It will be interesting to see if Puel tinkers with the team today after his selection worked so well on Saturday at Stamford Bridge. One might think why on earth would he do anything different against Man City, but Claude being Claude, you wouldn't be shocked to see the midweek lineup being different to the weekend one.
It's not even quite fair to say that he resorted to the Leicester way to save his job against Chelsea, that is a more defensive line up than I've seen previously, with three natural DMs and the hard working Albrighton starting in midfield.
Clearly Man City are very dependent on Fernandinho who may not be available, if so Stones deputising may provide opportunities - provided Maddison and Vardy play. Given that there is a question over the latter's fitness will we see Ian starting instead?
I wouldn't be surprised to see Gray included, possibly Iborra instead of one of the 3 DMs.
We'll see later on, but I might just be confounded by Puel and hear the same line-up read out this afternoon as Saturday.
Thoughts?
Team v Man City
posted on 26/12/18
I’m not sure I buy into this 3 DMs being really successful. It’s a bizarre tactic and in the first half against Chelsea I’d say a) one of them was the poorest performer for us on the pitch and b) I just don’t think as a whole, there was anything that it provided that wouldn’t have been achievable with 2 DM and an Iborra type midfielder.
Having said that, there simply isn’t another player in our squad, to come into midfield, outwide, upfront who -on merit- deserves to take one of the places pound for pound (in terms of form/contribution for the team).
Perhaps the only consideration would be Okazaki to come in - to bolster support for Vardy and provide further midfield support without it being 3 DMs and allow Maddison a role drifting in/the ability to work with Chilwell on the left. I’d probably consider this as. Tactical change though.
This rotation malarkey is utter rubbish, we aren’t playing ANY more games than we would have in years gone by, in fact, we are playing less in a smaller PL when many people who advocate rotation would have even considered using the word. We aren’t in the CL, we aren’t fighting relegation, we aren’t challenging for CL or titles, we don’t have a world class squad. If players aren’t fit, don’t play them. If they are and they are the best we have - do.
For momentum and morale I’d start the same team.
.....therefore....I expect Iborra, Gray, Iheanacho to all come in, Rotation to be mentioned without any real understanding or explanation and Kelechi to produce an airshot with his boot flying towards row z and into someone’s Balti pie.
posted on 26/12/18
Cmon u foxes....lets err, put a fox in that there hen house. 2-1 to Leicester
posted on 26/12/18
*wouldnt have even considered
posted on 26/12/18
Choudhury dropped, Gray in.
Albrighton dropped, Ghezzal in
posted on 26/12/18
I want to see Maddison dropped in to midfield and Okazaki to support Vardy.
We’ll probably see an experimental 3-6-1 formation with Vardy as a wide striker.
Who am I kidding, Puel is advised by Dunge and will never ever play 3 at the back.
posted on 26/12/18
Ghezzal in
TB - are you trying to insinuate that Claude will try his best to stop Liverpool running away with the league by gifting 3 points to Pep?
posted on 26/12/18
Not at all, he’s just picking the most exciting, attack minded team He can think of for Boxing Day Football. -
posted on 26/12/18
Unchanged, din’t Change a winning team.