We don't play enough games to be fatigued (any player of ours saying they're tired needs to get a grip). The risk is losing players due to injury or suspension.

Personally I think that winning breeds confidence so I'd play a strong team, one or two changes at most. Of course if our 'first team' loses then maybe confidence will be at an all time low

We've still got the best part of 4 days until we play Cardiff so plenty of recovery time.

It really is a tricky one tonight.
We need the win to boost confidence
but in the long run would we be better out of the cup so we can concentrate on survival?

I really wish we had some depth at CM. It's ridiculous how few options we've had there for years now.

Give me this 4-4-2
Just for fun. Give Joselu someone to play next to since he's obviously no good in the loneman role. That team SHOULD do the job and allow us to not have to risk our better squad before a big game vs Cardiff this weekend.

The B squad isn't much different to the A squad at this point, it'll be yesterday's central midfield and a strong centre half partnership. Just Sterry, Manquillo, Murphy and Joselu in. Maybe Kenedy?

vrabbit wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:35 am

So ... what are we doing with this game? Some kind of B-squad again with the focus on Cardiff?

Almost certainly.

So ... what are we doing with this game? Some kind of B-squad again with the focus on Cardiff?

Colly wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:48 pm

It's Rafa's squad management. Look at Mitrovic under him. Barely played in the Championship, Rafa then signs Joselu and plays him game after game for the first half of the season despite making very little impact. Mitro gets an odd game every once in a while, gets dropped for the next game and eventually sold on. Merino got an injury but got the same thing and left. Ki only got in because of injuries. Say what you like about Pardew and his "favourites", but Rafa is far worse.

It's probably my biggest complaint. He seems really stubborn with his squad selection despite most players not playing well enough to deserve being automatic selections while others don't seem to be given the same opportunities.

DavideDuck wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:31 pm

Bodacious Benny wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:25 am

I think too many people have unfairly written Murphy off as being crap far too soon and based on incredibly little.

NUFC fans.

See Luuk de Jong

Thauvin.

It's Rafa's squad management. Look at Mitrovic under him. Barely played in the Championship, Rafa then signs Joselu and plays him game after game for the first half of the season despite making very little impact. Mitro gets an odd game every once in a while, gets dropped for the next game and eventually sold on. Merino got an injury but got the same thing and left. Ki only got in because of injuries. Say what you like about Pardew and his "favourites", but Rafa is far worse.

Bodacious Benny wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:25 am

I think too many people have unfairly written Murphy off as being crap far too soon and based on incredibly little.

NUFC fans.

See Luuk de Jong

Stoke away last season, played very well.

I don’t disagree that a lot of the games he’s struggled in, but there have been occasions where he has shown potential in a struggling team. Plus most of the chances he’s had to play he’s probably had one of the worst strikers in the PL (Joselu) to try and pick out. He’s also never been given a run of games, I’d be surprised if he’d played more than two consecutive games for us. How is a young player new to the PL ever going to progress like that? Other players have had ample opportunity. Joselu has started god knows how many games despite being consistently rubbish, and even Diame was getting slated for poor performances early last season but kept getting picked and eventually he came good.

I think too many people have unfairly written Murphy off as being crap far too soon and based on incredibly little.

Not the most solid of arguments BB

“Murphy hasn’t had a good game yet”

Alright then

Stoke away last season he was decent.

Toondes wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:15 pm

Murphy hasn’t had a good game yet. Should we keep playing him until he does. He’s not good enough ( not his fault obviously ) like most of the squad

We keep playing Atsu...

Toondes wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:15 pm

Murphy hasn’t had a good game yet. Should we keep playing him until he does. He’s not good enough ( not his fault obviously ) like most of the squad

£12m down the drain. Graeme Carr's £12m got a WC winner. Benitez' £12m got s****.

Murphy hasn’t had a good game yet. Should we keep playing him until he does. He’s not good enough ( not his fault obviously ) like most of the squad

These performances have never surprised me over the years as you can't very well turn a side that has conservative survival tactics drilled into them into an attacking juggernaut at will (which is the problem with having such consistently conservative tactics). Especially true given that I haven't found our past few managers to be very good at squad rotation (a lack of depth doesn't help), but it always seems to result in a disjointed performance using players who never play together, with no clue how to play on the front foot against what should be inferior opponents.

Murphy is a victim of horrific man management. He'll come in to the team, finally start to get some form together then find himself cast out of the squad entirely for weeks on end for no apparent reason. No wonder the poor lad's confidence is shot to bits.

Not seen any of the match but reading on here i dont plan to watch any of it now. Rafa won't be getting a penny more to spend, why would you give him money when he won't be here next season. We all know he's had a tight budget but even then he's not used it well.