Chance to play the fringe players and youth. Saying that, I wouldn't like to see a teamsheet that takes the piss. Soooo... GK: Bart RB: Butterfield CB: Martin CB: Hooiveld LB: Harding RM: De Ridder CM: Ward-Prowse CM: Schneiderlin LM: Holmes ST: Connolly ST: Guly Bench: Reeves, Shaw, Cork, Fox, Puncheon, Dean, Davis Don't really care about the Cup and it's a good chance to rest some players whilst giving the youth a chance to impress, plus, Coventry are ****e.
Coventry are not the best of teams but they have had some decent results recently. Beat Bristol City, beat Brighton and only narrowly lost to West Ham. Cup games are notoriously difficult to predict, Coventry are just as likely to field 1/2 a different team as we are. As always, Adkins has said we will be looking to win the game however he also hinted several times at playing some of the youth team as we suspected. I recon the team you have gone for wont be far off, although we don't know if De Ridder or Guly will be back from injury. Also, not sure that Connolly will be played from the start considering he is our only first-team striker until Lee's transfer goes through/Lambert's suspension is over. I think Forte might start. Will be a good game to let some of the youth show what they can do.
haha but that's the point, if we are looking to rest/save Connolly for the league then we have no other option but Forte...or maybe a youth team striker or both. Or of course Guly might be back from injury but i would have thought even if he is, that Adkins would take the chance to rest him (seeing as he has played most/maybe even all games so far this season). Maybe I'm being more cautious with our first team then Adkins will be. But I cant really see us going on a scoring spree, maybe we can do the miraculous and get a 1-0
At the beginning of the season our goals were coming from everywhere, but without Lambert I don't see where our goals are going to come from now. Time for Forte to do an MK Dons! Can't risk Connolly before the Forest game. We should still have too much for Coventry..perhaps a 1.0 win to us, but on prediction game I have gone for a draw so Lambert will be available for another league match.
Just looked at video on Player. Lot of youngsters in training shots (though may be smoke screen), but Jaidi and Barney also there so don't know what that means. Also shot of Tadanari passing ball to a coach...didn't seem to be involved in training but they obviously wanted a shot of him in a Saints training kit. Nigel reiterated that although cup important our main focus is promotion.
Bialkowski Butterfield Martin Hooiveld Harding Holmes Hammond Ward-Prowse Dickson Reeves Forte (no other options) SUBS: Dovey, Fox, Hoskins, Doble, Lallana, Shaw, Cork
I think we need to give Connolly a rest and i don't want to risk Guly (and he is ***e away from home) So i would start Hoskins/Doble and Forte and leave Connolly and Guly (if fit) on the bench
Hope it goes through successfully..getting excited about this player now. Got to have played in 75% of available internationals over last 2 years...he has played a lot in 2011 so hope that's enough. Says 'internationals you are available for', so presumably they discount any for which you were injured. Must trust Cortese to have looked into this properly.
There were some notable absentees from the footage, at least I didn't notice them, including, Fonte, De Ridder, Butterfield, Chaplow, Richardson, but that was maybe because they didn't come into camera range, Ward Prowse featured a lot, is the lad with JS on his top Jack Stephens? Barney seemed to have the job of looking after Tadanari Lee who didn't look to be relishing the weather conditions!
I'd go with this, except I can't make up mind whether its best to rest Connolly or play him. De Ridder up front wouldn't be a shock to be honest, a goal might do him some good.
Don't worry about Lee and the weather. Japan is colder and as wet as us...,not a tropical paradise in winter. Just hope he speaks English or Lambert's accent will be a challenge for him. If not, I suppose the club will supply an interpreter for him..and a phrase book listing the wisdom of Nigel Adkins.
