Off Topic The General Chat Thread.

Would go with the same ... Ricardo pushing forward on the right and Under as a quasi-Maddison ...

 

Just need this season to be over with. Hopefully with no more injuries that will keep them out until halfway into next season like Ricardo and Justin and possibly Barnes looking at that. No way we see him any time soon. Actually turned off as he was being stretchered off as it is hard to watch them fall like flies..

 

Given how bad Rodgers time frames for injuries seem to have been, that would be at least mid April with the season ending, what a month later, so basically he’s out for the season as far as being match fit is concerned. Still better than it looked though, looked like an out until new year job.
It’s a bigger blow than the result though, with no Barnes and Maddison and Vardy looking done, there are no goals in the side. Mentally, I’m writing the season off. Main thing is no more injuries that carry into next season, strengthen in the summer and try to go into next season full strength (minus Justin) which was something we didn’t even get this season.

 

The Barnes injury is a disaster and i feel for him but why were we so passive? Even with an early goal we just let Arsenal grow into the game. They have been rubbish this season but we just handed that game to them. The grueling schedule may have just caught up with a young squad I guess.

 

I see it now that Ricardo and Albrighton will be the two wide players, which means Thomas is going to have to do the left back job for the rest of the season, unless Fuchs is called on. Maybe Under will get to start a few games to show what he can do, but this run of injuries defies belief. Just think if we’d progressed in Europe on Thursday, I don’t know what team Rodgers would have gone for in the next round. Hopefully Maddison is back before long, think I saw Fofana starts back training this week and Praet next.

 

I don’t think Under will play too much as I think there’s a clause that makes us have to buy him if he plays so many games and I don’t think we want to do that.

If only we’d have kept Gray - ironically he could have been great in either side or centrally currently!

I also assume it’s too late to recall Dewsbury Hall

 

Is there any outfield players other than Tielemans and Nacho who won’t have spent at least a month or more out injured this season? Albrighton I guess, struggling to think of any more.
It can’t all be down to bad luck, we were famed for this side of the club for years, whilst the recruitment strength has remained, it seem that the medical side has completely lost it...

 

Where do you think we go from this for the next game? As side of all the injuries, there was also the issue of everyone looking absolutely knackered and maybe it’s best to give some players a rest for a game. We also don’t have anyone at all who can play the number 10 so maybe a change of formation to a back 5 again might be better.

For me:

Schmeichel

Albrighton Amartey Soyuncu Fuchs Thomas

Choudhury Mendy Tavares

Under
Ihenacho

That team would at least be fresh. Also comes with a silent prayer!

 

It's a right ****ing mess for sure ... hopefully Fofana and Perez back in contention soon ... would be tempted to play Wilf Amartey(Fofana) and Cags as a back 3 with Mendy in the defensive mid role and Castagne and Ricky as the wing backs ... Under and Tielemans in midfield with Perez and Vardy up top ...

 

You can tell Vardy isn't fully fit, Tielemans is absolutely shattered, Evans has been limping through games, Ricardo isn't fit and Ndidi looks knackered. The next 3 games are against Burnley, Brighton and Sheffield Utd. This time last week, I would have said we could get 9 points, but I think we will do well to get 4 or 5 now.

Of the players mentioned above, I think Brenda needs to rest at least 3 of them and rotate the starting line up/formation for the next 3 games.

We are still 3rd and 5 points in front of 5th place, but that gap can so easily disappear by the time we play Man City in early April.

Oh, and put the 2nd eleven out in the FA cup against Man Utd......top 4 is the only priority now.

 

The full picture on Harvey is more encouraging that I thought ... doesn't sound like there is any ligament damage (which was my fear). Fingers crossed

 

Hopefully so. Felt more despondent about Barnes injury than the result yesterday. We've had so many already, juggled teams and formation with great success but this felt like one injury to many. On top of maddison's injury, the one that could derail what's so far been an excellent season.

We can't put out the 2nd eleven in the cup HarboroughFox, most of them are injured as well We're at the stage of fielding the Under 18's and Filbert as CF

 

Agree entirely with the one too many comment. Others have felt replaceable but goals from wide we only have one source of. Definitely something that needs addressing in the summer. Can’t see Albrighton and Under offering anything so maybe back to 5 at the back and try to grind out some results by virtue of not conceding and get the width from Ricardo and Castagne.
It’s still far too congested in the top half and last seasons collapse in similar circumstances just seems to be repeating but from a lesser position of strength (points ahead wise). Maybe if we get no more injuries and get the rest back after the international break other than Justin and Barnes but it seems atm it’s more likely more will drop if that’s even possible!

 

There are differences to last year ... the fit players we have are more experienced and used to playing in the empty stadia now. Could see Brenda playing Wilf as a centre back again with Papy coming into the defensive midfield role ... it's the creativity that is worrying but Perez and Under are good players in their own right and this is an opportunity for one of them. Hopefully Fofana and Praet aren't that far away.

 

Brenda saying Wesley Fofana is looking great in training and if not back for Burnley should be available for the weekend. Perez also is not far away. A little light.

 

We actually have one point less than at the same time last year. Dont think we will collapse as badly though as we should start getting players back.

 

I don’t think we will collapse mentally as we did, the squad will have learned from it. What I can see is the form tailing off because of being to bare bones and the bigger issue is the cushion below is non-existent compared to last year so even if we just have a run of mid table form (compared to last years relegation form), there is a lot of clubs with full strength squads right up behind....hopefully that focuses the minds, easy to get complacent at 14 points ahead last year.

 

Agree re creativity, it’s where the goals are coming from that is the concern. As I have said to NZ above, it’s more the tightness of the league and the lack of a cushion. I do think we’ll miss out on top 4 but not from a mental collapse as per last year, just from the injuries. Last year, mid table form would have seen us home but we probably need more than that this year.
Tomorrow will be unbearable as Burnley are dull enough without us missing our flair players!

 

FFS Hamza! Playing the walking wounded, only 3 attacking players on the pitch, not likely to score more than one so what to do...play the Burnley striker through on goal! Literally just get Tielemans off ASAP for the weekend...