Relive every moment of every first team game since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Our archive of matchday threads originally posted in the General Discussion Forum.
3-1 Chelsea. It’ll be a repeat of our away game against the Spuds.
We always seem to get an injury to one of our key players before we play a Europa League game, so we must be due another. See Bowen against Liverpool and Zouma against Brentford.
That’s 3 injuries we’ve picked up now before European games. Bowen at Liverpool, Zouma at Brentford and now Diop against Villa. I am getting to the point now when I am almost hoping Moyes goes all Big Sam and just plays the kids in some of the League games.
We wouldn’t beat these on their turf with even our strongest team. Moyes never wins at these grounds in the League. Wrap Dawson, Rice, Soucek, Antonio and Bowen up in cotton wool and save them for the Frankfurt game.
I'm here to apply some soothing balm.....(this is all if he sticks to a four)
Firstly, it's not Dawson with the injury , that's a plus.........Diop, despite some good performances, is the weak link of the two.
The solution to me (if Moyes sticks to a 4)...is to bring in the utterly versatile Ben Johnson, to play the left side of Craig Dawson.
Johnsons a defender, his attributes are not so much being offensive. His head is a defenders head. His positioning is that of a defender....he's horribly difficult to pass most of the time.....he reads situations like a defender. He has the mobility, the build and the confidence to be an excellent centre back...I think the Eng u21 manger recently said much the same.
This is what Moyes does,,,,,versatility with a small squad. Find answers ....and maybe find better answers than the original question anticipated.
Many half decent right backs make excellent centre halves in emergency situations......G, Neville, Ray Stewart (was an excellent C/B.)..Billy Bonds turned into one, Kyle Walker, Azpilicueta, Glen Johnson.......just a few amongst hundreds.
I've no doubt Ben Johnson can do this job with little fuss. It won't be easy, because it will all be quite sudden....but I feel he has all the attributes.
No problem with Dec doing it either......we have done quite well in midfield covering for him over short periods.
No to Soucek, he isn't mobile enough, too slow on the turn, he will get spun and lost for pace. And alongside Dawson that would be murder.
Totally against the very young centre backs.....they really aren't ready yet....and Moyes clearly knows this. Expect one on the bench though.
Coufal........Dawson.......Johnson......Cresswell........... is what I would go with if it isn't Dec.