AdidasTango 10 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Surely this is the season where we can put everything into the cup? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
RiseAgainst 3,793 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I wouldn't make unnecessary changes. I don't want us to be thrashed, since that's when confidence starts to drain away, and I think much of our current upsurge in form is thanks to confidence flowing through the team. Meijas deserves his place, but otherwise I'd stick with the Derby lineup. If we're getting humped after an hour, give the likes of Tav and Fletcher a rest, but there's no point treating this as a guaranteed defeat. Southampton isn't the toughest fourth-round draw we're ever going to see, and imagine how confident we'd be going into the Fulham game on the back of a morale-boosting win at Spurs... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Bristol_Boro 122 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Really looking forward to the game not sure I would rest anyone everyone will want to play we are playing really well as a team confidence will be running high and in effect there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Safe trip to all who are travelling UTB 3 Link to post Share on other sites
TeaCider24 12,646 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 15 minutes ago, AdidasTango said: Surely this is the season where we can put everything into the cup? We put everything in to our final games in the cups last season, and got humiliated by Burton and Newport. I think we've got to be rational and consider the risk of fatigue on a compact squad. Link to post Share on other sites
Downsouth 6,328 Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 21 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said: We put everything in to our final games in the cups last season, and got humiliated by Burton and Newport. I think we've got to be rational and consider the risk of fatigue on a compact squad. Have to disagree with you there TC24 I thought we were totally naff and completely without guile and effort in the above mentioned games. Appreciate the fatigue comments but Spurs are in the same boat as far as available players and it is about time we were the "giant killers" Link to post Share on other sites
TeaCider24 12,646 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Just now, Downsouth said: Have to disagree with you there TC24 I thought we were totally naff and completely without guile and effort in the above mentioned games. Appreciate the fatigue comments but Spurs are in the same boat as far as available players and it is about time we were the "giant killers" I mean with team selection, not with performance. Link to post Share on other sites
Erimus74 3,072 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 51 minutes ago, RiseAgainst said: I wouldn't make unnecessary changes. I don't want us to be thrashed, since that's when confidence starts to drain away, and I think much of our current upsurge in form is thanks to confidence flowing through the team. Meijas deserves his place, but otherwise I'd stick with the Derby lineup. If we're getting humped after an hour, give the likes of Tav and Fletcher a rest, but there's no point treating this as a guaranteed defeat. Southampton isn't the toughest fourth-round draw we're ever going to see, and imagine how confident we'd be going into the Fulham game on the back of a morale-boosting win at Spurs... Yep totally agree 1 Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernSmoggie 4,242 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Interesting how cup games split fans. I'm definitely in the rest our key players for Fulham camp. Fletcher, Howson, Tav and the wing backs could all do with a rest. Bring the likes of Gestede, Nmecha, Clayton, Johnson in for some minutes. Link to post Share on other sites
RiseAgainst 3,793 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 1 minute ago, SouthernSmoggie said: Interesting how cup games split fans. I'm definitely in the rest our key players for Fulham camp. Fletcher, Howson, Tav and the wing backs could all do with a rest. Bring the likes of Gestede, Nmecha, Clayton, Johnson in for some minutes. Problem is, those players don't really know each others' game. Gestede's barely played for us this season, Nmecha is a new signing and Johnson has been in and out. They wouldn't have the familiarity needed to perform to their best against a superior team like Spurs. There were so many games under Pulis where the team looked like 11 strangers, and it's been heartening to see our players really combining lately - playing balls into the right positions, making the right runs, etc. Change half the outfield team and you lose the cohesion and familiarity that's helped us perform so well since the start of December. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Naisby 736 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Cup games are a bit like having a take-away, in the past a take away was an occasional treat be it a fish n chip Friday or a Chinese on a Saturday, it didn’t matter who you were playing you looked forward to it and enjoyed it. Nowadays like takeaways cup games have been diminished they have stopped being special and have become an almost daily mundane occurrence. For teams not in the current big 6 or huge 4 or whatever the cup is the only route to glory and honours, but sadly nowadays football like most sports a club has to prioritise and sadly honour and glory comes second to earning a crust to feed the club. Link to post Share on other sites
AdidasTango 10 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 During recent seasons we have been challenging for automatic, play offs or battling against relegation from the Prem and i am all for rotating the team for cup games when there are priorities in the league however i don't see that way for tonight due to the season we are having, Is the Fulham game that vital? I do agree with keeping players fresh but this can be managed across the two games without drastically changing the current team shape and mentality which has been great for the last month. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TeaCider24 12,646 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I'd be all for fielding a full strength side if it was just Fulham on Friday, but there's Birmingham on Tuesday too and we're in a right pickle if any of our defenders pick up an injury. I think it'll probably be the same side as the first game anyway, but I'd rest Coulson at a minimum if I was Woodgate. We already know Clayton and Meijas are coming back in anyway, I'm sure it'll work out whatever the result. Link to post Share on other sites
AdidasTango 10 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 3 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said: I'd be all for fielding a full strength side if it was just Fulham on Friday, but there's Birmingham on Tuesday too and we're in a right pickle if any of our defenders pick up an injury. I think it'll probably be the same side as the first game anyway, but I'd rest Coulson at a minimum if I was Woodgate. We already know Clayton and Meijas are coming back in anyway, I'm sure it'll work out whatever the result. I'm forgetting Birmingham is a week tonight!!! Link to post Share on other sites
DanFromDownSouth 1,706 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Be interesting to see how we approach this one, we aren't blessed with huge depth, but certainly resting a few players would show we have 1 eye on Fulham. Equally same goes for Spurs, I have a feeling Jose will put out a strong team. Realistically this is their only chance of getting any silverware. As the kick off approaches I am feeling more and more confident. Think if we can stop Spurs getting an early lead, and then frustrate them we stand a decent chance. Annoyingly I'll have to support us in secret as I'm in the home end, with my 2 Spurs supporting mates. Link to post Share on other sites
Changing Times 12,347 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I'd either have a real go for it and play a full strength side or just change as many people as possible and forget about it. I don't like the halfway house approach personally. My preference would be to go for it though. We always get this, 'we need to rest players so we're fresh for he league games' stuff. If you take that view then you'll never have a go at the cup games because there will always be reasons not to - we're challenging for promotion, we're fighting relegation, we're in the PL but we have to be careful and focus on those games etc. We've never won the FA Cup. We've won one League Cup. I'd like to see us try and win a bit more however unlikely it is. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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