Wet and windy here in SW Scotters!

Hope it's blue skies and baking on Thameside!


Big win today and a very Merry Christmas. Who else is drinking early?

Oh and here is my weekly Benson question.Is he injured again???

It was certainly predictable. Taylor back in and Foster starts.

I am worried that he is too stubborn for his own good.

Fingers crossed though.

Benson not even on the bench?

What’s actually going on with benson? So frustrating this season

Ekdal injured again, not on bench, did I miss it?

Trafford

No ekdal is he injured

burnleymik wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:05 pm

Ekdal injured again, not on bench, did I miss it?

Possibky just wanted the more versatile Delcroix on the bench as it covers left back aswell. Seems a bit daft i must admit

StayingDown4Ever wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:05 pm

Trafford

Did you expect anything else?

Fingers crossed for a big performance.
UTC

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:06 pm

Did you expect anything else?

It’s the hope that kills you…

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:06 pm

Did you expect anything else?

No, but if he doesn't have his hourly rant he goes into withdrawal

OK so is that team capable of scoring 3 goals? No? I dont think so either but thats what will be necessary at least with that side

How utterly uninspiring

Come on you Clarets

Disappointed with that team....feels like the definition of madness at this point! We can but hope they turn up today, come on boys.

Someone mentioned a few weeks back that the subs bench is picked by way of names out of a hat, I'm tending to agree , it changes game to game one week on it, one week not on it. then if you're very lucky you may get a big 3 mins to showcase your strengths, how bizarre.

We could debate the right hand side, and of course Koleosho is missing, but that lineup is closer to our full strength side.

Safron wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:10 pm

you're very lucky you may get a big 3 mins to showcase your strengths, how bizarre.

I am laughing, but it's sadly true. Even if we are losing that's what they have been getting!

I hope it all works out for the better, but we can all predict what is likely to happen and how it will play out.

Wow - I got a sudden shiver of massive optimism then!

It's an omen!

Come on!

CrosspoolClarets wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:11 pm

We could debate the right hand side, and of course Koleosho is missing, but that lineup is closer to our full strength side.

Are you serious?

Good to see the ‘in the knows’ struck again with some gold on Massengo/Kosovan mad man

1 Trafford
22 da Silva
2 O'Shea
5 Beyer
3 Taylor
34 Bruun Larsen
16 Berge
8 Brownhill
47 Odobert
17 Foster
25 Amdouni

Substitutes
9 Rodríguez
14 Roberts
15 Redmond
19 Zaroury
24 Cullen
31 Trésor
44 Delcroix
45 Obafemi
49 Muric

Looks like another nothing learnt week, with a likely being overrun in cm due to the obsession with playing 2 wingers who stay out wide and ZA in a role noone unders.

burnleymik wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:05 pm

Ekdal injured again, not on bench, did I miss it?

Said it several times now, bears repeating again: Ekdal was dumped as soon as Bellis was fit despite being magnificent every game he played. He was shuffled back out of the team this season as soon as Beyer's suspension was up. Kompany doesn't rate him or he doesn't fit The Transfer Model.

Benson being gone again is frustrating. We're just left to assume it must be injury because of the dearth of communication from the club.

Trafford must have it in his contract that he has to start if fit. Absolutely groundhog day, been done to death, and the official PL stats not attributing any goal-costing errors to him is bizarre and absurd, and an example why, much as I do love stats and data analysis, they cannot replace visual scouting entirely. You'd have to be blind to not see there's minimum 4 goals he's cost us this season, regardless of his magnificent 2nd half vs Brighton.

It hurts to admit after the wonderful, exceeding expectations season last year, but I'm very very quickly losing connection to this team. Bizarre team selections, mixed (eg Foster at the ANC) or absent (every other player) communications on what's going on, lack of bottle from half the squad, frustrating over-reliance on passing it out from a keeper & defence that struggle to do it, 5D chess substitutions that leave me thinking I'm watching a different sport to our manager let alone match.

If we already had a couple more points I'd take a point today. As it is, I still probably would but realistically we need to start getting wins (because I simply can't ''enjoy the ride' of an abject relegation watching a random team of kids get thumped weekly).



Far from confident, hope I'm wrong and with Foster back in the starting lineup here's where it clicks. Amdouni finally has a partner who's mobile in this 442, so here's hoping.

I don't suppose it really matters about who is on the subs bench since none will appear until the 88th minute

Same old. How predictable.

Afternoon All.
Hoping for something. Anything!!
COME ON UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU CLARETS!!

Buxtonclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:17 pm

Afternoon All.
Hoping for something. Anything!!
COME ON UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU CLARETS!!

Buxton
Don't hope - expect!

Don't think I have ever seen such negativity and misery on a match thread.

StayingDown4Ever wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:09 pm

It’s the hope that kills you…

If you are still hanging onto hope that Muric starts a league game BEFORE a fit Trafford, then you fully deserve the disappointment it brings to your life.

Now, any chance you could get behind WHOEVER it is that’s wearing the shirt?

Are ever going to see massengo get a start, I was really excited to see him get a start today. But I don't get get the logic of constant shuffling of the subs if said players are never getting any game time.must be truly soul destroying for a professional player.

Guller Bull wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:13 pm

Wow - I got a sudden shiver of massive optimism

It's probably indigestion mate.

This surely has to be last chance saloon for this setup there is clearly no plan B when plan A is a disaster. The only difference between this and rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic is they have forgotten to rearrange them

Guller Bull wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:13 pm

Wow - I got a sudden shiver of massive optimism then!

It's an omen!

Come on!

Pass some around

Rinse and repeat

Sunshine, blue skies and 18°C here on the Costa del Sol. Setting off to watch the game with the Benalmadena Clarets in 5 mins. I'm resigned to relegation now so I'm looking forward to the team at least showing effort and desire today.

Guller Bull wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:18 pm

Buxton
Don't hope - expect!

Started to forget even how to spell 'Expect', Casp!

Petersa wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:20 pm

This surely has to be last chance saloon for this setup there is clearly no plan B when plan A is a disaster. The only difference between this and rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic is they have forgotten to rearrange them

Where's Wallace Hartley when you need him?!

Safron wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:10 pm

Someone mentioned a few weeks back that the subs bench is picked by way of names out of a hat, I'm tending to agree , it changes game to game one week on it, one week not on it. then if you're very lucky you may get a big 3 mins to showcase your strengths, how bizarre.

It may just be that over the last 9 years we have been conditioned to knowing exactly who was starting and in what position/formation, and who was on the bench, and now there’s a bit more to it?

I don’t know of course, just offering an explanation

Ekdal injured for a couple of weeks. Likely to miss the full festive period.

Team selection, VK can't win on here.
It's either predictable, or uninspiring, or if he makes changes he doesn't know his best 11.

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:23 pm

Where's Wallace Hartley when you need him?!

In Colne cemetry!
However someone in the Titanic Ballroom at the time was heard to say "A band on ship" with that team it seems appropriate there will be a lot of fiddling about in defence I fear

spt_claret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:15 pm

Said it several times now, bears repeating again: Ekdal was dumped as soon as Bellis was fit despite being magnificent every game he played. He was shuffled back out of the team this season as soon as Beyer's suspension was up. Kompany doesn't rate him or he doesn't fit The Transfer Model.

Benson being gone again is frustrating. We're just left to assume it must be injury because of the dearth of communication from the club.

Trafford must have it in his contract that he has to start if fit. Absolutely groundhog day, been done to death, and the official PL stats not attributing any goal-costing errors to him is bizarre and absurd, and an example why, much as I do love stats and data analysis, they cannot replace visual scouting entirely. You'd have to be blind to not see there's minimum 4 goals he's cost us this season, regardless of his magnificent 2nd half vs Brighton.

It hurts to admit after the wonderful, exceeding expectations season last year, but I'm very very quickly losing connection to this team. Bizarre team selections, mixed (eg Foster at the ANC) or absent (every other player) communications on what's going on, lack of bottle from half the squad, frustrating over-reliance on passing it out from a keeper & defence that struggle to do it, 5D chess substitutions that leave me thinking I'm watching a different sport to our manager let alone match.

If we already had a couple more points I'd take a point today. As it is, I still probably would but realistically we need to start getting wins (because I simply can't ''enjoy the ride' of an abject relegation watching a random team of kids get thumped weekly).



Far from confident, hope I'm wrong and with Foster back in the starting lineup here's where it clicks. Amdouni finally has a partner who's mobile in this 442, so here's hoping.

This!! Exactly this. Its bizarre to think that VK and Bellamy really think this is the best starting 11 for today.

HahaYeah wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:18 pm

Don't think I have ever seen such negativity and misery on a match thread.

Certainly not before kick off

Every week I still have hope before kick off, if not expectation.

Petersa wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:13 pm

Are you serious?

Who do you think Kompany would put in that side other than Koleosho? JBG possibly, possibly not.

(whether each of us would pick the same side is of course a different issue)

summitclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:14 pm

Looks like another nothing learnt week, with a likely being overrun in cm due to the obsession with playing 2 wingers who stay out wide and ZA in a role noone unders.

Spot on
Central midfield will struggle and Amdouni will roam off in areas achieving very little
I actually like Amdouni as a player but this central midfield is just not strong enough as a two
Would rather see Cullen as a third cm hoping the two wide men can support Foster

bfcjg wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:34 pm

1520218109479.jpeg.jpg

I know..... I keep looking on here hoping all the miserable gits had cleared off.... But no... But I keep hoping