Team for City

[TommyW]

Given where we are at the moment, i honestly do not follow Ange logic with not playing Dier.
I know he is a player that some of our fans love to hate, and i know he may have some issues with pace, but he is a world cup semifinalist in his position,
love or hate Poch, Mourinho and Conte, they all rated him extremely highly at club level and Hodgson, Allardyce , and `Southgate ,at England level,
Given the threadbare nature of the squad, i am wondering if this has something to do with ability but much more a personal problem with the 2 of them?
We have beaten city 6 in the last 8 meetings and dier would have played in all of them unless injured, we have also just lost 3 on the spin , (despite external factors being the cause).
it feels like Ange will only play him over his dead body....weird?
Apparently Ally Gold asked "if Dier was starting to combat the height at city" and was told NO.....
Not even leaving anyone guessing.....

I don't think it's anything personal. Ang favours playing a very high line and Dier just doesn't have the pace to play in it. He brought Dier in against Wolves away and tweaked the system a little and I'd argue it was our worst performance of the season.

 

[GetKaned]

Keller
Carr Gardner Doherty Taricco
Anderton Brown King Davies
Postiga Keane

Things could be worse….

Things could be much better too...

 

[RobinLeonard]

Vicario
Porro - Royal - Davies - Destiny
Bissouma
Skipp - GLC
Kulusevski - Son - Johnson​

That’s the starting 11 I’d like to see. Though I suspect PEH is preferred to Skipp. It’s a shame moving Kulusevski out wide after his showing against Villa. But I’m not keen on Gil starting.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Vicario
Porro - Royal - Davies - Destiny
Bissouma
Skipp - GLC
Kulusevski - Son - Johnson​

That’s the starting 11 I’d like to see. Though I suspect PEH is preferred to Skipp. It’s a shame moving Kulusevski out wide after his showing against Villa. But I’m not keen on Gil starting.

I think Bryan is better suited to Ange’s tactics than Skipp

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Given where we are at the moment, i honestly do not follow Ange logic with not playing Dier.
I know he is a player that some of our fans love to hate, and i know he may have some issues with pace, but he is a world cup semifinalist in his position,
love or hate Poch, Mourinho and Conte, they all rated him extremely highly at club level and Hodgson, Allardyce , and `Southgate ,at England level,
Given the threadbare nature of the squad, i am wondering if this has something to do with ability but much more a personal problem with the 2 of them?
We have beaten city 6 in the last 8 meetings and dier would have played in all of them unless injured, we have also just lost 3 on the spin , (despite external factors being the cause).
it feels like Ange will only play him over his dead body....weird?
Apparently Ally Gold asked "if Dier was starting to combat the height at city" and was told NO.....
Not even leaving anyone guessing.....

It’s not just the pace.

For Ange, everything, including defending, starts with possessing the ball. He has a system for playing out, that sets up everything else. That system requires players to quickly identify the right pass, and make that pass. Those are two things Dier does not do well. Given time, Dier is fine on the ball, but he does not make quick decisions nor quick passes. That puts pressure on everyone.

In the right system, Dier is still capable of playing at a high level. But that system is not what we play here under Ange.

 

[Oscar22]

I think Gil did ok last time out, but I think if he starts today Walker will just eat him alive and bully him out of the game.

 

[Japhet]

I too would put Dier in largely for the necessity of a traditional CB when defending high balls. I think the situation is a bit different when you're at home, expecting to dominate the ball with the biggest threats being quick and not necessarily big or strong.

I still expect Dier to get spun for fun of course but I dunno, Davies and Emerson at CB scares me more for this fixture, personally.

Probably agree on this. Dier's biggest weakness was not engaging and letting players run at him until they got a shot off. That was a major problem with a midfield that was always outnumbered and lacked physicality. He'll get much better protection from Bissouma and Sarr (hopefully). His pace is also an issue but when he's played he's mitigated that by facing across the line when we don't have possession so he doesn't have to turn a whole 180 degrees with a ball over the top. I doubt City will do much of that today anyway. Haarland in the air against Emerson and Davies is a pretty terrifying prospect.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

I think Gil did ok last time out, but I think if he starts today Walker will just eat him alive and bully him out of the game.

No doubt Bryan can play but he’s not cut out for our league. Just not physical enough. Too keen on falling over.

 

[Mark_147]

No, Richarlison is not back, not even close.

He's close to returning accordingly to Ange.

"Richy's probably the closest out of the ones who have been missing, so looking to get him involved in training hopefully tomorrow and then we'll see how he is as he's obviously missed a fair bit," said Postecoglou when speaking to Spursplay.

 

[Hotspur88]

POK just posted on twitter so no point waiting until 15 mibutes before teams are usually released....

Vicario

Porro Emerson Davies Udogie

Hojbjerg Bissouma
Lo Celso

Kulusevski Son Johnson

 

[felmani26]

POK just posted on twitter so no point waiting until 15 mibutes before teams are usually released....

Vicario

Porro Emerson Davies Udogie

Hojbjerg Bissouma
Lo Celso

Kulusevski Son Johnson

A shade of pragmatism from Ange then deploying Hojbjerg next to Bissouma as opposed to having one holding and Gil wide leaving Deki in the middle.

Still, bet your bottom dollar there's goals galore here.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

POK just posted on twitter so no point waiting until 15 mibutes before teams are usually released....

Vicario

Porro Emerson Davies Udogie

Hojbjerg Bissouma
Lo Celso

Kulusevski Son Johnson

Really don’t like PEH in there. Think it could limit our midfield. Would have preferred to start Gil even tho Walker would not be a favourable match up.

 

[easley91]

POK just posted on twitter so no point waiting until 15 mibutes before teams are usually released....

Vicario

Porro Emerson Davies Udogie

Hojbjerg Bissouma
Lo Celso

Kulusevski Son Johnson

Not mad. I get it. Johnson is better equipped v Walker than Gil is. Hojbjerg gives a defensive base in midfield.

 

[Oscar22]

Really don’t like PEH in there. Think it could limit our midfield. Would have preferred to start Gil even tho Walker would not be a favourable match up.

I know what you mean, and I’m not a massive Hojbjerg fan but I think it’s sensible. Biss and Gio will need some help in there to get control, it just doesn’t feel like a game for Gil, I think he’ll get bullied out of it by Walker and it’ll feel like playing with a man less.

Despite my long term feelings on Gil I would like to see him given a chance and a run, I just do t think this is the game for Bryan. I actually feel in this one particular game his presence would limit us more than Hojbjergs.

 

[N17-77]

POK just posted on twitter so no point waiting until 15 mibutes before teams are usually released....

Vicario

Porro Emerson Davies Udogie

Hojbjerg Bissouma
Lo Celso

Kulusevski Son Johnson

Johnson vs Walker in a foot race could be fun

 

[Blake Griffin]

 

[mattstev2000]

Emerson and Davies in central defence again? Urgh.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Realistically there was no alternative to PEH. Skipp is no better, Donley is too much of a risk in a game of this magnitude. Gil is too lightweight unfortunately.

is Sarr definitely out?

 

[HildoSpur]

Realistically there was no alternative to PEH. Skipp is no better, Donley is too much of a risk in a game of this magnitude. Gil is too lightweight unfortunately.

is Sarr definitely out?

Sarr is out for another couple of weeks at least.

 

[easley91]

Emerson and Davies in central defence again? Urgh.

Who would you start at CB v Haaland instead? Be realistic as well. People will moan and groan if Dier starts. Otherwise it's Dorrington plus one of the other three. I wouldn't start him v City with any of them. Would rather his first start or minutes comes alongside Romero or VDV.