Leverkusen Away Thursday 11th

alderzalderz
in Match Threads
A big match, I reckon
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Comments

  • IronHerbIronHerb
    For us or them?

    COYI
  • alderzalderz
    Big for both?
  • stevesteve
    Game of the season .Until the next one =)
  • Brother_SledgeBrother_Sledge
    If Bowen still injured ?
    Fabianski
    Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Cresswell
    Johnson, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Emerson
    Kudus, Antonio
  • HainaultHammerHainaultHammer
    Brother_Sledge said:

    If Bowen still injured ?
    Fabianski
    Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Cresswell
    Johnson, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Emerson
    Kudus, Antonio

    Six at the back. Not bad, but can you not squeeze in Aguerd and Ogbonna too?
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    21:00 CET - Leverkusen (BayArena)
    Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) - West Ham United (ENG)
    Referee: Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias POR
    Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Alexandre dos Santos Soares POR
    Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Ricardo Ferreira Ribeiro POR
    Fourth Official: António Emanuel Carvalho Nobre POR
    Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins POR
    Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Hugo Filipe Ferreira de Campos Moreira Miguel POR
    UEFA Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO
    UEFA Delegate: Giel Kirkels NED
  • Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_MoyesJorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes
    HainaultHammer said:

    Brother_Sledge said:

    If Bowen still injured ?
    Fabianski
    Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Cresswell
    Johnson, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Emerson
    Kudus, Antonio

    Six at the back. Not bad, but can you not squeeze in Aguerd and Ogbonna too?
    Might not be the worst idea
  • DJ HammerDJ Hammer
    Bowen is supposed to have a badly bruised spine which could see him out for 3 weeks 😩
  • LukerzLukerz
    Fabianski
    Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Emerson
    Soucek - Alvarez - Ward-Prowse
    Kudus - Antonio - Paqueta

    Will surely be the side without Bowen?
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    edited April 9
    Lukerz said:

    Fabianski
    Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Emerson
    Soucek - Alvarez - Ward-Prowse
    Kudus - Antonio - Paqueta

    Will surely be the side without Bowen?

    Apart from the fact that Alvarez is suspended.
  • alderzalderz
    I'd assume that all the players Luke suggested will play, other than Alvarez, which means there are a few potential candidates to take that 11th spot.

    1. Kalvin Phillips. I don't think it should be him, but in theory he's the most 'like for like' option we have
    2. Ben Johnson. Has played DM / MC a few times, and I'm sure would give some energy in the middle. Both he and Phillips would allow for the 4-3-3 system Luke suggested to still happen.
    3. Aaron Cresswell. With Emerson looking really good when he moved wide left, it could be that Moyes opts to start Cresswell at left back and Emerson on the flank. This would also give us the option of shifting to a back 5 where needed.
    4. Danny Ings. If Moyes wanted to go for the 4-2-3-1 system that's been working recently, he could bring in Danny Ings to play #10 behind Antonio, or potentially as #9, with Antonio on the wing and Paqueta playing #10 or in the midfield three, even.
    5. Maxwel Cornet. It seems very unlikely given his playing time, but it's possible that Moyes just swaps out Bowen for another winger, and keeps a midfield trio of Paqueta, Soucek and JWP
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    6. Aguerd. Match up Leverkusen's 3 at the back. Also a pacey option than Cresswell at LB in a back 4 if Emerson is to be played further forward; apparently Leverkusen have real pace in wider areas and that would really worry me with Cresswell at LB and Zouma at LCB.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Personally I can't see it being Phillips (even though, at anywhere near his best, he would be the obvious choice), Ings (just no) or Cornet (Moyes just doesn't seem to rate him atm). Has to be between Johnson, Cresswell and Aguerd imo.
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    If he doesn't play Phillips then it's likely he has played his last game for us as he is the obvious choice regard position played.

    It would all depend on what Moyes sees in training and how he feels Phillips state of mind is, and we have no idea. Although a massive gamble providing Moyes was happy with what he sees regard those two things it's a opportunity to gamble and say to Phillips, look you have had some bad breaks, but you are an England international and have played in big matches, if you feel you are ready this is your time to put that start behind you when we need an international DM most, do you want the shirt?

    I am just annoyed that Alveraz still plays like Noble used to, in that you can afford a yellow every match, we have picked up some very unnecessary cards recently.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Leverkusen have played 41 in all competitions, won 36, drawn 5, lost none and are through to the final of the Pokal.

    Xabi Alonso usually sets up 3-4-2-1 although has gone with a back 4 against lower league/weaker sides

    Some players to keep an eye on

    AM Florian Wirtz (14 goals, 18 assists in 39 games) is only 20 and already has 16 full caps

    Spanish LB/LM Alex Grimaldo (11 goals, 15 assists in 40 games) joined from Benfica in the summer,

    Granit Xhaka (39 appearances) has started every Bundesliga game this season

    Top scorer 23yo Nigerian CF Victor Boniface (16 goals in 25 games) got half an hour against Union Berlin at the weekend after 12 weeks out with an abductor injury.

    In his absence Czech CF Patrik Schick had been starting but he was left on the bench against Union, maybe being saved for Thursday

    2nd choice goalkeeper Matej Kovar has played all but one European match, first choice keeper Lukas Hradecky is also captain. For European games CB Jonathan Tah takes the armband (we've been linked with him a few times)

    A draw would be good...
  • stevesteve
    A Draw would be great
  • nychammer66nychammer66
    steve said:

    A Draw would be great

    But a win would be slightly better!
  • welovethehammerswelovethehammers
    I’d like to see:

    Fabianski
    Coufal - Mavropanos - Zouma - Emerson
    Johnson - Soucek - Ward-Prowse
    Kudus - Antonio - Paqueta

    Imo Cresswell isn’t quick enough for this game. I like CT he idea of Emerson playing in a more attacking role but I just think the speed of the game will be too fast for Cress (to be honest I’m worried about our whole back line for this one). I’d play Ben Johnson but it’s hard to pick whether I’d like him in midfield on our left to support Emerson or on our right.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    I think we’ll play Moyesball, sit deep, keep our shape, let them have possession and hit them on the counter

    Whoscored lists their weaknesses as “avoiding offsides” and “aerial duels”

    Wasn’t she the Little Mermaid?
  • BerlinHammerBerlinHammer
    Maybe a crazy idea and probably shouldnt be used in this game... but does anyone else think Aguerd maybe usefull as a DM when Alvarez is suspended?
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    BerlinHammer said:

    Maybe a crazy idea and probably shouldnt be used in this game... but does anyone else think Aguerd maybe usefull as a DM when Alvarez is suspended?

    I don't think it's a crazy idea, but it might be risky to try it in a game as important as this. Depends what they've been working on in training I guess.
  • Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_MoyesJorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes
    I fully support Moyesball in this game. Play for 0-0 at all costs.
  • LukerzLukerz
    Forgot about Alvarez, so I assume…

    Fabianski
    Mavropanos - Zouma - Cresswell
    Coufal - Soucek - Ward-Prowse - Emerson
    Kudus - Antonio - Paqueta
  • alderzalderz
    edited April 10
    I guess its not impossible that we go with a 3-4-3, but I'd personally be a little surprised. We've only started with a back 3/5 once this season and we lost to Bristol City. In actual games we cared about we've not played it since January 2023, and that was with a bare bones squad.

    (According to Transfermarkt)
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    alderz said:

    In actual games we cared about we've not played it since January 2023, and that was with a bare bones squad.

    Pretty much where we are now really, isn't it?

  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited April 10
    Best guess

    Kovar
    Hincapie Tah (c) Tapsoba
    Frimpong Xhaka Palacios Grimaldo
    Wirtz Hofmann
    Schick

    Other names

    Piero Hincapie, 22yo Ecuador CB
    Edmund Tapsoba, 25yo Burkina Faso CB
    Jeremie Frimpong, 23yo Netherlands RM/RW
    Exequiel Palacios, 25yo Argentina CM
    Jonas Hofmann 31yo AM, 23 German caps, 258 Bundesliga appearances with four clubs
  • EXETERHAMMEREXETERHAMMER
    Phillips should play in place of Alvarez and keep 4 at the back.
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    I think we should set up as though we want to win the match, as I think that may be our best chance of getting a result. I don't think we can invite a side of that quality onto us for 90 minutes. My fear, and I hope I am wrong, is that Moyes will set up to defend again in the manner he has recently, we will then ship a goal, but where as he then comes out and attacks he will still continue to defend with his defensive set up which he usually changes when behind. We may then ship another and possibly a third without really seeking to reply.


    I also don't feel we have the defenders to defend for that time at present as Rice in front of them made a big difference and Dawson was a lot more sure footed than Mavro in my view. If we have to push Emmerson forward to replace Bowen I doubt we will manage 30 minutes let alone 90. I hope I am wrong and I don't write off a bit of cup magic despite their impressive record this season.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    I really can't see us doing anything other than what we nearly always seem to do; sit back, invite the pressure, and try and score on the break or at a set piece. Unfortunately this can go in two very different ways, just look at our league games against Arsenal; won 2-0 away and got stuffed 6-0 at home.
  • IronHerbIronHerb


    COYI ⚒
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