team for fulham/rotation etc

[deipnosophist]

...oh and Liverpool get an effective 3pm kick off...so their bodies will be feeling just right.

 

[The Hibbert Agenda]

We have a week to rest until the Arsenal game, so play our strongest team (excluding anyone who may not be able to play 2/3 games in a week)
We'll have to do a real rotation when it comes to Palace 3 days before United

 

[toffeeblue9]

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
McCarthy
Deulofeu Barkley Osman Mirallas
Lukaku

We can't play without both Osman and Pienaar. We need someone of them to keep the ball up. Osman was the difference between Swansea and Newcastle game. He was the key to possession and let the defense rest between the attacks.

Completely agree with this.

I think Ossie has seen better days, although he doesn't deserve anywhere near the level of stick he gets.

Problem we have as a team is that the likes of Barkley, McGeady, Mirallas and Deulofeu are all players who want to run with the ball and be direct. None of them are particularly clever in terms of keeping hold of the ball or finding a clever pass in the final third. When we have a midield without either Osman or Pienaar in it in the attacking third, it shows badly. The Swansea game at home was a great illustration.

We need a balance in the side and whether they're popular or not, Pienaar and Osman bring the balance (though I wouldn't usually choose to have both of them in the side at the same time).

 

[deipnosophist]

I'm becoming increasingly convinced Jags was on that missing plane..

Birdman Alcaraz , ironically (...like rain on your wedding day), was piloting it

 

[deipnosophist]

...the black box analysis will come up with....muscle fatigue

 

[deipnosophist]

Humour covers a multitude of emotions...my genuine sympathies to those who have lost so much in that flight xx

 

[Sheedy's Third]

Lets leave it to Mr Martinez eh?!!

Be a very boring forum if we didn´t chew the fat though eh?

 

[Swetoff]

Tell Lukaku to stay close to Heitinga and aim every cross in that area and we schould be just fine.

 

[Khalekan]

Assuming Gerald is fit I can see no good reason not to start him on Sunday.

I can't even see a bad reason.

 

[neil999]

Tell Lukaku to stay close to Heitinga and aim every cross in that area and we schould be just fine.

haha! he'll prob be up for it against us, hopefully will have a mare..

 

[OneTrueLegend]

I am hoping that McGeady and Mirrallas get a place in the starting 11, which will probably be at the expense of Osman and Del boy.

Its not that they played badly, but McGeady and Mirrallas should be well rested and give us some fresh legs in attack.

It would be nice to see Jags back, i'm not sure on the situation with Stones, he had some fairly serious stitches in that cut, but I presume he can still start?

I would have thought that Naismith will get on at some point, but I would still start with Lukaku.

 

[Khalekan]

Mirallas?

No thanks, not in the form he is in at the moment.

 

[tiny_jacky]

Since they have Heitinga in the defence it is safe to put Mirallas to find his touches

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Just tell Geads/Dela/Mirallas to run straight into the box at Heitinga, penalties abound!

 

[Roztitute]

Just tell Geads/Dela/Mirallas to run straight into the box at Heitinga, penalties abound!

I thought this. If Kone's pace can confuse Heitinga, Dela's will surely annihilate him.