please log in to view this image Same approach as the Europa League one, unless someone wants to step up to the challenge! Following a dull, uninspiring draw with Partizan in Serbia and a dull, uninspiring loss to West Brom, comes an opportunity to put some life back into the side before the derby. The players must know that this is their big chance to stake a claim for a place in the first XI, so I expect plenty of changes and at least some spirit and fight in the team. Everyone that played on the weekend should be left out and anyone that does well in this tie should retain their place, in my opinion. Vorm Naughton Fazio Vertonghen Davies Lennon Stambouli Bentaleb Townsend Paulinho Soldado Minor changes from our trip to Belgrade and a slight tactical change. Can't see it happening, but I doubt I'll be far off in terms of the personnel. Really need both a result and a performance in this game, so I hope that they all show a bit of the desire that our opposing manager had when he played the game. He may not have been the best technical player to have ever graced the pitches of Europe, but he always gave it everything and he rarely let the fans down.
I'd rather we rested Lennon for the weekend, as we need him covering his full back in the NLD. Vejlkovic played 90 minutes in an U21 game yesterday, so it's unlikely he'll be getting a game.
I'm so certain we'll lose this one we probably have a decent chance. Vorm Naughton Fazio Vertonghen Davies Bentaleb Stambouli Townsend Paulinho Kane Soldado We've got to start scoring. Paulinho and Kane have decent scoring records, as does Soldado in the Europa.
I would start: Vorm Naughton Fazio Vertonghen Davies Stambouli Bentaleb Lamela Eriksen Lennon (c) Soldado With a view to starting pretty much exactly that team at Arsenal, except bringing in Lloris and Rose. Yes, thats 2 games in a Wednesday/Saturday cycle but these people are professional footballers and its the start of the season. I'm sure they can handle it if the key players are given a rest after 60/70 mins of the Forest game, assuming we're in a position to do that. And yes, its also Lennon on the left which I know is contentious, but Pochettino's system is fairly fluid so I'd expect him to be popping up on the right a lot too if Lamela drifts inside and Eriksen drifts wide left. I stated on the WBA thread that I wouldn't mind seeing a 4-3-3 with Soldado up top, Lennon and Townsend as proper wingers and Stambouli, Capoue and Eriksen as a midfield 3 (Bentaleb could deputise for either of the Frenchmen) but I don't think we will see that, indeed I don't think we'll see my lineup for tomorrow posted above but maybe thats why I'm not a professional football manager. Hey ho. The team I think will actually start is pretty much rwaeb's lineup above, but with Kane up top and Lennon in the wide position.
To me I think we should be looking to start most of the team that are going to play against Arsenal. Not bothered who starts in goal and I'd rest Dembele. I'd go for: Whoever Naughton, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies Capoue, Bentaleb Lamela, Eriksen, Townsend Soldado Those that have come into the line up and impess start on Saturday, those that don't go back to the bench. Edit: Sorry, Huddlefro said pretty much the exact samething above me.
For years our squad hasn't been able to handle playing thurs/sunday so what makes anyone think they can handle wed/sat? Th league is the priority by a mile for me, not fussed who plays tomorrow as surely any 11 from our current squad should be able to beat a championship side, for me avoiding humiliation against Le Arse on Saturday is my major concern for Spurs this week.
Sometimes our club comes over as a team of politicians.At the start of their terms we all thought they would prove their worth.Then,as the term gets under way,we find we've been dreaming.Terribly let down!!!!!! while they make a beeline to their banks.......
It's an odd situation. Between our awful form, Forest being at the top of the Championship, the likelihood we'll play our second team, and our record of consistently losing to them in the League Cup, they may be favorites even though we're at home and they're a league below us.
Vorm; Naughton, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Bentaleb, Stambouli; Lennon (c), Paulinho, Townsend; Soldado. Friedel, Chiriches, Dier, Mason, Lamela, Eriksen, Kane. That looks like Lennon on the right and Townsend on the left and it's the exact team that I picked. Let's see how it appears on the pitch, though.
The straight second team, more or less, that played against Partizan. Fazio and Vertonghen looked good last week, I thought, bar one bad mistake from Fazio. Paulinho and Soldado have had good games for Pochettino. It's Lennon and Townsend who haven't given me much hope so far.
Tonight is absolutely must-win. Anything less and I think heads will really start to drop (more so than they already are).
Just seen the team sheet. If Soldado can't get a goal or two in this tie, with both Lennon and Townsend playing, he should give up and go home.
I get that you aren't entirely serious (or joking, exactly.) But Paulinho had a goal and an assist against Limassol. He also had eight goals last year in the PL in limited playing time. I'm impressed with his ability to get forward at the right moments, make short passes and finish. But I would call him a complete disaster in a deeper lying role. Gives the ball away and doesn't tackle. It's funny, because he looked good in a deep lying role at the beginning of last year. Bentaleb provides a quick pass that could have turned into a good chance if Davies and ?Lennon? hadn't screwed it up. He has been the player most likely to make that medium length pass to get us forward (relatively) quickly. Paulinho free kick. I feel your pain. Surely he's never had a decent free kick for us. Forest players look like they believe themselves to be sacrificial lambs. We're treating them like pet lambs. They'll gain in confidence and we'll lose ours if we can't take advantage.
