Pre Match Slavia Prague v Leicester

[Brown Nose]

For the remainder of this season, domestically we have 14 PL matches and between 1 and 3 FA Cup matches.

There is also an international break next month with absurd fixtures (England play WC qualifiers on 25th, 28th and 31st March).

To win the EL, we will have to play 9 more games.

Youri Tielemans has already played 38 matches in the last 5 months. If he played in every match we potentially have left this season, plus games for Belgium, his schedule would be:

Feb: 18th, 21st, 25th 28th
March: 6th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 20th, 24th, 27th, 30th
April: 3rd, 8th, 10th, 15th, 17th, 24th, 29th
May: 1st, 6th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 23rd, 26th

Plus three extra PL games (A to Burnley, H to WBA and A to Chelsea) that would have to be arranged somewhere in there before the 23rd May.

That would be a potential 29 more matches in a little over three months. He would then join up with Belgium for games from the 6th June and into the Euros.

If we cannot win the EL, and I think the above schedule makes it virtually impossible, then why play key players in this tie when we are seriously trying to finish in the top four which is worth so much to us?

 

[parafox]

If we cannot win the EL, and I think the above schedule makes it virtually impossible

Surely whoever wins it will have to play a similar schedule. Why throw away a chance to get some european silverware?

 

[Brown Nose]

Surely whoever wins it will have to play a similar schedule. Why throw away a chance to get some european silverware?

If we were in Arsenal's situation, out of the FA Cup and top four race, then yes absolutely go for the EL. But us? Going for the EL will inevitably feck us up for the top four. We don't have the squad for both.

 

[barnacle]

Daley-Cambell - Arthur Daley...

 

[barnacle]

If we were in Arsenal's situation, out of the FA Cup and top four race, then yes absolutely go for the EL. But us? Going for the EL will inevitably feck us up for the top four. We don't have the squad for both.

What should we play for this season?

 

[Brown Nose]

My team for this:

Ward
Daley-Campbell Amartey Flynn Fuchs Thomas
Mendy Choudhury
Leshabela Under
Iheanacho

No starter against Villa should even travel - fill the bench with kids.

 

[Micky]

Ward

Thomas
Fuchs
Amartey
Soyuncu
Daley-Campbell

Mendy
Choudhury
Albrighton

Under
Iheanacho

 

[Brown Nose]

What should we play for this season?

Priority one is to finish between 2nd and 4th in the PL. That gives us a massive increase in income and potentially enables us to retain players like Tielemans and Soyuncu this summer as well as attract new players and maybe retain our manager for longer.

Priority two is to go for the FA Cup. We're in the QF and winning it is a realistic ambition.

Priority three - way down the list - is the EL. To make it worthwhile (a top seeding in the CL for 21/22) you have to win it. We cannot win it so why bother?

 

[Feriol]

I think we will and should go for the EL.

I think the players will want to take it seriously and it's important to give them that chance and doing well will make us more attractive to European players.

I think we do have the squad to compete, and still finish top 4, the FA cup will be the one we take less seriously.

 

[Miles Away]

My team for this:

Ward
Daley-Campbell Amartey Flynn Fuchs Thomas
Mendy Choudhury
Leshabela Under
Iheanacho

No starter against Villa should even travel - fill the bench with kids.

Hahahah. You absolute arsehole!!

 

[sparky79]

I think we need to have a bit of luck in the next 14 days to help us navigate the rest of the season.
We should technically have our first choice team (based on last seasons best + new signings) on the pitch from Slavia Prague onwards.
That means Ricardo Evans Soyuncu Castagne as a back four. With Amartey Fuchs and Thomas in reserve.
We have 4 more games until Fofana is scheduled to return (6th March). Two big league games against Villa and Arsenal within that.
Once Fofana is back we can employ a proper management of the defense through to the end of the season, if we are lucky enough to go a few games without more injury or suspension
I agree that Tielemans looks likes he needs managing. I think that will be more possible if we have a settled defense. I imagine Rodgers might consider Maddison playing deeper and bringing in Under or Perez further forward fore some games or will trust Choudhury to come in alongside Ndidi.
The fact that Praet will be back for April may end up working in our favour as opposed to last year when we just lost Ricardo, maddison, soyuncu and others in the run in

 

[parafox]

Priority one is to finish between 2nd and 4th in the PL. That gives us a massive increase in income and potentially enables us to retain players like Tielemans and Soyuncu this summer as well as attract new players and maybe retain our manager for longer.

Priority two is to go for the FA Cup. We're in the QF and winning it is a realistic ambition.

Priority three - way down the list - is the EL. To make it worthwhile (a top seeding in the CL for 21/22) you have to win it. We cannot win it so why bother?

I agree it's unlikely that we will win the Europa League but it's even less likely we win the FA cup with Man City, Chelsea and Man United still in it. Man U will be gagging for it as well as Ole will want a trophy to justify his role there. It's Also likely that we can get at least as far as the quarters of the EL and at least be in with a chance of getting to the final.

 

[Miles Away]

This game is a great illustration of how badly we miss Praet.

 

[Brown Nose]

I think we need to have a bit of luck in the next 14 days to help us navigate the rest of the season.
We should technically have our first choice team (based on last seasons best + new signings) on the pitch from Slavia Prague onwards.
That means Ricardo Evans Soyuncu Castagne as a back four. With Amartey Fuchs and Thomas in reserve.
We have 4 more games until Fofana is scheduled to return (6th March). Two big league games against Villa and Arsenal within that.
Once Fofana is back we can employ a proper management of the defense through to the end of the season, if we are lucky enough to go a few games without more injury or suspension
I agree that Tielemans looks likes he needs managing. I think that will be more possible if we have a settled defense. I imagine Rodgers might consider Maddison playing deeper and bringing in Under or Perez further forward fore some games or will trust Choudhury to come in alongside Ndidi.
The fact that Praet will be back for April may end up working in our favour as opposed to last year when we just lost Ricardo, maddison, soyuncu and others in the run in

You're making the basic mistake of assuming that we will only get players back from injury. We will pick up more and more new injuries with our schedule. It is inevitable. We could easily be forced to play kids in key PL matches unless we're very careful.

 

[barnacle]

Priority one is to finish between 2nd and 4th in the PL. That gives us a massive increase in income and potentially enables us to retain players like Tielemans and Soyuncu this summer as well as attract new players and maybe retain our manager for longer.

Priority two is to go for the FA Cup. We're in the QF and winning it is a realistic ambition.

Priority three - way down the list - is the EL. To make it worthwhile (a top seeding in the CL for 21/22) you have to win it. We cannot win it so why bother?

In the throws of gaining a top4 place, should we try and win the cups?

 

[Matt_B]

For the remainder of this season, domestically we have 14 PL matches and between 1 and 3 FA Cup matches.

There is also an international break next month with absurd fixtures (England play WC qualifiers on 25th, 28th and 31st March).

To win the EL, we will have to play 9 more games.

Youri Tielemans has already played 38 matches in the last 5 months. If he played in every match we potentially have left this season, plus games for Belgium, his schedule would be:

Feb: 18th, 21st, 25th 28th
March: 6th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 20th, 24th, 27th, 30th
April: 3rd, 8th, 10th, 15th, 17th, 24th, 29th
May: 1st, 6th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 23rd, 26th

Plus three extra PL games (A to Burnley, H to WBA and A to Chelsea) that would have to be arranged somewhere in there before the 23rd May.

That would be a potential 29 more matches in a little over three months. He would then join up with Belgium for games from the 6th June and into the Euros.

If we cannot win the EL, and I think the above schedule makes it virtually impossible, then why play key players in this tie when we are seriously trying to finish in the top four which is worth so much to us?

I tried to look the other day but couldn't find the data. I'd be interested to know how much ground Youri has covered and how many sprints etc. His position and the way he plays it brilliantly isn't as high-tempo and fatiguing, I would argue, as somebody like Barnes or Justin etc, or even Maddison. Maybe he's not as tired as the minutes suggest if he's not running as far?

 

[Brown Nose]

In the throws of gaining a top4 place, should we try and win the cups?

Of course we should try to win the cups. However, our schedule and squad make it impossible to go for everything and not royally feck up the main objective.

Going for the FA Cup doesn't screw our season. Going for the EL definitely will.

A very realistic scenario would be losing two cup finals and finishing 7th or 8th in the PL. Then is it worth it? Especially with no fans able to attend the finals?

 

[alex]

Can kids play in the EL? Surely we have to have submitted our squad already? Not sure how many 'kids' are in there? Or have I got this wrong?

 

[Jeff]

Can kids play in the EL? Surely we have to have submitted our squad already? Not sure how many 'kids' are in there? Or have I got this wrong?

'kids' can play. They need to be added to the squad the day before the game.

 

[Graz]

Can kids play in the EL? Surely we have to have submitted our squad already? Not sure how many 'kids' are in there? Or have I got this wrong?

I think U23s - or somewhere around there - don't have to be register to play, so you can use kids still.

But there's not a chance of it happening otherwise why have we bothered turning up to the group stage games?

We can't prioritise everything and we will rotate again here, but it will be similar rotation to the FA Cup game. We will change about half the team from today. And that's the right thing to do