Controversial

[ml1997]

I would go with a lot of rotation but wouldn’t play the u21 players who haven’t been in the first time at any point.

Therefore, my team would be

Davies
Curtis Baptiste RND McCallum
Brooks Davies
Hampson Marsh Oné Brewster

The only people in this team that I’d much rather not start is Tom Davies and Andre Brooks, but there’s no other obvious options and Peck is more deserving of a rest than Davies.

 

[Darlington82]

I have loved the cup runs, but would not play any of the team who played or came on. NRD is not fit and Brewster should not play again, ever, marsh is more deserving. Possible One should get a run out.

I hope none of them came back on the bus and went down the West end and enjoyed themselves, they deserve it.

Been today and Sunderland, but won't go on Thursday, more as a protest to the FA, for fucking it up.

 

[ReeceofBDTBL]

Davies
Curtis. Baptiste. JLT. RND. Boyes
Me. You.
Brewster Oné. McCallum.

 

[Keen Blade]

Wouldn't end them that far. Maybe Skegness.

It's so bracing ..... in January

 

[The Bear]

100%, fully play the kids. Couldn't give a toss about the tie, the most important thing is to rest everyone.

Amazing, we must have the best fans for saying dont bother. No wonder we have the worst record in ko competitions of any league club. not won owt for a century. with our negative fans we know why.

 

[dsr-burnley]

When did footballers become so unfit? It's only 15 seasons ago that Burnley played 61 matches with runs to FA Cup 5th round (incl. 2 replays), League Cup semi-final, and play-offs. 10 players played more than 50 games, 3 of them played 60+. And (sorry to bring it up) you know they weren't tired in the play-off final.

They played a Wednesday night league cup semi-final and lost in the last minute of extra time, and still managed a Cup draw away to Premier League West Brom on the Saturday. These are footballers, not pensioners. Let them play.

 

[Lowen]

(4-2-3-1)
Davies
Colechin Baptiste Norrington-Davies Boyes
Aston Blacker
Brooks Marsh Hampson
Onè

Freckleton and Curtis are both cup tied.

 

[Bladesman]

I think some of us are going to have to play against Cardiff.

 

[loyalblade95]

No way Peck should play

Probably shouldn't, but who else do we play here without reinforcements?

 

[metalblade]

Not sure why anyone would want a cup run as we all know if they can work it it will be a Liverpool v Man City final with Arsenal and Chelsea on stand by in case the first two are drawn together earlier. Same boring conclusion every year now nearly as certain as Celtic winning the Scottish Prem.

 

[Dkc]

Don't FA rules prevent us playing an extremely weak team?

 

[McGrath]

Who's going to play centre midfield?

It sounds like it's been a risk playing Tom Davies so many back to back 90 mins. So he probably won't start. That leaves Peck (who probably also needs resting) and then who else

 

[McGrath]

When did footballers become so unfit? It's only 15 seasons ago that Burnley played 61 matches with runs to FA Cup 5th round (incl. 2 replays), League Cup semi-final, and play-offs. 10 players played more than 50 games, 3 of them played 60+. And (sorry to bring it up) you know they weren't tired in the play-off final.

They played a Wednesday night league cup semi-final and lost in the last minute of extra time, and still managed a Cup draw away to Premier League West Brom on the Saturday. These are footballers, not pensioners. Let them play.

I don't think they've become unfit, in fact I think the opposite has happened.

Footballs speeded up massively in the last 15 years and the expectations on players are to be constantly pressing and harrying, making runs down the channels, recovery runs to stop breaks etc.. Someone like Callum O'Hare will run 8 miles in a match. Some of the pie munchers of the past, probably couldn't manage a mile.

You need to be an athlete these days to play the game. But the human body has limitations. It's sad though, some of the greats of yester year probably wouldn't make it these days

 

[Edgar Allan Poo]

I think some of us are going to have to play against Cardiff.

I'm up for it. I bagsy right side of midfield and don't let my senior status, the fact that I haven't played even walking football for more than 2 years and my Hank Marvin twanging hamstrings put you off selecting me.

Seriously though, I still love the magic of the cup. The big picture is that I think we should scrap the league cup to make the fa cup more special.

As far as Thursday is concerned Cardiff are struggling for survival I would be surprised if they put their best 11 out so let's give valuable game time to those that need it.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Under other circumstances I don’t like us writing off the FA Cup as it’s given us some good times over the years .. but we are down to the bare bones at moment & we might as well use this to give some of the young fringe players some experience of competitive football .
I would certainly use the opportunity to give McCallum , Brooks , Brewster full game to .
I’ve already wrote this one off & thinking about the Norwich game hopefully with some returning first teamers & some new additions

 

[MadDad38]

I don't think they've become unfit, in fact I think the opposite has happened.

Footballs speeded up massively in the last 15 years and the expectations on players are to be constantly pressing and harrying, making runs down the channels, recovery runs to stop breaks etc.. Someone like Callum O'Hare will run 8 miles in a match. Some of the pie munchers of the past, probably couldn't manage a mile.

You need to be an athlete these days to play the game. But the human body has limitations. It's sad though, some of the greats of yester year probably wouldn't make it these days

I reckon our team that finished 9th in the EPL would have wiped the floor with the classic Liverpool team of the late seventies/eighties for that very reason.

 

[McGrath]

I reckon our team that finished 9th in the EPL would have wiped the floor with the classic Liverpool team of the late seventies/eighties for that very reason.

The game was a lot slower back then, that's for sure.

Only one substitute as well. Which means that players have to play a full 90

 

[Maltby_blade]

This time of year again. People who say they couldn't give a fuck about the fa cup make me laugh. Imagine winning the fa cup. Just Imagine.

Normally I would agree and like to see us take the cup seriously. But I think given the circumstances at the moment with the squad we have no choice but to put the kids out, unless we want to risk losing more players to injury and derail our league campaign. Which is why most people are saying the same things about the team for this game.

 

[tincan]

Embarrassingly it's the 100th anniversary of us actually winning the cup, so we're going to do it again!
Our youngsters are actually the current first team, and we're getting reinforcements in, so go for it.

 

[BigBed]

Do we really need a cup run....we don't have the players available for the league, nevermind giving them another 6 or 7 games to play, they're knackered now, id rather us go out early and concentrate on the league personally, but a cup run is extra cash, which might excite the owners, but at what expense???

 

[Weasel]

It's a no lose situation (provided we don't pick up any more injuries and we take the opportunity to rest a good number of the lads who have been playing constantly recently). We win, fantastic. We lose, never mind, we have bigger fish to fry this season and need to keep our small squad available and for the bigger picture. Completely relaxed about this game now and due to circumstances, its taken on the meaning of a U21 game (I want to see us win it, but i quickly move on if I see that we have lost, on here).

Next season, hopefully with promotion in the bag, the club finally starting to get moving on a number of things that we have deferred due to the change of ownership, and the squad made stronger and bulked out a little more, then that's the time to really try and get an FA Cup run going. I've always dreamed of SUFC winning the FA Cup, but I'm prepared to wait another year before I need to start learning the words to 'Abide with me'. Bigger picture this season.

CW will also want to win. But he will be making a large number of changes. No doubt some will go and then moan when they see a number of the kids in the starting line up. Wilder has made it clear re his intentions for this one....

 

[highgreeninjapan]

Don't FA rules prevent us playing an extremely weak team?

Didn’t think about that. I guess you could say with the way our bench has looked the last few weeks, we’d possibly have a decent counter argument.

 

[Slim Man]

I think certain players NEED a rest or we risk breaking them.
Certain players NEED starts as they need more game time. But I wouldn’t be changing the whole XI

Brooks, One, Anel and Gilchrist shouldn’t need a rest.
O’Hare won’t, he’s like a duracell bunny.
Bear in mind a few of them won’t be starting v Norwich (Peck, hopefully Robbo). And also that that game is over a week after this one.

And I think it becomes more conceivable that we put out a half decent team.

I’d like to see Baptiste and RND start.
McCallum left wing, Blacker in midfield. Brewster somewhere.

Then I really see no reason why the rest can’t be made up of some of the players we had starting today.

 

[RammyBlade]

Don't FA rules prevent us playing an extremely weak team?

Yes the rules say that teams must play their strongest side ..... BUT what does that mean ?

 

[Bladesman]

I'm up for it. I bagsy right side of midfield and don't let my senior status, the fact that I haven't played even walking football for more than 2 years and my Hank Marvin twanging hamstrings put you off selecting me.

Seriously though, I still love the magic of the cup. The big picture is that I think we should scrap the league cup to make the fa cup more special.

As far as Thursday is concerned Cardiff are struggling for survival I would be surprised if they put their best 11 out so let's give valuable game time to those that need it.

We are all match fit I reckon:

 

[Blade58]

We ain’t winning the cup
League is the priority
Senior players are desperate for a rest

What’s more to say?
Back up players, academy players and anyone turning up with their boots for Thursday night

 

[N20 Blade]

Well most of the bodies we’ve missed wont be back anyway.

But if Shackleton is fit he needs to play as does RND.

Only other players I reckon should play who’ve been playing recently are One, McCullum and maybe Brewster and Brooks.

It might be a disaster defensively but we cannot risk our current CB pairing. May look at Baptiste in there with perhaps Frecklington if he’s not cup tied.
Midfield will also be interesting…have we got any more lads like Peck to come in?
Brewster and Brooks wide with One up top.

I see a comfortable but valiant defeat.

Brewster yes
Brooks no

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

Amazing, we must have the best fans for saying dont bother. No wonder we have the worst record in ko competitions of any league club. not won owt for a century. with our negative fans we know why.

Ok,I will ask you, what is the alternative ?

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Yes the rules say that teams must play their strongest side ..... BUT what does that mean ?

I reckon it means the U21s , as on Thursday, they'll be fresher and stronger than the tired 1st team. Definitely that.

 

[N20 Blade]

We should try to win but we have to give some players a break, particularly Peck and Tom Davies who have both played far more recently than they will have been expecting to. Adam Davies and Norrington-Davies should probably both start for Welsh reasons and to keep them match sharp (not that Cooper needs a rest), McCallum should be left back to give Burrows a break, and makes sense to give Baptiste a proper game too. Rest of the team depends on who else is available, if anyone who has been out is fit, give them an hour, start One and Brewster up top and give Marsh a good run out either from the start or as a sub. We're normally crap after a break from playing so not sure why everyone is so keen to give them all a couple of weeks off.

I’d maybe start Cooper, so he has a match situation to familiarise himself with the likes of rnd and Shackleton?