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Sparta Prague v Saints - Build Up

marc_saint

By marc_saint,
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eelpie

eelpie

Posted
Posted
Clearly not. The trick, which I think Puel is pulling off pretty well, is to blend the weaker and stronger players together and have a system that every player is well drilled in so that changes to the team don't have to much effect. If we just played our strongest 11 (and everyone has a different idea what this is anyway) every game we'd be on a hiding to nothing. We have a good squad we need to utilise it to get the best out of the season and I'm struggling to see why people are having a problem with that.

 

Is a part of the trick to surprise teams by scoring goals?

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SuperSAINT

SuperSAINT

Posted
Posted
Southampton and Sparta play each other as the top two in the group. How will Sparta approach this game?

 

Sparta has a lot of problems with injuries. There are now ten players on the injury list, so it’s a really big injury calamity in the team. Coach David Holoubek was joking: It is easy for me to announce the line-up for the match, when I have only eleven players without injury. After the last league match against Karviná, in which he had to play with four teenagers from the junior team – two of them are only 17-years-old – he said: “I am out of humour now...” But Sparta played well, and despite these problems won 3-0. In the league table, Sparta is now fifth, and that is a big disappointment. Of course, it goes together.

 

Source: https://southamptonfc.com/news/2016-11-22/inside-track-sparta-praha?=undefined

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Shroppie

Shroppie

Posted
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Good preview from the Sparta viewpoint on the OS now:

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2016-11-22/inside-track-sparta-praha

 

Prague journo says "Sparta has a lot of problems with injuries. There are now ten players on the injury list, so it’s a really big injury calamity in the team."

I liked the "Inter and Southampton are big clubs" ?

 

But they'll be a much tougher proposition than the game at St Mary's.

 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

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suewhistle

suewhistle

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So where's everyone heading for a beer tomorrow evening then ?

 

The Stag's Head. Only the one though, as I have training at 8..

 

It's annoying as I could have got a ticket, but by the time I realised it finances were a consideration. They'd better get through though, as I've budgeted for one more away trip..

 

Enjoy it anyway and tell the inexperienced kids like we saw on the Milan Metro that the lager is stronger and getting blatted and ****ing yourself is not a good look..

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ericb

ericb

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The Stag's Head. Only the one though, as I have training at 8..

 

It's annoying as I could have got a ticket, but by the time I realised it finances were a consideration. They'd better get through though, as I've budgeted for one more away trip..

 

Enjoy it anyway and tell the inexperienced kids like we saw on the Milan Metro that the lager is stronger and getting blatted and ****ing yourself is not a good look..

 

Oh training? Do you play football? I don't think you've ever mentioned that it's a real revelation that...

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JRM

JRM

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I liked the "Inter and Southampton are big clubs"

 

But they'll be a much tougher proposition than the game at St Mary's.

 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

They will, our record away in Europe is not great, and i think we would settle for a point, but reading about their injury list with 10 players out gives me hope we could nick it. Having said that i don't know anything about those 10 players and how much context it will have, for example we could claim McCarthy, Targett, Pied and Hesketh are all out injured even though it has no impact on the side we'll play anyway.

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View From The Top

View From The Top

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They will, our record away in Europe is not great, and i think we would settle for a point, but reading about their injury list with 10 players out gives me hope we could nick it. Having said that i don't know anything about those 10 players and how much context it will have, for example we could claim McCarthy, Targett, Pied and Hesketh are all out injured even though it has no impact on the side we'll play anyway.

 

I think we'll win. Well we will if we play to our strengths and actually get some shots on target.

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SuperSAINT

SuperSAINT

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21 MAN SQUAD:

 

- Harry Lewis

- Fraser Forster

- Stuart Taylor

- Cédric

- Cuco Martina

- Jack Stephens

- Maya Yoshida

- Virgil van Dijk

- Ryan Bertrand

- Sam McQueen

- Jordy Clasie

- Oriol Romeu

- Steven Davis

- James Ward-Prowse

- Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

- Josh Sims

- Nathan Redmond

- Sofiane Boufal

- Charlie Austin

- Shane Long

- Jay Rodriguez

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Strangely Brown

Strangely Brown

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Fonte not even travelled again. Won't have played a single minute in Europe I don't think.

 

So reliant on VVD ability to play every minute of every game.

 

Good to see Boufal is fine though, especially as no Tadic.

 

In terms of Fonte, it is becoming more difficult to argue against the view that perhaps he has an agreement to move in January, which of course may all go pear shaped if Man Utd don't qualify for the next phase:lol:

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Saint Garrett

Saint Garrett

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Which is strange as he got some Prem minutes on Saturday.

 

Josh Sims deserves his place though as he's been brilliant so far this season.

 

Signs not looking great for Isgrove.

 

Isgrove is just nowhere near good enough. Surprised he's still with us if I'm honest.

 

Fonte is rested in Europe, VVD rested in the league cup....nothing to do with a Jan transfer, and who buys in Jan for one competition these days anyway.....

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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

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In terms of Fonte, it is becoming more difficult to argue against the view that perhaps he has an agreement to move in January, which of course may all go pear shaped if Man Utd don't qualify for the next phase:lol:

 

It's not more difficult at all, that's a nonsensical argument. Utd aren't going to sign a player for a competition they don't even care about and we aren't going to deliberately weaken our team in a competition we DO care about just because we want to make Utd happy.

 

He's our player and we don't need to sell him. If Utd want him and he is cup tied, tough sh*t. Either pay up and live with it (they won't, he's worth more to us than them) or go somewhere else.

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nta786

nta786

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Fonte not even travelled again. Won't have played a single minute in Europe I don't think.

 

So reliant on VVD ability to play every minute of every game.

 

Good to see Boufal is fine though, especially as no Tadic.

 

Well no point bringing someone who we know won't play tbf, plus Fonte is being rested for Arsenal away in the League Cup I reckon, we have so many games thick and fast.

 

But a shame that from League 1 to Europa at least give him some minutes... i wonder if fonte has said to puel i wanna play in the europa

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Strangely Brown

Strangely Brown

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It's not more difficult at all, that's a nonsensical argument. Utd aren't going to sign a player for a competition they don't even care about and we aren't going to deliberately weaken our team in a competition we DO care about just because we want to make Utd happy.

 

He's our player and we don't need to sell him. If Utd want him and he is cup tied, tough sh*t. Either pay up and live with it (they won't, he's worth more to us than them) or go somewhere else.

 

An interesting point in terms of weakening our team for a competition we do care about, so why not play him?

Why has in not played one minute in the Europa League? Even the rotation argument loses some of its credibility when VVD has played in every game? Just seems very odd to me as you could have switched Fonte and VVD round even for one game if rotation really was the reason surely?

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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

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An interesting point in terms of weakening our team for a competition we do care about, so why not play him?

Why has in not played one minute in the Europa League? Even the rotation argument loses some of its credibility when VVD has played in every game? Just seems very odd to me as you could have switched Fonte and VVD round even for one game if rotation really was the reason surely?

 

We are resting Fonte in Europe, Virgil in the LC and Yoshi in the League. I thought that much was obvious.

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S-Clarke

S-Clarke

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Yeah I can totally understand the resting thing, but to not even travel? If you're resting them you at least have them in the squad...just in case VVD, Stephens and Yoshida fall ill. There's something a little odd about the fact that he simply hasn't traveled or is even an option to play in any of the European matches.

 

weird.

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doddisalegend

doddisalegend

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Yeah I can totally understand the resting thing, but to not even travel? If you're resting them you at least have them in the squad...just in case VVD, Stephens and Yoshida fall ill. There's something a little odd about the fact that he simply hasn't traveled or is even an option to play in any of the European matches.

 

weird.

 

Surely he will be better rested not traveling? Fonte would be much better rested with his feet up at home rather than flying to Prague and back.. Seeing as he is clearly one of our two first choice CBs in the PL I really don't have a problem with him not playing Europa.

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VectisSaint

VectisSaint

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Yeah I can totally understand the resting thing, but to not even travel? If you're resting them you at least have them in the squad...just in case VVD, Stephens and Yoshida fall ill. There's something a little odd about the fact that he simply hasn't traveled or is even an option to play in any of the European matches.

 

weird.

Quite clear that it is not just a case of resting him. You don't just leave your captain out of all EL matches for the sake of resting him. There is something behind this other than just squad rotation.

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SuperSAINT

SuperSAINT

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Yeah I can totally understand the resting thing, but to not even travel? If you're resting them you at least have them in the squad...just in case VVD, Stephens and Yoshida fall ill. There's something a little odd about the fact that he simply hasn't traveled or is even an option to play in any of the European matches.

 

weird.

 

Quite clear that it is not just a case of resting him. You don't just leave your captain out of all EL matches for the sake of resting him. There is something behind this other than just squad rotation.

 

Well, if this is true, we better be scouting the f*ck out of Europe for a replacement then!

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

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Posted
Yeah I can totally understand the resting thing, but to not even travel? If you're resting them you at least have them in the squad...just in case VVD, Stephens and Yoshida fall ill. There's something a little odd about the fact that he simply hasn't traveled or is even an option to play in any of the European matches.

 

weird.

 

Fonte was on the bench vs Inter Milan home & away

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37847418.app

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37688282

and Sparta Prague...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37302387

 

So the club were prepared to consider using him in the group stage if Yoshida or van Dijk had to come off. If they didn't want him to be cup tied then they wouldn't have used him as the only centre back on the bench as there is a possibility he'd need to come on.

 

The only matches he hasn't gone to is away in Israel and tomorrow.

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ALWAYS_SFC

ALWAYS_SFC

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Fonte was on the bench vs Inter Milan home & away

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37847418.app

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37688282

and Sparta Prague...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37302387

 

So the club were prepared to consider using him in the group stage if Yoshida or van Dijk had to come off. If they didn't want him to be cup tied then they wouldn't have used him as the only centre back on the bench as there is a possibility he'd need to come on.

 

The only matches he hasn't gone to is away in Israel and tomorrow.

 

Stop spoiling the conspiracy theory ;)

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saint77

saint77

Posted
Posted
Yeah I can totally understand the resting thing, but to not even travel? If you're resting them you at least have them in the squad...just in case VVD, Stephens and Yoshida fall ill. There's something a little odd about the fact that he simply hasn't traveled or is even an option to play in any of the European matches.

 

weird.

 

he struggled to finish the game on saturday and his ankle is badly bruised

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John D

John D

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So your team captain and the person who was recently successful in a European Competition, and can bring that and international experience to the benefit of the team doesn't get the opportunity to do so, hmmmm....

 

He's injured. Simple as that

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doddisalegend

doddisalegend

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So your team captain and the person who was recently successful in a European Competition, and can bring that and international experience to the benefit of the team doesn't get the opportunity to do so, hmmmm....

 

Because he is over 30 and can't manage to games a week as well as some younger members of the squad. He could play the Europa league games but then Yoshida will be playing all the PL games take your pick...

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Dusic

Dusic

Posted
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I'll amend my team prediction in light of Tadic not being available:

 

------------Forster-----------

Martina Yoshida Virgil McQueen

------------Romeu------------

--------JWP----Clasie--------

------------Boufal-------------

------Long-----Rodriguez-----

From Puel's comments I would be quite suprised if Boufal starts, especially as Tadic likely to miss Sunday.

 

Could see Redmond behind Jay and Long in the formation you describe but we have been more of a standard 4-3-3 rather than diamond for a while now.

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SuperSAINT

SuperSAINT

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Posted
From Puel's comments I would be quite suprised if Boufal starts, especially as Tadic likely to miss Sunday.

 

Could see Redmond behind Jay and Long in the formation you describe but we have been more of a standard 4-3-3 rather than diamond for a while now.

 

Agree on Redmond. Tbf, I posted that team before Puel's presser.

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Saint_clark

Saint_clark

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Posted
I'm in the I'd like to see us score some goals camp - having been to Bucharest, Arnhem (bit of a dead rubber so doesn't count and it is a little bit hazy), Midtjland, Israel and Milan I'd love to see an away goal or 2

 

Arnhem a dead rubber? It remains the best away trip I've ever done, the square before hand and in the ground was utterly fantastic.

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