Dirty Leeds (away) 7:45pm Wednesday 4th January (not on TV)

alderz

Fortuneseeker said:

candbsky, Is this yet another example of David Moyes not knowing which is Paqueta best position or simply not playing him in it?

I don't think it's the wrong position he's been played in, I think it's the tactics around it. At the end of the day, both us and Lyon (last year at least) play a 4-2-3-1, and Paqueta plays in the middle of the 3. The difference, for me, is that Lyon are a possession based side, and they mostly played Bruno Guimaraes and Maxence Caqueret behind him - both of which are very good in possession.

I think we won't see the best of Paqueta until we are competent in possession, personally.

OutcastLondoner

I think today's the first game with Mark Noble officially back at the club. I'm choosing to take some meaning from that.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Expecting a loss

nychammer66

Expecting a win.

claretandbluesky

It could well be, but either way he isn't really having an impact on matches.

buffybegood

Fabiański, Coufal, Dawson, Aguerd, Kehrer, Rice ©, Souček, Fornals, Paquetá, Bowen, Scamacca
Subs: Areola (GK), Ogbonna, Cresswell, Johnson, Emerson, Downes, Benrahma, Lanzini, Antonio

Aguerd makes a start, and Kehrer is tried at LB ahead of both Cresswell and Emerson.

Soucek back in the middle to provide energy against a busy Leeds midfield I guess, and Fornals starts ahead of Benrahma.

Yeoldhammer

Kehrer at left back ? Benrahma dropped ? Soucek back in ?

Don't understand any of it. Feels like a Towel into the ring moment.

Hamstew

Soucek back and the only guy that even looks like scoring dropped. Interesting.

steve

Benrahma has been our best player ,so lets put him on the bench

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

What a brilliantly uninspiring team

Bennie is the only player at the moment who looks like he's an actually attacker, why can't Fornals play in a midifeld 3 with Rice and Paqueta

OldCastleSwift

Dropping Cresswell I get. But a player out of position ahead of Emerson? Not sure why we spent £10m on him if he isn't considered good enough to even deputise for an out-of-form Cresswell.

Moyes was talking about playing Paqueta next to Rice, but I'm not sure how that will work with Soucek back in the team. Maybe Soucek in behind Scamacca as an auxiliary forward?

Honestly have no idea what Moyes is going for here.

steve

i will watch it but only in protest of Benny missing

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Also what does Fabianski have to do to get dropped?

Hammerdublin

Hmm maybe Moyes knows something we don't know? Or else why play Souchek who has been out of form and not Downes? Why Kehrer at LB? Why no Behrama? Too many 'whys'... Or does Moyes have all the answers? The game will show...

Pengeman

A strange team. I assume that Kehrer will play RB and Coufal LB. But why not have a proper RB in Johnson and promote an Academy player at LB.
Why is Soucek ahead of Downes?
Can't fathom out why Benrahma is not in the starting 11. Is he rested, dropped, injured? If Moyes is looking for a breakaway goal then we haven't got much pace up front. Oh, I forgot. Moyes is banking on OG or a penalty but even to do that we need to get in the opposition penalty box.

buffybegood

Pengeman said:

A strange team. I assume that Kehrer will play RB and Coufal LB.

I doubt it, Kehrer is a lot better with his left foot than Coufal.

OutcastLondoner

This is why the Paqueta transfer and what’s followed has frustrated me. Not writing him off but he hasn’t had to prove anything. Benrahma was already looking like our best attacker and then got dropped for Paqueta. He got back into the team and is still the best attacker but gets dropped while Paqueta remains despite several consecutive bad games.

jay_in_cpt

Apart from desperately needing to, Let’s win for David Gold ⚒️

steve

Moyes will wait untill we are 2 down then bring on Benrahma around the 70th min .Benny will then score but we still loose 2-1

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Just want to see us go out with something resembling a game plan instead of just pass it aimlessly and slowly and pray we get a set piece

Lukerz

Looks like a 4-3-3, but Fornals could be playing as a LWB.

buffybegood

Lukerz said:

Looks like a 4-3-3, but Fornals could be playing as a LWB.

Yeah, I did wonder if we're setting up as a 3 at the back, although I think when we did that recently the team was given with the 3 CBs directly after Fabianski, then Coufal.

I do think both Fornals and Soucek have been selected for their energy, however we line up.

sweepy23

are there any streams?

OldCastleSwift

buffybegood said:

I do think both Fornals and Soucek have been selected for their energy, however we line up.

But both are painfully slow. Energy is one thing, but we also need pace, and these two bring the opposite.

If we're playing with wingbacks, then I have no idea why Emerson has been overlooked.

I'm just so confused with this line up.

buffybegood

OldCastleSwift said:

But both are painfully slow. Energy is one thing, but we also need pace, and these two bring the opposite.

Whilst I agree they're not particularly quick, I wouldn't put them in Noble's pace (or lack of it) bracket, and I think their tenacity in midfield will be more important than the electrifying pace you'd want in a forward.

buffybegood

Dreadful pass by Kehrer but great recovery tackle by Aguerd in our box.

buffybegood

Rice kicked in the head, I hope he's OK

buffybegood

buffybegood said:

Rice kicked in the head, I hope he's OK

Patched up and carrying on.

alderz

buffybegood

Probably true of players who've played for West Ham at Upton Park, I suspect Fabianski probably played there for Swansea.