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Pre Match - Milan (H) - Wed 15th - 20:00

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Brizzle

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Here we go, back to European footy and a stacked schedule. Does anyone think we will rotate much or will we stay strong until the League Cup in 3 games time to rotate?

I can see a more conservative midfield, but limited changes.

------------Alisson----------
Trent--Matip--VVD--Robbo
------------Fabinho----------
------Hendo-----Thiago-----
Salah-------Jota-------Mane


Could see Ox & Tsimikas getting some game time, but not a lot else!
 
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Here we go, back to European footy and a stacked schedule. Does anyone think we will rotate much or will we stay strong until the League Cup in 3 games time to rotate?

I can see a more conservative midfield, but limited changes.

------------Alisson----------
Trent--Matip--VVD--Robbo
------------Fabinho----------
------Hendo-----Thiago-----
Salah-------Jota-------Mane


Could see Ox & Tsimikas getting some game time, but not a lot else!
 
Milan are a pretty decent team, and in really good form. Won all 3 of their games in Serie A so far.

They line up in a 4-2-3-1 mostly, based on what I've seen, and the lineup with largely be something like this:

----------------------------Maignan
Calabria-----Tomori ----Kjaer / Romagnoli-----Hernandez
-----------------Tonali-------------Kessie
Saelemaekers--------Diaz----------Leao
/ Florenzi
---------------------------Giroud

Giroud has just recovered from Covid, so they might even play Zlatan up front instead, but otherwise Giroud has been in good form and is first choice. They also have Rebic on the bench to play in place of Diaz, but I expect Diaz to start.

General thoughts are that they're have a fairly solid back 4, two good sitting midfielders, a classic number 9 and a classic no. 10. A defensive winger on the right flank in Saelemaekers / Florenzi and one really pacy winger on the left in Leao.

Leao for me is the main danger man - he has bags of pace and skill and will trouble Trent. Is in pretty good form too. Long term, he's someone we should look at as well as a potential Mane replacement.
 
Few more thoughts:

I expect Milan will mostly play conservatively, and won't be too unhappy with a point. Their back 4 is generally very compact, and they have a double pivot in front of the defence. If they've scouted us, they'll know our biggest problem is breaking down that kind of deep block. So they'll probably play that way, and try and hit us with pace down the left with Leao and Theo Hernandez behind him.

I expect most of their threat to come down that left flank, and in combination play with Giroud / Zlatan and Diaz / Rebic.

Given that, I think we might want to do something like this:
  • Give Matip a rest, and play one of Gomez or Konate for some added pace at the back to cover for Trent. Leao will be a handful if he gets behind Trent, and it might be helpful to have pace there. We have 6 games coming up in the next 17 days, so it's probably best if Matip is rested anyway. Gomez / Konate are due a game.
  • I think I'd also rest Robbo and start Tsimikas. Tsimikas has looked sharp so far, and I think he should be rewarded with game time, especially as most of the attacking overloads from Milan will come down our right.
  • I'd probably play one of Keita or Jones in place of Thiago, as I'd want someone to carry the ball and play between the lines since Milan will mostly be playing deep. Thiago can play on the weekend.
Front 3 will anyway select itself since we have no other options. This is already becoming a problem. Need Bobby back quickly, and one of Origi / Minamino to offer at least something.
 
alright i think i've fixed it in the same way you fix a car crash by selling the car to someone.

Anyway, we can all pray to the gods that our sacrifices can be at the altar. and if we lose, yes, we will sacrifice Binomial like Nicolas Cage in the Wicker Man.
 
Few more thoughts:

I expect Milan will mostly play conservatively, and won't be too unhappy with a point. Their back 4 is generally very compact, and they have a double pivot in front of the defence. If they've scouted us, they'll know our biggest problem is breaking down that kind of deep block. So they'll probably play that way, and try and hit us with pace down the left with Leao and Theo Hernandez behind him.

I expect most of their threat to come down that left flank, and in combination play with Giroud / Zlatan and Diaz / Rebic.

Given that, I think we might want to do something like this:
  • Give Matip a rest, and play one of Gomez or Konate for some added pace at the back to cover for Trent. Leao will be a handful if he gets behind Trent, and it might be helpful to have pace there. We have 6 games coming up in the next 17 days, so it's probably best if Matip is rested anyway. Gomez / Konate are due a game.
  • I think I'd also rest Robbo and start Tsimikas. Tsimikas has looked sharp so far, and I think he should be rewarded with game time, especially as most of the attacking overloads from Milan will come down our right.
  • I'd probably play one of Keita or Jones in place of Thiago, as I'd want someone to carry the ball and play between the lines since Milan will mostly be playing deep. Thiago can play on the weekend.
Front 3 will anyway select itself since we have no other options. This is already becoming a problem. Need Bobby back quickly, and one of Origi / Minamino to offer at least something.
Yes, pretty likely that Matip will be rested but I would have thought that this is just the sort of tactical game that Thiago was bought for and he should start. I know Fabs is so important to us but he was suffering cramps at the end of yesterday's game and may have to be rested.
 
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