Great win yesterday and we are now confirmed in 8th poistion whatever happens in our final 2 matches. Swansea are also safe from the drop so we cant affect the bottom of the table. For me now is the time to try a few things with no pressure on getting a result. Lets give Reed and JWP starts together with Sam and see what they can do. Boruc Clyne Lovren Fonte Shaw Vic Reed JWP Rickie Adam Gallager Subs Gazza Chambers Turnbull Targett Davis Cork McQueen Views.
Yipee! The good news and the bad news is ......my Swansea supporting mates have come up trumps and have got two extra tickets so the very lovely Mrs Godders and I shall be at the game but the bad news is we have to pay full price and we will be sat in with the Jacks so we shall have to sit on our hands and be very polite. Win, lose or draw we shall have a great weekend. Mumbles here we come. Get making that smashing ice cream of yours Joe. Bake the welsh cakes Mrs Christie and get some laverbread in for breakfast. I shall be playing my Dylan Thomas recording of Under Milk Wood and listening to my Treorchy Male voice Choir tapes all week so that I am in the mood for the match.
Actually, Newcastle could still finish above us, surely? I agree we should be experimenting a bit more but I doubt whether MP will tinker much, other than a few cameo appearances from the bench. The one thing I'd like to see is Schneiderlin, Cork, and Wanyama all playing together, but that would mean dropping Davis or Lallana. Everyone who started yesterday deserves to start again really, which is a great position to be in, but it does make experimentation difficult!
What are their defenders like? A few weeks ago I would have thought this was a walk in the park, but then Cardiff and Villa happened and Swansea have stepped up their game. Could be a nil nil as we are struggling to score.
Should be the same team May just be a coincidence but the players with the real competition for places really stepped up yesterday Clyne, Vic, Davis & Cork all had great games. I'm pleased he started Gallagher as we did benefit from the off the ball running from someone higher up the pitch. Whether he does that away to possession hungry Swansea is another matter
I disagree with experimenting at this stage of the season. I don't really see what it will tell us. Two games is not enough to decide whether or not someone is good enough. And surely, even if Reed did really well, he won't be starting next season (unless there is a mass exodus of course). I would rather see more of Cork and Wanyama working together to see how good they could become.
It was very pleasing that we played well despite losing three main players (JRod, Morgan, Ramirez)...is it possible that MP has a plan B?
Have you seen them play lately? Everton are another possession team so I wouldn't be at all surprised if he started again.
I would too. Schneiderlin could well be off in the summer but if Cork and Wanyama work as well normally as they did yesterday, then that'll ease some of the panic.
I think I would make two changes if everyone is fit, and that would be to bring in Schneiderlin and Ramirez for Cork and Gallagher. I know Cork had an outstanding game, but it's hard to leave out a fit Schneiderlin (if he is), and Vic gives us so much protection in front of the back four. If they're fit, here's the team for me: Boruc Clyne Fonte Lovren Shaw Wanyama Schneiderlin Davis Ramirez Lallana Lambert Subs: Gazza, Chambers, Cork, JWP, Reed, Gallagher, Hooiveld.
I wouldn't mind testing a few youngsters but that could could annoy the travelling fans. 8th is all but sewn up now so would give a couple a run out.
In general the more young players given a go the better, but I think the Wanyama-Cork-Davis axis were just too good to break up, this is definitely the time to experiment but that doesn't necessarily mean youth players. It's tough to do much up front, I think Lambert and Gallagher have to play because either of them alone would be too isolated and we wouldn't have enough presence up front, unless we're going to try and push someone like McQueen into the Rodriguez role. Other than that Lallana, Shaw and Boruc are pretty much undroppable, then we're not going to do anything with the CBs, and we can go either way between Clyne and Chambers. So yeah, uh... No changes.
Same as yesterday, even though Gallagher wasn't amazing I think it was a better team than Lambert on his own. But give Reed a bit more time off the bench. And obviously Guly.
