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the exile 12:48 Sun Oct 25
Injuries - who covers for who?
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The manager had a full squad to pick from yesterday. We're showing undeniable signs of improvement - resilient in defense and a real attacking threat along with a genuinely positive team spirit. Happy days! However, injuries will come, and it's no surprise that they seem to have started with our talisman, Antonio. We've also been picking up quite a few yellow cards so suspensions could be an issue at some stage.
So, following on from Stubbo's thread about the sub's bench, I thought it might be an idea to give an opportunity to discuss who would be best as cover for each member of the current first team. Some are very straightforward, but there will clearly be some disagreement about others.
Fabianski - for me it has to be Randolph. Martin is a great lad and some seem to have it in for Randolph, but he is the better keeper.
Balbuena - Diop
Ogbonna - Diop
Cresswell - Diop. If more than one of the back three are out then we call on Dawson too. If Cresswell is out it raises the issue of which one has license to push forward - not sure about that...
Coufal - Fredericks, who is probably a better wb than fb. I thought he was looking like an improved player before his recent injury.
Masuaku - I would move Cresswell into this position and bring Diop into the back three. I'm not entirely convinced by Johnson - in any case I think he's probably more of a fb than a wb. He would do a job if both Arthur and Cresswell were out, but I wouldn't mind seeing young Longelo in there - loads of potential and good going forward.
Rice & Soucek - I think it's probably best to discuss these two together as it's all about the partnership, which is one of the major reasons for our recent improvement. If one of these is out it would be bad enough, but both of them would be a massive blow. The biggest problem would be Rice because we simply don't have another strong, mobile, defensively-minded midfielder. Young Connor Coventry might develop into that player but I doubt he's ready yet and is probably more of an all-rounder like Soucek. So if Rice is out I think we would have to bring in either Noble or Snodgrass. If Soucek is out I it could be either of the above, or if we've got a back three who are all proper CBs (ie not Cresswell) we could bring in either Fornals or Lanzini. If both Rice and Soucek are out I would also have 3 CBs at the back, so Cresswell would have to be sacrificed, Rice replaced by either Noble or Snodgrass, Soucek replaced by either Fornals or Lanzini.
Bowen - Yarmolenko (don't judge him only on yesterday's performance!)
Fornals - I think we all know that this position, sooner or later, is going to belong to Benrahma. Fornals is quite versatile so could find himself deputizing for Benrahma, Bowen or Soucek.
Antonio - Haller. Yes, I know, we paid over the odds, he's nothing like Antonio, but to put that into context, Antonio could walk into almost any team in Europe at the moment, so it's no wonder he's keeping Haller out of the side. I get fed up with some of the stupid comments on here about Haller. So he looks disinterested and sulky. So fucking what? Yes, we all like a player like DiCanio who wears his heart on his sleeve. But remember Anelka, and Kanoute - they weren't exactly bad - maybe it's a French thing. And don't say he doesn't run much - look again - he does. Admittedly he doesn't have much pace but has a long, loping stride so isn't as slow as he looks. He can certainly finish and is a good target for crosses, which is something we're doing much better now. If he's playing, the other forwards just need to adapt their game a bit and get closer to him. Obviously we'll miss Antonio but it's not the end of the world.
Discuss...
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
Ron Greensward
9:51 Tue Oct 27
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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Going to be a bit radical here. Back up to Antonio Soucek, he is as good a finisher as Antonio and will put in a shift so equally good at closing down. Much more mobile than Haller so we could play the same system. Needs to learn the holding up back to goal role but DM has proved twice he can get players to adapt. I think it's worth a try, initially the training pitch. We then need to replace Soucek. Again work on the training pitch but I would try Johnson. He is 2 footed, has good positional sense and I think could be tried in the holding role with Declan doing the Soucek role. Too much tinkering, maybe but at least worth working on in training or u23 matches for Johnson?
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Russ of the BML
9:09 Tue Oct 27
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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the exile 6:29 Mon Oct 26
You basically put so much effort into it that nobody had anything add...Or disagree with.
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the exile
6:29 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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Surface - thanks for the grammar nazism - quite right.
Glad you enjoyed the post. Quite frankly I'm amazed it hasn't provoked more disagreement - so unlike WHO. What did I do wrong?
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SurfaceAgentX2Zero
4:09 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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I enjoyed it so much, I even resisted pointing out that it should be 'who covers for 'whom' '
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SurfaceAgentX2Zero
3:37 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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It would have been a very unfair SSPPLLAATTTT!!
It was an excellent post and I thought about replying, but didn't because I had nothing to add or disagree with.
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Razzle
3:05 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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Unfortunately, Haller is about as quick as Ironside in 10m sprint
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Russ of the BML
12:23 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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Vexed 11:41 Mon Oct 26
Don't worry. When I see 'worry' I don't mean worry as in the real sense of the word. I can assure you i won't be losing any sleep over it.
But thanks for your concern. It's touching.
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Vexed
11:41 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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Don't fret Wussypoos we scored three against those cunts the other week without Antonio on the pitch, we've got goals in us. Haller appears to be behind Yarmalenko and the tea lady in the pecking order so the lazy mardy cunt wont be troubling anyone's patience much until he fucks off somewhere in January. The fucking wasteman.
Put those worry beads away babes x
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Russ of the BML
11:33 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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I think you have pretty much nailed it.
My biggest worry out of all of those would be Haller for Antonio.
We should've gone all out for King who is much more like Antonio.
But then that's the difference between having owners who have the funds and / or desire to kick on and not.
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the exile
11:02 Mon Oct 26
Re: Injuries - who covers for who?
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Thanks Ronald - didn't know that. Oh dear...
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Ronald_antly
8:06 Mon Oct 26
Re: SPLATT!
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I believe the 'SPLATT!' protocol applies to a thread that has gone an hour since the opening post without any response.
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Coffee
7:21 Mon Oct 26
Re: SPLATT!
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Good thread, this.
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the exile
2:03 Mon Oct 26
Re: SPLATT!
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SPLATT! - looks like you weren't far from being right. Not that I'm trying to bump the thread...
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the exile
3:16 Sun Oct 25
Re: SPLATT!
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Cheers Darby - thought it might be something like that but wasn't sure.
I also meant to say that if both Antonio and Haller are out, Yarmo can play as a striker. Not such a target man but a good finisher.
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Darby_
2:52 Sun Oct 25
Re: SPLATT!
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Splatt I think means that the post hit the bottom of the board without anyone commenting on it. Probably because most people would agree with your points so there’s nothing much to say.
The transition from Antonio to Haller is the biggest issue for me. Haller is good player, but can’t create something out of nothing like Antonio or even Yarmo. So I think we’d need creative players playing close to Haller, presumably Benny and Bowen.
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Tomsdad
2:22 Sun Oct 25
Re: SPLATT!
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Can't do Antonio, but I got Fornals covered!
Let me know the dates.
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the exile
2:22 Sun Oct 25
Re: SPLATT!
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Sorry mate - I've been on WHO for donkeys years, but I must make the ignominious confession that I have no idea what is meant by a SPLATT. Please enlighten me.
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claypole
2:20 Sun Oct 25
Re: SPLATT!
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I would have quite liked to have seen Diop in for Rice in one of the earlier rounds of the cup. See if there was any potential for a change of position.
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SPLATT!
2:05 Sun Oct 25
SPLATT!
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SPLATT!
*In my opinion, this is an unwarranted SPLATT! as it is an interesting post, but rules are rules.
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