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Team for Chelsea game?
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Just been on BBC squad selector - well what else do you do when there's sod all on the telly? I was dreading the idea of Hibbert and Neill as our centre-half pairing again on Saturday. Then I realised that Heitinga was fit, so thought oh well not too bad, Neill and Heitinga at CB and Hibbert in his usual RB role.
Then I tried to find 5 players to fit the midfield (surely Moyes would never dare play 4-4-2 at Chelsea) and could only find 4 fit midfielders after Cahill's suspension. Thus, as I see it, this will mean Heitinga playing in his holding midfield role and a back four of Coleman, Hibbert, Neill and Baines. That back 4 will need all the protection a 5-man midfield can provide!
Colin O'Keeffe, Posted 09/12/2009 at 18:38:13
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Attack is the best form of defence, and with Pienaar and Bily we do have a bit of width, 4-4-2... fuck it — we’ll score more than you.
Coleman, Hibbert, Neill, Baines
Heitinga Rodwell
Bily, Fellaini, Pienaar
Saha
SUBS: Yakubu, Jo, Nash, Duffy, Baxter, Agard, err.... ?
Super! A team of 4 right-backs, 1 left-back, 1 future centre back. Miracles do happen! IGWT (God)...
As such I believe he will push our Brazilian waste of space out the the left side of midfield, bring Pienaar into the middle and play Saha up front.
Howard
Neill
Hibbert
Heitinga
Baines
Bily
Pienaar
Rodwell
Fellaini
Jo
Saha
Subs : Nash; Yakubu; Baxter; Wallace; Coleman; Duffy; Agard
Mr Ramsey is going to be one hell of a footballer...and exactly the kind of footballer we are missing in the middle...
SIghhhhhhh.
I’d play Tony and one of the kids....Heitinga will get stroked playing in there as well..so it’s probably a bit of a blessing hes needed in midfield...
I’d probably go for Ajay’s line up only replace Neill with Duffy...
Neill, Hibbert, Duffy, Baines
Heitinga, Rodwell
Bily, Fellaini, Pienaar
Saha
Subs: First 7 fan’s to turn up.
I would like to see:
--------------Howard-------------
Coleman--Rodwell---Mustafi---Baines
---------Heitinga---Fellaini--------
Baxter---------Pienaar--------Bily
--------------Saha----------------
I’d have absolutely no objection to that midfield... and people have been screaming out for Pienaar to be given a central attacking role...
However, having seen Rodwell play centre half earlier in the season I’d suggest it’s a dodgy move..
I certainly don’t agree that Hibbert was as bad as Neill in the last game... Hibbert put in at least three last-ditch tackles — Neill didn’t.
Howard
Coleman Hibbert Neill Baines
Pienaar Heitinga Rodwell Bily
Fellaini
Jo
Subs: Yakubu, Saha, Agard, Baxter, Nash, Duffy, Wallace
I think he will go for Jo rather than Saha simply because Jo can last the 90 while Saha can't at the moment.
10-1.
Louis upfront on his own.
Rodwell would be a risk at CB your right. But then any of the other available options would be as well so it’s a case of hoping for the best really. If Rodwell genuinely wants a CB spot then now is the time to step up! I think Moyes will play it safe and go for Hibbert though. Hibbert did make challenges against spurs, you're spot on there... it's just they are always so heart-in-mouth moments whenever he does. Then there was the stupid penalty. And the terrible positioning for the Defoe goal. Not great.
Pienaar has to play central for me. Especially now. He needs to be on the ball as much as possible and it would be a waste to stick him on the wing where the game can pass him by. We need another good performance from Fellaini as well if we are going to get anything from the game. Perhaps a little Saha magic... ; )
But then again, there is the contrary opinion that he shouldn't have moved towards the near post in the first place... and should have stayed behind Defoe.
It's a tricky one.
I certainly don’t blem him for the penalty... it was simply a challenge he has to make and he was second to the ball....
All Neill seemed to be interested in all afternoon was the player... he’d played rugby.
Coleman
Neill
Hibbert
Baines
Heitinga
Pienaar
Rodwell
Fellaini
Bilyaletdinov
Saha
SUBS: Nash, Duffy, Jo, Yakubu, Wallace, Agard, Baxter.
Coleman
Neill
Heitinga
Baines
Hibbert (sat deep doing the ’Carsley’ job of tackling anything that moves defending around the D of our box, and play it simple (or row Z may be safer with Hibbo!)
Pienaar
Rodwell
Fellaini
Bilyaletdinov
Jo (or Saha if the King is fit enough to start)
SUBS: Nash, Duffy, Saha, Yakubu, Wallace, Agard, Baxter.
In the above, Hibbert gets to play to his strength (tackling) without it having to be last ditch peno risk stuff. Heitinga gets to play preferred position and Neill plays where he play when captaining Australia. They are both big lads so better able to defend against the aerial prowess of Drogba.
Chelsea’s confidence may be a tad shaken and now may be a good time to play them. Ancelloti is not immune to first prem season stutters...Essien is out for them, and they played a tough midweek game just yesterday whereas our lads had a rare game-free midweek...
We have started to play better, with improved performances against the shite and a flying Spurs, where we won the last half hour 2-0, so were at the start of an unbeaten run starting with a stirring away point at the bridge.
Nothing to fear except fear itself...if the lads approach the game with the mindset of the above defeatest thread we may as well not turn up. Go there and play as well as we can at the back (if Moyes stumbles upon Hibbo finding that he is adept at the ’Carsley role’ that is a big help...with Coleman tearing up the flanks when its on...). Added to that, Rodders is rested a bit now and Fellaini starting to fire...this game is made for the quality of big game Bily and piercing Pienaar to feed Bambi on fucking ice (or hopefully King Louis!)
Stand firm and then storm the bridge...
2-1 to us in a famous win, Coleman setting up King Louis for one and Bily to bag the clincher... COYB!!!!!
On a separate note it cant be long before Moyes gives in to the fact that the only place we have spare first team players at the moment is up front. Either Saha or Yakubu need to get a start even if they only last an hour.
Howard
Coleman, Neill, Hibbert, Baines
Pienaar, Rodwell, Fellaini, Heitinga, Bily
Saha
Howard
Hibbert Heitinga Neill
Coleman Rodwell Baines
Pienaar Fellaini Bily
Jo
Subs: Nash, Saha, Yakubu, Duffy, Baxter, Wallace, Agard.
Seeing as we are not expecting much from this game, I don't see the point in risking Saha. Let's face it, if we get a point on Saturday, the beer will taste quite good on Saturday night. And Jo did really well here last season and doesn't deserve to be dropped judging by the last 3 games. Heitinga might excel with his passing ability in a sweeper style role???
-----------
No he’s not.
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Coleman
Subs: Coleman x7
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