How to beat PSG

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Here's the template: play Xhaka, Elneny and Coquelin in central midfield to ensure we stifle them and control that area. Put the new boy up front, with Alexis on the left and Theo on the right (or vice-versa) and hit them on the counter.

Ozil, Santi and Giroud on to win it for us if we're only drawing with 15 mins to go.

[SWv2]

Here's the template: play Xhaka, Elneny and Coquelin in central midfield to ensure we stifle them and control that area. Put the new boy up front, with Alexis on the left and Theo on the right (or vice-versa) and hit them on the counter.

Ozil, Santi and Giroud on to win it for us if we're only drawing with 15 mins to go.

I am not sure I would choose to leave Ozil out.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

It would certainly baffle them. But if we don't have the ball Ozil disappears. Better to bring him on when they are tiring and we are likely to get more possession.

[SWv2]

It would certainly baffle them. But if we don't have the ball Ozil disappears. Better to bring him on when they are tiring and we are likely to get more possession.

Well I am not convinced we won’t have the ball as you kind of suggest.

While they have a formidable midfield 3, well to be fair a ****ing brilliant midfield 3, I don’t see them as an overall team as being of the very top level such as the two Spanish clubs and Bayern, still slightly below.

I suspect we are good enough to impose ourselves on the game and to do so we need Ozil to be there in all his magnificence.

Also I would contend that if the score is 0-0, or indeed 1-1, with 15 to go then we would not be “only drawing”, in fact we would be drawing and looking at potentially a very credible outcome without recourse to springing 3 from the bench in an effort to win the game.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

The heading of the thread was "how to beat PSG". I'll sign for a draw now but if we win this game we probably win the group and likely as not get to the QF for the first time in a while.

[SWv2]

The heading of the thread was "how to beat PSG". I'll sign for a draw now but if we win this game we probably win the group and likely as not get to the QF for the first time in a while.

Woo-hoo!!

Going out in the QF instead of the last 16. Give the French man a new deal.

That’s quite a leap all the same, the assumption that winning the group automatically equates to winning the last 16 match.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

It is quite a leap but it's by far the most difficult game of the group. Win it and all we need to do after that is make sure PSG don't get 3 points on us in the remaining five fixtures.

In the second round, the chances of us knocking out the second placed teams are probably three times higher than the group winners. If the other 3 English teams win their groups (far from impossible) that would probably leave us with with a 50% chance of getting Bayern or Madrid.

[Sir C]

Here's the template: play Xhaka, Elneny and Coquelin in central midfield to ensure we stifle them and control that area. Put the new boy up front, with Alexis on the left and Theo on the right (or vice-versa) and hit them on the counter.

Ozil, Santi and Giroud on to win it for us if we're only drawing with 15 mins to go.

Given the four performances so far this season, I would say that talk of beating PSG away is a little optimistic. Clearly this team needs some bedding in.

Going to Paris with a plan to not get gubbed is the way forward.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Given the four performances so far this season, I would say that talk of beating PSG away is a little optimistic. Clearly this team needs some bedding in.

Going to Paris with a plan to not get gubbed is the way forward.

The genius of my plan is that it will mean we don't get gubbed and also give us a chance of winning it.

[SWv2]

It is quite a leap but it's by far the most difficult game of the group. Win it and all we need to do after that is make sure PSG don't get 3 points on us in the remaining five fixtures.

In the second round, the chances of us knocking out the second placed teams are probably three times higher than the group winners. If the other 3 English teams win their groups (far from impossible) that would probably leave us with with a 50% chance of getting Bayern or Madrid.

Well I am not sure of how you have calculated the chances as being 3 times better but yes logic would suggest having a better chance by playing a second placed side. Still a potential to meet some good sides all the same.

I have no real love of the CL. I enjoy the latter stages but find a lot of the group stage matches to be tedious and more hype and marketing shizzle than actual substance.

Now to completely contradict myself I am quite looking forward to the game tomorrow night as it has a sense of novelty about it, a new side for us to combat. I did not see us at the weekend save for the MOTD highlights so was spared the tedium of it all. My only real exposure to us this year has been the comedy gold of day one v Liverpool and the somewhat sprightly first half display v Watford.

In summary I have yet to become utterly bored of us.

[Ash]

The genius of my plan is that it will mean we don't get gubbed and also give us a chance of winning it.

He's not going to leave Erzl out, Mo. And we can't just sit and defend for 75 minutes, without having a creative threat. Even if we have pulled off the 'rope-a-dope' a couple of times it's not really in Arsene's teams' DNA.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

We are likely to have only a 1 or 2 in 8 chance of beating the top boys if the English clubs win their groups (even if City don't that leaves Barcelona as the extra option). Looking at the likely second placed teams I rate our chances against 5 or 6 of them so that's roughly three times. It isn't an exact science.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

He's not going to leave Erzl out, Mo. And we can't just sit and defend for 75 minutes, without having a creative threat. Even if we have pulled off the 'rope-a-dope' a couple of times it's not really in Arsene's teams' DNA.

I believe all three of our holding midfielders can pick a pass. And the three boys I'm suggesting as attackers can all run. So it would be more than rope-a-dope,

[PSRB]

Here's the template: play Xhaka, Elneny and Coquelin in central midfield to ensure we stifle them and control that area. Put the new boy up front, with Alexis on the left and Theo on the right (or vice-versa) and hit them on the counter.

Ozil, Santi and Giroud on to win it for us if we're only drawing with 15 mins to go.

Turn up :-)

[Luis Anaconda]

Turn up :-)

Is there an electricity shortage up your way? Off for bad light at Old Trafford despite the fact they have massive great floodlights that they haven't turned on

[PSRB]

Is there an electricity shortage up your way? Off for bad light at Old Trafford despite the fact they have massive great floodlights that they haven't turned on

It's a bit overcast but hardly what could be defined as Bad light!!

[Awimb]

Given the four performances so far this season, I would say that talk of beating PSG away is a little optimistic. Clearly this team needs some bedding in.

Going to Paris with a plan to not get gubbed is the way forward.
St Etienne managed to not get beaten away at PSG at weekend by playing a big man up top and scoring a last minute equaliser against their makeshift defence. Not sure what my point is but I'm making it anyway.

[Sir C]

St Etienne managed to not get beaten away at PSG at weekend by playing a big man up top and scoring a last minute equaliser against their makeshift defence. Not sure what my point is but I'm making it anyway.

Thanks Awimb. Perhaps they're not as great as I thought? Perhaps St. Etienne are shíthot? Perhaps PSG were distracted by the thought of Tuesday?

So many imponderables.

[SWv2]

Thanks Awimb. Perhaps they're not as great as I thought? Perhaps St. Etienne are shíthot? Perhaps PSG were distracted by the thought of Tuesday?

So many imponderables.

Players rested, as indeed with us. Others to return from injury.

In summary little to learn from Friday evening.

[Sir C]

Players rested, as indeed with us. Others to return from injury.

In summary little to learn from Friday evening.

You've been studying the PSG teamsheet and comparing it to their usual side.

I shall make no further comment. Deviant.

[SWv2]

You've been studying the PSG teamsheet and comparing it to their usual side.

I shall make no further comment. Deviant.

Don’t try and fool me that the absence of Di Maria, Cavani and Krycowiach from the starting 11 was not a conversation topic in Kent this weekend.

[Luis Anaconda]

Don’t try and fool me that the absence of Di Maria, Cavani and Krycowiach from the starting 11 was not a conversation topic in Kent this weekend.

Forgot they had signed Krychowiak - quality player :(

[SWv2]

Forgot they had signed Krychowiak - quality player :(

Indeed, potentially a superb midfield with him, Verrati and Matuidi. Mind you recent CL exposure to them suggests Cavani will miss 4 chances out of 5 so we’re good for a draw.

[Tony C]

I hear you....but this just requires strong discipline with none of the inexplicably stupid brain farts we're accustomed too.

now that the team is a lot more mature you'd hope this is a thing of the past.

[Ash]

now that the team is a lot more mature you'd hope this is a thing of the past.

Good luck with that project. :thumbup:

[Tony C]

: o

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