[Matchday] 9IAR Champions Vs The Uglies - 17.10.20 - 12.30PM K/O

It’s inevitable. Much like form, every club will face a wave of this.

 

Wishing a speedy recovery to Eddy and Ryan,but our squad should be able to cope.
Thinking back to the last time we played the Huns.......only our goalie turned up and we still beat them....1-0 big Julien

 

Irrelevant image / video's not allowed in CC threads

 

Barkas

Julien/El Hamed
Duffy
Ajer

Frimpong
Nctham
Brown
McGregor
Laxalt

Elyounoussi

Ajeti

Subs
Bain
Julien/El Hamed
Biton
Taylor
Rogic
Turnbull
Griffiths
Harper/Soro
Klimala

 

That is probably very close to the starting lineup and maybe even spot on assuming Edouard and Christie don't play and nobody else gets an injury or knocked out by the pandemic. I would go with Jullien at the back personally for the back 3.

 

I don't think he'll deviate from 3 at the back..

Let's see who's fit but..

Barkas
Elhamed Duffy Julien
Frimpong Brown McGregor Laxalt
Ntcham Elyounoussi
Ajeti ​

 

I’d go for Rogic in place of Ntcham. Ntcham disappears too often in big games. Rogic has delivered more often against the huns

 

WOW, no Ajer??

 

Barkas
Duffy CJ and Ajer
Jerry Brown CalMac Laxalt
Turnbull
Griff and Paddy

 

Ah excellent, can rest a little easier now. Thanks for clearing that up

 

Isn't he a Covid doubt, or was that pish?

 

Same person who started the rumour also squashed it. So looks like he should be fine.

 

--‐---------------barkas
-----------Ajer--duffy--Jullien
Frimpong-------------------------Laxalt
------------Brown--McGregor
-----------------Elyounoussi
----------------Klimala--Ajeti

 

If Lennon doesn’t feel Laxalt is ready for this I would have no hesitation at all playing Elhamed on the left. Far better offensively and defensively over Taylor.

Also if Lenny plays three at the back playing Elhamed at LWB would also allow Bitton to come back into the back line as he has been in very good form recently.

I am still very unsure what I would go with for this in terms of a back three or a back four. Either way I would go with three in the middle.

​

 

Barkas
Frimpong Ajer Duffy Laxalt
McGregor
Turnbull Ntcham
Klimala Elyounoussi
Ajeti
​

Bain
Elhamed
Bitton
Jullien
Taylor
Brown
Connell
Rogić
Griffiths

I would be tempted to start Jullien ahead of Duffy if Jullien is fit. Duffy doesn't fill me with confidence. He does give the opposition something to think about at set-pieces though. Laxalt has to start if he is available.

Any combination with Brown in midfield, minus Christie, would make us too pedestrian and easy to play through, in my opinion, particularly with Duffy starting. Lennon should have integrated Connell and/or Soro into the team by now: we have too many midfielders who perform more or less the same role.

Klimala could be our secret weapon here. They will more than likely play a high line, and I think that he could cause havoc down that right channel.

 

—————Barkas

Elhamed——Duffy——Ajer

Frimpong————————Laxalt

—-Ntcham—-Brown—-CalMac

———-Griff————-Klimala

Not our strongest team but given COVID and injuries I think it might be our most pragmatic for the game.

They will play 4-3-2-1 fairly narrow looking for the full backs to provide width. Having two busy strikers will give them a dilemma do their full backs bomb forward leaving the CB 2v2 or do they hang back a little or a CM drop in. If it’s the first it will nullify their threat wide and our wing backs force them to defend which neither is good at, if the latter we need our midfield to step up and dominate as they will have a 3 v 2 in there. Being honest I think the midfield will be where the game is won and lost.

I didn’t pick Ajeti as I doubt he will be fully fit so can come on from the bench. I think Ely’s domestic form has largely been poor so would again start him on the bench. I also think the pace and movement of Klimala, along with the ability and work rate of Griff will cause their CBs problems if we can get them the ball.

Elhamed ahead of Julien and Bitton is down to movement. Whoever plays that role is likely to be up against Kent who relies on his pace as much as anything so we need someone to have the best chance of matching that.

Ntcham in the midfield is a close one with Turnbull, I am picking Ntcham in the hope the big game brings a big performance out of him as it will be his best chance to put himself in the shop window. Browns in as there is no way Lenny won’t play him in this game. I also think we will need 3 CMs so don’t see us playing a recognised 10 as well as two up top.

 

Don’t know why people want Turnbull starting this? He’s played two games for us 1 for 15 mins where he looked good and another game which was the one against st Johnstone where he looked really slow and rusty. For me if Christie isn’t available it has to be calmac brown and Ntcham. Or if not Ntcham rogic.

 

Ntcham and Brown in the same team ends up leaving us with a total lack of movement in there. It's reminiscent of the Deila days when Brown and Bitton played in there and it ended up going side-to-side all the time; it very rarely works.

Turnbull was dominating games for Motherwell and has shown in glimpses his vision and ability to find forward runs.

He's also a bigger goal threat than Ntcham with the ball on the edge of the box and I think with the way the Huns commit people forward, that we might end up with chances from there.

 

Barkas
Jullien Duffy Ajer
Frimpong Brown CalMac Laxalt
Elyounoussi
Griffiths Klimala
​

Ajeti, Rogic, Ntcham off the bench.