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Watford (H) pre match

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6TimesaRed

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Chance to lay some foundations.. though likely we will have to go into this one without Frim, to try and get him fit for the Blueshite at the weekend..

City have two key players out (Laport and Fernandino) and are likely to be a bit fatigued from the Tin Pot cup final.. That could play to our advantage over the coming weeks.. (next 3 games)

So how do we shape up against Watford without Frim ?

Keita, fabinho and winjnut must start in midfield, between the three of them they will have the workrate required to fill in for Frims usual hardwork..

TAA must be recalled, with Salah, Mane and the Powercube up top, with Salah playing in the central role..

I expect Salah to be key in this game.. Watford to Salah is like what Norwich was to Suarez




 
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Watford will play into our hands, especially after the confidence they got against Cardiff.

----------Alisson------------
TAA--Matip--VVD--Robbo
--------Gini---Fabs-----------
----------Shaq/Naby----------
Salah-----Origi------Mane


Whilst I think it would be easy to put Shaq in the front three, I think this is the exact kind of game we need him in the CM trio and another attacker up top.
 
I'd be inclined to keep Matip in the team even if Lovren is ready. I thought Mark Lawrenson was quite insightful - for a change - when asked about Matip before yesterday's game. He said, 'There are some centre backs who just need to focus on their own game. They're no good at organising others, shouting instructions and geeing everyone else up, but if you let them just concentrate on their own game they will be fine, and Matip is like that. He's a good player when he just keeps concentrating on his own game'.

I like him making runs forwards yesterday. It was obviously rehearsed and it worked - it was the only thing that seemed to really confuse their defence. It's just a shame he can't head a ball forwards rather than straight up in the air. That's bizarre.
 
gkmacca said:
I like him making runs forwards yesterday. It was obviously rehearsed and it worked - it was the only thing that seemed to really confuse their defence. It's just a shame he can't head a ball forwards rather than straight up in the air. That's bizarre.
Click to expand...

You're usually very critical of these forays forward by Matip. But like you said, it was one of the few things that seemed effective yesterday.

It would have been nice to have Trent/Shaq on the pitch to take advantage of that dangerous freekick he drew from one of the runs.
 
Alisson
Trent
Matip
Virgil
Robertson

Milner
Gini
Fabinho

Shaqiri
Salah
Mane

Unless Firmino is fit, if he is if drop Milner or Fabinho and play Shaq in the midfield
 
Allison

TAA-----Matip------Virgil------Robbo

---------------Fabinho----------------

Wijnaldum---------------Henderson

Shaqiri------Salah--------Mane

I'd give Milner a rest - he looks fucked. Not sure how injured Firmino is, but he's hardly scored for months anyway.
There's no other options, really.
 
Insignificance said:
Hope Firmino recovers quickly. We need need him in form.
Click to expand...

If he does recover - anyone know how bad his ankle is? - I'd still be tempted to try and get Shaq into the team, perhaps playing in front of Wijnaldum and Fabinho.
Although I suppose it's possible Keita will get another chance.
 
ibromurph said:
You're usually very critical of these forays forward by Matip. But like you said, it was one of the few things that seemed effective yesterday.

It would have been nice to have Trent/Shaq on the pitch to take advantage of that dangerous freekick he drew from one of the runs.
Click to expand...

Yes. It surprised me yesterday Matip normally reaches the centre circle and then bombs back. But yesterday he was on the edge of their area. VVD can do that as well, but I guess he's too concerned these days with patrolling the back line.
 
Oncy said:
I’ll be fucking amazed if he does ANYTHING of note in the game too.
Click to expand...

What? He did two runs upfield with the ball in his last game. And he also fell over in the box once and we should have had a pelanty. And then there was that lovely pass, which wasn't an assist but should have counted as one really, it was so lovely.

I just don't think you can just base all of your opinions on goals, assists and stuff like that, just because he hasn't got any.

And you have to admit he's been less rubbish in the last few weeks. It's almost exciting.
 
manwithnoname said:
What? He did two runs upfield with the ball in his last game. And he also fell over in the box once and we should have had a pelanty. And then there was that lovely pass, which wasn't an assist but should have counted as one really, it was so lovely.

I just don't think you can just base all of your opinions on goals, assists and stuff like that, just because he hasn't got any.

And you have to admit he's been less rubbish in the last few weeks. It's almost exciting.
Click to expand...
Youre right. Im being too demanding.
I hope he wears the boots on the right feet and doesnt turn up at the wrong match.
8/10
 
According to Morse the 6 sites have jointly awarded Keita 1xMotM, 1x2nd and 1x3rd. A few more of those wouldn't go amiss and the recent signs have been positive in that regard.
 
Frogfish said:
According to Morse the 6 sites have jointly awarded Keita 1xMotM, 1x2nd and 1x3rd. A few more of those wouldn't go amiss and the recent signs have been positive in that regard.
Click to expand...
So in 25 matches hes been one of the three best players 3 times.

What a man.
 
Matip yesterday ran with the ball at their defence & opened them right up.

We can't rely on a CB to do that, obviously, & we have only two midfielders capable of it, Shaqiri & Keita. Shaqiri for some reason has been very poor of late, whereas Keita has been improving match on match.

It's a fucking no brainer for me, & it's not an agenda, or trying to prove a point, it's just common sense.
 
Those 3 MOM awards are most likely in his last 4 games, not the first 20. I'm not seeing the love in for Shaq to replace Bobby if I'm honest. Since he was given a starting role for a couple of games around Xmas, and then when he has come on lately ( Bayern, yesterday ), he has done next to fuck all. He hasn't created any attacking threat whatsoever from what I can remember. I'd prefer Keita back in the middle of the park and someone on the right in from of TAA with Salah up top. He needs to be moved up top because again, the last few games he had been dispossessed nearly every time he has had the ball to feet out wide.
 
FoxForceFive said:
Matip yesterday ran with the ball at their defence & opened them right up.

We can't rely on a CB to do that, obviously, & we have only two midfielders capable of it, Shaqiri & Keita. Shaqiri for some reason has been very poor of late, whereas Keita has been improving match on match.

It's a fucking no brainer for me, & it's not an agenda, or trying to prove a point, it's just common sense.
Click to expand...
Nah mate, clearly playing the same industrious midfield three that's contributed sweet fuck all to breaking down difficult teams this season is the way to go.

Bren and Andy can deride people for having hope that Keita will help us improve in this regard all they like, but it's no different to them thinking that keeping things the same will suddenly result in the midfield transforming as an attacking outlet.

Unless of course they aren't interested in the team getting better and just want to slag off Keita, which would certainly be unprecedented for this forum.
 
Mystic said:
Nah mate, clearly playing the same industrious midfield three that's contributed sweet fuck all to breaking down difficult teams this season is the way to go.

Bren and Andy can deride people for having hope that Keita will help us improve in this regard all they like, but it's no different to them thinking that keeping things the same will suddenly result in the midfield transforming as an attacking outlet.

Unless of course they aren't interested in the team getting better and just want to slag off Keita, which would certainly be unprecedented for this forum.
Click to expand...

I've been one of the very many people on here who identified a lack of midfield creativity as an issue (as well as a defensive midfielder, new goalie and new CB, all of which have been delivered to great success) and was gutted that we didn't sign Fekir, or a similar attacking midfield player.

The identification of that need has not changed, but I don't think that's quite the same as assuming Keita's the one who will fix it, because so far he's done fuck all.
 
manwithnoname said:
I've been one of the very many people on here who identified a lack of midfield creativity as an issue (as well as a defensive midfielder, new goalie and new CB, all of which have been delivered to great success) and was gutted that we didn't sign Fekir, or a similar attacking midfield player.

The identification of that need has not changed, but I don't think that's quite the same as assuming Keita's the one who will fix it, because so far he's done fuck all.
Click to expand...
Fair, but the windows closed and we can't go out and sign Fekir, so deriding one of the few options we have to try and address this issue, is a vote for the status quo, and to suggest the same midfield which has struggled for months to break these teams down will suddenly start taking them apart is a bigger leap than suggesting Keita could add a dynamic to the midfield that we are badly missing, especially as recent performances have mildly suggested this.

The midfield needs to change for me, Keita and Shaqiri are both valid options for this, Keitas my preference, however either could work. What is clear however is that a Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson midfield will continue to cost us points in the games where teams know how to defend well.
 
Obviously the answer is try keita

But the fact we do look so uncreative in midfield, and klopp still doesn't give him a regular starts, is a worry.
 
It's frustrating we don't have players who look to hit passes to the other wing in midfield. We've obviously got several players who CAN do that, but they don't do it. As a result we are very predictable and slow in the way we try to move the ball from side to side. Several times yesterday Milner had loads of space if only we'd hit the ball quickly straight out to him from the left, but instead it was a case of someone looking up, seeing him, then passing the ball back to VVD, who'd pass it forwards to Gini, who'd then pass it back to Matip, who then finally passed it out right to Milner - who by this time had been closed down. We need to mix it up every now and then and really up the pace.
 
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