Go full strength, try to win well.

I just want to see a bloody clean sheet.

Is this game meaningless?

Of course I want to progress but in all honesty I really can't be bothered about it nor get excited about the outcome

Personally the quicker we are out the better. First we cannot afford injuries, second we learn nothing from the games and third we have zero chance of winning it. 

If you can't win games, keep playing games until you win one. 

In some ways a no-win scenario. If we lose then the sense of doom and despair deepens. Especially if we lose in the same way we have been losing to date.

If we win, well that's no more than expected.

However, if we can win and we can get improved performances out of the players then that gives us something to build on. Assuming Rav's thumb is mended then we need to be playing 80% of our first team to try and get them into some sort of level of fitness and form.

Glover

??? - RVDB - Lenihan - Engel

Barlaser - Hackney

Silvera - McGree/Rogers - Jones

Forss

 

If we're no longer looking for a #9 then Forss needs to go back up front. Howson presumably isn't ready for 2 games per week so that only leaves Barlaser. I would normally be thinking that Agyemang should get a run out at right back but I don't think he's been playing there for the U21s so I guess it's McNair. Assuming Payero and Coulson are injured. Thought Silvera did well on the right though he needs to be told to stop cutting in. Don't know what's going on in with McGree.

Personally I would set up as a 4-3-3

Glover

??? - RVDB - Lenihan - Engel

Hackney - Barlaser - McGree

Silvera - Forss - Jones

Give Barlaser plenty of pace to aim for up front.

33 minutes ago, sanddancer said:

Personally the quicker we are out the better. First we cannot afford injuries, second we learn nothing from the games and third we have zero chance of winning it. 

We learnt that we can't defend effectively even when it's against a 10 man fringe team in the last round.

I think a convincing win would be good for morale, and would give the new signings a chance to bed in further with a sold out away end.

1 hour ago, Downsouth said:

Is this game meaningless?

Of course I want to progress but in all honesty I really can't be bothered about it nor get excited about the outcome

Same, hence the low effort OP lol

Got to be trying to win this one, it might help us gain some confidence to push on. 
Does Smith serve his 1 match ban here or QPR at home?

1 minute ago, ChrisBoro96 said:

Got to be trying to win this one, it might help us gain some confidence to push on. 
Does Smith serve his 1 match ban here or QPR at home?

Here

1 minute ago, Denzel Zanzibar said:

Here

That’s worked out okay then. Better to have him back for the league game but some may disagree after Saturday’s performance 😂. 

17 minutes ago, ChrisBoro96 said:

That’s worked out okay then. Better to have him back for the league game but some may disagree after Saturday’s performance 😂. 

On the other hand, it might have been better to have him play against a lower league team to instill some confidence in the lad. Can't be helped, he'll be our starting RB against QPR no doubt.

Had a brain fart with the other thread I made, so i'll repost it here.

The last time we played Bolton in the cup was 2004, when we won it. That was nearly 20 years ago. Madness.

Were you there? If not, where were you?

I was at an ex-girlfriends house and I accidentally booted over my can of freshly opened beer onto her parent's brand new carpet when Job scored, lol

Edited August 28, 20232 yr by Denzel Zanzibar

Seriously? Their ground is the Tough Sheet Community Stadium? 😂

I'm confused by that second image of a yak(?) and teacup. What's that supposed to represent?

 

Anyway, yeah, as others have said, nobody's earned the right to sit this one out (except maybe LL). Strongest team possible, try to win and hope that it gives the lads a bit of a boost for the next league game.

Probably won't watch as I honestly don't care about the league cup...certainly not the early rounds anyway. Just hope we put in a decent performance and get a morale-boosting win.

1 hour ago, ChrisBoro96 said:

That’s worked out okay then. Better to have him back for the league game but some may disagree after Saturday’s performance 😂. 

I'd rather some prankster stole his car keys, locked him in the boot and drove him onto the next Eurostar. I would be very happy never to see Tommy Smith in a Boro shirt ever again. Something tells me he'd be quite happy about it too.

59 minutes ago, AnglianRed said:

Seriously? Their ground is the Tough Sheet Community Stadium? 😂

I'm confused by that second image of a yak(?) and teacup. What's that supposed to represent?

 

Anyway, yeah, as others have said, nobody's earned the right to sit this one out (except maybe LL). Strongest team possible, try to win and hope that it gives the lads a bit of a boost for the next league game.

Probably won't watch as I honestly don't care about the league cup...certainly not the early rounds anyway. Just hope we put in a decent performance and get a morale-boosting win.

Carabao Cup