The injury news doesn’t get any better. I thought Matthew Upson would be in contention for the game today, but it appears not. His hamstring is still causing problems, although he is expected to be back within the next seven days. So it is likely that Gabbidon and Tomkins will continue in the centre of defence, with Spector and Ilunga continuing as full backs.
Lee Bowyer seems to be on fire for Birmingham at the moment, scoring almost at will, just like he has with every team he has played for … apart from us. It will be important that Scott Parker gets to grips with him in midfield. But of course the question that we all want to know is who will partner Parker in midfield. Kovac had his best game for us last week and may well hang on to his place even though Mark Noble is fit and ready to return. Noble may get the nod anyway in place of Junior Stanislas if we want to beef up our physical presence in the centre.
Up front, it is unclear who will partner Franco now that Zavon Hines is out for a few weeks with a knee injury. Personally I’d like to see Nouble given a chance. However, I suspect that Zola will revert to a 4-3-3 formation and play Diamanti from the start.
If we can just grab 4 points from this game and the match against Bolton on Tuesday it should set us up nicely for the Christmas period. We can but hope!
So, the team I expect to play is Green, Spector, Ilunga, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Kovac, Collison, Parker, Diamanti, Noble, Franco.
Prediction: 1-1
That's a pretty good shout for the line up, Iain. I hope he plays Noble who is still our best passer in midfield, but I would like to see Dyer start just to find out if he is ever going to play a whole game.
If we get a offer for him in the window he will be history anyway. app our highest earner on 60k per week (rumoured). In our financial position we need to offload him, costing us a lot, injury prone and more or less a waste of money all round so far.
Tony – Who is going to want to match his wages given his injury record? Otherwise he will sit out his contract just like Quashie and LBM who we could not shift for the same reason.
The clubs financial mess is (in part) on our paying wages to payers, we simply cannot afford. If a player wants 40 to 60k per week let him go elsewhere. The only exception should be highly valued players, signed on free transfers…eg a out of contract player valued on the open market at say 5-7 mill. Then paying him a larger wage is ok, cos your saving on the fee…especially if he has a resale value in 3 or 4 years.
In his case it would probably make financial sense to give him a free transfer. He cost around 7.5 mill and probably on 5 year deal worth around 3 mill per annum. Thats a total cost off 22.5 mill (plus bonuses).
The whole deal was a terrible gamble with his injury record and it maybe better to cut the losses now and get what we can for him. Or in the clubs financial situation make him redundant/ free transfer. I cannot see him staying fit for any length of time….hope im wrong for his sake.
Someone would take him on a free. I just cant understand why we paid so much for him (with injury record) or made him our top earner.
I would play Faubert instead of Spector, other than that I think its the best team we have at the moment, which is a real shame as we have some of our best players on the injury list. Every game is a must win, no selection now we need to get points from every game and the team need to battle for every ball right up to the final whistle! We do not have the luxury of deciding which games we go for or not for me now. I do not want to be in the bottom three over Christmas. Zola has to work on those periods of the game where the team seem to lose concentration and let in soft goals. Also, as Chris keeps going on about, Zola needs to get the formation right and the tactics – some games I feel that I have had no idea what the game plan is! I am hoping for a 2-1 victory, but it could be a draw if we battle hard enough!
where the team seem to loose concentration and let in soft goals….you mean the whole 90 mins then !!!!! LOL
A draw would be a decent result. If we can pick up points away from games like these it would be a start but the real route to survival is to start winning games at home. Only two home victories this season is the real reason for our position.
Be happy with a draw…another afternoon of fingers crossed and hoping for some luck. I think it will be 451 with
green
faubert,tomkins,gabbidon,illunga
kovac (holding mid)
collison,noble,parker,diamanti
franco.
Basically a barca 4141…..if only we could play like them!!!!
Fingers crossed….up the hammers.
gotta admit whichever team we put out if i look at the players we have they aint that good and unless we are active in the transfer window i really fear thhe worst.without cole we dont have a presence up front and defensively we are a mess right now.im praying for a miracle.well it is that time of year eh
I just feel that we need to go and attack Birmingham. No good sitting back, as we just can't defend. I am worried we could lose this one, but I think another high scoring draw is on the card, 2-2 with Franco scoring both of ours and, of course, Bowyer having a stormer and scoring at least one of their's.
I would definitely prefer Faubert over Spector and possibly Da Costa for Tomkins?
Unlikely that Brum could score two. If we get a couple we'll win this one.
Just getting ready to travel up for the game – I'd take that 1 – 1 draw right now Iain! Just hope its not the best game I ever see Bowyer play – GZ gave him away then spent £2 – 3m on Kovac to replace him!
Just a thought? what about pushing Illunga up to left mid, Gabbs out to LB DaCosta and Tomks centre with Spector RB and Faubert right mid. Reasoning being both full back can overlap there respective midfielders and the midfielders have enough sense to maintain a defensive position. when we are on the counter attack. 5 man midfield looks good to me Parker, Kovac and Diamenti in the centre, with Franco up front(Diamenti supporting).
If it's 4-3-3 I'd like to see Dyer on the right of the front 3. We've been lacking width and pace, and even if he doesn't last the full game it should set them on their heels for a while. And I'd play Faubert because he's capable of worrying defences (even if it's sometimes ours!) and their attack isn't top drawer so he should be able to cope at the back. Anyway, more in hope than belief, I think we'll shade it!
Tony I think you have it spot on. I would love to see either Dixon or Nouble given a try but with the pressure on us points and away from home it would not be fair to start them. I Diamanti is our best bet up front with Franco as long as he sits high enough up the field and does not go deep. Otherwise Franco will be isolated and we know what happened to CC when he was left on his own. I would worry about our ability to score. As an alternative we could play Stanislass
Tony I think you have it spot on. I would love to see either Dixon or Nouble given a try but with the pressure on us for points and away from home it would not be fair to start them. Diamanti is our best bet up front with Franco as long as he sits high enough up the field and does not go deep. Otherwise Franco will be isolated and we know what happened to CC when he was left on his own. I would worry about our ability to score. As an alternative we could play Stanislas paired with Franco which would give us a bit of pace and somebody to run at the defence. Would settle for a draw but feel we really need a win.
We need our most experienced available line up at all times. Its difficult to put youngsters into a side doing well, you cannot put them into a relegation battle.
If we can keep picking up points we will be ok, but we need to get players in.
Other sides will wheel and deal in the window, we must do the same. The injuries are really hurting us, yet we have more medical/fitness staff than ever employed by the club. It cannot just be bad luck, that we suffer from so many injuries and fade later in matches…its a worrying pattern thats been apparent all season.
I would play Faubert ahead of Spectre and if we can't make that work then as others have suggested try Tompkins in there and play Gabbs and Da Costa in the middle. I don't think we can make our defence any worse can we?
Iain I have signed up to post on your blog on the strength of a brilliant comeuppance you gave that 'idiot' LA broadcaster on Radio 5L last night. Made a miserable drive home quite entertaining. I hope today Zola learns from recent mistakes, plugs the holes in defence and gets us the 3 points that are quite winnable at St Andrews.;
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We are playing Brum and not The Galactico,s today are we ?Surely we could get a win there I mean they wanted Mcleish out not long ago a few wins and he is Sir Alex,s understudy what a difference winning can make!
Really don’t feel good about this game. 3-2. Which way though?
I'd go with that lineup too I think. It's an important match for us where we need points, so not sure it would be right to introduce Nouble under such pressure from the start, but I'd have him on the bench to come on as super sub if needs must.
Feeling upbeat about our chances today, I fancy us to nick it by the odd goal.
Get behind our boy's and cheer them on to victory.
If Franco is up front on his own which appears likely we have to have at least one midfielder who is capable of getting beyond him otherwise we will lose. For that reason alone (as he was rubbish when he came on last week) Dyer has to start. Personally I would have Noble, Collison and Parker in the middle.
The issue is not formation though it is positional against united last week )like Hull and Burnley the back four are very deep and that makes it easy for advancing midfielders and retreating forwards to find space as there is too big a gap between defence and midfield, 4 of the last seven have come from a midfielder being given space on our right to pick up the ball advance to the box and driven in a low cross (well delivered it is hard to defend). Unless we improve that positioning we will lose…and Bowyer will score.
Hopefully it will and we will get a point…2-2 (which would be an improvement defensvely!)
I would also like to see Faubert instead of Spector I just think he gives us more options going forward (even if he conceeds stupid penalties and such defensively). I think the sides looks poor because our 3 best players are missing – CC, Valon and Upson, that is the spine of our side and them alone are worth around 10 points. Today is a day for battling in the middle of the park. The team I would pick is probably not the one GFZ go with but I would play Dyer and Diamanti from the start with Noble in beside Parker and Jack in the centre. I think Faubert gets isulated because Jack isn't defensive minded enough in front of him and we get bombarded down that wing. In the centre Jack is forced to improve that side of the game with Scottie (our real captain) beside him. Me: Green, Faubert, Illunga, Da Costa, Gabbs, Dyer, Collison, Parker, Noble, Diamanti, Franco. Subs: Kruz, Spector, Tompkins, Kovac, Stanislas, Noble, Dixon. I think GFZ will go with: Green, Spector, Illunga, Tompkins, Gabbs, Parker, Kovac, Collison, Junior, Noble, Franco. My team score :16-0 to WHUFC, GFZ team score: 1-1, Boywer for them and Scottie for us . . .
Unfortunately he won’t start Nouble, he’ll play with a five man attacking midfield. I think with Diamanti in the hole behind Franco, with Stanislas and Collison on the wings with Kovsc and Parker in the defensive positions
I'm playing poker in London this afternoon and will be keeping track of the score on FootballFirst.
I would go 4-4-2 against Birmingham and attack. If we do play Franco up alone we need midfielders going past him. I would do something different:
Green
Faubert Tomkins Gabbidon Ilunga
Noble Parker Collison
Diamanti
Franco Dixon or Nouble
Bench: keeper Spector Dyer Kovac Stanislas Dixon or Nouble & Behrami if half fit.
Brum in form and hard to score against.
2-1 or 2-2 I fear.
Behrami will return Dec 26th
He went through a minor keyhole surgery
For me three points in the bag today- I think that we need to keep the same back four from last week in the interests of consistency despite the fact they conceded four (albeit vs a very good side)! I think that the return of Dyer (from the bench) and Diamanti (from the start) to the team will give us the edge in this, Parker needs to be at his best as most of the Brummies goals are coming from midfield so we have to stop them from having too much space! Stanislas doesn't deserve to keep his place on the basis of Saturday's performance and is too lightweight a midfielder for this one, I would replace him with Noble and keep Collison in there- pop Diamanti in the hole supproting Franco with Nouble to come on second half. Undecided on Kovac, might prefer Faubert on the right and Noble in the centre?!
Anyway heres hoping, COYI
Like your team Brayhammer but how can Noble play and be on the bench at the same time? Must be pretty adaptable!
Its difficult to stay calm thinking about this game, I think the idea to try Tompkins at RB is a good one, I have my doubts that Faubert's defending results in free's and penalties to frequently. I take your point about Kovac but a fit Noble would be my first choice. Bowyer was not very effective when playing for us, I wonder what the catalyst is at Brum? anyway listening to the internet commentry I will be shouting and praying for 3 points today, we will be lucky to get anything at Bolton on that narrow pitch.
I'd prefer Faubert to Spector. His shown more going forward and I think has more confidence to put in the all important tackle. Without too many attacking options, and with our defence so leaky, surely it makes sense to play the tam we have.
Five at the back will allow us to mark a little tighter and prevent our full-backs from getting pulled too far infield when play switches.
When we have possession, five at the back will free up Parker, Faubert or Ilunga to press forward more effectively.
…it's also a nice formation for the time of year
Green,
Faubert, Da Costa, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Ilunga,
Kovac, Parker,
Noble Diamanti, ,
Franco
It is not about formation or selection today. For me it is about whoever plays giving us a performance over 90mins. There is enough experience in remaining players to ensure we turn up and play. If we do that against a team that doesn’t score many we have a chance for 3 points
I tend to agree with EddieChappers about keeping the same back four, and about
Stanislas. I know these are difficult times, but we seem to be throwing him and till now Hines in at the deep end instead of easing them in – chance would be a fine thing! My midfield would be Diamanti, Parker Kovac & Collison, but with Noble & Dyer both on the bench. Up front, Franco & Nouble or Dixon.
I wish I had the confidence in the result of Eddie Chappers, but I do think we could well nick a win, and have a good chance of a draw. A clean sheet would be my aim.
The time has come. Now it has to be the right moment to try something different. Our season has not been a succes, so I hope Zola will mix our line-up:
Kurucz
Faubert – Tomkins – Kovac – Ilunga
Dyer – Noble – Parker – Collison
Diamanti
Franco
Subs: Green, Da Costa, Spector, Stanislas, Jimenez (if fit) , Montano, Dixon
Zola shall hand Montano a chance: He's been in superb form and turned 18 yesterday
I can only imagine what a confidence boost an EPL match would be for him…
Interesting……………… Can't see GFZ being so radical but like your style!
green
faubert tomkins gabbidon illunga
dyer noble parker collison
franco diamanti
Lets be honest. We will let in a goal today. Our defence is particularly weak, and I understand the talk about being solid today but I would rather see us have a go today. We can't sit back and play on the counter as we will get thumped- even by birmingham. With Noble, parker and collison along with the pace of faubert and dyer on the right, that will give birmingham something to think about.
that team will beat birmingham. Put spector and kovac in the team – and you can forget about even a point. too negative and sends out the wrong message
hate to say but c'mon spurs today. as well as sunderland.