[Albion] Team for AEK Athens

[Stato]

Just for trivia's sake, we are going into our first ever European game and yet could field a starting eleven of players with European experience:

Verbruggen - Played 6 games in last year's Conference League - Got to QF with Anderlecht;
Estupinan - Played 10 games in the ECL and has a Europa League Winners Medal having been on the bench in the final with Villareal;
Igor - 11 games in the Conference with Fiorentina. Got on briefly in last year's final;
Veltman - Wide experience with Ajax including a Europa Final and ECL Semi;
Milner - Has played over 100 times in European competitions and won the Champions League with Liverpool;
Gilmour - Played a couple of times for Chelsea. Has ECL Winners Medal having been a sub for the final;
Dahoud - Played over 40 times in Europe for the two Borussia sides;
Lallana - Has played in the Europa and won the ECL with Liverpool;
Adringa - Played in ECL Qualifiers and nine times in the Europa League with RUSG last season;
Fati - Played a couple of Europa League games and seventeen times in the ECL for Barcelona. Youngest ever scorer in the competition;
Welbeck - Has played over 40 times in the ECL and Europa for Man Utd. Has scored seven times. Wasn't in the squad when they won the ECL final, but was on the bench for the QF and SF, so may have one of the 40 gold medals UEFA awards to the winners.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

This is the easiest of the games on paper, but not getting three points here will make it so much harder to get out of the group. Surely we will put out the strongest possible team for this one. You can make up points in a 38 game league, its a lot harder in a 6 game league.

Yes, those of us licking our wounds in the NSC Wordle Tournament understand the point being made.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Just for trivia's sake, we are going into our first ever European game and yet could field a starting eleven of players with European experience:

Verbruggen - Played 6 games in last year's Conference League - Got to QF with Anderlecht;
Estupinan - Played 10 games in the ECL and has a Europa League Winners Medal having been on the bench in the final with Villareal;
Igor - 11 games in the Conference with Fiorentina. Got on briefly in last year's final;
Veltman - Wide experience with Ajax including a Europa Final and ECL Semi;
Milner - Has played over 100 times in European competitions and won the Champions League with Liverpool;
Gilmour - Played a couple of times for Chelsea. Has ECL Winners Medal having been a sub for the final;
Dahoud - Played over 40 times in Europe for the two Borussia sides;
Lallana - Has played in the Europa and won the ECL with Liverpool;
Adringa - Played in ECL Qualifiers and nine times in the Europa League with RUSG last season;
Fati - Played a couple of Europa League games and seventeen times in the ECL for Barcelona. Youngest ever scorer in the competition;
Welbeck - Has played over 40 times in the ECL and Europa for Man Utd. Has scored seven times. Wasn't in the squad when they won the ECL final, but was on the bench for the QF and SF, so may have one of the 40 gold medals UEFA awards to the winners.

I think the thing about 'European experience' is a bit overdone, TBH. If the football and the approach is that different (and I don’t think it is) then I think they should be more nervous about not having 'Premier League experience' because that’s what will confront them tomorrow evening.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Just for trivia's sake, we are going into our first ever European game and yet could field a starting eleven of players with European experience:

Verbruggen - Played 6 games in last year's Conference League - Got to QF with Anderlecht;
Estupinan - Played 10 games in the ECL and has a Europa League Winners Medal having been on the bench in the final with Villareal;
Igor - 11 games in the Conference with Fiorentina. Got on briefly in last year's final;
Veltman - Wide experience with Ajax including a Europa Final and ECL Semi;
Milner - Has played over 100 times in European competitions and won the Champions League with Liverpool;
Gilmour - Played a couple of times for Chelsea. Has ECL Winners Medal having been a sub for the final;
Dahoud - Played over 40 times in Europe for the two Borussia sides;
Lallana - Has played in the Europa and won the ECL with Liverpool;
Adringa - Played in ECL Qualifiers and nine times in the Europa League with RUSG last season;
Fati - Played a couple of Europa League games and seventeen times in the ECL for Barcelona. Youngest ever scorer in the competition;
Welbeck - Has played over 40 times in the ECL and Europa for Man Utd. Has scored seven times. Wasn't in the squad when they won the ECL final, but was on the bench for the QF and SF, so may have one of the 40 gold medals UEFA awards to the winners.

Post #66 would have saved you the effort

We can (just about) field a full team of players with (in some cases very little) experience in European competitions:

...............................Vergbruggen
Milner.........Veltman....Igor...........Pervis
..........Gilmour.....Lallana....Dahoud...
Adingra........Welbeck..........Ansu Fati

Plus the injured Moder (10 European matches at Lech) and if you accept the Asian Champions League as an equivalent - Kaoru Mitoma...

 

[Stato]

I think the thing about 'European experience' is a bit overdone, TBH. If the football and the approach is that different (and I don’t think it is) then I think they should be more nervous about not having 'Premier League experience' because that’s what will confront them tomorrow evening.

As I indicated, the post was offered only for the sake of trivia. It's obviously not going to be our starting eleven. All the information indicates is that a good proportion of our squad will be familiar with the experience of travelling abroad to play games in the middle of the week.

 

[Stato]

Post #66 would have saved you the effort

Always read the whole thread.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

As I indicated, the post was offered only for the sake of trivia. It's obviously not going to be our starting eleven. All the information indicates is that a good proportion of our squad will be familiar with the experience of travelling abroad to play games in the middle of the week.

I wasn’t taking issue with your interesting list in particular, just the general thing about European experience. Sorry if it came across as an attack as it certainly wasn’t intended like that.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Obviously Bobby Smith had played in Europe for England, but was he the first Albion player to have experience playing in International/European competitions ?

 

[Rdodge30]

I think the thing about 'European experience' is a bit overdone, TBH. If the football and the approach is that different (and I don’t think it is) then I think they should be more nervous about not having 'Premier League experience' because that’s what will confront them tomorrow evening.

Very true - apart from a few of the top European teams how many would cope in the Premier League?

In a similar way, I’m not sure about “stepping up” in Internationals - yes in the Euros and Workd Cup but a lot of the countries England play in the qualifiers would not cope in the Premier League

 

[The Wookiee]

Verbruggen
Veltman Dunk Van Hecke Estupinan
Gross Gilmour
March Fati Mitoma
Ferguson

 

[aolstudios]

Very true - apart from a few of the top European teams how many would cope in the Premier League?

In a similar way, I’m not sure about “stepping up” in Internationals - yes in the Euros and Workd Cup but a lot of the countries England play in the qualifiers would not cope in the Premier League

Not sure how England would cope in the premier league, tbh

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Not sure how England would cope in the premier league, tbh

Interesting thought. Of course, all existing England players would be absent from their PL rivals which would help. I’d probably still expect City to outdo them, just, but I reckon England would finish in the top 2 or 3.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Verbruggen
Veltman Dunk Van Hecke Estupinan
Gross Gilmour
March Fati Mitoma
Ferguson

This

 

[DJ NOBO]

Verbruggen

Veltman dunk jpvh estupinan
Milner Gilmour Beleba
Fati Ferguson March

Rest up Karou and pascal

 

[dazzer6666]

Verbruggen

Veltman dunk jpvh estupinan
Milner Gilmour Beleba
Fati Ferguson March

Rest up Karou and pascal

Will be very surprised if Pascal is rested for our first European game.

 

[schmunk]

Interesting thought. Of course, all existing England players would be absent from their PL rivals which would help. I’d probably still expect City to outdo them, just, but I reckon England would finish in the top 2 or 3.

Nah, mid-table at best. They just don't play with the fluency of a team which trains together all week, every week.

 

[dazzer6666]

Interesting thought. Of course, all existing England players would be absent from their PL rivals which would help. I’d probably still expect City to outdo them, just, but I reckon England would finish in the top 2 or 3.

England would still have Maguire at CB, they’d get hammered

 

[junior]

Not only is this 2 games in a week, but RDZ will have an eye on the next PL fixture. I don't think there's many who can play 3 games in a week, so...

Verbruggen

Estupinan
Igor
Dunk
Milner

March
Dahoud
Gilmour
Gross
Fati

Ferguson

Keep Mitoma, Lamptey and Veltman, Lallanna and Welbeck fresh for the weekend. No way will Lamptey play 2 games in 5 days at the moment.

I also fancy Beleba to feature off the bench for his debut.