First team for Europa League?

Jags · February 27, 2015

Depends on the opposition, home or away, aggregate score etc etc

HughesyEFC · February 27, 2015

Swap howard for joel then it will be a decent team

Stanley Parker · February 27, 2015

sageyefc said:
Play strongest team available each game, gotta only focus on the next game instead of thinking down the line

But how do you know what our strongest team will be?

We're playing playing five games in fourteen days against opponents who are not. If our players play in every game, they are going to be tired, and much more tired than their opponents. It's asking too much for them to match the energy of their opponents in every game. That - after all - is why Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Spurs rotate their players!

Last night's team won't get six points in the next two games - they'll be too tired. Arsenal will be rotating their squad; and they will have had an extra day to recover.

Stoke haven't had a midweek game. And they too will have had an extra day to recover before we play them. Personally, I would rest players against Arsenal and play our strongest possible squad at Stoke.

We then have a blank Saturday, followed by a run of four games in eleven days. If we want a successful outcome, we'll have to decide how to spread our resources across the Premier League and the Europa League games.

marty mcfly · February 28, 2015

PeterPrinciple said:
With the emergence of Besic and the ressurection of Gibbo, we can sustain an injury to McCarthy I believe. If we get quality keeping (which I am pessimistic on) we could even sustain the loss of Stones. Kone is no substitute for Lukaku, but maybe something could be put together if we lost him. Not much a team not owned my a sheikh can do if their 28m striker goes down

Kone would be fine in the league but we need Rom fit to have a chance in the Europa.

marty mcfly · February 28, 2015

PeterPrinciple said:
Too much talent on this squad to be having discussion agreed, though CB does seem to be lacking despite being very solid at the top.

We're also 6 points, goal difference and 5 places above relegation plus we've played Chelsea, City and Liverpool twice. We won't be close to relegation and unfortunately we won't be close to 7th either so the Europa is our focus. Sure we still need to do a job in he league but its not like those players I've listed as the backups are useless. In fact many are fan favorites.