Team for Oxford then

[Sleeping Cat]

Trafford
Roberts CJ Esteve Humphries
Cullen Laurent
Edwards Brownhill Anthony
Flemming

[Bigvince]

Same team as Saturday except humphries for Pires, Brownhill or Hannibal for Sarmiento.

[LincsWoldsClaret]

How have we settled for the playoffs? If we were to win tonight we'd be in the top two!

But not for long - The deliberate time-wasting in the first half at Portsmouth made our ambition clear

[burnley007]

Sorry, can't see any mention of it, was that Ramsey in today's training video?
I'm terrible at spotting who each player is!

[fatboy47]

The big question for me is will we see changes early enough if plan A isn't working....SP sitting on his hands 75 minutes into a stalemate suggests 0-0 is perfectly acceptable to him.

Hence I'm giving tonight a miss....first time in decades that I've been in Lancs and not been arsed about going on.

[JohnMac]

Trafford
Roberts, CJER, Esteve, Humphreys
Anthony Cullen Brownhill/Laurent Koleosho
Flemming
Foster

After 60 mins get these on:
Hannibal
Shelvey
Edwards
Benel
Barnes

[rexe78202]

Lots of weird and wonderful lineups including Edwards and/or Shelvey as neither are match fit and haven't played since October and November. I'll be surprised if Edwards even makes the bench with him returning from injury and only being here a day. Add to that Brownhill (hopefully) back.

[Rileybobs]

But not for long - The deliberate time-wasting in the first half at Portsmouth made our ambition clear

Teams ‘time waste’ for a number of reasons; to take a breather, to stop the opponent’s momentum, to orchestrate a pitch side team talk, and sometimes because they are happy with the score line and are looking to wind the clock down. Regardless of the reason why we apparently deliberately time wasted in the first half at Portsmouth, this has absolutely no bearing on our ambition for the season as a whole. Do you genuinely think Scott Parker would take a play-off position now, considering our 14 point gap to 7th position?

[me01jh]

The big question for me is will we see changes early enough if plan A isn't working....SP sitting on his hands 75 minutes into a stalemate suggests 0-0 is perfectly acceptable to him.

Hence I'm giving tonight a miss....first time in decades that I've been in Lancs and not been arsed about going on.

It is clear that SP only really trusts Sarmiento as his first attacking change... then it's Hannibal and Koleosho at a push. To his defence, we have looked worse following changes in the recent run of draws but that is largely down to his square pegs, round holes formation. I'd love to see Benson come on and have an immediate impact tonight... the Benson of two seasons ago was a joy to watch.

[Vino blanco]

I think we as fans need a lift and the team as a whole needs more balls and fight. I would be a little radical and go for:
............. Trafford.........
Robert's.. CJ.... Esteve... Humphreys
Cullen.... Shelvey... Brownhill
Edwards... Foster... Flemming

[claretspice]

It is clear that SP only really trusts Sarmiento as his first attacking change... then it's Hannibal and Koleosho at a push. To his defence, we have looked worse following changes in the recent run of draws but that is largely down to his square pegs, round holes formation. I'd love to see Benson come on and have an immediate impact tonight... the Benson of two seasons ago was a joy to watch.

I think the confidence Parker projects in certain players is an interesting point here. I'm not sure that's helped the likes of Koleosho, for example, this season.

[equinox]

Time for 3 - 5 - 2 imo.

..........................................Trafford.......................................

...................CJER.................Esteve............Humprheys.........

Roberts.......Cullen............Shelvey.......Brownhill..............Pires

..............................Edwards........Flemming...............................

I'd prefer CJER in the middle but playing him slightly to the right gives more balance.

[rexe78202]

Yeah I would certainly change our defensive shape. Been awful this season.

[LincsWoldsClaret]

Teams ‘time waste’ for a number of reasons; to take a breather, to stop the opponent’s momentum, to orchestrate a pitch side team talk, and sometimes because they are happy with the score line and are looking to wind the clock down. Regardless of the reason why we apparently deliberately time wasted in the first half at Portsmouth, this has absolutely no bearing on our ambition for the season as a whole. Do you genuinely think Scott Parker would take a play-off position now, considering our 14 point gap to 7th position?

Thanks - but I’m fully aware of why teams waste time.

The lack of ambition shown by aiming for a draw at a bottom club shows makes his thinking pretty clear - not that there’s anything wrong with maintaining our position rather than seeking to improve it.

Do I think Parker would take a playoff position now - of course - he’d bite your hand off. He’s experienced and pragmatic enough to know how quickly things can change and clearly wants to stick rather than twist

[Rileybobs]

Thanks - but I’m fully aware of why teams waste time.

The lack of ambition shown by aiming for a draw at a bottom club shows makes his thinking pretty clear - not that there’s anything wrong with maintaining our position rather than seeking to improve it.

Do I think Parker would take a playoff position now - of course - he’d bite your hand off. He’s experienced and pragmatic enough to know how quickly things can change and clearly wants to stick rather than twist

3 points off the top two, with those sides still to play each other, and 14 points above 7th, and you think if offered a finishing position of sixth now Parker would take it? I know he’s risk averse but that’s a load of tosh.

[Spijed]

He’s experienced and pragmatic enough to know how quickly things can change and clearly wants to stick rather than twist

But we are already in the play-offs and 16 matches doesn't give teams below 6th to make up the gap.

So we are guaranteed a top six spot at the very least.

[fidelcastro]

If we were only settling for a play off position, then I don't think we'd have even bothered signing Edwards or Banel.

[dsr]

I don't doubt that Parker wants to finish in the top two. The differences of opinion are n which is the best way to do that - his way is, if it's nil-nil with 20 minutes left, to settle for a point and don't push for the win at risk of a loss. Other people have different opinions.

[boatshed bill]

Trafford,
Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys,
Brownhill, Cullen, Hannibal,
Anthony, Flemming, Foster,
Subs:
Hladky, Pires, Sonne, Laurent, Sarmiento, Worrall, Shelvey, Edwards, Barnes

[Devils_Advocate]

After failing to sign a "club developed" player in the transfer window Im interested to see if Parker names 8 or 9 subs for tonight's game

[groove]

I've heard Tresor is in the squad tonight.

[Dark Cloud]

I may be mistaken, but I'm sure I read somewhere that Edwards is another in a rather long list of excellent signings we've made over the years who are actually injured as they sign. Therefore I'm not expecting him to feature.

[BleedingClaret]

I may be mistaken, but I'm sure I read somewhere that Edwards is another in a rather long list of excellent signings we've made over the years who are actually injured as they sign. Therefore I'm not expecting him to feature.

He didn’t look injured in the training clips

[TheFamilyCat]

If we were only settling for a play off position, then I don't think we'd have even bothered signing Edwards or Banel.

They're excellent penalty takers.

[LincsWoldsClaret]

But we are already in the play-offs and 16 matches doesn't give teams below 6th to make up the gap.

So we are guaranteed a top six spot at the very least.

I totally agree - this is what I’m saying - why not go all out for the top 2? He seems to have settled - Just his risk averse nature I suppose

[boatshed bill]

After failing to sign a "club developed" player in the transfer window Im interested to see if Parker names 8 or 9 subs for tonight's game

Do you (or anyone) know who our "club-developed" players are?
I haven't an inkling, meself

[Devils_Advocate]

Do you (or anyone) know who our "club-developed" players are?
I haven't an inkling, meself

Richard Chaplow. As long the player still live within 10 miles of the ground they still count and Chaplow lives on Casterton Avenue.

[roperclaret]

Do you (or anyone) know who our "club-developed" players are?
I haven't an inkling, meself

Koleosho would be a club developed player. They just have to be at the club for a year before they turn 20

[KernowHouseClaret]

After failing to sign a "club developed" player in the transfer window Im interested to see if Parker names 8 or 9 subs for tonight's game

We're fine with this rule, it's been explained so many times

[KernowHouseClaret]

I may be mistaken, but I'm sure I read somewhere that Edwards is another in a rather long list of excellent signings we've made over the years who are actually injured as they sign. Therefore I'm not expecting him to feature.

Straight in the squad I believe

[Dark Cloud]

Straight in the squad I believe

Noted!

[dandeclaret]

Trafford

Roberts
CJ
STEVE
Bashir

Cullen
Laurent
Hannibal

Anthony
Flemming
Foster

Edwards in the bench…

[CoolClaret]

--------Traff
Roberts-CJ-Esteve-Humphreys
--------Cullen
----Laurent-Hannibal
Edwards--Flemming--Anthony

I was close - ish.

Just Foster keeping his place with Edwards on the bench.... I'm predicting Hannibal to be a big player for us tonight.

UTC!

[rexe78202]

I was close - ish.

To be fair Edwards was never going to start that was an obvious one.

[CoolClaret]

To be fair Edwards was never going to start that was an obvious one.

Probably yeah, but as I mentioned previously on the thread, Anthony was slotted straight in on the flank against Blackburn. It's the most 'plug and play' position, imo, in the game.

He will get minutes tonight for sure.