OK so it's Sunderland away on Weds and a chance to get a juicy home 1/4 final draw agaisnt Chelsea. Sunderland had a very hard game yesterday playing 45 mins with only 9 men and that will hopefully have a negative impact. Assuming we picked up no injuries MP has pretty much a full squad to choose from so what to do? Same team or field some squad players? I know we have a decent break after Hull for more blinking Internationals but personally I'd still rest a few regular starters. It will still be a strong side. I'll go with Kelvin Chambers Maya Jos Fox Cork Davis JWP Gaston Adam Dani Subs Boruc, Clyne, Jose, Victor, Lee, Jrod, Rickie Views?
Boruc Chambers Maya Fonte Clyne Cork Wanyama JWP Gaston Lallana Rodriguez Subs: K. Davis, Shaw, Lovren, Morgan, S. Davis, Osvaldo, Lambert.
Boruc, Chambers, Fonte, Lovren, Clyne, Schneiderlin, Cork, Lallana, Gaston, Rodriguez, Osvaldo. Davis, Shaw, Yoshida, Davis, JWP, Isgrove/Rowe, Rickie. Want a balance between giving deserving squad players an outing and fielding a strong team to advance in the cup and keep momentum in the league. I think Chambers, Cork and Gaston are all due games, Shaw gets a rest due to his fragility, and Vic misses out purely because of Morgan and Cork's understanding. Beyond that although I think Jos and Maya particularly have been unlucky to not feature much, but consistency in that kind of central 'back three' is key so I'd keep Artur, Dejan and Jose in and up front I think Lallana, JRod and Ramirez would be a very dynamic trio behind Dani. Expecting a weaker team than that put out but hopefully not too much.
Agree with this...the COC still remains our best bet of a trophy this season and if you get to the last 8 anything can happen.
For now Mauricio will change a few players to rest the first eleven and give time to some subs. We would like to guarantee progress, but most teams rest players...let's hope we don't regret it. Davis defo in for Boruc as he is obviously unreliable
Davis Chambers Hoo8iveld Yoshida Fox Davis Cork Guly (if fit) Ramirez Lallana Oswaldo If Guly's not fit, then JWP
I think it will be pretty much the same team as what we have seen in the previous rounds with Osvaldo playing if fit. I know they always talk about one game at a time but having Chelsea in the next round will give us an idea about how much we are going for this Cup. If we put a strong side out against Sunderland then I think we will put the 1st team out against Chelsea, as we will need our strongest side to get past them. If however, we are going to use squad players in the Chelsea game then I can see even more of the fringe players playing against Sunderland to give them a game.
Boruc admitted in his post match interview he won't be playing Wednesday but that's not really a shock. Pochettino has praised Yoshida and Hooiveld in interviews so will be playing both, so that's the back 4 all changing. Cork & Ramirez will definitely start. If Davis is fit he will feature and I fancy Lee to start in a wider birth. Boruc Chambers -Yoshida - Hooiveld - Fox Cork - Ward-Prowse Ramirez - Davis - Lee Rodriguez Kids on the bench
Starting: Kelvin; Chambers, Yoshida, Lovren, Clyne; Cork, Davis, Rodriguez, Gaston, Lee; Osvaldo, if fit. Bench: Gazzaniga, Lambert, Isgrove, Schneiderlin, Fonte, JWP, Rowe. We're deep enough in the cup that it isn't kiddie time anymore. Edit: had left Guly out and then edited him in after forgetting why I'd left him out. Edited out again.
With Guly injured someone from midfield will have to play a double shift unless we put an even younger youngster in.
Davis Chambers Yoshida Hooiveld Fox Davis Cork Isgrove Ramirez Rodriguez Lee (think he is rubbish but wouldn't risk anyone else)
I wouldn't say Lee is rubbish. What I do think is that he hasn't had enough exposure to Premier League football. Dani Osvaldo has already played more games than Chung.
