| Niko and Ravel 11:03 - May 23 with 6445 views | PhilmyRs |
Niko and Ravel
Genuine consensus on team selection seems to be one or the other.
A one off, must win game, surely you get your best players on the pitch, and these 2 are that — match winners that could make the difference. Hoillet, Niko and Ravel behind Austin from the start would be a sign of our intentions, a sign that we are not going to keep it tight and hope Charlie can find the back of the net. It would be setting a side up to cause Derby problems and put them under pressure from the start. With Suk Yun hopefully left back we’d at least have an engine getting up and down that side as Nico or Ravel would clearly like to drift in field.
A Manager that achieved his objective of getting promoted at the first attempt, masterminding a successful playoff campaign in the process, or a guy that struggled to ignite a team of individuals and ultimately was out thought by the coaching specialist he employed. History will be the judge and getting the team selection right tomorrow will be key. Let’s see what you’re made of Harry.
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| Niko and Ravel on 11:18 - May 23 with 5074 views | macclesfieldman |
It's not about getting the "best players" on the pitch but the best team as Alf Ramsey proved in 66. I would play Nico with Ravel on the bench. |  |
| Wild horses couldn't drag me away... |
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| Niko and Ravel on 11:24 - May 23 with 5047 views | daveB |
Redknapp will go with experience, could play both if he starts Niko on the left but reckon Ravel will miss out |  | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:25 - May 23 with 5042 views | TheChef |
Also Niko has won twice at Wembley with Croatia and Portsmouth. |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 11:27 - May 23 with 5030 views | simmo |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:24 - May 23 by daveB |
Redknapp will go with experience, could play both if he starts Niko on the left but reckon Ravel will miss out |
Exactly this. Think he will go pure experience so Kranjcar and poss Benayoun to start in midfield. Personally I would play a 3 of
Hoilett Ravel Kranjcar
all behind Austin as a 3. But not sure he will be that gung-ho to start with [Post edited 23 May 2014 11:34]
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| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Niko and Ravel on 11:31 - May 23 with 5015 views | WestbourneR |
I agree with this.
Austin up top. Hoilett right, Ravel centre, Niko left.
That more than ticks the pace and creativity section.
Allows the two engines / work hourses of Barton and O'Neill covering every blade the middle.
And Yun should play to add pace and overlap for Nico on the left.
Simpson should get forward less and stay back to steady a ship of Dunne & Nedum.
That's my team.
Of course Harry will play 442 with the anonymous Kevin Doyle shoe horned in and we'll lose and I'll hate him forever. |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 11:33 - May 23 with 5003 views | Antti_Heinola |
IMO Niko is not one of our best players, nor one of our best XI. Thought it was a shocking decision to start someone so patently unfit and out of form v Wigan... but he did play well (although I didn't think he played half as well as many did) and I suspect Redknapp will start him and Ravel will miss out. Redknapp will probably make the 'safe' decision at every turn tomorrow, as he has done all season, which may cost us dear, labouring under the illusion that 'experience' is the key.
Having said that, maybe his tombola will turn out something special tomorrow and we'll somehow see the team he should be playing....
Green
Simpson Hill Onuoha Yun
Barton Carroll
Hoilett Ravel Traore
Austin
But suspect this is the team we'll see...
Green
Simpson Dunne Onuoha Hill
Hoilett Barton O'Neil Niko
Doyle Austin
Devoid of pace apart from Hoilett, Derby will take that team apart IMO - if he picks it. |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 11:40 - May 23 with 4978 views | PhilmyRs |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:27 - May 23 by simmo |
Exactly this. Think he will go pure experience so Kranjcar and poss Benayoun to start in midfield. Personally I would play a 3 of
Hoilett Ravel Kranjcar
all behind Austin as a 3. But not sure he will be that gung-ho to start with [Post edited 23 May 2014 11:34]
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I would play the same, with Niko and Ravel swapping over positions regularly.
Going on how hard Hoillet and Ravel worked in the Semi, I think they could do a job alongside Niko. If we have Barton and Gary O’N/Henry providing the energy and tackling, I think we would be alright and not too exposed.
I won’t try and second guess Harry’s team though, the semi-final taught me that, with the surprise Doyle wide right selection. We shouldn’t take the approach of looking at what Derby can do and planning our team accordingly though. We need to think about what they won’t like playing against and what will cause them problems. Niko and Ravel in the same team would give us a cutting edge. They come across as big game players to me, that want to play on the greatest stage — a Wembley sell out is the ideal platform for them. | | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:40 - May 23 with 4975 views | simmo |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:31 - May 23 by WestbourneR |
I agree with this.
Austin up top. Hoilett right, Ravel centre, Niko left.
That more than ticks the pace and creativity section.
Allows the two engines / work hourses of Barton and O'Neill covering every blade the middle.
And Yun should play to add pace and overlap for Nico on the left.
Simpson should get forward less and stay back to steady a ship of Dunne & Nedum.
That's my team.
Of course Harry will play 442 with the anonymous Kevin Doyle shoe horned in and we'll lose and I'll hate him forever. |
Exactly how I would do it. Yun to overlap and get crosses from left, O'Neil or Henry to be more disciplined and fall back into LB area to cover when he does. I would still give Simpson the mandate to support attacks, as long as Barton stays alert to cover him when he does.
All I really want is for us to go there and play to our strengths, to be let off the lead and give them the problems to deal with rather than just sit back and play cagey then possibly end up losing, That would be gutting. | |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Niko and Ravel on 13:04 - May 23 with 4827 views | DANRANGER |
He will play Niko. Ravel hasn't performed well enough recently and Kranjcar was excellent against Wigan. We are such slow starters that we need to be in this game long enough to win it. Therefore I expect similar to Wigan 2nd leg, just depends on what formation he wants to start with. The good thing is that he can switch formation without having to make subs. Derby will just play how they have all season so Redknapp has no excuses in setting the team up correctly.
The likes of Doyle and O'Neill do not excite but they will handle the occasion and then we still have good options from the bench. It's going to be tight and I can't see a flowing open game. if we go with all these attacking options we leave ourselves exposed as our defensive unit is slow (including Barton/O 'neill) and Harry isn't going to change it for the biggest game of the season. It's not going to be pretty but I'm reasonably confident we will find a way to win. (sorry #findaway!!!) |  | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 13:51 - May 23 with 4724 views | CroydonCaptJack |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:33 - May 23 by Antti_Heinola |
IMO Niko is not one of our best players, nor one of our best XI. Thought it was a shocking decision to start someone so patently unfit and out of form v Wigan... but he did play well (although I didn't think he played half as well as many did) and I suspect Redknapp will start him and Ravel will miss out. Redknapp will probably make the 'safe' decision at every turn tomorrow, as he has done all season, which may cost us dear, labouring under the illusion that 'experience' is the key.
Having said that, maybe his tombola will turn out something special tomorrow and we'll somehow see the team he should be playing....
Green
Simpson Hill Onuoha Yun
Barton Carroll
Hoilett Ravel Traore
Austin
But suspect this is the team we'll see...
Green
Simpson Dunne Onuoha Hill
Hoilett Barton O'Neil Niko
Doyle Austin
Devoid of pace apart from Hoilett, Derby will take that team apart IMO - if he picks it. |
As upbeat as ever I see |  | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 14:00 - May 23 with 4690 views | TheBlob |
Yes,they don't call him Antti for nothing.
We've got more players who are used to the big occasion than Derby.There's always the possibility that one of the teams might freeze on the day,and it's likely the more inexperienced.Mind you the weather might screw it all up.Play all the big guns from the off and get the crowd geed up,it's going to feel like a home game. |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 14:39 - May 23 with 4633 views | ellersliehoop |
Niko will be one of th first names on his team sheet along with Dunne, Green, Barton and Austin, there's not a chance he wont start
We'll play 442 and hit it long to Doyle and Austin to push Derby back | | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 14:40 - May 23 with 4625 views | WestbourneR |
If he plays 442 and he plays Doyle I will try and reach him and kill him. | |
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| Niko and Ravel on 14:42 - May 23 with 4615 views | Maggsinho |
This is a cheery thread. |  | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 14:47 - May 23 with 4592 views | ellersliehoop |
We beat Wigan with 442, we dont have enough pace to play 5 in midfield and play them at their own game
Zamora cant start so that only leaves Doyle unless AJ suddenly appears from nowhere | | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 15:03 - May 23 with 4547 views | dermyqpr |
| Niko and Ravel on 11:27 - May 23 by simmo |
Exactly this. Think he will go pure experience so Kranjcar and poss Benayoun to start in midfield. Personally I would play a 3 of
Hoilett Ravel Kranjcar
all behind Austin as a 3. But not sure he will be that gung-ho to start with [Post edited 23 May 2014 11:34]
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I have a question.
Will Gung Ho be rooming with Yuk Sun at the World Cup? |  | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 15:06 - May 23 with 4540 views | 08olesen |
Kranjcar cannot be trusted to play the wide role. He would have to track back. The 2 Wide men have to come from Traore Hoilet and Bennyoon.
I would then have Barton and Oniel in the CM
2 up top would be Austin and Doyle
no Ravel or Niko for me! |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:09 - May 23 with 4532 views | Antti_Heinola |
I'm actually more upbeat at games than probably any fan on here, but when it comes to the forum I'm just being honest in my views.
I don't think that was a downbeat post particularly - but I do think Harry's selection is a huge concern. I don't buy all this stuff about experience counting - experienced players have usually experienced failure and are more likely to freeze than a youngster who feels bulletproof.
The semi v Wigan was amazing and the players were great, but let's not forget in all the euphoria that for 25 minutes we were all over the shop - defence at sixes and sevens, three of our 'experienced' defenders trying to clear the same ball and falling over each other, O'Neil using all his experience to continually give the ball away and playing an almost catastrophic back bass to Greeno. And yet the young kid Yun, when finally chucked into the melee, was one of the most composed players on the pitch.
As brilliant as we were that night, had Wigan scored a second - and they will know they should have - we probably wouldn't have come back from it. All ifs, buts and maybes, sure - but the reality is that Derby, with their style and their strength and their pace and their ability to get a lot of goals from different areas, are unlikely to pass up the kind of opportunity we afforded Wigan for the first half hour last week.
Now, don't get me wrong, I could not be more excited about tomorrow. I cannot effing wait and I even had a tear in my eye watching that bloody video message from the players! seeing us play at Wembley is something I've waited for all my life (I was unable to go in 86 and in 82 I was still a bit young). I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. I think we have a very good chance of winning - but I think Derby have an equally good chance. We are two very evenly matched sides.
BUT we simply cannot afford to play it safe and pick 7 or 8 over 30s with no pace in the side and expect to compete effectively with Derby's fluid passing, movement and speed that they have. We simply can't. And unfortunately Harry's team selections over the last season do not fill me with confidence that he will make the bold decisions necessary tomorrow. Maybe he will, I hope he will, but the fact is not a single person at LR the other week would have predicted that team he picked, and it was so wrong he had to change it after 25 mins and in the end we were left with 4 defenders and 6 attackers on the pitch because his initial selection was so very badly thought out that even 3 subs wasn't enough to really undo the damage he'd done.
So - forgive me for being both very excited and very concerned! | |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:13 - May 23 with 4519 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Niko and Ravel on 14:47 - May 23 by ellersliehoop |
We beat Wigan with 442, we dont have enough pace to play 5 in midfield and play them at their own game
Zamora cant start so that only leaves Doyle unless AJ suddenly appears from nowhere |
We did not beat Wigan with 4-4-2, it was more like a 4-1-1-4!
We have more than enough pace if we pick the right players. | |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:14 - May 23 with 4519 views | simmo |
| Niko and Ravel on 15:09 - May 23 by Antti_Heinola |
I'm actually more upbeat at games than probably any fan on here, but when it comes to the forum I'm just being honest in my views.
I don't think that was a downbeat post particularly - but I do think Harry's selection is a huge concern. I don't buy all this stuff about experience counting - experienced players have usually experienced failure and are more likely to freeze than a youngster who feels bulletproof.
The semi v Wigan was amazing and the players were great, but let's not forget in all the euphoria that for 25 minutes we were all over the shop - defence at sixes and sevens, three of our 'experienced' defenders trying to clear the same ball and falling over each other, O'Neil using all his experience to continually give the ball away and playing an almost catastrophic back bass to Greeno. And yet the young kid Yun, when finally chucked into the melee, was one of the most composed players on the pitch.
As brilliant as we were that night, had Wigan scored a second - and they will know they should have - we probably wouldn't have come back from it. All ifs, buts and maybes, sure - but the reality is that Derby, with their style and their strength and their pace and their ability to get a lot of goals from different areas, are unlikely to pass up the kind of opportunity we afforded Wigan for the first half hour last week.
Now, don't get me wrong, I could not be more excited about tomorrow. I cannot effing wait and I even had a tear in my eye watching that bloody video message from the players! seeing us play at Wembley is something I've waited for all my life (I was unable to go in 86 and in 82 I was still a bit young). I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. I think we have a very good chance of winning - but I think Derby have an equally good chance. We are two very evenly matched sides.
BUT we simply cannot afford to play it safe and pick 7 or 8 over 30s with no pace in the side and expect to compete effectively with Derby's fluid passing, movement and speed that they have. We simply can't. And unfortunately Harry's team selections over the last season do not fill me with confidence that he will make the bold decisions necessary tomorrow. Maybe he will, I hope he will, but the fact is not a single person at LR the other week would have predicted that team he picked, and it was so wrong he had to change it after 25 mins and in the end we were left with 4 defenders and 6 attackers on the pitch because his initial selection was so very badly thought out that even 3 subs wasn't enough to really undo the damage he'd done.
So - forgive me for being both very excited and very concerned! |
Good post mate, I agree completely. If we do give it a fckin good go but still get beat, I could take it. | |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:17 - May 23 with 4509 views | QPunkR |
| Niko and Ravel on 15:14 - May 23 by simmo |
Good post mate, I agree completely. If we do give it a fckin good go but still get beat, I could take it. |
Agreed |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:20 - May 23 with 4493 views | TacticalR |
One difficulty for KranjÄar will be finding space. All the clued-up teams have put players on KranjÄar to surround him like a metal coffin with spikes on the inside. |  |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:22 - May 23 with 4478 views | WestbourneR |
I think we won despite Harry's tactics in the 2nd leg.
He has consistently picked the wrong team or the wrong shape or both.
Does anyone on here honestly feel starting Doyle is ever a good idea when Austin is fit? It just simply does not work in any way. It's tactical suicide. | |
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| Niko and Ravel on 15:22 - May 23 with 4478 views | ellersliehoop |
He switched it to 442 after about 20-25 mins, Doyle moved from the right to partner Austin
You're right about the pace if he picks Traore and Hoillett but they're both very hit and miss | | | |
| Niko and Ravel on 15:24 - May 23 with 4467 views | 08olesen |
| Niko and Ravel on 15:20 - May 23 by TacticalR |
One difficulty for KranjÄar will be finding space. All the clued-up teams have put players on KranjÄar to surround him like a metal coffin with spikes on the inside. |
He then goes out to the left though, which is where he was best against Wigan IMO. But still think it would be an error to play him when we have Traore and Hoilet with a lot more pace and energy than him. | |
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