2016/17 UEFA Champions League Qualifiers

Take it Premier Sports will pick it up aswell, though hopefully BT do but cant see it not with that kick off time

 

McGregor not on the wing... More central...

We need to pack the midfield and hit on the counter with the personel we have in our squad.. I'd go with that.. Played a similar system v Ajax and it worked well..

 

I think he's going for a more compact centre mid with McGregor and Armstrong going on the late runs down the flanks when we're attacking. Roberts having more of a free role covering that whole area. I'd certainly play like that in Kazakhstan.

At CP I'd go for the 3-5-2 though. We were sublime at times last night.

 

Fair enough with mcgregor. Certainly feel he does well in the middle. But also feel brown and bitton together we always resort to slow football, lots of Sidewards and backwards passing. Rather gove mcgregor more control on the game in there and have another outlet in the final third.

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The deadline for this is tonight at 11


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Our game against Astana will be 8pm kick off their time. 3PM OUR TIME next week.

 

Home game the Wednesday too

 

I'd have Brown breaking up the play.. With Bitton bursting forward when need be..

Think it would be foolish to play two up especially with Dembele still settling, give Roberts a free role to drag players all over and free up space for the midfielders who can counter quickly...

 

Cheers...

 

I'd go with much the same team as last night, but with tierney in forrest's position, and having either Ajer/New CB/(* it, even Mulgrew at this stage) in at the back with Sviat and Lustig. I like this flowing 442/352 formation as it seems to keep our best players in the preferred positions:

Gordon

Lustig - Sviat - Ajer

Brown

Roberts - McGregor - Armstrong - Tierney

Griff - Dembele​

It gives great balance on either flank, but also variation between the two. On the right, you just leave Roberts to do his thing - he likes to come in from a very wide position. This allows Lustig to sit deeper and pop up every so often to help retain possession. Works well for lustig as his positional play is very good, plus he's not beating it up the flanks all night.

On the left, Tierney has the engine, pace and ability to get back and forward all night, flilling in as a left back when we are defending, and then right up at the other end of the park when attacking. Phenomenal. This also allows Armstrong to stay narrow and play in his best position, more central. He's been most effective from the left corner of the 18 Yard box, and this position allows him to link up neatly with the front two, or with Tierney out wide.

I'd leave brown to sit fairly deep. Out of him, Sviat and Ajer, he probably has the most pace so I'd be asking him to be on his bike when any long balls over the top get fired our way. This has been our biggest failing since Deila took over - some direct counter attacks. We need to be on guard for this, especially if we leave a lot of space in at the back whilst we squeeze the opposition and pin them back. Agar's height should make him the prime guy to attack the ball in the air, with Sviatcenko's better positional sense meaning he should be anticipating the break of the ball, with Brown in support.

Up top, Griff and Dembele give us a good defence presence as the press they defenders - Dembele as the UNIT and Griff as a wee ankle biter.

And that leave McGregor as the linch pin, linking front to back, buzzing around making things happen. He does this very well, especially when he keeps it simple.

We've got to learn from our past mistakes in these games. We should be going into his like its Barcelona, looking to stay tight and be somewhat cautious. I think the aim should be to swamp Astana, let them have little to know chances at goal, and hopefully knick an away goal ourselves. Given the context a 1-1, 0-0 would be a good result, though i like away goals for protection, so a 0-1 would be * tremendous.

 

I thought if you played on Wednesday then the following week you'll play on the Tuesday?

 

Don't think it matters, Dundalk, Astana and Rosenborg all played two Wednesday games in the last round

 

Anyone any idea what date the 1st playoff game would be if we go through? The week after Astana or is there a break?

 

1st play off game is 16/17 of Aug with the return legs the 23/24

 

Cheers mate trying to work out dates, to switch about shifts :smiley-laughing002:, take it we don't know if we would be home or away 1st ?

 

Not got a clue but hopefully we are there :icon_mrgreen:

 

In Brendan we trust!!

 

If all seeded teams win in this round then the play off round will look like this:

Seeded
Olympiakos Piraeus
Viktoria Plzen
FC Salzburg
Celtic
APOEL Nicosia


Unseeded
BATE Borisov
Legia Warsaw
Dinamo Zagreb
Ludogorets Razgrad
FC København

 

Hope we play Legia again. We have unfinished business.

 

Would prefer Ludogorets from that list but would love another crack at those legia *