At the time of writing there’s no official team news from the club regarding the injuries to Mousa Dembele, Danny Rose and Younes Kaboul on Thursday night but as we saw yesterday, Andre Villas-Boas is hopeful that Mousa at least will make the starting XI against Cardiff.
“Dembele should be okay,” AVB said. “He felt a lot of pain when he was brought down, but now he’s steady. Younes felt muscle tightness in his adductor and we decided to take him off. He was struggling but he didn’t rupture anything.
“We have to be a little bit more careful with Danny Rose. We hope it’s not serious. We have to give him one night to see the reaction of his ankle. He is in doubt for Sunday but he should be okay.”
So Rose looks set to miss out and he looks certain to join Aaron Lennon and Etienne Capoue on the sidelines while Nacer Chadli remains doubtful.
With Vlad Chiriches’ work permit finally through, the Romanian could make his debut at centre half with Jan Vertonghen switching to cover for Danny on the left. Alternatively, the right footed Kyle Naughton could also deputise as he has done in the past.
In midfield, Dembele may be fit but Andre will surely be tempted to find room for Sandro after another dominant performance this week.
Further up the park, Gylfi Sigurdsson will keep his place after his double over Norwich so the only question could be Townsend or Lamela? That just leaves the striker which will presumably be Roberto Soldado but does Jermain Defoe deserve a start after his two goal display against Tromso?
Here’s how we think it will line up but what’s your view?
Huh Gylfi on the right? Also i think Defo will be given change to start to day
Soldado will start upfront for sure my team would be
4231 formation
Lloris
Walker..
Dawson
Chiriches
Vert…
Sandro
Pualinho..
Holtby
Eriksen..
Townsend
Soldado
Give dembele and siggy a rest also I though holby was cry good and deserves a start! Apart from
Siggy goals last week I feel he is the weakest link
There is no way Chiriches will be given a debut in an away match in the PL. More likely he plays on Tuesday against Villa. Bringing him in and playing Vert at LB is far too much shuffling of a back 4 that’s conceded just one goal in the league. Play Naughton at LB and leave the others in their normal positions.
Lloris
Walker Dawson Vertonghen Naughton
Paulinho Dembele
Townsend Eriksen Sigurdsson
Soldado
brad in goal?
i think Chiriches will be saved for Tuesday – probably Naughton at left back. My team:
Lloris
Walker
Dawson
Verts
Naughton
Paulhino
Sandro
Townsend
Erickson
Lamela
Soldado
If Naughton is given the nod we’ll need a left footer in front of him as he won’t overlap as much as Rose. Siggy can be saved for Tuesday as no-one should play all 3 games if possible.
i like your team it has strength which we will need.
sandro and lamela can always come on if needed.
Friedel in goal????? You had a brain storm or something?
Why on earth is Friedel in goal???????
friedel?
I’m not sure why you suspect Lloris will be rested in favour of Friedel. If anything, I’d expect Friedel to play on Tuesday, in the Cup match. You have the wingers in their natural positions but, as we have seen, AVB likes to play with them in inverted positions, so that’s Townsend cutting in from the right and Gylfi on the left. I think you have probably got the rest of the personnel right, though it would be no surprise to see Naughton start at left back and Vertonghen line up in his regular position. If I were choosing the side, then Sandro would definitely be starting, as we’ve no-one better to cut the supply from the Cardiff midfielders to Bellamy and Odemwingie, for starters. I also think the side looks more balanced with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box runner (Paulinho) and a schemer/attacking midfielder (Eriksen). We have some tasty options on the bench, too, with Lamela (if Townsend does start), Defoe, Holtby, Chiriches, Kaboul and Dembele. Our second XI could genuinely provide a challenge to our first XI. Happy days!
Lamela can play on the left, that would give more services to whoever plays uptop and give us a lefty as naughton is a righty. I think holtby needs to get in the first team more but where to play him I don’t know. I think Sigs is more creative than we give him credit for, for me he needs to be played in a more central role but not above eriksen. Tough team selection, AVB has some good problems to sort out.. He’s actually lucky in a way that we have some injurys. I don’t care who plays as long as we play good fast attractive football an score from open play. COYS!
No Hugo, I don’t think so. Obviously siggy and Andros on other wings, but otherwise I agree.
Friedel!? Are you on crack!? Sig right, Townsend left?
Lloris
Walker Dawson Kaboul Vertonghen
Dembele paulinho
Lamela Eriksen Gyfli
Soldado
I swear they just put stupid things like brad in goal just to get more people writing on here.. Put brad an the new centre back in our team, that’ll get um talking. Either that or they know nothing about spurs
Have you ever read any of this Matthew Harris stuff, he hasn’t a clue so the stupidity comes naturally.
Lloris
Walker Dawson Vertonghen Naughton
Sandro Paulinho
Lamela Eriksen Townsend
Soldado
Freidel, Chiriches, Holtby, Siggy, Defoe, +2 others
Bale, cliff jones and mike England and terry your auth should all start against welsh opposition.
Arsenal are shite
Friedel in goal? Oh No.
Lloris,
Walker, Kaboul(if fit), Dawson, Vertonghen,
Paulinho, Dembele,
Lamela, Eriksen, Townsend
Soldado.
We know Kaboul isn’t fit, he’s not match fit yet either.
Firstly we play 4-3-3 according to AVB, secondly we have conceded one goal so you don’t change your centre-backs, Naughton will play at left-back. Chiriches has not yet played so he starts on Tuesday against Villa rather than guessing what he’s like and playing him. Thirdly Sigurdsson can’t play on the right so your wingers are on the wrong wings, fourthly why have you got Friedel in goal?
Apart from those 4 obvious cock-ups in selection you have the rest about right.
Fifth, I forgot, Dembele took a knock so he won’t play and Sandro will so only 5 wrong in your team!
4-2-3-1
Lloris
Walker Dawson Chiriches Vertonghen
Paulinho Dembele ( if fit )
Townsend Eriksen Siggurdsson
Soldado/Defoe (could be either one) 🙂
Anyway… #coys!!!
I think lloris, walker, dawson, vertonghen, naughton, sandro , paulinho, sig, eriksen, townsend , soldado. Subs to see action lamela, defoe, dembele
Lloris
walker daws vert naughton
…Paulinho sandro eriksen
Lamela……………….sigs
Soldado
I think we should give Eriksen a rest.
He is very young and we should gradually ease him into the PL.
I know it is early days. But we have a team which can last a whole season for once.
Lets use it.
In AVB and Levy we trust.
COYS
Against Cardiff City: Lloris: Walker, Dawson, Chiriches, Vertonghen; Paulinho, Dempele; Lamela, Eriksen, Townsend; Soldado.
Against Aston Villa: Friedel; Naughton, Kaboul, Chiriches, Fryers; Sandro, Holtby; Lennon, Sigurdsson, Chadli; Defoe.
I agree with Me. 😉
Hugo
Walker, Dawson, verthongen, Naughton
Sandra, Eriksen, Pauline
Lamela, soldado, siggy
i am not sure if he will put Defoe up front but if he does i think we will score more goals if Eriksen can learn the runs he makes we are on to a ton of goals.We have a top team, i have been a fan for over 40 years and have not seen us have such a great chance of being top dog at the end of the season, forget all the talk about bonding and all that, we are the best team in the prem , easy ozi come on u spurs.