Brentford (H) - Sat 14th Sept, 15:00 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[Fordyboy46]

Play the Carabao cup side in this one. Should be enough to keep the big guns fresh for Arsenal.

No chance, Brentford are certainly no pushovers

 

[Stelea]

Play the Carabao cup side in this one. Should be enough to keep the big guns fresh for Arsena

No chance, Brentford are certainly no pushovers

I wouldn’t say the Carabao side but there will need to be some sort of rotation with Brentford, Milan and Arsenal all within 8 days. The Milan fixture is the toughest in the group and couldn’t have been slotted in at a worse time. I would also presume that Kev will get flogged for another 90 minutes for Belgium this week but on the other hand Rodri, Ake and Stones should get some much needed game time.

 

[Haaland94]

Play our strongest team on paper against Brentford (with Rodri, Phil etc.), then against Inter go back to what has been working exceptionally well this season (Kova in the Rodri role, Lewis) and then against Arsenal play what we believe is our strongest 11 on paper and on form based on the 2 previous matches as well to find out what our best team is now that everyone is up to speed (for example, should John Stones start, Nathan, Jack, Kyle?).

 

[big gaz]

Play our strongest team on paper against Brentford (with Rodri, Phil etc.), then against Inter go back to what has been working exceptionally well this season (Kova in the Rodri role, Lewis) and then against Arsenal play what we believe is our strongest 11 on paper and on form based on the 2 previous matches as well to find out what our best team is now that everyone is up to speed (for example, should John Stones start, Nathan, Jack, Kyle?).

Prior to this post did you just put up shit ;-)

 

[IronsideKozuch]

Picking up starting line up is like a roulette for some here. Actually coach should not gamble with that, because players care. Pep is going with reasonable continuity, otherwise what would Lewis, Doku or Kovacic think? Moreover to build a good form you do not rotate at this stage half the team between Brentford and Inter. Quite the opposite. You want to build best fitness by playing mostly same players. A bit of rotation yes, but not too much.

Yes, we have few players that are nailed down starters, almost instantly when they come back. Haaland, KDB, Rodri - yes. Im not sure Foden is amongst them. Hes been magnificent last season, but euro and a bit of lack of full preparations concerns me.

 

[TheGhost]

The shitty Nations League rears it's ugly head again. Every international manager should play their weakest teams possible in this, and stick two fingers up to fifa

It’s a UEFA not FIFA competition. It is part of the qualification for the World Cup so it’s unlikely that managers would want to chuck it with weak teams. Everyone moaned like fuck about friendlies but this format I think actually works. The only reason England are not playing decent opposition is because we got relegated from a group containing Hungary.

 

[Nevizade]

How old/big do infants need to be to gain access with an adult season ticket holder please ?

Don't take him to old trafford, he'll end up getting a game if he's not careful

 

[train man]

It’s a UEFA not FIFA competition. It is part of the qualification for the World Cup so it’s unlikely that managers would want to chuck it with weak teams. Everyone moaned like fuck about friendlies but this format I think actually works. The only reason England are not playing decent opposition is because we got relegated from a group containing Hungary.

It has some sort of second-chance back-door entry to the euros, but it's still a glorified friendly, albeit in groups of similar talent (allegedly) - Nations still have to compete in genuine qualification rounds, and the Euros tournament only finished a few weeks ago!, it's fuckin crazy this, every year taking time out from the prem just after starting, and will do so again in Oct, Nov, March... must drive the club managers insane.
Dunno about the world cup - NL being a uefa re-jig of friendlies I thought it was just a second chance to qualify for that (in 2028, hahaha...)

 

[TheGhost]

It has some sort of second-chance back-door entry to the euros, but it's still a glorified friendly, albeit in groups of similar talent (allegedly) - Nations still have to compete in genuine qualification rounds, and the Euros tournament only finished a few weeks ago!, it's fuckin crazy this, every year taking time out from the prem just after starting, and will do so again in Oct, Nov, March... must drive the club managers insane.
Dunno about the world cup - NL being a uefa re-jig of friendlies I thought it was just a second chance to qualify for that (in 2028, hahaha...)

“The four best-ranked group winners from the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League which finished outside the top two of their World Cup qualifying group” will go into the World Cup Play Off Qualifiers.

 

[Big Swifty]

What

It has some sort of second-chance back-door entry to the euros, but it's still a glorified friendly, albeit in groups of similar talent (allegedly) - Nations still have to compete in genuine qualification rounds, and the Euros tournament only finished a few weeks ago!, it's fuckin crazy this, every year taking time out from the prem just after starting, and will do so again in Oct, Nov, March... must drive the club managers insane.
Dunno about the world cup - NL being a uefa re-jig of friendlies I thought it was just a second chance to qualify for that (in 2028, hahaha...)

What's all this got to do with City v Brentford (thread title)?