Match Day Thread Southampton vs Crystal Palace 21/09/2016 Kick Off 7:45 PM

Let's just say for the sake of argument that come January, we are still in both the Europa League and the League Cup. With the FA Cup as well, games will come thick and fast, so the squad needs to be both match fit and rested. This is not a contradiction, as the more players that are rotated through the squad, the more tried and tested players you have to draw on, but you also have more opportunities to rest players. I see the League Cup as a chance to try the likes of Reed, Sims and Hesketh, to give them first team experience so they can be used in both Europa and Premier League games further into the season.

As I said before, I don't want to see a weakened side like Poch played against Sheffield United, but just 2 or 3 Academy players brought in. Maybe in the next round different players can be rotated in, but the principle is by then established.

 

Do you mean Poch v Sunderland or Ronald v Sheffield United? The line up against Sheff Utd was a good one; they were just **** on the night.

 

Poch v Sunderland stlill angers me to this day...

I'm more annoyed by that still than the fact he left for Spurs!

 

Same, ****ing prick ruined a good chance to get to Wembley.

 

Yes, I meant the Sunderland lineup, thanks for clearing that up!

 

I think we should play the strongest available* team, in the League Cup.
This season it is our most direct route, with the fewest games, into European competition next season. Just 5 matches.
The same attitude should be taken with the FA Cup, just 6 games.

* This should take into consideration players that may need a rest, being replaced by a fringe player, but shouldn't be change for the sake of it.

 

Hesketh, Reed & Stephens not playing tonight for the u23s

 

Nor McCarthy.. Would hope to see Isgrove taken off early tonight for a cameo appearance on Wednesday.

 

I think McCarthy is on loan.

 

He means McCarthy, not McCarthy

 

He is at Walsall

 

Leicester cancel out Omela's early goal on the stroke of half time. Saints look pretty good but the Foxes realised that if you press us we start to fall back leaving the forward line pretty isolated. Lots of possession but no real threat on goal. Sound familiar?

 

Olomola has just made it 2-1

 

Isgrove ended up playing the full 90....looks like the team will come from this bunch;

McCarthy, Forster
Martina, Cedric, Fonte, VVD, Yoshida, Stephens, Targett, Bertrand
Romeu, JWP, Reed, Clasie, Hojbjerg, Davis
Long, Austin, Redmond, Hesketh, Tadic

 

I would personally think about giving Redmond and Tadic a rest, maybe bring them on later.

An injury to either of those, and we would lose most of our creativity for Sunday

 

I don't really agree with playing the youngsters and all that

1. I love us progressing in the cups not much beats a semi final and a final for exciting the city

2. We need competitive matches to get a handle on this new system Paul wants to play and this is a good chance for the players to get better at it outside of the prem pressure.

Of course I would rest one or two but not many.

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I would be surprised to see Tadic playing tomorrow after the size of that ice pack on his knee Sunday

 

I had just noticed that on the Matchday Uncovered video!

 

I thought that too - Hesketh to start, perhaps?

 

I went back and looked at MP's lineup against Sunderland. It was SKD, Clyne, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Shaw, Wanyama, JWP, Davis, Do Prado, Lambert.

Can't say I really have a problem with that. The only weak spot is Hooiveld, and Fonte was apparently injured. Also, Schneiderlin and Rodriguez came in for JWP and Do Prado at '62. So he clearly went for it.

I think teams should try to win the Cups, but it's definitely a balance. And for me, I'd rather err on the side of losing due to one young player too many.