Champs League Group, All Chat In Here.

I think we can get a win in Benfica, they didn't impress me in the first game.
Anything out of the barca games is a bonus, fingers crossed

 

Dani Alves(injury) and Busquets(suspension) will miss both games. Delighted but still need a few others to drop like flies between now and the games.

On another note I would like to have seen both playing.

 

A draw in Lisbon and a win against Spartak should see us through, if we manage to somehow pick up a point in two games against Barca then thats a bonus.

All 4 games with be very tough, make no mistake, we could quite as easily lose all 4 games than get 4/5 points from the next 4. Got to keep 100% focused.

 

No one gave us a hope in * the times we did get points of barca, and their defense is mince right now tbh, aww * it, i say beat at the nou camp but we win at CP, live in hope comrades

 

Even though we deservedly beat them and we`re evenly matched sides, Spartak still have the potential to come to Parkhead and give us a hammering. I`m more fearful of that game rather than the Barca games or away to Benfica. Spartak have a team that is probably better suited for an away game, like ourselves imo. Its all going to come down to that game to decide the whole group

 

UEFA have handed Busquets a 2 match ban following his sending off. Barca can appeal.

 

I agree I think this game will be decisive in the final group placings

 

How do yous think we should play against Barcelona? what players would you leave out. Its a really hard one to pick the team and tactics. I think I would go for a 4-3-1-2

Forster
Matthews Ambrose Mulgrew Izaguirre
Kayal Wanyama Ledley
Brown
Hooper Samaras

Sit with those 7 at the back and have Scott Brown closing them down from the front with Hooper and Sammy up top to counter with the long ball up to Sammy as the main tactic hoping to break away. Looks like they'll have no Pique or Busquets which is a bonus for us if we get any freekicks or corners and to launch balls to Samaras as Song will probably be their biggest player and isnt even that big. Actually Pique could be back so Samaras will have a challanger in the air, could maybe have him hanging out on the wee defender Mascherano etc whoever it is.
​

 

I had a thought yesterday, the most troubled I seen Barcelona last year was Valencia attacking them down the right hand flank in a sort of lopsided formation. I would do this...

Forster​

Lustig Ambrose Wilson Izzy ​

Wanyama​

Brown Ledley Kayal Mulgrew​

Samaras​

The full impetus is to hold the ball in and let Izzy overlap Mulgrew and Mulgrew finding him with a pass down that flank. One of the midfielders go up to support 2 of the midfielders going up to support Samaras, leaving 3 midfielders in the middle to choke out any space incase we get caught on the break, whether that be Mulgrew, Kayal, Ledley or Brown supporting. ​

Wanyama to always stay back, always be the last man in midfield. Barcelona let themselves get outnumbered on the flanks, this way we can be very defensively solid and still very attacking at the same time. Needs to be practiced to a tee though. Jeremy Mathieu, Jordi Alba and Soldado did it to devastating effect last season. ​

Sammy, Mulgrew, Izzy and the supporting midfield can do the same. Commons, Forrest or Hooper can come on for game changers. ​

Would do this in the game at the Nou Camp.​

 

Would be my team as well. I would take Mulgrew and Ledley out for Commons and Hooper at Parkhead

 

They're better than us by a substantial margin. No getting around that, but our support is another thing entirely. I say we'll lose the away match, but probably manage a tie, or even possibly a win at the home match. Really going to be a tough double header, but at home we could keep it competitive.
One thing we can almost totally count on is the fact that they think they're going to absolutely wreck us, and if we manage a early goal it WILL be a shock to them and that can only mean good things for us.

 

I would play something like this:

Forster

Lustig Ambrose Wilson Izaguirre

Wanyama Mulgrew

Brown Ledley Samaras

Hooper​

We should respect them, obviously, but never fear them. Contrary to popular belief, they are not invincible, but they may be the closest we'll see to "invincible" in our lifetime.

We should play defensively, but not overly defensive, if you know what I mean. If we can get the ball on the ground and play a little bit, who knows what will happen?

 

Can't see us getting to the last 16 without picking up points v Barca or Benfica away...great news is if we make it to the group stages next year we wont be seeded 4th

 

Got a ticket for barca, yass!!

 

With brown now out 31 i figure our best option is to play something like away at barca:
-----------Forster
Lustig Ambrose Mulgrew Izzy
------------Kayal
-------Ledley Wanyama
Matthews--------- Commons
----------Samaras

With forrest coming on as an impact sub in the second half.

 

Is Matthews out though?

 

If he is then move Commons over to the right, Sammy to the left and stick Miku up front and hope he chooses that game to start banging them in for Celtic. :smiley-laughing002: Or put Wilson in for Matthews, move Commons over to the right and stick Mulgrew out on the left. That looks like a cracking line-up if everyone's fit.

 

Forster​

Matthews Ambrose Wilson Izzy ​

Wanyama​

Forrest Ledley Kayal Mulgrew​

?​

I'm not sure who I want to see start up front against Barca. Hooper is on fire but I think Samaras will be better suited to play against them up front alone, his height would be very useful as well. Then there's Miku, who has experience against them and is highly rated by Lennon.

If Matthews is unfit, then the obvious choice to replace him is Lustig.

 

Samaras must play.

 

You are 100% right actually Devz. I think I was just reluctant to drop Hooper as he's on form, as well as keeping the midfield very right, the only attack-minded player being Forrest. I wouldn't have actually started Forrest (I would have used him as an impact sub), I would have had Brown right and Samaras left because I think we need to keep it tight.

Even just taking Samaras's European performances's into account - he cannot be dropped.