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***OMT - Tottenham Hotspur v ACF Fiorentina***

It might be worth keeping an eye on Badelji tonight, I see that we have been linked with him
 
Pirate55 said:
I like the look of that side. Right balance to win the game and keep others fresh for Sunday. Trippier to start both games for me - we need his crossing against teams likely to sit back. Dier can be rested on Sunday if Bentaleb is fit and raring to go.

Crystal Palace has been costly for us this season - injuries to Verts, Kane and the Moose, as well as a cup exit. Thankfully we got all 6 points off them in the league and don't have to face them again this season.
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Remember it's not only Sunday... We play West Ham on Wednesday and Arsenal 3 days after that on the Saturday...

Eriksen for example only played 45 minutes against Palace. But did 90 in Florence before that, 90 against City before that. Another full game today followed by full games/starts against Swansea, West Ham and Arsenal while expecting him to actually make an impact in the last couple of games of this run is a massive ask...

Not saying he can't do it. I trust Pochettino to judge that. Just pointing out what it is we're asking players to do if we have automatic PL starters on the pitch from kick off (again) today against Fiorentina.
 
i've moved on from our soft centre of bentaleb and mason.
dier or bentaleb adds the necessary steel we need there.
 
They are well up for this; hope we are too...and i think we will be...I think after the Palace game we'll be 2 or 3 up by half-time.

COYS!
 
glorygloryeze said:
They are well up for this; hope we are too...and i think we will be...I think after the Palace game we'll be 2 or 3 up by half-time.

COYS!
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Point was made on one of the football podcasts I listen to (Guardian football weekly or Second captains) that Fiorentina had actually rested players in their league game this weekend to focus more on this EL game.

Seems to be more or less correct. Valero has the second most minutes in the league for them and was on the bench, Babacar starting only his 9th league game for the season (Kalinic who has 17 starts on the bench), Tello getting his 4th league start for the season, Mati Ferndanez his 7th. Goalie, 3 or 4 of the back 4, Badelj and Bernardeschi those that started at the weekend likely to start again for them today.

Edit: Just noticed that Tello just joined them on loan in January. Got a goal and an assist for them at the weekend before getting subbed fairly late on. Might start again today...
 
I'll be fairly disappointed if we go out of two cups in a week so I'd really like to win this one o_O. With that in mind I'd go as strong as we can defensively, fitness permitting. When we have a solid core it gives us a real platform to attack from. Dier and Bentaleb in the middle of the park for me. I like Mason but he's made of crisps and I think Bentaleb is better protecting the back line and can move the ball pretty well.

Still not convinced about Chadli's work ethic but a few matches back he worked his socks off, so he has it in him. I want to see that again or hook him for Onomah or Alli.

----------------Lloris----------------
Trippier--Alder---Wimmer--Davies
-----------Dier-------Bentaleb--------
Lamela--------Eriksen---------Chadli
------------------Son-------------------
 
Wouldn't surprsie me to see us go a sort of flexible 4-3-3 today, with the emphasis on solidity but energy and passing ability in the middle:


Lloris
Walker, Adlderweireld, Wimmer, Davies
Mason, Dier, Bentaleb
Lamela Son Chadli
​

Alli, Eriksen, Onomah, CCV, Rose and Trippier alongside Vorm on the bench

COYS
 
I hope we don't regret not starting Kane out in Florence. I was all in favour for him starting and us getting a win out there. Tonight is on a knife edge as Fiorentina know they have to score to stay in the tie, so will push on us, whilst we might look to counter.
 
Cochise said:
I hope we don't regret not starting Kane out in Florence. I was all in favour for him starting and us getting a win out there. Tonight is on a knife edge as Fiorentina know they have to score to stay in the tie, so will push on us, whilst we might look to counter.
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There's no way of knowing whether starting Kane out there would have changed the result. at the end of the day though, getting a draw away to the 3rd placed team in Serie A is a creditable result and means a 0-0 will put us through. I actually think the 1-1 out there vindicates the selection. We have a decent defence a keeping a clean sheet tonight puts us through
 
Cochise said:
I hope we don't regret not starting Kane out in Florence. I was all in favour for him starting and us getting a win out there. Tonight is on a knife edge as Fiorentina know they have to score to stay in the tie, so will push on us, whilst we might look to counter.
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It cuts both ways but on balance, I would rather have home advantage in the second leg.
 
AdamB said:
There's no way of knowing whether starting Kane out there would have changed the result. at the end of the day though, getting a draw away to the 3rd placed team in Serie A is a creditable result and means a 0-0 will put us through. I actually think the 1-1 out there vindicates the selection. We have a decent defence a keeping a clean sheet tonight puts us through
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I think that they said on the commentary last week that no English team had ever won there and Arsenal were the only team to have got a draw. In that context, it is a great result.
 
LemonadeMoney said:
The one that finished it was, because we'd conceded a goal. And the team that started was a lot stronger than some of the line ups suggested here.
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But the one that started, dominated and won the first half 1-0 wasn't?

A lot of teams posted are fairly similar to what started in Florence in strength:

-Same back 4, possibly Lloris in. That's either the same or a huge step up.
-Mason and Carroll in Florence, people are saying 3 out of Bentaleb, Mason and Dier. Similar or stronger imo.
-Front 4 of Son, Eriksen, Alli and Chadli in Florence. People are including Onomah in quite a few of their line-ups. Lamela in doesn't make us weaker at all.

So essentially a lot of the teams are at worst "Onomah for Eriksen" level weaker than we started in Florence. Arguably quite similar in strength if Lloris starts for Vorm or Dier starts in central midfield even with Onomah.
 
Cochise said:
I hope we don't regret not starting Kane out in Florence. I was all in favour for him starting and us getting a win out there. Tonight is on a knife edge as Fiorentina know they have to score to stay in the tie, so will push on us, whilst we might look to counter.
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Was a good result there overall.

It's always going to be little more than a hope to imagine to put away a EL tie against a good Serie A side away from home in the first leg. Knife edge thing is European knockout football. This is what we hope for every year when we want to be Europe.

We go on into the game knowing that if we keep a clean sheet we're through. They go into the game knowing that they have to score. Means we can play fairly patient if they sit back and we won't have to force the issue. We're a decent counter attacking side and solid defensively even with some rotation. Good starting point, now we just need to do our thing.
 
I would play the two FBs who I believe are defensively our better two (clean sheet and we're through), give Dier a break (Poch wont though) and also not pick Alli given the Italians will be looking to wind him up after last week.

----------------Lloris----------------
Walker--Alder---Wimmer--Davies
-----------Mason-------Bentaleb--------
Lamela--------Onomah---------Chadli
--------------------Son-------------------

Subs: Vorm, Rose, CCV, Dier, Winks, Alli, Eriksen
 
We had better win this game, there is none bigger, i have just re-negotiated my package with BT to include the Sport channels so i can watch the match, if its cost me money and we lose my mood will darken.
 
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