fulham

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

For the League Cup I'd go with;

Howard
Freeman Edgar McEveley K.Wallace
Campbell-Ryce J.Wallace Cuvelier Woolford
McNulty Adams

For the JPT I'd go with;

Long
Tea Lady McGahey "£3 ya match programmes" Seller K.Wallace
Me Reed Cuvelier Woolford
Higdon DDG

Subs;

Alcock + 4 x ST holders picked out of a raffle

 

[SandyMcBlade]

We lost Done in a friendly match and though I admit I found the cup matches enjoyable I think I'd enjoy promotion even more...

Then we can concentrate on the cup matches again....UTB

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

We lost Done in a friendly match

Good point

 

[Liaminho9]

For the League Cup I'd go with;

Howard
Freeman Edgar McEveley K.Wallace
Campbell-Ryce J.Wallace Cuvelier Woolford
McNulty Adams

For the JPT I'd go with;

Long
Tea Lady McGahey "£3 ya match programmes" Seller K.Wallace
Me Reed Cuvelier Woolford
Higdon DDG

Subs;

Alcock + 4 x ST holders picked out of a raffle

Rules have changed... We'd now need 6!

 

[Liaminho9]

I hope you're right, but if recent history has any worth then I think the club would be foolish to ignore the last five years or so. To repeat, yes, let's attempt to do as well as we can in all competitions, but let's not risk all of our first team on each and every competition. Should we get to a quarter or semi-final then we may consider including those players we've purposefully not included. I'm not disagreeing about the circumstances surrounding Brayford's arrival at United, but with all that love we're still in the same division...I guess that love will only take us so far, and what I'm sure we both hope for is a season when we finally achieve a long overdue promotion. Should that happen we might then see better quality players consider us as a club worth coming to, which is a principle difference between Div.1 and the Championship.

Agreed

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Assuming Collins is still unfit for Swindon I'd play the same back five, the more games they play together the better imo.

I wouldn't risk Basham, with the lack of fit cover in both cm and ch we just couldn't afford to lose him to injury.

Given McNult's goal yesterday, I'd probably give him a run out and maybe rest Che.

Be interesting to see how strong a team Fulham put out.

Think it's worth sticking with the back 4, and I think Reed and/or McNulty will get a start.

The goalkeeping choice is an interesting dilemma. For me, it's a matter of when not if Howard will injure himself again, and we need to have a keeper we have faith in to step in. While the Gillingham cock-up for the first goal was not all his fault imho, it's clear he lost confidence in himself, shared by most of the fans watching him. He either needs to get his confidence back, or we need to get a new keeper in – and I suspect the latter isn't a priority for Adkins at the moment. A decent performance by him at Fulham could help to repair some of that lost confidence. Alternatively, perhaps it's time to throw Willis a chance and see if he could step up to become the everyday back-up keeper.

 

[Kenilworth]

For the League Cup I'd go with;

Howard
Freeman Edgar McEveley K.Wallace
Campbell-Ryce J.Wallace Cuvelier Woolford
McNulty Adams

For the JPT I'd go with;

Long
Tea Lady McGahey "£3 ya match programmes" Seller K.Wallace
Me Reed Cuvelier Woolford
Higdon DDG

Subs;

Alcock + 4 x ST holders picked out of a raffle

I'd agree with the JPT team but the lad after K-Wall would be a complete liability. So, it's a no from me

 

[SUFC Guy]

Take it seriously and I would go with ....

Ramsdale, Charlesworth, Cummings, Semple, Brown, Maw, Gordon, Gilmour, Hallam, Smith, Litchfield.

 

[Slim Man]

Willis' only problems are his height and tendancy to punch. Good all round keeper and IMO as good as Long but younger. It's sink or swim for him now.

Considering fitness and a possible knock to JCR on sat I'd go:

Willis
Freeman - Edgar - McEveley- Wallace
Woolford - Basham - Reed - McFadzean
McNulty - Higdon

While we lack width at the moment we should give McFadzean a game in the position where he made his impact a couple of years back against Yeovil in the P/O's. Let him try and gain some confidence because he isn't a left back.
Let Adams have a rest, he's had two quiet games and we don't want him to burn out or lose any confidence.
The strikeforce could do with a rest and those two deserve a chance.
Don't know how far along Flynn, Coutts, Kennedy etc. are.

Just looking at that defence with Swindon to come scares me. We desperately need to get someone in before saturday, they'll rip us apart.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I'd mix it up a bit for the cup and go with

---------------------Howard

Freeman----Edgar---Basham---Wallace

Adams------Reed---Wallace----Woolford
----------------------De Girolamo
---------------------McNulty--

Alternatively give Higdon a game in place of DdG.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Howard
Freeman, Edgar, McCeveley, K.Wallace
Campbell-Rice, Basham, Reed, Woolford
Higdon, McNulty

Subs:- Long, McFadzean, J.Wallace, Baxter, Adams, Sammon, Sharp

 

[Grecian2000]

Strongest team we can muster, roll over a side from a higher division, confidence boost and a half.

This insane idea we can "swap" cup wins for a guaranteed promotion is complete bollocks, going back to the great Colin Con of 2003 to cover up our play-off failure.

We've had four cracks at getting out of this division. How much of a part have the cups played in this?
11/12. Cup runs (6 games in total) or chief provider of goals getting sent down?
12/13. Cup runs (5 games in total) or a dreadful run towards end of season and a change of manager for the play-offs?
13/14. Getting to the FA Cup semi or being bottom 3 until January?
14/15. Getting to the LC Semi or playing many games without proper CB's?

Twice we've got out of this division. Under Porterfield we played 4 LC games and 5 FA Cup games on our way out. Under Harry we topped that with 5 LC and 6 FA Cup.
Obviously the last time we didn't win a cup game at all (our last relegation season) has bypassed everyone as well.
Or should we look back at 08/09 and the 7 cup games we played on our way to the play-off final. Too many? Ask our opponents who'd played 12!

Losing is a habit I'm not sure we want to get into, but I am sure I want it to be a side better than Fulham if we do lose.

 

[S8blade]

Is anyone fussed if we go out of this cup competition early? I know it's great to have a good cup run financially but the main objective this season is promotion and that's it for me. Thoughts everyone? UTB!

 

[BushBlade]

Is anyone fussed if we go out of this cup competition early? I know it's great to have a good cup run financially but the main objective this season is promotion and that's it for me. Thoughts everyone? UTB!

What Grecian said.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Is anyone fussed if we go out of this cup competition early? I know it's great to have a good cup run financially but the main objective this season is promotion and that's it for me. Thoughts everyone? UTB!

I say we go all out for the treble. FA Cup, League Cup and promotion.

 

[Blade for Sale]

I'm not fussed as long as the team we put out doesn't invite injuries to 1st team regulars, but also that the team we do put out tries its heart out and goes out fighting. What would be unforgivable is a damp squib of a performance 'just because the league is the priority'. SUFC needs to maintain a high standard in whatever it does and wherever it plays. The ethic should be the same from tea lady to 1st team!

 

[Slim Man]

Strongest team we can muster, roll over a side from a higher division, confidence boost and a half.

This insane idea we can "swap" cup wins for a guaranteed promotion is complete bollocks, going back to the great Colin Con of 2003 to cover up our play-off failure.

We've had four cracks at getting out of this division. How much of a part have the cups played in this?
11/12. Cup runs (6 games in total) or chief provider of goals getting sent down?
12/13. Cup runs (5 games in total) or a dreadful run towards end of season and a change of manager for the play-offs?
13/14. Getting to the FA Cup semi or being bottom 3 until January?
14/15. Getting to the LC Semi or playing many games without proper CB's?

Twice we've got out of this division. Under Porterfield we played 4 LC games and 5 FA Cup games on our way out. Under Harry we topped that with 5 LC and 6 FA Cup.
Obviously the last time we didn't win a cup game at all (our last relegation season) has bypassed everyone as well.
Or should we look back at 08/09 and the 7 cup games we played on our way to the play-off final. Too many? Ask our opponents who'd played 12!

Losing is a habit I'm not sure we want to get into, but I am sure I want it to be a side better than Fulham if we do lose.

I agree
Bristol, Preston and MK all had a cup run last season, Bristol winning the JPT.

Theres no reason we can't make alterations to our team and go to win though. A few of our players REALLY need a rest today.

 

[Lane Ender]

I love the cups but I agree - we've paid a price for cup runs.

So I'd suggest we need to see plenty of this lot playing in the early rounds. If we progress then strengthen it up.

Long
Kennedy(?)
Mcfadzean
Wallace K
Wallace J
DeGirolamo
Reed
Woolford
Mcnulty
Higdon

Mcfazdene ! Is he still here

 

[itsinyerblood]

In another thread I mentioned that promotion should be our priority. Somehow this was construed as I didn't care about losing in other competitions. How wrong this type of thinking is, I understand the idea that winning becomes a habit that becomes second nature, so yes, let's try and win every game we're involved in. The whole point of my comment was that we should box clever, use some of our squad and aspiring youth players, and give them the chance to impress. That way the likes of Sharp, Sammon, Adams, and two or three other first team regulars can be used for whatever games Adkins feels are vital to this club's progress. We've all commented on players suffering from what appears to be burn-out, so strategic selection, employed by the more successful clubs, seems to be the way forward. By all means let's have a winning mentality, but let's not lose sight of the mantra that we've heard far too much of - how many seasons have we spent in division one?

 

[pdincubus]

It's helped us attract a top Championship Player, who is now choosing to play for us and, if rumours are true, earn less money doing so because the memories we've given him.

It's definitely not a rumour!

 

[TJB.]

Is anyone fussed if we go out of this cup competition early? I know it's great to have a good cup run financially but the main objective this season is promotion and that's it for me. Thoughts everyone? UTB!

Agree, and it's only really the FA Cup which reaps decent financial reward for clubs (particularly smaller ones). With the League Cup, you're only talking half-decent TV money if you get a Prem side at a later stage of the contest (as we did last year), whereas the prize money is neither here or there.

The prize for winning the damn thing wouldn't pay Rooney for a week.

 

[itsinyerblood]

It's definitely not a rumour!

A rare insight into a man who values his quality of life, the feelings that are shared between him and the fans, and the fact that not only did we want him, but that he wanted to become a SUFC player. As I say, this doesn't happen often, if at all, so let's enjoy John's commitment to us, it's priceless as far as I can recall and reminds all of us that money's not the only thing that counts in life.

 

[OllyBlade]

Strongest team we can muster, roll over a side from a higher division, confidence boost and a half.

This insane idea we can "swap" cup wins for a guaranteed promotion is complete bollocks, going back to the great Colin Con of 2003 to cover up our play-off failure.

We've had four cracks at getting out of this division. How much of a part have the cups played in this?
11/12. Cup runs (6 games in total) or chief provider of goals getting sent down?
12/13. Cup runs (5 games in total) or a dreadful run towards end of season and a change of manager for the play-offs?
13/14. Getting to the FA Cup semi or being bottom 3 until January?
14/15. Getting to the LC Semi or playing many games without proper CB's?

Twice we've got out of this division. Under Porterfield we played 4 LC games and 5 FA Cup games on our way out. Under Harry we topped that with 5 LC and 6 FA Cup.
Obviously the last time we didn't win a cup game at all (our last relegation season) has bypassed everyone as well.
Or should we look back at 08/09 and the 7 cup games we played on our way to the play-off final. Too many? Ask our opponents who'd played 12!

Losing is a habit I'm not sure we want to get into, but I am sure I want it to be a side better than Fulham if we do lose.

Shouldn't forget that in last years League Cup run and the FA cup the year before that, players who were second choice in the league featured prominently and in some cases forced themselves into the reckoning for the league games. I'm thinking of Murphy in 2013/4, who looked completely out of sorts until doing well away at Cambridge. Miller's last minute goal at Fulham of course. Higdon's goals got us through against Orient and MK Dons last season. De Girolamo's only United goal came in our FA cup tie away at Preston the weekend after the league cup if memory serves me correctly.

So whilst I'm all behind your central point and would love us to win tonight, it's not necessarily the case that some rotation in the squad can't be carried out at the same time as getting through to the next round.

 

[Bladebri]

Because Fulham fans say they need to prove a point against us for beating them in the cup last season, I'm saying go out and batter them.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Official

Team: Long, J Wallace, McNulty, Woolford, Alcock, Reed, Higdon, De Girolamo, McFadzean, K Wallace, McGahey

Subs: Howard, Freeman, Edgar, Baxter, Dimaio, Sammon, Adams

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

With K Wallace and McFadzean swapped?

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Experimentalism - it's the future!

But aren't we getting a bit TOO Premier League here? Ten changes?? WTF!

 

[jt64]

Experimentalism - it's the future!

But aren't we getting a bit TOO Premier League here? Ten changes?? WTF!

Maybe he learned from the last time he didn't make any changes for a midweek game and we lost two players to injury really quickly

 

[Isar]

Take each game as it arrives, always play to win. I hope we win tonight and carry on in the cups as long as possible. Clearly the league is a priority, but we have 30 or so players, enough to manage some rotation. Good to see youngsters out on the pitch for cup games.

 

[Trigger Blade]

I love the cups but I agree - we've paid a price for cup runs.

So I'd suggest we need to see plenty of this lot playing in the early rounds. If we progress then strengthen it up.

Long
Kennedy(?)
Mcfadzean
Wallace K
Wallace J
DeGirolamo
Reed
Woolford
Mcnulty
Higdon

Rubbish JD, hopelessly wrong, Kennedy's not playing.....