Back in (the) Black (Forest) SC Freiburg 8pm Thurs 7th March (live on TNT Sports 2)
So almost five months to the day after our last visit we return to deepest, darkest Baden
Apart from their European adventure they’re not having a great season. Like us they were knocked out of the Cup by a second tier midtable side, Paderborn, and they’ve had a pretty dismal start to 2024, One win in 8 games with four losses and two draws in the last six, leaving them 9th.
Apart from injuries and suspensions Christian Streich (still there after 12 years and 2 months) doesn’t change his starting XI much
LW Vincenzo Grifo is top scorer with 11 in 32 although 8 of those were penalties while another was a free kick (and 3 were against TSC).
RW Roland Sallai has 8 in 27 (including their only goal against us) although in recent games he’s been played as a striker paired with CF Lukas Höler who has 7 in 34 and has started all but two games in 2024. CF Michael Gregoritsch has 8 in 30 but has only had 2 starts in the last 7 games
First choice CB Phillip Lienhert missed their visit to London with injury and needed groin surgery but Streich reckons he could be back training with the first team this week so maybe a place on the bench
RB Lukas Kubler picked up a thigh injury the weekend before last against Augsburg and was missing for the Bayern match with 21yo Killian Sildillia starting in his place.
On the other side of the coin CB Matthias Ginter recovered from an Achilles strain while club captain LB Christian Gunter has finally recovered from the broken arm he suffered in pre-season and both started against Bayern.
Starting XI vs Bayern Munich
Atubolu
Sildillia Ginter Gulde Gunter
Doan Eggestein Höfler Grifo
Sallai Höler
Apart from their European adventure they’re not having a great season. Like us they were knocked out of the Cup by a second tier midtable side, Paderborn, and they’ve had a pretty dismal start to 2024, One win in 8 games with four losses and two draws in the last six, leaving them 9th.
Apart from injuries and suspensions Christian Streich (still there after 12 years and 2 months) doesn’t change his starting XI much
LW Vincenzo Grifo is top scorer with 11 in 32 although 8 of those were penalties while another was a free kick (and 3 were against TSC).
RW Roland Sallai has 8 in 27 (including their only goal against us) although in recent games he’s been played as a striker paired with CF Lukas Höler who has 7 in 34 and has started all but two games in 2024. CF Michael Gregoritsch has 8 in 30 but has only had 2 starts in the last 7 games
First choice CB Phillip Lienhert missed their visit to London with injury and needed groin surgery but Streich reckons he could be back training with the first team this week so maybe a place on the bench
RB Lukas Kubler picked up a thigh injury the weekend before last against Augsburg and was missing for the Bayern match with 21yo Killian Sildillia starting in his place.
On the other side of the coin CB Matthias Ginter recovered from an Achilles strain while club captain LB Christian Gunter has finally recovered from the broken arm he suffered in pre-season and both started against Bayern.
Starting XI vs Bayern Munich
Atubolu
Sildillia Ginter Gulde Gunter
Doan Eggestein Höfler Grifo
Sallai Höler
Comments
Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Emerson
Soucek - Alvarez - Ward-Prowse
Kudus - Bowen - Paqueta
No time for mucking around. Areola can sit this out but strongest side.
Fab was captain when Zouma was unavailable for the first Olympiacos match and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup
The general consensus is that this is a winnable game to which I concur. 2-0 to the massive Hammers. ⚒
Everton are next, maybe its a Scouse thing or maybe they are having to use more U21s due the FFP issue
We're pretty average
3
Liverpool
2
Everton
1
Aston Villa
Brentford
Brighton
Chelsea
Man City
Man Utd
Newcastle
Sheff Utd
West Ham
0
Arsenal
Bournemouth
Burnley
Palace
Fulham
Luton
Forest
Spurs
Wolves
Although I would love to go, Freiburg is a little too far for me at the moment, I don't want to leave the missus with a newborn and two more little children while I go enjoying myself, so I will be sitting in front of the box cheering on the hammers.
The song "over land and sea" popped up in my mind yesterday, I used to have that cassette. No more Romanians or Danes in the squad now but our Czechs are as strong as ever.
We’ve been invited by some friends to meet up for lunch tomorrow and it’s the 5th time since last summer. On the previous occasions, mostly on a Sunday, it was a match day and I’ve just checked and on each occasion we lost.
"We’ve got a question mark about Nayef Aguerd and Maxi [Cornet] has not travelled so we’ll have to see how those boys are, but apart from that everybody else is fit and healthy".
https://www.whufc.com/news/talking-points-moyes-sc-freiburg-european-experience-welcome-support-and-return-form
I am hoping for a Paquetta masterclass as he has had two games to get back into the groove after his injury and will want to show what he can do in Europe. as long as he, Bowen and Kudus are on the pitch we have goals in us.