muttley
Alert Team
I'd like to know Nuno's perspective on competition as a whole. Is it a competition he is serious about winning and will pick teams accordingly? Or is it a training opportunity for the youngsters and fringe squad players?
One thing worth bearing in mind is that the group winners go straight into the last 16. The runners up go into the last 32 to be joined by the clubs exiting the Europa League. That extra round in Feb/Mar is a killer in the English clubs' schedules.
I'm assuming the way Nuno sees it is preparing for one game at a time, but planning a couple ahead. I think he'll keep the ECL team as strong as he can without putting the first teamers in the red zone.
Personally, I think we just about have enough depth to cope, with a small leap of faith from me on a few youngsters. The consistent formation and tactics throughout the squad across all competitions will be a massive factor. Makes it easy to interchange.