Jamie Vardy returns from suspension. Chris Wood and Sean St. Ledger are still out but other then that we have everybody fit and avalible. Nigel Pearson has said the league is the top priority and being fresh for Derby is more important. So here is what I would go with Schmeichel De Laet Wasilewski Miquel Konchesky Hammond James King Schlupp Waghorn Taylor-Fletcher Subs- Logan, Moore, Morgan, Drinkwater, Dyer, Knockaert, Vardy
The league must be our absolute priority. A good opportunity to get some game time and/or match fitness for some of these. NP mentioned some tiredness today (although don't get me started on that subject). We need to be fresh & sharp for the SS on Friday night. It's always said a cup run is good for morale & confidence but we should't have any issues there right now. The league cup run probably did that anyway but it's our league position we need to consolidate.
Pearson has already said we wont be at full strengh For me Danny Drinkwater, Wes Morgan, David Nugent, Lloyd Dyer, Jamie Vardy and Anthony Knockaert all should be rested. Everyone else throughout the season has been rotated to some degree so should be fine to play. As Nigel said we need to make the most of the position we are in.
Sod the FA cup we´ve got other things to worry about. I´d go for a 2nd string team, we can´t afford our promotion push to get messed up by having players out for weeks because they played in these pointless games. We should of got K.Oed in the lge cup sooner aswell...imo anyway. We need to focus 100% on the lge full stop.
League cup helped us this season because it helped us create some momentum. Now its about keeping it going which we are doing very well. As Nigel has said the team now knows how to deal with defeat and know how to bounce back. Stoke isnt much of a glamour game to get people excited about. Derby is much more important next week then Stoke
For the first time ever, I hope Pearson plays a team of reserves. We really don't need this distraction
Two things .... as you'd expect _ I don't normally subscribe to changing a winning team - but some players may be carrying knocks - so that will need assessing .. secondly - we have sold out our allocation - there are over 4,000 travelling there and paying good money - it's all very well saying the league is more important (which it is this season - particularly given our current position in the league and form) but Stoke are there for the taking and I'd like to see only minimal changes and us keeping the winning sequence going... not least because wholesale changes would be disrespectful for those 'die-hards' that probably pay to see EVERY game ...
Im just terrified about Dyer or Knockaert getting injured. Anyone else we can cope with but we have no other wingers
... wouldn't be at all surprised to see us bring in this other French lad during the window ... in fact would not be at all surprised to see us bring in two or three in total ...
What positions do we REALLY need to strengthen to make our squad the best in the lge ? I´d say winger(s), where else ? According to the bbc/football/Leicester City we have... G.K´s 03 DEF´s 16 MID´s 09 FOR´s 12 - - - - - - - TOT; 40 players Out of those I´d have to say about 11 of those maybe good enough for the prem (should we get there). So imo we really need to start to ship out & ship in as there´s players in our squad now that ain´t got a cat in hells chance of playing in the prem.
GK- Schmeichel, Logan RB- De Laet, Moore, Wasilewski CB- Morgan, Moore, Wasilewski, Miquel, St. Ledger LB- Konchesky, Miquel, Schlupp, Bakoyogo RM- Knockaert CM- Drinkwater, James, King, Hammond LM- Dyer, Schlupp ST- Nugent, Vardy, Wood, Taylor-Fletcher, Schlupp, Waghorn Quite clearly you can see wingers is the only position we really need
We've already changed a winning team. There were 5 changes to the team for the Sunday and Wednesday matches, both won. Utilization of the squad is not disrespectful to anyone, for me, its far more important to protect our key players and push on for automatic promotion.
... there is a difference between utilization and wholesale change ... but it was this time last year that we changed the side significantly, lost the momentum and went on a losing streak that was, ultimately, very costly (and with many of these same players) ... now I think we have far more strength in depth this season admittedly - far more experience for one thing (and the younger members are a year older and more confident) ... but confidence in football is a fragile thing ... finally those travelling are likely to be pretty pissed off if we get completely rolled over due to wholesale changes - I know I would... Finally - I think we need to be realistic about how many of our current first team would be ready if we were there in the Prem right now... I don't think it is that many tbf ... but some of the younger ones may surprise us and have the ability to step up should we go up ... now I'm not being pessimistic (or disloyal) just honest ... I'm loving the season so far but only Wes, possibly Kasper (if he eradicates the sillier errors) and arguably Liam Moore could I see being able to step right into the Prem at this moment in time and not be exposed... there are a few others with potential (but I'm not sure they would cut it right at this point in time now) ... the game against Man City was a reality check of sorts ... I think we need to strengthen in the transfer window and push on and away from the chasing pack...
Kasper, De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Knockaert, Dyer, James, Drinkwater and King would all be part of the squad in the premiership with possibilities for Moore, Vardy, Wood and Nugent to stake claims as well.
I'd agree entirely (with the possible exception of the other Moore who I'm not familiar with) but who could compete at that level right now? ... which is why we need to strengthen considerably ... e.g I think Hull will survive this season predominantly because Tom Huddlestone has been an inspired purchase and is running midfield - even in games that they have lost e.g Man United recently - realistically we have nobody in midfield that could do that right now (at Prem level) ... so I'd like to see a real playmaker brought in ... plus a clinical finisher...
