the exile 1:05 Wed Dec 29
Team for Palace
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We're back to winning ways in some style, but I'm not sure how much of that was due to Watford being so poor. Palace will provide a sterner test, but this should still be seen as a winnable game.
The back four should remain the same apart from LB - Johnson seemed to go off injured so I would think he is unlikely to feature. Cresswell will be out for a while longer so we know who that leaves. I would love to see Longelo given a chance but you can be sure that Moyes will pick Masuaku. Yes, I am going to take another opportunity to stand up for him. Let me make it perfectly clear that he would never be in my first choice selection, but I still say he is not as bad as many of you make out. Some of you are like kids in the playground who have to have someone to pick on. Yes, I agree that in comparison with Johnson he will leave us more vulnerable at the back, but Rice will be aware of that and will cover for him. Going forward he offers considerably more than Johnson.
It'll be good to have Rice back and will be interesting to see if Moyes tinkers with the balance of which one of him and Soucek gets forward more.
In front of them I would give a start to Vlasic - he has been showing signs of improvement and his goal will have given him a boost. I think he has the potential to be more effective than Lanzini. In the continued absence of Fornals (Covid?), Benrahma should make his last appearance before departing for the ACN.
Fabianski
Coufal Dawson Diop Masuaku
Soucek Rice
Bowen Vlasic Benrahma
Antonio
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
solidbond
8:39 Sat Jan 1
Re: Team for Palace
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Soldbond: Thurs 4:49.
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pdbis
6:55 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Hopefully Zaha won't start, but no doubt be will as he seems to like playing us.
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solidbond
6:11 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Does Zaha swap wings at all during a match , can't recall ever seeing him play on the right either during the match or from the start,so will be interesting to see if he does on Saturday.
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daveyg
6:03 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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legrandefromage
Coufal did indeed look lost there.Well spotted. Fredericks too. It takes a Spurs fan ⚒️ to inform some how much Johnson should be appreciated.
Coufal didn't look to happy at being a center back either in his brief spell there.
Palace have pace on the wings and we need Coufal in his rightfull place at right back. The only option is a left footed player or someone who is comfortable. Alese is left footed and a comfortable player at the back. Seeing that Longelo has been put out to pasture for playing so well against Zagreb and for the U23's I see Alese as the best option. Playing either of the headless chickens will not help us in anyway. Moyes has had plenty of time to drill Alese in this urgent matter. God knows why he has kept faith in the headless duo.
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pdbis
6:02 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Johnson will be a big miss.
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Mad Dog
5:59 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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He did well. But 2 things
1. It was Watford, who are utter shit
2. If rice is available I'd play him over virtually every centre midfielder in the country. Including noble.
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New Jersey
5:50 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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We were going through a rocky patch and Noble steadies the ship and leads us to a 4 - 1 victory, he shouldn't be dropped!!
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dealcanvey
4:58 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Play 3 cbs so not so reliant on the full backs defensively.
Palace away is the right sort of game to play that formation.
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Lato
4:52 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Depends how you interpret it........me Old Spud!
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fraser
3:44 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Playing Coufal at left back and Fred at right will confuse Palace who won't know which flank to rape first.
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⚒️
3:40 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Playing both sides is not a skill that every full back possesses, which is why Ben Johnson needs to be better appreciated.
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legrandefromage
3:34 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Coufal looked lost at left back when he replaced Cresswell at Man City.
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Sir Alf
3:05 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Johnson confirmed for a scan today I think? Suffering a muscle spasm after the game. Not the hamstring again so that’s good but unlikely to be available for Palace :-(
So we will see the return of “Stupid Fuka” Arfur Masuaku. Bet Palace will be pleased
Wouldn’t Fredericks on the right and Coufal on the left be better?
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Tomshardware
1:09 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Shame you rarely see a 442 formation these days.
---------------Fabianski
Coufal Diop Dawson Johnson
Bowen Soucek Rice Benrahma
----------Anonio Vlasic--------------
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⚒️
12:59 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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So not the same starting line up at all then?
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Lato
12:08 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Same starting line up as Watford except Rice for Noble and Vlasic for Lanzini.
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Hammer and Pickle
11:58 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Good point SDW
If we factor in the poor application, the jury is not so much out on Masuaku but fucked off down the pub.
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SUM A DING WONG
11:43 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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If Masuaku played for a typical midtable team who is inconsistent, he'd go under the radar more. He'd have good games when the team is playing well, shit when the rest of the team plays shit. Now we're a team that's on the up ( for a very, very long time, fingers crossed) he's just not switched on enough and lacks the application.
He should have been more of your typical journeyman footballer. The moving on every couple of years, would focus him more and force him to concentrate and play better.
Let's face no matter how he plays, he gets a game. He's a crafty fucker. I remember him playing really well under Pellegrini, for a fair amount of time. He then got his nice big, fat contract with us, then it's back to same old, same old, and not switching on, blah, blah, blah.
It's a difficult one - because as a football club, you need to have footballers on long contracts to get decent money for them. But at the same time, once they're on these big contracts, certain players lose drive and focus.
Now some footballers, can get get away with losing drive and focus, because when they turn it on, they can be match winners. Masuaku isn't one of them.
There have been many footballers like him before and no doubt more in the future - hopefully, not with us!!
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Hammer and Pickle
11:27 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Sydney - unpredictability is also the problem with Masuaku, especially with Antonio being the loose cannon leading the line. As we saw in the Southampton game, the net effect on team performance of starting Masuaku is not positive - we fail to press, fear to get stuck in and the passing goes up the spout. By all means sling him on at the end when we’re two up and see what happens but it really is like hitting an old TV to get a better picture - you’re just as likely to ship a goal as score one with Masuaku around.
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Mad Dog
11:24 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Dame as the Watford match?
You do know rice is back
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JayeMPee
11:19 Thu Dec 30
Re: Team for Palace
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Same as the Watford match, agree that Soucek should be given license to play forward more made an amazing difference. Main problem Lanzini has had was always seeking to cover Masuaku's mistakes, he covers more ground than most but is not a 'second' left back!
Seems to me that if Johnson is out Longelo should play, he was outstanding in the Europa Cup game.
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