Expecting a lot of changes for this one, been a gruelling Christmas period, especially with the Stoke and Swansea battles, give the main lads a breather and ease some others back into action.

BPF

Egan-Riley McNally Long Taylor

Bastien Cullen

JBG Twine Churlinov

Barnes

With the League sorted, I think we should be prioritising the cup

Let's win the League and Cup!

The main thing for me is that we get mins for twine, churlinov and possibly dervisoglu - if he’s seen as having a role to play in the coming season. Personally I’d go pretty strong to give them experience with playing with the main of the first team, with possibly only BPF and Taylor coming in.

Let's go for the Double.

Presuming he plays, it will be interesting to see where Egan Riley is deployed. I think its most likely he's seen as a midfielder, and it'd do him good to test himself in that role against decent opposition over a full game - particularly with Westwood departing, and some physical away games upcoming for which Cork might be suspended, we might need him as cover.

I think VK will always pick what he thinks is the best team for the job.

I don't think this was the case with SD.

I can't see a total change in the team. I think VK will want to mix experienced and first-team players with players who need some game time. Anybody who is close to needing a rest, being rested. Anybody who has any minor knocks being rested. He doesn't want a potential morale reducing hammering so will want to remain very competitive.

—————-BPF
Egan-Riley-McNally-Long-Taylor
———Bastien-Cullen
Costelloe-Twine-Churlinov
————-Barnes

BPF
CJ McNally Taylor Maatsen
Bastien Cullen
Gudmundsson Twine Churlinov
Barnes

BPF
Roberts McNally Long (if still here) Taylor
Bastien CJER
Gudmundsson Twine Churlinov
Barnes

Big rest needed for main team. Vitinho in for Roberts if fit.

MrTechno wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 02, 2023 6:52 pm

The main thing for me is that we get mins for twine, churlinov and possibly dervisoglu - if he’s seen as having a role to play in the coming season. Personally I’d go pretty strong to give them experience with playing with the main of the first team, with possibly only BPF and Taylor coming in.

I’d be surprised if Dervisoglu is here by next weekend.

BPF
Roberts
THB
Beyer
Taylor
Cork
Cullen
Benson
Brownhill
Zaroury
Rodriguez

Jedi calls this one correctly.

BPF
Egan-Riley
THB
Beyer
Taylor
Cullen
Bastien
JBG
Twine
Churlinov
Barnes

I think Kompany might go quite strong to see how look against a low end prem side.

BPF
Roberts, THB, Beyer, Taylor
Cork, Cullen,
Benson, Twine, Churlinov
Barnes

TBH I wouldn't play any of our regular starters. We don't want cards or injuries ,we need squad players to get minutes. We won't win the FA Cup but we don't want to blow automatic promotion and the possible financial catastrophe that could bring.

We also have week after this game before Coventry. He won't rest many of the first team.

After the last 3 games, I'm beginning to think that our squad isn't as good as I thought.
The 1st eleven plus a couple of subs are ever presents , and are brilliant, the likes of Bastien, Twine etc hardly get a look in.
That makes me think they aren't good enough in V Ks eyes.
I would like to see at least 3 or 4 of them get a game.

BPF
Roberts ER Mcnally Taylor
Bastien Brownhill Cullen
JBG Twine Churlinov

Id like to see Twine and Churlinov given a start and maybe give some game time for Egan-Riley but other than that unless players are needing a rest then play a strong team as we dont have any midweek games till mid Feb

BPF
Roberts
THB
Beyer
Maatsen
Cullen
Egan-Riley
Benson
Twine
Churlinov
Barnes

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:00 pm

—————-BPF
Egan-Riley-McNally-Long-Taylor
———Bastien-Cullen
Costelloe-Twine-Churlinov
————-Barnes

Yep. This

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:09 pm

BPF
Egan-Riley
THB
Beyer
Taylor
Cullen
Bastien
JBG
Twine
Churlinov
Barnes

Assuming Barnes is still with us, I think that's the closest I've seen that we'll go with.
No reason to drop THB / Beyer with their week off after.
But think Zaroury may start and be given more minutes.

Wouldn’t risk any of our key players

This is a good opportunity for our players to test themselves against better quality opposition. I expect a strong team with a few changes like the Manchester United game.

Game time for players like BPF, Taylor, Churlinov, Bastien and Twine might make sense but I wouldn't expect him to change the core of the team massively.

BPF
Roberts THB taylor Maatsen
Bastien Cullen (get them used to each other for when cork eventually gets banned)
Churlinov twine zaroury
Barnes

BPF
Vitinho
Egan-Riley
THB
Taylor
Cullen
Bastien
JBG
Twine
Benson
Barnes

colne-claret wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:02 pm

BPF
Roberts McNally Long (if still here) Taylor
Bastien CJER
Gudmundsson Twine Churlinov
Barnes

Big rest needed for main team. Vitinho in for Roberts if fit.

That's pretty much the team I'd start with. Would be great if Vitinho is available

At CB I'd opt for THB over Long primarily for McNally"s further development

Barnes in to give Jay a rest, otherwise same team but bring in all the subs on the hour

Today's team with PBF. We're out of the Sat/Tue period now. Whole weeks between games for the next month. We're already up, so let's go for it.

BPF
Maatsen
Beyer
THB
Roberts
Cork
Cullen
Zaroury
Brownhill
Benson
Jay

It's a PL side, after all, and I really want to see what this team is capable of. BPF in for Muric because he did well against ManU.

*Today's team with BPF and Benson, I should say.

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 02, 2023 7:34 pm

Id like to see Twine and Churlinov given a start and maybe give some game time for Egan-Riley but other than that unless players are needing a rest then play a strong team as we dont have any midweek games till mid Feb

I agree but:
Are you excluding an FA cup 3rd Rd replay??

We have 20 league games left to play in 5 months, which is 4 games per month - a workload no footballer could be expected to bear. We must not risk burnout by expecting our players to play almost every week.

(Note - this is sarcasm.)

We've been promoted to division 1 five times since the war. In one of those seasons we reached the FA Cup Final, in another we reached the League Cup semi-final. Even before the war, we were only promoted twice but reached the FA Cup quarter-final one year and the semi-final the other. Cup success does not preclude league success.

On cusp of Europe — "how the hell are we here? don't take risks with injuries: make changes"
Mid table in the PL — "we're clear of relegation, don't jeopardise it: make changes"
Near/in relegation zone in PL — "we're in trouble, need our best team for the fight: make changes"
Top of Championship — "we could win the league, don't trip up with injuries: make changes"
Championship playoffs — "good position for a promotion push, don't fall out of playoffs: make changes"
Outside playoffs — "ooh, so close to playoffs, need key players: make changes"
Championship mid-table mediocrity — "let's fkin go for it lads, full strength team"
Championship relegation scrap — "we're in a fight, need players: make changes"

At what point do we actually ever go for it? When we can't win it because we're a bang average mid-table champ side with nothing to lose?

nil_desperandum wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 03, 2023 12:27 am

I agree but:
Are you excluding an FA cup 3rd Rd replay??

Play a weaker team and get beat, no need to worry about replays (or the 4th round). Play a weaker team and draw, we have a replay, and start wondering if we'd needed to have gone through a replay at all had we put out a stronger side and won. Play a weak side and win...well, with the greatest respect to Churlinov and McNally and Twine and Egan-Riley, I admire the optimism and everything but they're probably all sat on our bench and not a PL team's bench for a reason.

BPF
Roberts THB Beyer Taylor
Brownhill Cullen
JBG Twine Benson
Barnes

BPF
CJER McNally (unless he goes on loan, Sheff Wed rumor) Beyer, Taylor
Bastien Cullen
JBG Twine Churlinov
Barnes

I'd definitely rest Cork and Jay Rod, however the rest should comfortably be able to handle 2 games in a week, and having seen Bournemouth's dismal recent form, plus their leaky defence this is certainly a winnable tie.

nil_desperandum wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 03, 2023 12:27 am

I agree but:
Are you excluding an FA cup 3rd Rd replay??

Yep, I was thinking they'd scrapped replays for FA Cup but that'll be just League Cup.

We've had a nice little winter break as well, I wouldn't go overboard with the changes.

Think we should go for something like this

BPF
Egan Riley
Long (if not here,McNally, if he’s not here Beyer)
Taylor
Maatsen
Cullen
Bastien
Twine
JBG
Barnes
Benson

I wouldn't rest Cork on the basis that he's definitely going to have a 2 game suspension soon for a rest and I don't feel we can put out a competitive midfield away to a Premier League team without him. Rest one of Cullen or Brownhill and play the other next to Cork.

If everyone is available:

-----------------BPF
Roberts McNally Beyer Taylor
-------Egan Riley Bastien
Tella---------Twine----Churlinov
--------------Barnes

3/4 first choices, plus 7 or 8 of the lads who are just on the fringe to get them some minutes. Chance to look at CJER in the Cork role and see how he does, chance for Twine to get a start under his belt and for Churlinov to get another run.

Hurstwood_Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 03, 2023 3:51 pm

Think we should go for something like this

BPF
Egan Riley
Long (if not here,McNally, if he’s not here Beyer)
Taylor
Maatsen
Cullen
Bastien
Twine
JBG
Barnes
Benson

McNally looks nowhere near the team at the moment, not even for a cup game. I expect he'll go out on loan.
VK will want us to be strong in defence against a Prem side, for certain sure. I'll be amazed if McNally starts.

We’ll need a strong XI out to be in with a shout . Week break after it so we might have a good side out . Zaroury looks like he needs minutes , Taylor (LB) ,Egan Riley and Bastien could slot in easily . Barnes upfront is a concern though .
Bournemouth could be bottom 3 by next week so it’s a cracking opportunity IMO .

The wheels are coming off at Bournemuff! I think they will play a 2nd eleven to save their main players. They are deep in the muckies!

Not to bothered about this game the players need a rest so I would select a different eleven for those who need game time and see how we do . The championship is the bread and butter.