I imagine, but don’t know for sure, players have to be registered at least the day before a game. It always used to be the case if a player wasn’t signed by Friday noon he couldn’t play that weekend. So potentially it’s just down to that. Pedro signed today officially but too late to be available for selection?
As a little bit of digging around on the internet has given me the info that his contract would likely have begun at midnight. But players need to have been signed by midday the day before a game and obviously that’s not possible, so it renders him ineligible. Liverpool’s new signing is eligible as they play tomorrow. So as long as they register Minamoto this morning, he gets to play. In saying all this, I doubt Joao Pedro would have been involved anyway. He’s not travelled and was still posting videos of NYE celebrations past midnight from his house. I’d have thought if it was imminent that he would be involved, that he’d have been at the hotel with the squad to be acclimatise to such things. I expect he will be on the bench at the weekend.
Holebas has broken ribs apparently so I doubt he’ll be back for a few weeks still. Anyone else is still touch and go according to Craig Shakespeare the other day.
Thanks for the research! I don't think either of us could really know if he'd have been capable of playing today or not were he able to have been registered in time. He did start training last Friday already, so has had a bit of time to adapt, but he'd supposedly been resting for a week or two prior so maybe his fitness levels would have needed a bit longer to get back up. Regardless, him partying late on NYE would have been because he was not in the squad one way or another. Had he been registered in time, and up to speed, then the needs of the club for the Wolves match would have likely taken priority over his NYE plans. Him playing or not at the weekend might also have more to do with whether we want to risk him in the Cup against League One cloggers, than whether he was ready yet or not.
Admittedly most of my opinion is based upon Pearson saying they weren’t going to put too much pressure on him straight away. And also his comments about Gray deserving more game time, which he hopes to give at some point. Now if Joao Pedro’s talent is enough to immediately supersede all that then fine, and it may well do. But to keep the increasing upturn in squad unity going, I’d think Joao Pedro may have to be content to wait a few weeks at least. Or for a striker or two to be sold. Just my opinion, but I suspect Gray starts against Tranmere and JP gets a short cameo off the bench if the game is settled. Success may get the nod ahead of him if not.
Great preview. Looking forward to this. Will be tough but hopefully our upturn continues. Now we’re fighting for points again I heard a song recently which may have chant potential. Doesn’t seem to have been released yet but found a short clip here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=406594033603906
Presuming you’re thinking of 5 yellows, the deadline for that was the Sheff Utd game (halfway point). Next milestone for Capoue to aim for is 10. Which he should manage by late Feb I expect.
Could be a tough day. Difficult game for us while AV and NC have winnable games and WHU and Muff meet.
Exactly. Really do need the 3 points to stay in touch with the pack. WHU and AV winning and us losing would really be a huge mental blow I think, we would be back to a 5 or 6 point gap.
As I said before, I kinda agree with you that JP probably won't start against Tranmere, but more because it's not a particularly important match. However, as soon as there's a PL match where JP is sufficiently up to speed and we need a goal, then if JP has shown more than Gray in training I reckon sentiment will go out the window and he'll get the nod ahead and of Gray.
Why was it 'wrongly ruled out'? VAR simply applied the offside law as it stands. What's needed is a change in the Law.
No we wouldn't. In fact the situation is more favourable than you paint it, as even if we don't win but avoid defeat, with West Ham and Bournemouth playing each other we won't have lost any ground. Watford vs Wolves - draw, three points from safety if Bournemouth don't win Same result, two points from safety if West Ham lose At worst we'll be only four points from safety, and that's only if we lose and Bournemouth don't win.
2-0 now. Villa winning isn't ideal, though there's also still a chance that Burnley could get sucked in to trouble.
Mixed set of results so far - Villa unexpectedly winning means that whatever the result in the West Ham vs Muff game, the 17th place team at the end of today will have 21 points, not what we were hoping for. On the plus side, Burnley and Brighton are getting dragged into it, and Villa's last two games suggest we are better than both Villa and Burnley, so it's up to the players to prove it.
Funnily enough, I know someone who is adept at gripping balls. She very often seems to have sticky hands also.
With West Ham playing Bournemouth later, and Villa having beaten Burnley, we really need to get something today.
