Danny himself will be champing at the bit for the next match, Strikers get lean periods and like to be on the pitch as much as possible when they are scoring goals.
He could just as easily pick up an injury in training or his kitchen (right Sophi?).. It is about squad management at this busy time of year but I suspect the Ralph won't want to change too much for the PL matches right now. Plus Shane and Danny are really starting to form a decent partnership, Shane does a lot of the pressing work which takes the pressure and workload off of Danny a bit.
I wouldn't try and be too clever personally, just as much chance he picks up a knock against Palace as there is against Chelsea. One game at a time.
But more chance to pick up a knock against palace if he's played against Chelsea, and far more if he plays all 4 games. the strain builds up if you dont get a chance to recover and you have progressively more chance to pick up injuries, at least thats how i understand it. I think it was Hasenhuttl who complained about it last year when we got a few injuries iirc.
There's no way Ings should start all 3 league games from Boxing Day to New Years Day. That's 3 games in 6 days! Ideally the Chelsea game would have been the middle game so it would be a no brainer to rest him then. But it isn't so we have to make do.
Yeah I'm not saying we need to play him every game, just to take it on game by game basis and rest him when he needs it, rather than to trying to work it around a more 'winnable' match.
I would keep the winning side the same, possibly with Romeu coming in then we can always make early changes if it looks like we won't get anything. Better than mixing it up and playing an ok side every game and not having enough to win.
Thanks Also with regards to the line up - I would not be at all surprised to see Ralph switch it to 5 at the back for this one, Chelsea away will be very tough McCarthy Cedric Bednarek Stephens Yoshida/Vestegaard Bertrand JWP Romeu Hojbjerg Ings Redmond Subs: Gunn, Yoshida/Vestegaard, Armstrong, Boufal, Long, Obafemi, Adams
Feel sorry for Ralph as barring 3 victories he is on a lose/lose. Play Chelsea without Ings and draw/lose, we never know what could have been Play Palace after Ings plays against Chelsea and is 'tired' and we draw/lose.... Play Ings against Spurs after beating Chelsea & Palace and a loss to Spurs gets us back in the bottom 3 and we drop Ings.... Really, the only way out it to win all 3 games, make sure there are no injuries and march on. Yes I've had Christmas Chianti and a cheeky Port too Ho Ho Ho.
Yep, your only goal scorer gets taken out for the rest of the season I'll be surprised if we get anything from this and am treating it as a free hit. I'd play 442 with Long and Adams up front, in a revolutionary move pulled right from my behind I'd go Romeu, Danso, Armstrong and Boufal behind them and stick with the same back 4 because there's nobody who can replace them. I'd stick with Macca for this too.
Actually, that isn't a bad call. and makes sense. Though the Ralph of a few weeks ago would put Adams at left back
I agree. Midfield is key in this game and Chelsea will have 4 there including Kante and the lovable Alonso. Any back 5 nonsense will result in our midfield being overwhelmed. It probably will anyway, but our only hope in this game is to score two early goals before they wake up. Shane and Che to both break their ducks, followed by a red card for Zouma and a JWP pen. Batshuayi to get a late consolation. We always win 3-1.
I think the Ralphster has done with the tinkering and if everyone’s fit he will go with the same team in the same 442 formation Then he will reassess for the Palace game I think all the metrics allow them to assess pretty well when someone needs a rest Danny? As a few have said, fit and in form strikers want to play every minute and you should be wary of messing with that Having said that I want to see Che and Shane together some time. Maybe start with them v Palace with Danny on the bench?
Yeah, I don’t think you rest an in form striker. Don’t have to play him for 90 minutes though, or even 60.
OK....we rest Ings when we are 4-0 up. Only joking....need to be 5-0 up with 5 mins to go. I get that we need to monitor Ings' fitness and play it a bit clever, but you never drop a striker on fire. He's worked his way back into form...leave him out and he could take a few games to refind himself. No point in trying to pick and choose games either...he could play a blinder against a good side giving him room, then struggle against a poorer side marking him out of the game....or worse, targeting him. I'd be amazed if he played in the FA Cup game though.
