Because they would be more difficult than Stevenage. I want us to win the FA Cup, and want as easy a route to the final as possible.
That looks a ridiculously weak team to me, I'm so glad you're not manager as I want us to win this competition. Going out to Stevenage would be a nightmare I don't want to live through.
Nerves already GH10? I'm kind on that track , their ground is quite compact and most will be home supporters. It will be a tough game, a draw wouldn't be a bad result get them back at the Lane for a replay.
I'm aways nervous when it comes to Spurs PL If Harry was so daft as to pick such a weak team I would go ballistic, fortunately Harry isn't. We want to win the competition surely, and even if some bizarre reason we didn't, a defeat at Stevenage would be likely to hit our league form. Not to mention the endless baiting we would have to endure at work, down the pub, on the net, etc.
I'm hoping that we'll have plenty of players back from injury, including Sandro and Huddlestone. I'd also hope that whatever's going on with Corluka gets sorted out.
I can't see them doing too much at Anfield, they looked toothless the other day. A Toon team with Ba would have seen a different result I think. To me Pool are more likely to beat Brighton than we are to beat Stevenage. I think of the 'Big Six' teams left, they have the easiest draw. I'd certainly rather play Brighton at home than Stevenage away. Having said that, I think the only of the 'BS' to be in real danger is Arsenal.
The game will surely be on TV (it looks like all our Feb games will be on TV), I don't want to be down the pub watching us lose to Stevenage. If we pick a weak team, I'm watching indoors, I couldn't bear the public humiliation of us losing to Stevenage. As PNP says we may have lost/gained some players by then, so I won't be predicting team sheets ATM. EDIT, apologies for answering my own post, got a bit confused there
Brighton to get a bye after the FA grow a pair... We beat Cheltenham 3-0 with a similar squad. We need to rest players, most notably Walker and BAE, and King won't be risked - Dawson will certainly play, with one of Gallas or Bassong beside him, but I can't see Danny Rose at LB for this one Livermore's played the enforcer role in the Europa and, as said, his selection is based on Sandro not being match fit and Parker being rested/unfit Lennon's hamstring played up against Watford, so we may well be playing with Kranjcar or Pienaar on the right anyway (with GDS likely to be off by Tuesday) Carroll's in the team based on Kranjcar being on the right and Huddlestone being unfit - if he isn't loaned out as well Cudicini plays the low-priority games as it is (no offence to Stevenage fans - or those of Shamrock, Rubin, PAOK or Watford) Coulibaly is in there based on Ade being rested, Pav being sold, and because I couldn't be arsed to type NEW STRIKER in there Or you could name a team you'd put out...
Not far off the team i'd pick hbic Cudicini Corluka Dawson Bassong Rose Lennon Livermore Sandro Kranjcar Defoe Pav
I'll wait near the time. The team you suggest is absolutely stupid, and no way will Harry put that team out. Cheltenham at home in the 3rd round is not the same as Stevenage away in the 5th round. It's a clueless team that would risk national humiliation for us, luckily it won't happen because Harry has more sense. I'm going to copy the daft team you've proposed in my signature if I can, and nearer the day I'll put 'my team' in, and we'll compare.
Testing EDIT - Ah good it worked. Let's see if Harry has the bright idea of giving a 17 year old his debut by starting him away from home in a 5th round FA cup tie on national TV. Genius, not.
Anyone in any doubts as to why we shouldn't pick a severely weakened team against Stevenage might care to check out this video of the reaction to the draw from their fans. To say they will be up for this one is to understate considerably. http://www.stevenagefc.com/page/LatestNewsDetail/0,,10839~2592834,00.html Forget Newcastle, we mean far more to them, because like Watford, Stevenage and the surrounding areas is full of Spurs fans. Like Waford, you'll need a lorra, lorra, loyalty points to get a ticket in the Spurs end for this. Unlike Watford, Stevenage will sell their full allocation. I would imagine it's the biggest Cup game in Stevenage's history, outside any finals they may have played at Wembley. EDIT - have taken my signature away, as I realise I was being childish.
I doubt the pitch will be that great, so it will be difficult, here's how they despatched Newcastle...[video]http://www.soccerclips.net/videos/stevenage-v-newcastle-highlights[/video]
Hi NSS, thanks for the clip. Yep, pitch may be a problem. Probably a good game to play Sandro and Livermore, certainly not Carroll. Mind you that particular one of HBIC's ridiculous selections has now gone on loan to Derby, which gives a good idea of how likely that was going to happen.
But you still haven't suggested a team you think is better, as I suggested you should. You have, however... ...made a string of petty comments. That's necessary, isn't it? You still haven't got your head around players needing a rest, or being ruled out with knocks, have you? Otherwise I would've gone for a central pairing of Sandro/Kranjcar - but doubtless you;d say that was ludicrous, we'd be humiliated on national TV, and sound more like a Scouser WUM than a fair chunk of my ignore list would if I wasn't ignoring their "contributions" to the English language.
Hbic, no-one I think, not me anyway is disputing the theory of resting players...if they need it. Our first team have had more rest this season than in any other, as explained on another thread. Injuries and knocks are a separate issue, have you not seen other teams patch there best players up before to play? Best get your head round that. Many posters here use resting as an excuse to trot out experimental sides trying to fit players good points into some imaginary situation, usually totally ignoring what these players weak points are...very clever. Your best side has the best chance of winning a game, a philosophy that will remain unchanged in sport.
The idea that best sides win every game is undermined by the fact a weak Man Utd team won the Premier League last season instead of Chelsea or Man City (or for that matter, Brazil's '94 team won a World Cup, while their '82 team didn't) I'm not suggesting we send out a whole team of youngsters as we did in the Europa League, but some of our players are looking jaded and need a rest, whilst others will pick up injuries if played too often or rushed back from injury too quickly (which both affected us last season) Shame we loaned out Carroll, then I could point out he played 120 minutes against Stoke in the Carling Cup and scored in the shootout, so isn't some shrinking violet by any means...
