Micky and Romero have to start. I'm not sure what the point was in dragging them to Holland if we could've just asked a local journalist what the state of the pitch is in the post-winter period. They've both been back in training for absolutely ages now and throwing them in for the second leg with zero match fitness would be a massive mistake imo. As for the front three, I'm honestly not sure what to say anymore. My opinions on Son are well published. Tel isn't a 9 no matter how much he thinks he is. Odobert needs time to develop, and Brennan is just such a useless player unless everyone and everything around him clicks. I don't think there is any real solution to that area as we just don't have the base level of quality needed at this level of competition.
TBH, my issue is discourse just goes in circles, but so often the circles it goes around in is the wrong one, and I just find that frustrating For example the discourse about ENIC not wanting to win trophies is hopelessly off-base, but after a couple of miserable losses in close succession it gets brought up again as if it's delving into some rabbit hole, when in reality it's diving headlong down a drainpipe Is there criticism of Levy, ENIC et al to be had? Absolutely The issue is that so much of it goes in the wrong direction entirely, or requires convenient amnesia for things which have already happened and/or are in the process of happening which makes it all a bit Darren Grimes
Oh god, I think I found the most ridiculous take on Brennan Johnson on r/coys the other day: the reason he doesn't track back or press isn't because those are about as far from his wheelhouse as the Titanic's rudder, but because he's instructed to leave our right flank wide open ...even though when the likes of Moore or Odobert have played on the right, and unlike Deki they are reasonably like-for-like comparisons, they have not left out right flank wide open, which suggests that it is not a tactical choice and instead the reason why Johnson is far better used as an impact sub against any team who have the tactics and the personnel to sniff out such an obvious systemic flaw
I'm gonna bite my tongue...at least for now. Needless to say I heartily disagree...but that's fine. I'm bored of the same discourse, as are many others.
My worry with him is that Bournemouth struggle with injuries too and they’ve not even had Europe to contend with. Not sure how an Iraola squad would cope with 2/3 games a week.
It’s not that they don’t want to win trophies, it’s that a lot of fans think it’s not a priority for them and that they could do more and make better decisions. We’re on a public football forum, we have to accept we’re gonna see stuff that you don’t agree with even when it seems frustrating or ridiculous.
No Micky in the team is deeply concerning. I think we need to plan for a future without him. Incredible player but his physique and style coupled with the intensity of the PL means we're probably looking at Ledley mk II.
This issue is some of the stuff that keeps coming up doesn't seem founded in reality For example one that does the rounds on here and I've certainly seen on r/coys is Ange doesn't develop youth, as if Mikey Moore isn't in the team often enough or the reason our U21s' form is wobbly this season is entirely because a chunk of last season's team is getting regular minutes on loan entirely so they do develop, which was Harry Redknapp's approach to developing youngsters yet nobody claimed he was getting in the way of Kane, Townsend, Caulker et al
It wouldn't surprise me if we're going in thinking 45 minutes for Cuti and 45 for Mickey Van, to make sure they both have some minutes in their legs before Thursday ...problem is that is asking for something to throw a spanner in the works one way or another
