Yes Matty, Time to show your moves 
You have got your left and right wrong? Mo plays on the right and Ekitike although central plays more to the left.
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I thought before Bradley’s injury he would start this game with Kerkez on the left due to not wanting too many new players in the back line at once. With Bradley’s injury, that makes Frimpong a must start. With that in mind, I’d prefer Robbo start this one and get 60 minutes before bringing on Kerkez. Kerkez will eventually own that spot, but I’m good trusting Robbo for a few games to start the season.
Ali
Frimpong Konate Van Dijk Robbo
Macca Jones
Salah Wirtz Gakpo
Ekitike
Frimpong Konate Van Dijk Robbo
Macca Jones
Salah Wirtz Gakpo
Ekitike
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I know he does but was caught in writing it as I was seeing it in the quote… then couldn’t be bothered to change it. Result → mess.
Yeah , but … opening day of the season , at home under the lights , a decimated Bournemouth … fail to win this and it’s probably curtains for the League.
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Well, it will be on TAN.
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At least none of us will have to watch the other 37 games seeing as it all rests on this one
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Watch that ACL on a knee jerk like that.
Banana skin 
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As Oscar Wilde (probably never) said ; My genius is lost on you.
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I’m sure that Arne and his team will know the personnel, formation and tactics to see us through this game. COYR YNWA 
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I’ve missed this
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I think Sloz will be asked to play in the deep role again… Reason being, he was pretty crap against Palace in the role, but you can bet your mortgage that the coaching staff, will have dissected every mistake to him that he made.
The hope is, he is not a numpty, but instead, a quick learner and will polish up the way he let those mistakes happen. Time and games playing that position will tell eh
I think Dom will do well, but don’t forget that he currently has a newborn at home and probably isn’t getting enough sleep. So I wouldn’t overestimate his current form. He’ll be fine.
Well, while we are it, Ryan will have some sleep problems as well, similar situation. Sounds like a deja vu when Salah and Hendo got their “Barcelona babies”, nearly on the same day.
Does anyone remember if anything special happened 9 months ago???
And…The next baby will be here soon… Alexis’s baby is due soon. Then our entire midfield won’t be sleeping through the night probably.
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If I am honest, I doubt they are allowed to allow babies to disturb their sleep on the very highest level in England. In other sports, when training for a World Cup or Olympics (or any championship or Diamond League etc.), an Athlete will generally leave the house or sleep in another room to get enough sleep to perform on the highest level, given how incredibly important sleep is for recuperation. Given how much more cash these guys earn than comparable athletes in other phsyical sports, I actually doubt they are allowed to come to training having sleept too little because of a baby (now and then as an oddity, sure, but if it’s for months given their extraordinary high pay?). But maybe top, top football isn’t as professional as I thought. I don’t know, just guessing and comparing with other elite sports where training and sleeping is absolutely alfa-omega.
Maybe someone can enlighen me ?
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I don’t know what they do!
If the players focus on sleep before a game, and it seems right that they do, hopefully they are active on the other days and share the load with their partner.
Presumably they are all well placed to have Nanny’s or additional help as needed, too.
Not sure if the club has any rules on this stuff though? I seem to remember reading about Man City’s training ground a few years ago and they had sleeping quarters for the players which were state of the art and designed to help maximize performance.
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Yeah, I have no idea. Just skeptical that it would be tolerated on this level (to lose sleep over extended periods due to babies). Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. In other elite sports, it isn’t.
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Fucking babies, you are not welcome. Performative birth absenses and now interrupted sleep. It is just not acceptable.
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Unecessary post, mate. A bit dirty. I really think you can do better than such underhanded blows, insinuating that I don’t want players to have babies. Really not appreciated. You are very intelligent and can read what I actually wrote.
Babies are usually always welcome. I was speaking of how top athletes deal with the situation, nothing more. It should hardly be contentious to do so.
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Doth protest too much. 
PS. It’s just a joke about how dare players lives inconvenience us as fans - Ryan missing the community shield, midfielders being tired etc. I have 3 kids myself and would never presume anyone would have a positive (or negative) view on children and certainly not trying to imply anything deep there, @Magnus
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