weakened team

[ToxtethBlue]

Shouldn't drop Cahill at all. It's the old saying, as least he's getting into the positions, and getting the chances. He's doing his job, it's just everyone goes through a goal drought, the important thing is to stick by him until they start going in.

He's been quite poor infront of goal all season and he's not offering much in deeper positions either. He's not doing much in terms of link up play or ball winning.

When we don't control the middle of the park that 'in the hole' player is a waste of time really. Cahill and Fellaini look lost, there either too close to close to the main striker or too far away from him. It should be a case of either using them as out and out strikers or dropping one and bringing a proper striker on.

Yakubu came on and did what Cahill should be doing, getting a hold of the ball and linking things together or holding the ball up and bringing midfield players into the game.

He'd certainly be in my team most of the time but at the moment he's not doing it, either drop him or play him as a midfielder where his energy and workrate is quite useful.

 

[little curly alan ball]

Tox-Teth going all existential on os again , I see .
Can't disagree with a word , young Sir .
However , upon the wider point , I was talking to me mate today , and never mind the first Benfica , but there's also Spurs , and the return Eufa imminent .
Bodies wise we're already struggling , but ANY injuries / suspensions , particularly in midfield , and we are , as they say , fukd .
Thus , I reckon he may go the pack-the-middle-of-the-park method in Lisbon , look to get a draw and negate the need for a full side in a fortnight .
I don't realy believe that he thinks we've got much hope at Spurs anyway , especially without the replay option , so Agard , young Wallace , etc , may get a run .
Oh , two other things , Spurs is £32.30 . Are they fukn sure ??? Early doors Carling Cup and they can't help themselves . Disgraceful .
And Benfica won 8-0 on Saturday .

 

[monty]

1 We should start with our strongest line up. Were playing Benfica at the Stadium of Light.

2 There cant be much bigger games than that.

I.....agree

2....Try Benfica at Goodison

 

[fozzy]

plus i see this trophy as are best way back into europe next year! imo!

 

[Gazdalf]

pfft.

 

[mbk]

we have a squad and we should use it

 

[teppic]

depends on what you think priority is.

i want us to go for the europa and play the strongest team available.

back in the good days when we had 11 players plus alan harper this sort of thing never cropped up.

squad rotation was born when rich clubs started buying up the best talent and had to keep them all happy by not having a settled 11 players.

 

[mbk]

saha will not start we have a big squad now and we should use it

 

[NeoNaoNeo]

Why, this is a dead important game. You put your best team out in big games. You want to switch the squad around, do it in games that don't matter.

 

[Cahill_Winner]

depends on what you think priority is.

i want us to go for the europa and play the strongest team available.

back in the good days when we had 11 players plus alan harper this sort of thing never cropped up.

squad rotation was born when rich clubs started buying up the best talent and had to keep them all happy by not having a settled 11 players.

That's certainly an element of it, but I also think with the increased fixture burden it's impossible to compete at a high level with the same starting XI now, fatigue is such an issue. Villa and Hull demonstrated that last year when they're players just burned out and performances completely collapsed.

It's going to be a long old season with the Europa league, I want to do well in it but don't think we can afford to start the strongest team in every match or we won't be able to compete with Spurs and Villa in the prem. As we say, it's all about priorities. I would prefer us to win the Europa league and maybe field weakened sides in the FA and Carling Cups.

 

[kenada_blue]

With Moyes saying resources are at breaking point -

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/David-Moyes-resources-at-breaking-point-article190865.html


Here's the players available for Benfica game.

Goal Keepers -
GK Carlo Nash
GK Tim Howard

Defenders -
DF Tony Hibbert
DF Leighton Baines
DF Joseph Yobo
DF Sylvain Distin
DF Séamus Coleman

Midfielders -
MF Steven Pienaar (?)
MF Diniyar Bilyaletdinov
MF Dan Gosling
MF Leon Osman
MF Marouane Fellaini
MF Jack Rodwell
MF Tim Cahill

Forwards -
FW Jô
FW Louis Saha
FW Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Kieran Agard
FW Jose Baxter

Who'd you play? Would you play a full strength side, try and ride a bit of luck at Bolton, then rest everyone for the Spurs game?

 

[NeoNaoNeo]

Howard
Hibbert
Yobo
Distin
Baines
Bily (or osman if Pienaar is out)
Fellaini
Rodwell
Pienaar (or Bily if Pienaar is out)
Cahill
Saha

 

[Goat]

We get Neil and Johnny back for Bolton, so its not all doom and gloom, well it is, but not as much so.

Its ok, we will buy Moutinho in January......... Or a 1legged Defour.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Is Seamus Coleman in the squad for Benfica?

 

[Goat]

God I hope not.