia, South Korea, Oman, Kuwait
Group 'B' - Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, China, North Korea
Group 'C' - Iran, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain
Group 'D' - Japan, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine

Some awkward fixtures are possible later in the tournament, such as Iran v. Iraq and North Korea v. South Korea. At least it won't be possible to have Israel v. Palestine.

Group 'A' fixtures

10th Jan 2015 South Korea 1 v. 0 Oman
13th Jan 2015 Kuwait 0 v. 1 South Korea
17th Jan 2015 Australia 0 v. 1 South Korea

Quarter finals: 22nd/23rd Jan
Semi finals: 26th/27th Jan
3rd/4th play-off: 30th Jan
Final: 31st Jan

Games to be played in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Canberra & Melbourne. Games in Melbourne will be played at the curiously-named "Melbourne Rectangular Stadium" - (as opposed to .....what?). Answer please Musty.

2. Bony at the Africa Cup of Nations

Originally to be hosted by Morocco, it has now been transferred to Equatorial Guinea after Morocco refused to host it on the scheduled dates due to the ebola crisis in West Africa. The tournament lasts from 17th January - 8th February 2015.

Nigeria are the defending champions but failed to qualify for the tournament.

(Question: if this tournament starts a week later than the Asian Cup, why are Ki and Bony departing at the same time?)

There are 4 groups of 4 teams with the top 2 in each group progressing to the knock-out phase.

Group 'A' - Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Congo
Group 'B' - Zambia, Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands, DR Congo
Group 'C' - Ghana, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal
Group 'D' - Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon, Guinea

Group 'D' fixtures

20th Jan 2015 Ivory Coast v. Guinea
24th Jan 2015 Ivory Coast v. Mali
28th Jan 2015 Cameroon v. Ivory Coast

Quarter finals: 31st Jan/1st Feb
Semi finals: 4th/5th Feb
3rd/4th play-off: 7th Feb
Final: 8th Feb

Games to be played at Bata (36,000 capacity), Malabo (15,000 - on an island nowhere near Equatorial Guinea!), *****mo (10,000) & Ebebiyin (5,000). No big crowds for this tournament.

3. Jefferson Montero - injured

Montero has a hamstring injury and according to physioroom.com, the best guess for a return is 1st Feb 2015.

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php?

4. Jonjo Shelvey - suspended

Jonjo is currently serving a four match ban after elbowing Emre Can in the face during the 4-1 defeat at Liverpool. Those who get apoplectic with rage watching Jonjo play will be having a nice break from him at the moment. He's already missed the game at QPR, and today's FA Cup 3rd round game at Tranmere will be number 2. He will therefore also miss the PL games at home to West Ham and Chelsea.

The apoplexy could potentially re-commence in the FA Cup 4th round should we manage to get that far.

 

I think Korea should reach at least the quarters finals which is takes in all of January and I'd expect the same for the Ivory coast although Cameroon will push them hard in the group stages , so we won't expect to see either back for all of January & possibly taking in the games v Southampton and Sunderland for Ki at least .

 

I'll be interested to see the Portuguese man of war at play in January, and hoping that Gomis hits the ground running in Bony's absence.

 

Two goals today and two successive 70minutes plus under his belt should fill him up with a lot of confidence. What I noticed today was that he covers more ground than Bony. He's also a lot better at playing wide men through on goal than I previously thought.

 

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is the new (old name) for AAMI park/Olympic Park. Strange it only has a capacity of 30,000 however for football matches such as these, temporary stands will be erected behind the goals.

The ground is used for all sports hence the room for the temp stands in place of the dead ball area for league and union.

I cannot understand why the MCG is not being used (capacity 100,024) unless it is due to cricket and Australian Rules having first dibs.

Forgot to add, I can have the joys of going to Saudi Arabia v China, Jordan v Iraq, China v Uzbekistan, Iraq v Japan (be a good one), Iran v UAE (tickets for all either $30/$20/$15), Australia v Sth Korea ($100/$80/$50) and QF WInner Gp A v RU Gp B ($70/$50/$30)

 

Still think we could have played Bafe as a winger/striker alongside Bony when he came on as a sub in some of the games.

 

I wouldn't say Gomis gets through more work than Bony, he certainly doesn't defend the Wilf does (has to).

'Look at a reel of Bony’s goals on YouTube and there he is each time, never quite marked, occupying always that portable little pocket of Bony-space. For all his alluring brawn, Bony is no raging bull but a connoisseur of angles and timing and the most controlled and insistent of finishers. This is the reason his price is so high. Bony may not be from the very top rank but he is undoubtedly a finisher, expert in the one part of football that for all the more numerically obscure methods of attempting to win a match remains pretty much unchanged from the very start of things.
There is an interesting point of clarity here. As space has become more compressed on the pitch, margins shrunk, the details by which victory is decided ever more minute, football’s most basic skill seems increasingly decisive. The world’s No1 player in 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo, has evolved precisely this way, paring his game back, moving less rather than more and becoming above all a finisher, a razor edge, a single point of light.'
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jan/02/art-goalscoring-football-statistics-aguero-bony

A good read.

 

Looks like our Beast has gone!.....................

 

The King is dead, Long Live the King. like buses .there'll be another along shortly

 

I like your optimism.
Just hope we aren't going to be in the position Sousa found himself in.

 

In which way , not given funds to pay a decent replacement ?

 

Being out of time if the Bony transfer doesn't happen until the very last minute.
I doubt if the club would bring in a replacement before he goes - if he goes.

 

Just a thought - January is going to be a nervy month.
If we have another injury (anywhere are centre half)?
Our squad will be put under tremendous pressure.

 

We should give Citeh a deadline as we will not be able to make a replacement otherwise.............

 

Australia kick off the tournament with a 4-1 win over Kuwait. Jedinak one of the scorers from the penalty spot.

South Korea start tomorrow (Saturday) against Oman (kick-off 5am UK time).

 

If Gomis stays I don't think we need another striker until the Summer especially as I see Barrow's future as more of an inside player rather than an out and out winger. On Bob's article about Bony finding pockets of space, when John Aldridge, a proven goalscorer, was at his peak one of the TV pundits highlighted how he was able to move about three feet away from his marker at the right time to create a goal scoring opportunity. I don't know whether this is something that can be taught or whether it is a natural instinct.

 

A bit anxious to see how we cope with these players missing.Maybe Barrow can slip to the inside if need be

 

South Korea 1 Oman 0

Ki Sung Young plays the full 90 minutes as a defensive midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He wears the no. 16 shirt, but that's not important.

 

Jonjo will be able to play again in the FA Cup 4th round tie at Blackburn on Sat 24th Jan ko 12:45. I believe the game is live on BBC Wales?

 

Surely he won't still be with us?