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Ten Players
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I believe that for tommorrow night against the mighty master BATE we are ten players down through injuries, ineligibility and suspensions. This is the ten isn't it?
Neill
Heitinga
Jagielka
Neville
Anichebe
Rodwell
Arteta
Pienaar
Saha
Vaughan
Bar a goalie, that is a 4-4-2 formation right there (Neville LB and Vic RW.) Missing a full team of players really emphasises how small are squad really is. Tommorrow's team now surely picks itself due to the smallness of our squad and the total number of senior fit players left. Having no experience or class on our bench will hurt us long term (thats another thread though).
Therefore... Blues calling for the sale of Neville, Osman, Hibbert and Cahill are total nutters. It's nights like tommorrow where having loyal hard working professionals around the team really can bail a team out in a player crisis. Sure if everyone is fit they could (and should) be on the periphery of the squad but successful teams have players to cover all positions.
Until everyone is back fit and raring to go (a fact I doubt possible in modern football), can we please keep the witch hunting of our own players to a minumum and get behind the lads! No doubt once Arteta an Jags are back, two more players of the calibre of Distin and Fellaini will probably get injured the next game anyway, so there will always be a need for players.
Michael Jennings, Posted 30/09/2009 at 16:15:31
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Remember the Prem has imposed a max of 25 I think for next season so that's about right.
If we followed the posters on here and sold Hibbert, Osman and Cahill we would only have 8 experienced fit outfield players tommorrow night.
Heitinga - WE KNEW HE CAN'T PLAY
Jagielka - Accepted - Long Term from start of season
Neville - Accepted
Anichebe - Accepted long term from start of season
Rodwell - Accepted
Arteta - Accepted Long Term from start of season
Pienaar - Accepted
Saha - Silly Suspension
Vaughan - We chose to loan him out
Howard
Hibbert Yobo Distin Baines
Gosling Osman Fellaini Biliyatedinov
Cahill
Jo
Subs: Yakubu, Baxter, Wallace, Agard....
It’s still a strong line-up. When (if) everyone’s fit it’s the strongest squad we’ve had in years.
As Robert said, when you look at the starting line up for tomorrow (which is glaringly obvious due to the shortage in numbers), it does actually demonstrate that we have a much stronger squad than some think. That’s a full team there that is unavailable, and I don’t think you’ll find that at many other clubs.
It’s very rare to have everybody match fit at once and provides opportunities for the young lads to get some vital experience in and around matchdays. It’s far and away the best squad we have had since the PL was formed.
Do not write off the Bate boys as cloggers mate. They held Juve and played some good football in the process.
Teams from the Minsk area have always prided themselves on their passing football. They play it quickly along the floor by all accounts, i predict a tough game and take nothing for granted. Will take a scrappy one-nil now.
Mind you, Sigma put eight past Aberdeen didn’t they, and we brushed them aside.
Still think it will be tough tonight though and would happily settle for a draw.
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BTW, add in Ruddy (out on loan) and you';ve got your goalie... plus there's Jutkeiwicz too... although Moyesie has (unofficially) written him off.