Given the levels of fatigue to which somebody referred to in another post and the fact that we have the return game against Wolfsburg next Thursday, what changes do you think Roy will make to the team for Sunday's game against Wigan?
I think he'll make at least 5 changes to last night's team. His displeasure seen in the interview after the Hull game will have been nothing like the rocket he shot up the backsides of the team in the dressing room after the match. The fringe players will come out on Sunday and play as if their Fulham careers depend on it (and some of them may depend on it). Your view?
3 or 4 changes in the light of the west ham debacle!
Some of the fringe players have to be picked, otherwise we will go into next season not knowing if they are good enough. I think you are absolutely right when you suggest that some of them will have their future Fulham careers resting on the sort of performance they put on.
I can not see us making any £10million+ signings during the close season but I can see some of those surplus to requirements being shipped out and some new hot prospects replacing them. The last few home games may well decide exactly who makes way and who stays.
KD and Greening for central midfield, Elm and Okaka up front. Baird right back , Shorey LB. Riise on the right. At least that is the team I would like. Maybe Smalling for Hang and Demps or Gera on the left.
Absoloutely, changes all round, I'm sure Woy won't let the Cheats affect his decision, and by the end of last night's game you could see the tiredness creeping in. I think it would be unwise to play a full strenght team, we have fringe players who are more than capable of winning against Wigan at the Cottage. I would play:
Schwarz
Kelly Hughes Smalling Shorey
Riise Baird Dika Greening
Okaka Nevland
Surely woy must go with something like this?
What will the FA say, apparently Spam are serious about our "weakened team" where do you draw the line with weakened team? we played players who are normally on the bench anyway and if Brooking and his cronies say we were wrong I hope they fine Red nose as well, he has rested Rooney and others several times prior to CL games, he calls it rotation!
Apart from anything else the Wolves fine sets the benchmark - a £25,000 fine suspended. I think we can live with that.
We were doing well last night until the last 10 minutes when errors crept in, presumably through tiredness. IMO there is no way that Murphy, Duff, Hangeland or Zamora should play Sunday.
I'd suggest
Schwartzer
Shorey Hughes Smalling Konchesky
Davies Baird Greening Dempsey
Gera Okaka.
With all of the above selections, you're talking about a fielded team containing 9-10 internationals (full or under-21). How can that be described as a weakened team? Its not like Arsenal who have sometimes fielded their youth team.
Nobody complained when we played the fringe players in the early rounds of the Europa. If this new rule comes in, about teams having a certain % of home grown players what will the powers that be, do to teams that field an almost foreign 11 and just have the home grown players making up the numbers on the training ground.
Pleeeease roy, put the stiffs out against wigan
"I think it would be unwise to play a full strenght team,"
Surely the point is that, although Roy surely knows his best 11 under ideal circumstances (everyone injury free and reasonably rested), what will actually constitute our best team on Sunday will depend on the extent of injuries and fatigue. For example, Murphy knocks spots off Greening in mid field, but he looked really tired towards the end of yesterday's game and a fit and eager Greening may well put in a better performance on Sunday than if we fielded a partly knackered Murphy whose mind would, quite reasonably, be thinking partly about saving himself for the much more important game on Thursday.
Wolvs. took the piss by fielding the team they did against Man U., but leaving a few, obviously quite tired, players out, and fielding the likes of Greening, Storey, and Baird (well established Premiership first team squad members), Smalling (whose market value almost certainly exceeds that of any other Fulham player, with maybe two exceptions), and Okaka, Riise, Dik. or Elm (up and coming stars all of whom except I think Elm, internationals at full or under 21 level), can't seriously be thought of as fielding an under-strength side.
I believe that by complaining about us, as in several respects lately - not least criticising the squad and their current contract levels and saying all will have to take pay cuts next season - the two stooges in charge at the Club (and I certainly don't mean Zola and his assistant) have made themselves look the ignorant barrowboys they are. And by the time we play West Ham we very likely won't have any commitments except the final Premiership games, we'll be on a game a week cycle rather than a game every 3-4 days, and I think the whole Club including of course we the supporters will be up for giving West Ham a good hiding.
please, PLEASE, PUH-LEEEEZE don't start Nevland. The only impact he can have on the match as a starter is to get sent off for a Paul Scholes Autograph Tackle.
I don't think we rest everybody; I think we put out our best XI on the day. Here's where I go:
Hangeland; Kelly, Hughes, Baird, Shorey; Duff, Greening, Etuhu, Dempsey; Gera, Okaka
Davies for Duff and Elm for Gera at some point & we win 3-1
Brede in goal is an interesting choice.
I'd like to see the youth team given a run out just to p1ss the cheats right off :59: .
Quote from: TonyGilroy on April 02, 2010, 02:45:23 PM
Brede in goal is an interesting choice.
Oops! :002:
I, of course, meant Schwarzer. I plead "typing before my first cuppa tea, milord."
The fact is Wolfsburg go through if they beat us 1-0 and we don't seem able to keep a clean sheet lately. Mr Roy needs to test a couple of partnerships (Digger and Hangeland) and work out some alternatives to the current 11 if things don't go according to plan next Thursday.
