If our mindset is right, we will walk the game. If not, it could be havant & waterlooville/Barnsley/Northampton all over again. All about the mindset though, all those players should have too much experience for Oldham. If anything those players should be hungry to show BR what they are capable of!
Tend to agree, we lost even with Suarez last time although that was away. Still, think we shouldn't underestimate them.
Rodgers talked about giving players some time during this December/new year schedule and hasn't really done that. I can see him giving the likes of Illori, Alberto, Aspas a run from the start as they were signings in the summer. The one I would hold off on would be Rossiter. Would like to see our midfield still strong.
Id be happy with GK: Mignolet RB: Kelly/Flanno LB: Cissohko CB: Toure CB: Sakho/Agger CM: Gerrard CM: Alberto LW: Moses RW: Ibe AM: Texeira ST: Aspas Subs: Jones, Suarez, Ilori, Henderson, Rossiter, Skrtel, Coutinho. Give players a rest and give some youngsters a go. Gerrard will keep them in line.
Mignolet McLaughlin Skrtel Toure Flanagan Lucas Henderson Alberto Ibe Aspas Sterling We won't see this side but it'd be an interesting one. Don't see there being an issue with Skrtel, Lucas and Henderson starting, and what option do we have? Sterling is in form and should play, hopefully get a goal and some more momentum. Ibe was great preseason so deserves some minutes surely. McLaughlin would be an interesting one with our current RB issues. Maybe room for Ilori?
Guarantee we don't play a reserve side. Only player I've rested in that line-up is Skrtel; he's played every game and we have plenty of CB options. We lack options for most positions, only really Moses and Alberto that could come in elsewhere.
I don't think we'll rest too many. Neither should we, imo. We all know how easy it is to trip over a L1 team in the cup and I think that's the last thing we want. I understand people's concerns about injuries but what about concerns over getting dumped out of the competition? I'd start with a stronger side and withdraw some if we're comfortable rather than risk going behind and bringing on big guns to try and rescue it.
You'll probably have to sit on Suarez to stop him playing. Seriously though, the thinness of our squad is a reason for, not against, playing most of the regulars. We simply don't have the depth to replace them with enough quality to be certain of getting the job done. We're not like City or Chelsea who can wheel out a second string that could hold its own in the PL, never mind the Cup. If we leave out the three you mentioned, I wonder where we're going to get goals from. If we field a team with a lot of talented but inexperienced players I think we're asking for trouble. We've seen it happen so many times before and we come away with egg on our faces. The only way I see us doing that is if we consider the PL our only concern, as opposed to our primary one, and view the Cup as an incidental which we can take or leave.
--------------Migs Johnson Toure Agger Cissokho --------Alberto Gerrard -----------Coutinho ---Sterling Aspas Moses Would have Suarez, Hendo and Lucas on the bench.
