Sporting CP (A) - Tue 5th Nov, 20:00 | CL | Pre-Match Thread

Match Result Prediction?

  • Win

    Votes: 193 51.3%

  • Draw

    Votes: 104 27.7%

  • Loss

    Votes: 79 21.0%
  • Total voters
    376
  • Poll closed .
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M23 Citizen said:
The thing is, does it really matter?

We could lose all three of those away games, win the home two, finish 19th, get a few of the injured players back fit for the extra round to qualify for the Ro16 which woukd actually be good minutes for them on return, and then go on to win the CL anyway with a few nice draws.
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Perverse as it sounds - I was actually thinking the same yesterday.
It's not the way Pep will look at things though, which is all that counts.
 
ysmsa said:
Me too,

Seems incredibly suspicious this.

How can he accept another job but continue to manage his current team?

If Rags were in the CL would this have been allowed?

The cases against us, including a nothing arrangement with Mancini are far less suspicious and relevant compared to this arrangement
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Give over. Why is it suspicious? How many times have we heard that a manager is leaving and a new one coming in long before its happened? We knew all the way through Italia 90 that Bobby Robson was leaving England for PSV. We knew for the last months of Pellegrini's reign that he was being replaced by Pep. Amorim has a notice period, United have negotiated a price to release him, Sporting have asked for a couple of weeks to get a new man in and have three games before the international break. Nothing to see here.
 
MCFC1993 said:
Kick off time 20:00 (GMT).

Personally I think Brighton should be a priority, don't want to lose as we saw with the Spurs game it's not good for momentum. Pick a team that can get a draw.

--------------Ederson
Lewis---Akanji---JSP---Gvardiol
----------Kovacic---O'Reilly
Mcatee-------Wright--------Doku
-------------------Foden

I haven't got a clue who is fit and who needs a rest.

Rather save Doku for Brighton if possible.
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I understand where you're coming from, but if that team was ever to play it would have been last week in the Carabao.
No way JSP, O'Reilly, McAtee or Wright start imho.
I'll add that if ANY of our squad play during the International break I'll be livid - and yes I know we're not in control, but the players are ("sorry International boss I've got x/y/z wrong with me ")
 
I think we will win tomorrow, Yes we do have injuries and it's taking it's toll on us but Pep won't be happy with the performance on Saturday against Bournemouth, He sets the bar when it comes to standards across the counrty and he'll want a response from the players...He will get a response from this group of players because they have shown it time and time again over the years when we've looked dead and buried we find ways to bounce back.
 
Thinking about this game and the broader format in the UCL this year, we have to go for the win. We will desperately want to finish in the top 8 to avoid two extra games in February.

I can't see Pep doing anything other than playing his best XI.
 
WesthoughtonJohn said:
I understand where you're coming from, but if that team was ever to play it would have been last week in the Carabao.
No way JSP, O'Reilly, McAtee or Wright start imho.
I'll add that if ANY of our squad play during the International break I'll be livid - and yes I know we're not in control, but the players are ("sorry International boss I've got x/y/z wrong with me ")
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Yeah I dont think it'll be that rotated, I just dont have a clue who is fit and who isnt.

Genuinely think the Carabao Cup should have been a bigger priority than these group games.

Said from the start we should have treated these 8 group games as rotation games. If it means playing an extra 2 knockout games it would have been worth it to avoid having to go full strength in 6-8 games.
 
MCFC1993 said:
Yeah I dont think it'll be that rotated, I just dont have a clue who is fit and who isnt.

Genuinely think the Carabao Cup should have been a bigger priority than these group games.

Said from the start we should have treated these 8 group games as rotation games. If it means playing an extra 2 knockout games it would have been worth it to avoid having to go full strength in 6-8 games.
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No, far better not having he extra 2 games and not having Carabao cup games in January and February.
 
MCFC1993 said:
Yeah I dont think it'll be that rotated, I just dont have a clue who is fit and who isnt.

Genuinely think the Carabao Cup should have been a bigger priority than these group games.

Said from the start we should have treated these 8 group games as rotation games. If it means playing an extra 2 knockout games it would have been worth it to avoid having to go full strength in 6-8 games.
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I think that position also determines seeding and that will effect who City might draw in the R-16.

Besides, who in their right mind wants to subject City to a two legged playoff round?
 
In their 10 league games they’ve scored 35 and conceded only 3, winning all 10. Allied to the fact it’s the rags next manager and I think the script is already written. I’m not sure where confidence can come from given the state our team is in.
 
Brighton is the priority and if we're as fucked as it appears fitness wise we need to make sure the 11 we want on Saturday at Brighton are rested. That's going to be a really tough game.

This one we can lose and still qualify, and in all honesty a changed team can still get a result there.
 
supercity88 said:
Brighton is the priority and if we're as fucked as it appears fitness wise we need to make sure the 11 we want on Saturday at Brighton are rested. That's going to be a really tough game.

This one we can lose and still qualify, and in all honesty a changed team can still get a result there.
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Think tomorrow is and will be the priority, with PSG and Juventus away to come.The league there is plenty of time and games left.
 
blueparrot said:
No, far better not having he extra 2 games and not having Carabao cup games in January and February.
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I said earlier in the season, we look at the CL as having an extra couple of games already and potentially 4 more if you have to do the playoff for the last 16.

But we could have looked to play a reserve team, as we do in the league cup and still made the playoff. That way, whilst you play more games, in theory you're resting your first 11 more than you did in the previous group stage competition.

I wouldn't have prioritised the league cup either though. I'd have had a first 11 in the league, and then one for the CL. We'd still pick up enough points to make the playoff, possibly even to go straight through.
 
supercity88 said:
I said earlier in the season, we look at the CL as having an extra couple of games already and potentially 4 more if you have to do the playoff for the last 16.

But we could have looked to play a reserve team, as we do in the league cup and still made the playoff. That way, whilst you play more games, in theory you're resting your first 11 more than you did in the previous group stage competition.

I wouldn't have prioritised the league cup either though. I'd have had a first 11 in the league, and then one for the CL. We'd still pick up enough points to make the playoff, possibly even to go straight through.
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Pep will be doing all in his power to avoid the extra games and the extra risk of a 2 legged play off.I think the Sporting game was also in his thinking with some of his choices at Bournemouth too. There won't be a single manager in the C\L \ with any expectation of going deep into it that will want to be finishing outside the top 8
 
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