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OK, I''ve had enough of this endless Worthy bashing, let''s change the subject. This weekend, do we play our strongest side against West Ham or go with the younger players?

Given that with injuries and absences (Hux, Safri) our strongest isn''t going to be very strong, I''d vote to put out a side full of academy players and fringe players, rest some of the players who played 4 games over Xmas and just get the fixture out of the way on the basis that the league really is our priority at the moment.

However, as I recall, Worthy has never ever done this - he has always put out the strongest side in cup games as a matter of principle, so I doubt it''ll happen. Without even Hux now though, I don''t see much chance of us beating the Hammers.

Plus, if we rested Deano it would be wonderful fuel for the conspiracy theorists; they''d have a field day, and that always makes me chuckle.

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Our squad is so thin, we dont actually have a ''reserve'' team, its actually made up of youth team kids andthe bench from the last first team outing. West Ham will crush us, whatever 11 we start with.  

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I am with you ama - our prioriy must be the league so why risk our key players given the current shortage of options?

Give the likes of spillane and rossi a run out and tell them not to worry if they get over run...  Where is Andy Hughes when you need him!

 

OTBC

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As we are going to lose anyway, and to avoid further damage to morale, I would suggest a mixture - perhaps including Hendo with Thorne as strikers (or are there any other strikers who could be considered?), and Rossi and Spillane. On reflection, as he is suspended for the Plymouth game, perhaps McV should play alongside Thorne. This also assumes that McM is not fit again, which seems likely. Are there any good wide players among the academy players? Is Shackell fit?This is partly to avoid further injuries to important players, and partly to blood youngsters, who must be wondering how many more games they must wtach from the bench, when lesser players are preferred. Could we rest any of the midfield - Charlie perhaps, Hux? If the latter is rested then a 4-4-2 could be employed.Because they lack imagination, I can''t see management  being over-experimental, and I would expect little unenforced change!Less controversial, could Ward or Gallacher be in goal?

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as its been said, we haven''t got enough players for a reserve team, so it will basically be the all the first-teamers. maybe thorne and jarrett in. we could see the return of shackell with flem going right back, and brennan going left back.

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                   Green

Fleming    Doc   Shackell   Charlton

Hendo   Rossi J  Spillane   McVeigh

             Ryan J    Ashton

won''t happen though.

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Quite right, Plans, we''ve got two versions of a poor team!

Give the youngsters a chance; they can''t be any worse than donkeys like Etuhu and Brennan.

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I would play as few 1st team players as is practical - after all we can''t afford any more injuries to our "better players", can we? Give some of the youngsters a chance to show what they can do - they can''t do much worse than the pitiful display we saw against Preston, can they? The cup is a low priority to us right now, and I doubt very much if we can survive beyond the next round even if we did manage to beat The Hammers.

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If you think City will field anything but their strongest available line up your living in cuckoo land , a FA Cup tie against Premiership opposition is about as big a game as City can look forward to these days. It will also give a good guide as to how far West Ham have progressed and City gone backwards in just 12 short months.

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Hmmm good idea. However, a few problems arise: wasn''t it a few years ago when one of Arsenal/ManU/Chelsea put out a 2nd string side in the cup and then got criticised by the FA for some rubbish offence?

Also, if Ashton is to go this January (and I personally hope he doesn''t), his value would drop by possibly £500k the moment he steps onto the pitch against WHU - clubs don''t want to buy cup-tied players! My answer? Play all the chaps who rarely get games like Shackell, Hendo, Jarvis, Ward as well as a load of up and coming players from the academy as already suggested BUT also start Ashton just to guarantee nobody gets him. It''s better to move clubs in the summer IMO anyway.

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Whatever or rather whoever the strongest team is, will be the one that starts on Saturday.  Whether we think it wise or not, Worthy will be out to win this match and as last year, risk losing some of our better players to injuries.

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Of course we should play our strongest, possible side, it''s the FA Cup for christs sake!

Fielding a weaker 11 against Premier opposition in a competition that a team can reap so much from & writing it off as superfluous because it may damage our promotion chances is a ridiculous notion.

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