TFF chit chat 10th, 11th and 12th March

[morganb]

SATURDAY 10TH MARCH


Man Utd 12:30 Liverpool

At the stadium of Lucky Clover, Saturday's early match is the biggest game of the weekend and looks like being a real cracker. Will Jose be rolling out the Routemaster to try to thwart Klippity's fab 3 of Salah, Firmino and Mane? Not sure of the latest on the Jones injury but assume he is still sidelined.

Everton 15:00 Brighton

The first of the 3 o'clock fixtures sees the Seagulls travel all the way to Merseyside to take on the Toffees. Murray is still the main man for Brighton even though a couple of new strikers were acquired in the transfer window. Everton are poor at present but Tosun finally got on the scoresheet last weekend.

Huddersfield 15:00 Swansea

Uddersfield welcome the Welsh Wizards from Wales to the Kirklees for a crucial bottom of the table clash. Ayew (J) is doing well at the moment for the Swans. Uddersfield have started to pick up some decent results against the lesser teams recently.

Newcastle 15:00 Southampton

St James Park next where the Saints are the visitors. Both teams have been poor this season with no stand out fantasy football players. Men will run around, stuff will happen and there will be a result at the end. Next!

West Brom 15:00 Leicester

At the Hawthorns the Foxes are visiting (sounds like something you'd witness on Nature Watch!) The Baggies are rock bottom of the table and look doomed to the Championship. Leicester are probably now more interesting in the Cup than the league though Mahrez has been successfully reintergrated into the team.

West Ham 15:00 Burnley

To East London now where the Hammers are hosting the Clarets. West Ham are in poor form at the moment whereas Burnley finally managed to come back from a goal down to win last time out. Alexa says to put Barnes in as he's on fire at the moment (which is quite dangerous now Wood is back).

Chelsea 17:30 Crystal Palace

Big Ben, red buses, Buckingham Palace - it's a London derby! Chelsea are still battling away at the top end of the table though something’s not quite right down at the Bridge. Palace were two-nil up and they threw it away last time out but hope springs eternal.


SUNDAY 11TH MARCH


Arsenal 13:30 Watford

This week's Sunday lunchtime fixture features Arsenal versus the Hornets. It's all going Pete Tong for Arsene in the League so will we see a plethora of ‘Wenger out’ banners even after the midweek win in the Europa? Watford are comfortable in mid-table and have Troy Deeney to thank for their recent wins.

Bournemouth 16:00 Tottenham

Down in deepest darkest Dorset, Champions League failures Spurs are the visitors. Harry hasn't blown any doors off for a while but ‘come on my' Son has taken over the goal scoring mantle. Bournemouth might just be playing Tottenham at the right time after their recent collapse in Europe.


MONDAY 12TH MARCH


Stoke 20:00 Man City

So, they may be champions-elect but will Pep's team be able to turn on the style on a cold damp Monday night in Stoke? We’ll know the answer by 10 o'clock tonight. When will the City rotation kick in? Stoke are down the bottom and really need an unlikely win here, though a draw is more likely based on recent results .

[brencarr]

.... Champions League failures Spurs are the visitors. ...

Harsh - true, but harsh

[SPR]

.... Champions League failures Spurs are the visitors. ...

Harsh - true, but harsh

It's enough to make you think he's an Arsenal fan

[Spinynorman]

Alexa says to put Barnes in as he's on fire at the moment (which is quite dangerous now Wood is back).

I like it.

[murf]

Alexa says to put Barnes in as he's on fire at the moment

I like it.

Not convinced myself. Was the suggestion accompanied by an evil cackle?

[Striker]

Alexa says to put Barnes in as he's on fire at the moment (which is quite dangerous now Wood is back).

I like it.

+1

It's a pity that Jon is still sidelined or he could douse the fire with buckets of Walters.

P.S. Are all Barnes in Burnley made of Wood? Those bloody Sheikhs down the road are so wealthy that they're probably made of Silva at the Etihad.

[SPR]

Jones not back and no information about him at all...

[ChrisD]

Think that's the end of Jones for me. Really odd (even for Jose) that no details around at all. Given that Jones has history and competition when/if he returns he goes. Now just to find a replacement!

[Jamjack]

+1 I was waiting for news this weekend but still can't find a thing. Really don't want to have to make this transfer but I'll be kicking myself if it rumbles on for another month.

[murf]

In a way the Jones news is irrelevant (unless you want a Man U or Liverpool replacement). His game has gone, whether he gets a CS or a rest or a red card, before you need to make a move. The only important thing is will he play next week. Answers on a postcard....

[Darbyand]

Pogba definitely out seems to be the journalist consensus on Twitter.

[murf]

TFF e-mail is in. Here are your hot tips-
Mahrez, Aubameyang and Walker.

Hmmm. They do have a point about Arsenal's next 5 fixtures though:
Watford (H),
Stoke (H),
Southampton (H),
Newcastle (A) and
West Ham (H)
alas.... they conveniently forget they don't have a game next week (nor does Walker)

[SPR]

Pogba definitely out seems to be the journalist consensus on Twitter.

With what?

[murf]

"The word is Paul Pogba won't be involved. Apparently he pulled up in training yesterday"

[Jamjack]

In a way the Jones news is irrelevant (unless you want a Man U or Liverpool replacement). His game has gone, whether he gets a CS or a rest or a red card, before you need to make a move. The only important thing is will he play next week. Answers on a postcard....

Agree albeit this is exactly what we said last week
A Phil Jones Groundhog situation

[SPR]

In a way the Jones news is irrelevant (unless you want a Man U or Liverpool replacement). His game has gone, whether he gets a CS or a rest or a red card, before you need to make a move. The only important thing is will he play next week. Answers on a postcard....

Agree albeit this is exactly what we said last week
A Phil Jones Groundhog situation

The news of no news means this is likely to drag out I think.

[murf]

Paul Pogba is indeed injured and out of the Manchester United squad altogether.

Juan Mata comes into midfield, while Eric Bailly and Marcus Rashford also start.

Liverpool make one change [to last week's team not midweek] - James Milner for Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool team: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Substitutes: Mignolet, Wijnaldum, Gomez, Henderson, Lallana, Solanke, Matip.

Lovren and TTA keep their places. Henderson got a dead leg in midweek. Wijno recovered from illness. No space on bench for Moreno.

[Latic]

Man Utd
de Gea Valencia Smalling Bailly Young McTominay Matic Mata Rashford Lukaku Sánchez
Subs: Lindelöf Lingard Carrick Romero Shaw Fellaini Darmian

Liverpool
Karius Alexander-Arnold Lovren van Dijk Robertson Oxlade-Chamberlain Milner Can Salah Firmino Mané
Subs: Wijnaldum Gomez Henderson Lallana Mignolet Solanke Matip

[Darbyand]

Dog and Duck defence and midfields for both sides. Should be goals, probably won't be.

[murf]

Should be goals

[brencarr]

I've had a flutter .... 3-2 either way. Would prefer a Liverpool win

[Maldini]

1-0 Rashford (Lukaku)

[brencarr]

Well taken goal

[Darbyand]

1-0 Rashford (Lukaku)

Ddg got the 2nd KC when we scored a similar goals Vs Spurs earlier in the season.

[Maldini]

1-0 Rashford (Lukaku)

Ddg got the 2nd KC when we scored a similar goals Vs Spurs earlier in the season.

I did think that but wasn't sure.

Bonus.

[Maldini]

2-0 Rashford (-)

[murf]

1-0 Rashford (Lukaku)

Ddg got the 2nd KC when we scored a similar goals Vs Spurs earlier in the season.

I'd give it too.

Both goals more Route 1 than Routemaster.....

[Maldini]

Why not when the opposition has Lovren playing centre back?

[brencarr]

Fair play to United - I've not seen Liverpool so well restricted, as they were in that half, for some time.

[SPR]

If only Utd could do the same to City.