ELQ3: West Ham Utd 2-2 Astra Giurgiu (30/07/15)

[Scratchy]

With Sakho suspended until the 2nd leg (I think) we need to play Valencia or hope we sign a striker because it's clear that Maiga and (if up top on his own) Zarate will not be able to break down a stubborn defence. I'm really worried about our attacking options for this and I'd play the strongest team possible, including Payet, to compensate.

On the plus side, I think the fans will be more patient this time considering it's a big leap in quality and the previous rounds demonstrating we just aren't going to steamroll teams

[Puff Daddy]

To keep eleven men on the pitch will show we will have learned something about playing in European competitions. That in itself will be an improvement and we can build from there

[vietnammer]

To think we only got there by winning the Fair Play league!

[mumbles87]

I want to see

---------------------Adrian

Jenks------Reid-----ogbonna---cresswell

----------------poyet------kouyate

Jarvis---------------payet--------samelsen

---------------------Zarate

Surely staying in this is key to attracting some of the better players so best to do so right?

Nolan and noble no where near the pitch.

[kalashnikov]

Same idea as Birkira, try to put the tie to bed after the home game. They are a much better team than we have faced however, this can't be underestimated.

Ironically ourselves and Saints have drawn arguably the best non-seeded teams (Astra and Vitesse).

Adrian
Jenks, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell
Noble, Kouyate
Amalfitano, Zarate, Payet
Valencia

Randolph, Collins, O'Brien, Poyet, Nolan, Jarvis, Lee/Maiga

Samuelson unlucky to miss out, but unless Bilic is willing to drop Nolan (unlikely) I can't see a place for him. Maiga most likely but I'd like to see Lee for the last 15. Amalfitano gets a start as I feel he will work better with Payet, these guys are likely to park 10 behind the ball so we need players to break them down.

Assumes Obiang is still injured and Lanzani has barely trained. If Reid has a knock, Collins in and Burke on the bench.

[paulhs1]

Go full strength for this game in the hope of at least a 2 goal lead going over to Romania.

Adrian
Jenks Reid Ogbonna Cresswell
Noble Kouyate
Obiang Payet Valencia
Maiga

[Roby]

I think we will need two goals in the home leg to progress past this mob.

Valencia must have had at least two weeks now of full training so I'd give him 30 minutes off the bench and hope Maiga can bang one in if given the service. Lee to get another sub appearance too hopefully.

[fjthegrey]

We should try to a win this one, rather than expect to.

[prophet:marginal]

Its more than a shade ironic that we reach game#5 of our 'Euro tour' and both our joint top scorers are already banned.

Hopefully, we can fashion from those available a team that can play with some cohesion, regardless of what end of the pitch the ball is in.

I would retain Adrian, but bench him for the second leg if, unpredictably, we take a good lead to the Romanians.

I am a little nervous of Cresswell being required to feature in every match from the last round onwards and, unless they've got a very good right winger (or RM) would in fact give Hendrie a go in that position, with Cressy on the bench

Collins and Burke go in the CB berths, with JOB also retaining his place.

Noble = DM

Kouyate and Jarvis the width on the diamond

Payet debuts at the tip

Maiga and Valencia up front.

[robert greenhio]

As a warning, this team knocked Lyon out of the play off round last season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014%E2%8 ... -off_round

[Mega Ron]

We should try to a win this one, rather than expect to.

[kalashnikov]

Scouting time!

As robert greenhio has pointed out above Astra are no mugs. This team is very capable of knocking us out.

They have plenty of European experience at these stages...



One of their players who might be familiar to some is Filipe Teixeira who has played for PSG, WBA and Barnsley. They've signed a few new players this season, no one really notable except Teixeira. In better news however their main goalscorer Kehinde Fatai from last season has gone to Sparta Praque.

EDIT: Teixeira actually played vs us for WBA in our 2009 home fixture that finished 0-0. Was on the pitch for about 3 minutes.

Highlights Europa Qualifying/Group Stages

14/15 Qual 3rd round
(h) Astra 3 0 Liberec (2min)
(a) Liberec 2 3 Astra (4min)
14/15 Qual Playoff Round
(a) Lyon 1 2 Astra (14min)
(h) Astra 0 1 Lyon (7min)

14/15 Group Stages
(a) Dinamo Zagreb 5 1 Astra (3min)
(h) Astra 1 2 RB Salzburg (2min)
(a) Celtic 2 1 Astra (2min)
(h) Astra 1 Celtic 1 (2min)
(h) Astra 1 0 Dinamo Zagreb (2min)
(a) RB Salzburg 5 1 Astra (2min)

15/16 Qual 2nd Round
(a) Inverness 0 1 Astra (no highlights)
(h) Astra 0 0 Inverness (3min)

Based on their game with Lyon (I imagine they'll look to play us in a similar way?) they'll set up deep and counter. Plenty of pace up front, starting Ogbonna would be a good idea. They seem pretty rubbish at defending headers though.

[Hammertapp]

--------------Adrian------------

J'oB--Reid--Collins--Cresswell

------Kouyate------Noble----------

-Jarvis------Payet------Valencia-

----------------Maiga------------------

[Logarithm]

Great post, kalashnikov. Thanks for that.

We need more first teamers for this one otherwise we will go out. If we get some of Valencia, Payet, Jenks, Obiang, Ogbonna and Lanzini on the field then we should be okay.

[Paddy O'Hammer]

If we go to Romania needing a win or a goal or two, I'd do a big Sam stat sort of thing..........go full out for the away Astra game at the expense of the Arsenal match.

I am BFS........................I give myself a fiver.

[bobd_uk]

I think we've just expected to have to turn up for the last two rounds and nearly came unstuck on Thursday. As a few have pointed out above, this lot knocked out Lyon last year, so can't be mugs. We need to take this seriously and play to our best, or else we'll be in trouble.

Not sure that Jenkinson will be ready (he only started training a few days ago), but Payet, Ogbonna, Lanzini and Valencia should all come in. Sakho in for the 2nd leg too. Hopefully Obiang's injury isn't too bad and he can feature at some point too.

[szola]

Astra will attack more than the other two teams combined.

It will be a different game.

[tall paul]

Should be more open as we're not playing a team full of international players who are used to punching above their weight

[hammersi01]

We have to put out our strongest possible team in my opinion. This game is 10 days before we play Arsenal, and so far our 1st team has not played together at all! Arsenal are playing nearly a full strength squad as we speak, and the performance is there for all to see. We need to win this game in the 1st leg, but more importantly we need that 1st team cohesion.

[bullyhammer]

To think we only got there by winning the Fair Play league!

I don't think it's as ironic as suggested: yes we've had 2 red cards, but we got them because we weren't as good at cheating as our opponents.