Team vs Panathinaikos

[Snarfalicious]

I'd honestly go with:

------------------------ Lloris ---------------------------
Smith ----------- Dawons --- Caulker --- Naughton
-------------- Carroll ----------- THudd ---------------
--------------------- Mason/Siggy ---------------------
Falque ------------------------------------- Townsend
---------------------- Ade/Dempsey --------------------

If Ade's back I throw him right in there and hope he can put in a good 45-60 minutes. Coulthrist could come on at 60 minutes.

 

[Mr Pink]

This is pretty much our most important UEFA cup ground game. Win this and us and Lazio cruise into the two qualifying places. I also expect this game to be tougher than Villa.

Lloris​

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Smith Dawson Caulker Naughton​

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Siggy Huddlestone Dembele​

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Dempsey Adebayor Townsend​

Really don't think Ade is goiing to be fit, and I would definitely be saving Dembele for Sunday.

 

[sloth]

I think he'll go for a strong team. Don't know who though, except Lloris will obviously play.

 

[TheGreenLily]

Oooo a very tough one. Needing a strong team to go for the win, but resting some players who clearly need it, but those that would fill/cover their positions are injured, including Naughton I think.

​

Townsend - Dempsey - Falque​

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Carrol -------- Sigs​

Huddlestone​

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Jan - Caulker - Dawson - Smith​

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Lloris​

​

Obviously, if Ade is fit now, then he would replace Dempsey and Dempsey would replace Falque​

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With something like this team to play AV;​

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Bale - Defoe - Lennon​

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Dembele -------- Sigs​

Sandro​

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Jan - Gallas - Caulker - Walker​

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Friedel​

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Lloris​

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Smith Dawson Caulker Naughton​

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Huddlestone Carroll​

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Townsend Siggy Falque​

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???​

​

I'd like to see us go none of our key players from last night who are likely to start on Sunday v Villa. I have no idea who we could play up front. Obika I suppose, though I'm not sure he's got what it takes.​

Dempsey needs to score more goals to get his confidence up. Give him a start.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Agree get Ade in ASAP.

Don't be worried about tiredness of players. You don't feel tired when you're winning.

 

[shaqTHFC]

How close is Naughton to being fit for this game? If he's fit I'd play

Lloris​

Smith-Dawson-Caulker-Naughton​

Huddlestone-Sigurdsson-Dembele/Sandro​

Lennon-Dempsey-Townsend​

​

In an ideal world Livermore would be fit and could let both Dembele and Sandro have a night off and Adebayor would also be fit to allow Lennon to drop to the bench and play Townsend on the right and Dempsey on the left.​

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Would defo like to see Townsend. He will be needed in PL if he's up to it. Lennon (especially) and Bale won't go the season without some sort of injury.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Would defo like to see Townsend. He will be needed in PL if he's up to it. Lennon (especially) and Bale won't go the season without some sort of injury.

I would guarantee a start for him, actually.

I don't see anyway he doesn't.

 

[tippspur59]

Any TV station showing this game?

 

[JerryGarcia]

What's going on with Ade anyway? Has there been any official news?

Alan Sugar said on twitter the other day that he didn't think he was injured and that he thought he'd fallen out with AVB. I'm sure that's bollocks but we need him back and fit.

 

[Spurger King]

Any TV station showing this game?

ITV 4

 

[ShelfSide18]

Toughie, real toughie this.

This will be our 3rd consecutive midweek game, our players need rest and it's going to catch up with us. Strong team against Panathanaikos will quite possibly mean a jaded undwhelming display against the Villa, but then again we want to do well in the EL this year.

Lloris​

Smith Dawson Caulker Naughton​

Hudd​

Siggy Mason​

Falque Dempsey Townsend​

​

Is that a bit of a risk?​

 

[Snarfalicious]

Any TV station showing this game?

In America, Fox Soccer will be showing it live as well.

 

[Snarfalicious]

What's going on with Ade anyway? Has there been any official news?

Alan Sugar said on twitter the other day that he didn't think he was injured and that he thought he'd fallen out with AVB. I'm sure that's bollocks but we need him back and fit.

It's incredible that not even an update on his situation has been discussed. Why can't a journalist just ask already?

 

[Mr Pink]

Toughie, real toughie this.

This will be our 3rd consecutive midweek game, our players need rest and it's going to catch up with us. Strong team against Panathanaikos will quite possibly mean a jaded undwhelming display against the Villa, but then again we want to do well in the EL this year.

Lloris​

Smith Dawson Caulker Naughton​

Hudd​

Siggy Mason​

Falque Dempsey Townsend​

​

Is that a bit of a risk?

A wee bit yeah, but I would be happy with it. I really want Sandro and Dembele protected, but with Livermore and Parker out we are short for sure in this area.

I think Walker will play, and one of Bale and Lennon, and one of Sandro and Dembele.

He has to come up with a team he believes can get a result, whilst holding back enough to ensure we have enough freshness for Sunday.

I'm hoping the QPR game gave him enough of a shock to juggle his resources for this up coming week.

 

[karennina]

I would guarantee a start for him, actually.

I don't see anyway he doesn't.

I agree. Him, Lloris, Smith, Daws, Thudd, and Sig will all almost certainly start, IMO. Sig has only played 14, 45, 90 and 21 minutes in the last 4 matches. The other 5 are our first choice back ups down to the level of those who have been standout players in the Championship.

Assuming no injuries return, I suspect we could get away, including being ready for Villa, with 4 of the first choice starting in four of the remaining 5 spots, only one of them playing 90, and mostly youngsters on the bench to replace them. Just one of our more untested youngsters would have to start.

Lloris
Smith Daws Caulker Townsend
Thudd Dembele
Falque Sigurdsson Bale
Defoe

Subs: Cudicini, Mason, Dempsey, Obika, Carroll + two further youngsters.

Defoe had a full weeks rest before Utd - him and Dempsey could play a half each. Dembele and Bale didn't even travel to Carlisle, so perhaps they can do this midweek's duty too. Sandro, Lennon, Walker, Vertonghen, Friedel, and Gallas wouldn't even have to travel - 6 fully fresh members of the starting 11 to play Villa.

Panathanaikos' few non Greek players have a handful of caps for minor countries or none for major ones, with two exceptions: Boumsong and Andre Pinto (22yrs, 2 Portugal caps.) Quincy Owusu Abeyie and Sebastian Leto were their standout attacking players last season, and while neither made it in the Prem, Townsend and Smith haven't yet either. Once their experience is considered, their better players are certainly stronger than our reserves once you get past our full internationals.

Against seasoned pros, given we want to win, digging any deeper than one or two less than fully Championship proven players for the starting 11 is a risk we don't need to take perhaps.

 

[ShelfSide18]

A wee bit yeah, but I would be happy with it. I really want Sandro and Dembele protected, but with Livermore and Parker out we are short for sure in this area.

I think Walker will play, and one of Bale and Lennon, and one of Sandro and Dembele.

He has to come up with a team he believes can get a result, whilst holding back enough to ensure we have enough freshness for Sunday.

I'm hoping the QPR game gave him enough of a shock to juggle his resources for this up coming week.

Yeah, it's a tough one. Interesting to see what AVB does here, I'm just very wary that it could seriously impact the Villa game if we go all out in Greece.

 

[Mr Pink]

Yeah, it's a tough one. Interesting to see what AVB does here, I'm just very wary that it could seriously impact the Villa game if we go all out in Greece.

Me to mate. I'm trying to second guess what he'll do, but I would play something similar to what you suggested. There is no doubt that our performance will be affected if we go full strength, and Villa will have a serious chance of getting something if we do.

Even a draw wouldn't be a bad result, we'll have enough to qualify to field stronger sides when the likes of Ade, Parker and Benny etc return to ensure we can rotate more without weakening ourselves too much.

I'll be disappointed if we don;t have at least five fresh players for the Villa game. It takes the gloss over the totally unexpected three points this weekend if we don't do the business against Villa.

 

[noahrobert]

I'm thinking it's easier to think who should NOT play...

I would say especially after Saturday's drain Vertonghen needs resting, having played in more or less all matches do far, sandro and Dembele, Defoe, bale and Lennon...

I would go for;

Lloris

Smith Dawson Caulker Parrot

Siggy Huddlestone Carrol

Townsend Dempsey Mason

Subs; Falque, Gomes then a few first teamers just in case.

I know parrot is a DCM, but Verts despite being the THOR of the football world is the last player we need injured right now, and tiredness brings injuries. Surely Parrot could do a job, leaving a spine of Lloris Dawson Caulker Huddlestone Siggy Dempsey which is experienced and talented enough to secure a win?

Shame that the fryers transfer got complicated, and this game shows how our squad is just a tad slim....