Week 12

Spurs vs Leicester
------------------- Courtois -------------------
Cancelo --- De Ligt --- Ramos --- Reguilon
----------- Casemiro --- De Bruyne ---------
J.Sancho ------- E.Hazard ---------- L.Sane
----------------- A.Griezmann ----------------

vs

————————————— Allison ———————————
Carvajal — Marquinhos —— Alaba — T.Hernandez
—————————————- Rodri ————————————
———————— Thiago.A —— B.Fernandes —————
—————————————————————————————
Sterling ——————— L.Martinez ————— S.Mane

Lovely balances to both of these sides, pace out-wide god I’d hate to be a full-back in either line up. This game for me hinges on the midfield tridents. I can see them cancelling each other out for long spells but both set-ups can create that little bit of magic. It’s as evenly balanced game as you’re likely to see, home advantage giving Spurs the edge going into the fruity.
Other points of interest:
I liked the use of KDB deeper, he’s dynamic enough to cover the ground and his range of passing fits that role nicely, Greasemonkey off the shoulder with Hazard as SS is also a good use of both players.

I really like Rof’s tactics I can see how his possession plan would work out and I agree with you Rodri and Thiago are a quality platform to build it up from. I also liked the idea of dropping the one winger deep when defending.

Full-time Spurs 3-2 Leicester
Griezmann (KDB)
Hazard (Sane)
Belotti (Greizmann)

Martinez ( Sterling)
Felix (Mahrez)


Southampton vs Bournemouth
-------------------------------------Onana-----------------------
Dest--------Upamecano-------------Dias----------Ait-Nouri
------------------------------------Ndidi---------------------------
-----------------------Valverde--------Odegaard------------------------
Adama---------------------------------------------------------Pulisic
-----------------------------------Rashford-------------------------------

Vs

------------------Simón
Khellven--Ibañez--Botman----Piton
------Assunção----Guimarães
---------------Gonçalves
Antony---------------------------Veron
-----------------Núñez

Nadz is building a side with a really strong spine, I like the balance of it and there’s enough about them to develop further still and be a genuine force, a lot of pace in the front three and I liked 2 thirds of the midfield a lot.
Elsie has a side that’s also packed with potential that no doubt will be exported into Europe soon enough, and then he’ll bin em off at huge profit again.
Where Elsie doesn’t have the household names, he more than makes up for in his tactical set-up, the players fit the style rather than chucking an XI together and expecting them to just perform.

Again home advantage giving the slots a nudge in favour of the home team. But 2 very good sides just very different.

Saints 2-1 B’mouth
Rashford (Pulisic)
Pulisic (N/A)

Nunez (Veron)

Arsenal vs Chelsea
----------------- B. Leno
Pereira --- Kounde -- Gabriel --- Tierney
----------------- N. Kante
----------- Gundogan --- Koke
B. Saka ---------------------------- Gnabry
--------------- Aubameyang

Vs

-------------------------- Oblak --------------------------
W-Bissaka ---- S.deVrij ---- van Dijk ---- Jordi Alba
------------------------ Locatelli -------------------------
--------------- Bentancur --- F. de Jong ---------------
--- Mbappe --------------------------------- Neymar ---
------------------------- Haaland -------------------------

Tough game this for Arsenal, Chelsea have a great side but with home advantage they have a good chance.
I like Jet’s side it’s packed full of pace, seems everyone has pace apart from me I like middle 3 and they cold well match up nicely to Chelsea’s.
Both sides effectively playing the system so it’s hard to visualise where either can exert pure dominance, but I think Chelsea’s front-three can do more damage to Arsenal’s defence than the other way round.
Good game this but with midfield being stifled and both sides wanting to be possession heavy it’s going to be a tight one.
Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea
Haaland (penalty)


Sheffield United vs Wolves

--------------------Dubravka
Lamptey, Stones, T. Silva, Grimaldo
--------------Ampadu, Höjbjerg
------Bale, James, Saint-Maximin
----------------------Suárez
Vs
------------------------- De Gea ---------------------------
Pavard ------- Skriniar ------- P.Torres ------- Sandro
----------------- Merino -------- McGinn -----------------
H.Ziyech ---------------------------------------- Grealish
------------------ A.Silva ------ Werner ------------------

2 very different set-ups and I like the contrast, The Blades will have the better of the midfield and I think James will find a lot of space to weave his magic….. In contrast I like that Fan has gone with 2 up-top both are good strikers but both need someone else off them (in my humble opinion)
Maxim gives the blades a different dynamic and he’ll give Pavard nightmares.
Our 4-2-3-1 is set up to have that wonderful ‘springy' quality - it absorbs pressure without breaking and then snaps back with surprising force. I liked this is made me laugh
exciting, explosive players, and with Grealish and Ziyech either side, Their defence will be breathing out their arses by half time! This also made ma laugh

Fan I like the tactics you cover a lot of bases or tick a lot of boxes… I’m not in love with the Cm’s but it’s a work in progress and I liked the balance a lot.
Sheffield United 2-1 Wolves
Suarez (Bale)
Suarez (Maxim)
Werner (Silva)
Home adv swung this to the blades

Newcastle vs Man City
——————— Stegen
Trent — Fabinho — Hummels — Robbo
—— Henderson -Kroos - Goretzka — -
———— Salah — Modric
——————— Vardy

Vs

———————————— Lloris
Tomiyasu — Koulibaly — Lenglet — L.Digne
——————— Tielemans — Ndombele
———————————— Pogba
Dembele ————————————— Son Heung-M
———————————— Lukaku

Ludes delves into 1996 handbook and fetches out the Christmas tree formation, either that or the north-east is just that far behind its only just catching up. I like it though but it’s painfully narrow. Vardy is a good fit for this in that he’s gonna have to be running the channels and chasing long balls to get it to work, much like Sheva at Milan.
Countering that RpF has a very pleasing on the eye side the two Dm’s give a really good platform, the 2 wingers have that pace and directness plus the power of an in form Lukaku will give any defence headaches.
Tough game to call as I felt the midfields would be compressed and difficult to pick a winner so I loaded up on draw and slots.
Newcastle 2-1 City
Vardy (Modric)
Salah (Modric)
Lukaku (Son)