Following Jol's lunch time press conference:
Aaron Hughes is out of tomorrow’s game and next week’s Internationals with a recurrence of his injury in training on Thursday. Scotty Parker is out for 2 weeks following his injury against Cardiff, which he was apparently carrying before that game.
And then we have Stekelenburg and Briggs still out, along with the ‘phantom’ Dejagah.
From a season ago when Jol didn’t know what his best forward formation was, he currently has that indecision at the back, the centre and the forward line. At the back his expressed fear of risking Hangeland and Amorebieta together was more than realised in the Cardiff game. Yet Amore is good - strong, quick and excellent distribution - so I would (repeating my preference of last week) start with the back four that ended the game against Everton:
..Riether…Senderos..Hangeland ..Amorebieta..
So far as the midfield is concerned, as well as losing the right wing (Dejagah) we seem to have lost the left side also (Kaca is just so out of place defensively and being asked to play more centrally has not suited him). But we do need pace as well as defensive skills on the wide. At central midfield, with Parker out, regrettably, there is no choice but to play Sidwell. So I’d go for three across the middle:
………Zverotic……Sidwell……..Richardson..
Up front Berba is the dilema. He is just so out of form - his ball control and passing has been uncharactistically bad this season. And I think he knows it. So much so that he has stayed behind after normal training for extra practice a couple of times this week. Like Jol, I’d give him at least one more game and start with:
…………..Kasami…………Berbatov..
……………………Bent…………
And ………Stockdale…….in goal to make up my starting eleven.
I believe that’s a strong team defensively and one that has pace going forward. On the bench, Kara and Bryan .. ah, best left unsaid since I will never second guess Jol’s substitutions.
Aaron Hughes is out of tomorrow’s game and next week’s Internationals with a recurrence of his injury in training on Thursday. Scotty Parker is out for 2 weeks following his injury against Cardiff, which he was apparently carrying before that game.
And then we have Stekelenburg and Briggs still out, along with the ‘phantom’ Dejagah.
From a season ago when Jol didn’t know what his best forward formation was, he currently has that indecision at the back, the centre and the forward line. At the back his expressed fear of risking Hangeland and Amorebieta together was more than realised in the Cardiff game. Yet Amore is good - strong, quick and excellent distribution - so I would (repeating my preference of last week) start with the back four that ended the game against Everton:
..Riether…Senderos..Hangeland ..Amorebieta..
So far as the midfield is concerned, as well as losing the right wing (Dejagah) we seem to have lost the left side also (Kaca is just so out of place defensively and being asked to play more centrally has not suited him). But we do need pace as well as defensive skills on the wide. At central midfield, with Parker out, regrettably, there is no choice but to play Sidwell. So I’d go for three across the middle:
………Zverotic……Sidwell……..Richardson..
Up front Berba is the dilema. He is just so out of form - his ball control and passing has been uncharactistically bad this season. And I think he knows it. So much so that he has stayed behind after normal training for extra practice a couple of times this week. Like Jol, I’d give him at least one more game and start with:
…………..Kasami…………Berbatov..
……………………Bent…………
And ………Stockdale…….in goal to make up my starting eleven.
I believe that’s a strong team defensively and one that has pace going forward. On the bench, Kara and Bryan .. ah, best left unsaid since I will never second guess Jol’s substitutions.
