[peiowl]

My team v. Stoke:

Wildsmith  Hinds Purse Reda Sedgwick  JOC Llera Picnic JJ Jeffers Nuhiu

[Imre varadi]

Quite a good team that if you have a flashback 5 years ago !!

[St Charles Owl]

Loovens only got back into the team when Turner was injured, so now that Turner is on his way back I wonder if he will go straight back into the team? From what I have seen I think Pudil is the best LB we have, both defending and attacking, but like any full back that attacks occasionally he will be completely out of position if the opposition break away. Thats where other players have to step in and cover, something Lee, Bannan, Hutch and Wallace are all decent at doing. I think CC is big into this, big into the team winning and everyone doing their bit even if its not their normal position.

[consilio]

Will certainly be interesting to see his team selection. I think he may start with both Joao and Hooper.

[St Charles Owl]

I wonder if he was deliberately saving some players for the Stoke game.  I know the league is the priority but a good cup run breeds confidence and the revenue from a two legged semi-final will certainly help towards FFP!!  It was also interesting what he said after the game with regards to playing Nuhiu from the start:

"It's not a question of playing at the beginning, it's about creating the correct environment so Joao can make the difference and we are trying to create this kind of environment. Of course when you go on the pitch with energy in the correct environment, you are helping the team and scoring goals."


Not 100% sure what he means by all that but it does appear there is some method to the madness of playing Nuhiu from the start!!!

[Washington]

I wonder if he was deliberately saving some players for the Stoke game.  I know the league is the priority but a good cup run breeds confidence and the revenue from a two legged semi-final will certainly help towards FFP!!  It was also interesting what he said after the game with regards to playing Nuhiu from the start:

"It's not a question of playing at the beginning, it's about creating the correct environment so Joao can make the difference and we are trying to create this kind of environment. Of course when you go on the pitch with energy in the correct environment, you are helping the team and scoring goals."


Not 100% sure what he means by all that but it does appear there is some method to the madness of playing Nuhiu from the start!!!

Bait for the opposites centre backs to commit fouls and maybe pick up a yellow card that will temper them. Last thing we need is a big lump putting Joao on the long term injured list in the first 5 mins.

For that I'd start Nuhui in the first half against Stoke 

[OvalOwl]

CC is in the lucky position, compared to recent managers, of having players he can bring on to change the team for the better and he doesn't stick to a rigid "subs time" either. We can start with Nuhiu and lull the opposition into one way of defending then bring on Joao and things will be completely different.

Neither of the players we missed most at BBurn were available. Hutch and Bannan.

The only thing that is certain for Stoke is that Joe will be between the sticks, Keiren needs to rest that achilles he tweaked.

[Towinjustonce]

Well I've been on the absolute rip in London for the weekend and have seen fook all results. Don't know f this in the previous pages but how did Rhodes play ? And would he actually be worth chasing even with a £10 mill plus price tag. Wondering if he would add that much to us for that price or should we be looking at a different style of player ?

[Statesideowl]

Hooper and Joao would be the way I played it, the way we came at Arsenal it absolutely stunned them.

Wildsmith deserves his start too.
Helan seems to be fizzling out from that improvement a few games ago.

Maybe start Mcgugan and see how it goes?

[St Charles Owl]

Well I've been on the absolute rip in London for the weekend and have seen fook all results. Don't know f this in the previous pages but how did Rhodes play ? And would he actually be worth chasing even with a £10 mill plus price tag. Wondering if he would add that much to us for that price or should we be looking at a different style of player ?

The important result for you was that you predicted the score and scorer correctly so picked up another   in the BML!!!

As for Rhodes, he didn't score so we must have done something right looking after him.  They said in the commentary that in the second half he was badly exposed on his own up front and wasn't really effecting the game.  Having said that his scoring record is amazing - in the last 270 games he has played he has scored over 150 goals, most of them being at Championship level.  I can't help thinking that with the likes of Forestieri, Lee, Bannan, Wallace, Matias etc he would get some great service and would definitely score goals, but is that worth 10m quid??  The value all depends on the outcome, promotion to the premier league is worth what, about 100m quid, so if his goals get us promoted then yes its worth it.