21 Feb 2024 07:22:53
The fact we're top of the league and I still don't think we'll win it is mad.
Just insanity looking at our injuries. We'll have to play a full strength City, and a full strength united and spurs, with 5 or so 1st team players out. Plus the cup final this weekend. I really hope we get at least 1 silver ware for klopps last season
And how have Arsenal managed to avoid so many injuries this season, maybe we need to steal that medical team!
21 Feb 2024 07:49:53
I believe De Bruyne is carrying a hamstring injury. Both Gvardiol and Grealish are out. Hardly full strength but their second string is quality. As is ours.
Arsenal are missing Jesus, Zinchenko and Tomayisu.
Everyone is soldiering at this stage of the season.
21 Feb 2024 07:59:25
Arsenal city spurs and Utd have all had big players missing for lengthy periods. I’m sure they felt just has hard done by.
21 Feb 2024 08:05:13
I’d expect us to have a few players back by City, Utd and spurs.
From now until then those teams could also lose big players to injuries and it’s also possible we might get some back and lose others also.
Lots of working parts in play that we have zero control over.
21 Feb 2024 08:34:33
It’s not as bad as it appears. We only have 4 PL games before the break. We can field almost a first choice back 4 with plenty options from the bench. Plus Trent will be back before City. Nunez and Salah will be back for Forest so that gives us plenty of options up front. Dom and Trent should also be back for forest which means for the City game the only guaranteed starter missing is Allison.
21 Feb 2024 08:54:37
This is what Klopp gets paid the big bucks for and why we have such a deep squad including our academy boys.
All the clubs in top 6 have suffered key injuries, so we just have to deal with it.
21 Feb 2024 11:16:35
DeanW, why do you think we won't win it?
21 Feb 2024 15:31:26
It's quite interesting to see the debate about injuries, squad size and game priorities. So many diverse opinions.
From my own perspective, we went into the season a couple of senior players short - a DM and CB. Injuries to Alisson, Matip, Ibou, Thiago, Curtis and Jota were inevitable based on history. I was comfortable with one of Bradley or Ramsay deputising for Trent.
There have been a few good surprises.
1) Quansah has done an excellent job when called upon - negating my concerns about not buying a CB in the summer.
2) I never thought MacAllister could/ would play no6 as well as he has been doing.
3) I never thought Endo would be good enough to play in big Premier League games.
4) I didn't think Bradley was going to be able to show this level of performance already.
5) I didn't expect Curtis to become our best midfielder.
Shows us what do really know about anything!
On whether we have big or small squad. That depends entirely on what you think of the first team quality of the kids. We only registered a 20-man (25 is allowed) squad for the PL, with Gravenberch, Elliott, Bradley, Quansah, Doak, Gordon, Clark, McConnell etc not counting due to being u21.
Was it a conscious decision to rely on the youngsters as much or was it down to not being able to do enough deals in the summer? I don't know.
Once the season started, did they believe that this squad was capable enough to go deep into all four comps? I don't know.
But, here we are.
21 Feb 2024 16:24:13
To win it I think we need to stay infront.
I can’t see us dropping points and being able to recover from a deficit (because of the injuries) .
21 Feb 2024 18:34:55
And to think there used to be moans on here the squad was too big.
21 Feb 2024 20:27:15
Well this is part of why, if we drop points at home against luton then its gone 100%.
But you can't expect to have a 100% record for the rest of the season with constant injuries.
Look at our bench tonight, no forward options, no midfielders to come on.
Its noone's fault but i don't see us winning the league, not when City are officially sitting on 2 injuries, and arsenal 4, to our 11 (i think is the official stat tonight with darwin and salah out)
21 Feb 2024 21:34:44
Dean give yourself a jab to the ribs.
21 Feb 2024 21:36:48
Just wondering why Man Utd have been mentioned? Mid table fodder have no business at the top table. We have a squad that can cope with injuries thank God and Klopp as manager so no stress. Obviously we have had a squad of minus 1 ever since Thiago signed. got to be in the top ten worst ever signings, he’s broken more than a lotus Elise.
21 Feb 2024 23:56:53
Dean, that's your opinion and you are welcome to it. All Im going to say here is that you are using injuries to convince yourself that we won't win the title even after we smoked Luton tonight with 8 starters out and still you think we won't win. You act as if our injuries are long term which they are NOT.
Players will start coming back starting this weekend with Salah and Darwin (knowk on wood) and yet we are still top so this is just a temporary phase in the season, IMO. Unlike you, I take it one game at a time so I don't expect us to win all our games due to injuries BUT it seems to you that cos we can't do that, we won't win the title? Footie don't work that way, mate.
Now if you allow yourself to be convinced by negativity being pumped out by the media and rival fans then, that's all on you, mate. Our manager himself has said there are no excuses hence, he doesn't talk about injuries. The players don't do that either and they are delivering. Also, I would ask you to believe in the team the same way your manager does and the players believe in themselves BUT you have convinced yourself we won't win due to "temporary" injuries. Again, that's your cross to bear. The rest of us choose to make other decisions.