I can understand Firpo playing to free up Dallas, I’m lost as to why Marsch believes his “speed” on the left, he has to be the slowest in the team. I can’t even begin to predict a score line, I guess if we lost 2-0 it would seem respectable, I can’t see us scoring though.
If i was marsch i would be thinking how a premier club has such a limited squad. Bielsa insisted on this pathetically small squad with no cover in vital positions. Striker.. Fullback.. Midfield... What midfield we don't have one. At least now we are not playing kamakaze football. I predicted relegation early in the season. If bielsa had stayed we would be going down. I have seen many posts saying this run we have going is down to returning players from injury. That is utter bullkrap until the last game only cooper started. Firshaw is a sick note and so is Bamford. Firpo is another who is injured all the time. We can get something from the city game but need to pack the midfield. Leave James to run about like a headless chicken. If he broke clear i would have no faith in him scoring. My prediction rests on how we set up. Do it right and we can get a point. Pass the ball same as the palace game and we are going to be thrashed.
Dan James to get booked @13/5. They'll be messing about at the back, fans fired up so only a matter of time before he clatters someone.
Spot on that. Hard to disagree with most or any of that. Maybe still unsure if it was Bielsa alone insisting on the small squad, in fact I don't think it was just his decision
There is small like we have and small with quality. If we have 18 very good players and plus 4 very good up and coming then that's a different setup. Jesse in.
We shouldn't be thinking of this game as a "free hit"....we should be thinking in terms of three points to play for We need to ditch any pretentions of going out and entertaining with cavalier football. At best it will be a bloody hard slog at the "coal face". We need to get into the mind-set of "murder ball" x 10. For once this might be a game for Dan James to use his pace. Long balls, not 10' off the ground, but over the top of City's defense for James to run on to. We'll probably lose, but make City work hard for it. And who knows, they were in a humdinger of a game on Tuesday and might feel a reaction on Saturday evening ?
Pack the defence, clatter a few of them early on…. the likes of Foden, Sterling etc and the players and Pep will start thinking hard about next Wednesday…. Grealish will start defo, get him stretchered off and let’s see!!
