Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez miss training this morning as Fergie hints at rotation for the Champions League match with Basel. Arsenal reportedly receive a boost over The Walcott’s fitness, while Harry Redknapp hints at his best starting XI. Roy Hodgson admits to weekend tactical blunders, while the injury worries mount up for Steve Kean before this weekend’s showdown with Man City. Here’s some Monday morning Scribbles folks:
Harry Redknapp’s post-match comments after Spurs 2-1 win were perhaps a little intriguing. Jermain Defoe missed out with a stomach bug, allowing a fit-again Rafael Van der Vaart to come back in the starting XI just behind Emmanuel Adebayor. With Luka Modric and Gareth Bale on the flanks and Sandro alongside Scott Parker in central midfield, Redknapp admitted:
We’ve got the makings of a really good side this season. The team I put out against Wigan is not far from my best. We’re very, very strong.
QPR extended their unbeaten run to three games after a late, late Richard Dunne own goal rescued a point for Neil Warnock’s team at Loftus Road. The home side dominated possession and fired off the most shots but were somewhat wasteful in front of goal- Warnock again kept faith in Jay Bothroyd but the misfiring frontman has still yet to break his scoring duck this season. Two yellow cards for Armand Traore means the left-back will miss next week’s game at Fulham and Warnock was nothing less than candid over the player’s actions:
I thought it was a disgrace. Not the referee, the player. I am going to fine him as much as I can. Total amateur Sunday league sending off. What Traore did, that’s not clever at all.
Alex McLeish had to make do without Darren Bent after a groin strain kept the striker sidelined. Barry Bannan started his third match in a row and grabbed the Villa opener from the penalty spot- the young Scot has now overtaken Charles N’Zogbia’s Fantasy haul for the season, though may struggle to hold down his place in the first tem when Emile Heskey returns from a hamstring problem. It’s a case of glass half-full or glass half-empty for Villa- yes, they still remain unbeaten after six games but on the other hand, just one win leaves them four points off the drop zone.
Steve Kean doesn’t have his injury worries to seek right now. With a rampant Man City due to visit Ewood Park next weekend, the Blackburn boss admitted he has worries over defensive trio Scott Dann, Gael Givet and Michel Salgado after the 3-1 defeat at Newcastle.
Roy Hodgson admits his tactics were at fault in the first half of the West Brom-Fulham game on Saturday. The Baggies played a 4-3-3 system Hodgson had trialed in the midweek Carling Cup clash with Everton before moving back to 4-4-2 but their managers was less than impressed with the performance:
It didn’t work particularly well and I didn’t even recognise some of the players in terms of the number of times we gave the ball away.
Brendan Rodgers, on the other hand, has vowed to maintain his preferred passing game, regardless of the outcome. Swansea were seen off by ten-man Chelsea at the weekend and found the net in an away game for the first time this season in the 4-1 defeat but their manager stated:
We always try and keep the mentality of the players. They’re a fantastic group. They play a really brave way. We don’t thump the ball up the pitch, we try to create goals and score goals.In our first season we won’t be coming to Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal and defining how we end up. Our home games will be critical.
Ahead of Man United’s Champions League home game with Basel, Sir Alex Ferguson has been talking of giving some fringe players a run out. A draw in Benfica was, arguably, the most difficult tie of their group and with Fergie targeting ten points to see his side through to the knockout stages, he said:
Maybe I’ll use some of them against Basel. I do need to get all the squad moving. I think there will be changes on Tuesday.
Reports suggest Theo Walcott’s knee problem is nothing to concern Arsene Wenger. The winger limped out of the proceedings in the game with Bolton on Saturday but early indications suggest he may well be fit to start the midweek Champions League clash with Olympiakos.
