Team for Leicester

[Norfolk canary 0]

With Lambert speaking today about the injury worries we have at the moment what would your team be to face Leicester? Mine would be

Ruddy

Martin Barnett ward lappin

Fox

Crofts. Johnson

Hoolahan

Morison Jackson

Keep hotly fresh for man u whist keeping up morisons fitness that''s if ward is fit to play! Thoughts?

[Harry 0]

I can''t see Ruddy starting, PL will probably start with Jed Steer after he acquitted himself so well against the Boggies.

[Cantiaci Canary 610]

I wonder how far Vaughan and Tierney are from a return. It would be nice to see them on from the start and push Lappin into midfield to save Fox''s legs.

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

I think (and hope) lambert will play as strong as possible. We''ve virtually secured safety in the league with a lot of games left and we''re 2 games from a match at Wembley - why wouldn''t we go for it in the cup? Looking at what''s left, what is there to be afraid of? Spurs? Arsenal? And even if we were to play them, with their focus being on their final league position who''s to say we can''t beat them? We also don''t want to ruin our good run by losing to a champ side, it won''t be easy and we''ll need a strong side playing.

Would expect to see the recent core of the side start on sat and then whatever alterations lambert deems necessary to see them off. Same side as last sat looks good to me - show some intent and get to the quarters.

[Block Y Seat 176 80]

I hoe Holty plays, i''ve just sent my mate a Foxes fan this

http://services.pinkun.com/football/wallpapers/ColHolt800.jpg

Be afraid, be very afraid.

H

[Norfolk canary 0]

I fully agree in playing a strong side, we are only 2 games from Europe after all! However with Lambert saying about the injuries thats why I put the squad I''d love to see holt start and I hope that Vaughan makes his return!

[Norfolk canary 0]

I meant Wembley! 2 games from Wembley!

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

PL is starting his mind games by highlighting the importance of the Man Utd game but I suspect he is ambitious in this competition. He made his career and his name in cup competitions. I expect a strong side bar injuries.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Strongest possible team available and anything other than that would not make sense. Why drop Ruddy, for example, cannot possibly be in tune with the thinking there?

 

This is the FA Cup, not that paint pot thing or even the League Cup (as I still call it.)

 

I, for one, will be as anxious for a win as I was for a result at Swansea. 

[star_manic 0]

i can''t see PL not playing for a win and putting out a strong team, though i expect steer to be given another game.

[BigManInTheBarclay 84]

               Steer 
Martin Barnett ward lappin 
               Fox 
        Crofts Johnson 
         Hoolahan 
      Morison Jackson

 

 

[Yellow Wal 315]

For what possible reason should we put out a team that is full of fringe and reserve players?

 

If Premiership safety is not yet guaranteed it must be very close and with that being the case why jeopardise the possibility of a Wembley appearance and possible glory?

We are not fighting for a Champions League spot (this season) so the realistic prize should be a crack at the cup.

 

[Norfolk canary 0]

With Naughton unavailable, drury injured, Ayala and whitbread injured its not really a side made up of fringe players it''s a side with the available players In it! If we play wingers then I''m sure pilks will be in but hearing lamberts interview it seems Bennett may also be a doubt

["""""""""Ben """"""""""" 0]

We beat Leicester playing the diamond last season so would expect us to play that. We don''t have many "fringe players" per say, we just have a strong squad with many different type of players. If we play the diamond Bennett and Pilkington won''t play therefore we would be resting them as we most certainly won''t be playing the diamond against Man Utd with the wide players they have available. So my line up would be:

Steer

R martin Barnett Ward Lappin

Fox

Crofts Johnson

Hoolahan

Morison Jackson

That''s 8 changes from the starting 11 against Swansea and is still a very good side more than capable of beating Leicester.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Now which one of you is going to tell Holty he''s not playing[:^)]

 

 

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Now which one of you is going to tell Holty he''s not playing[:^)]

 

 

[The Great Drinkell 51]

Whatever the team Wes must play abosolutely bossed both games against them last season and scored in both if my memory is correct. All the Leicester fans are wary of him and he will be fresh.  Wilbrhams is a;so prolific against Leicester and we need some speed at the back to combat Nuggent and Beckford.

              Ruddy

    Martin  Barnett  Ward

       Fox Johnson

Crofts                  Surman

            Hoolahan

 Jackson     Morrison

[jed exodous 0]

I''d hope we''ll play the strongest team possible.  But realistically, whatever team he picks is gonna be string as we''ve rotated positions and formations many times this season. 

 

I''m not gonna try and second guess the lineup, i''ve done that a few times and failed miserably, most notably against QPR.  Being only 2 wins from Wembley, and all but safe, we HAVE to go for this.  Its also worth remembering that each round we get through now, is probably worth around £500k-£1mil in prize monet, tv, gates, sponsorship.  If we got a televised tie in the next round, it''d be worth well over a million, and a trip to the final would more than likely get us in the Europa...

 

Fingers crossed we don''t under-estimate Leicester, they do have more than enough to challenge us...

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

I expect Morison, Crofts, Johson and Lappin to all start.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I suspect PL will unleash Wilbrahamovic so he can carry on where he left off last season!

[ricardo 8,034]

I bet PL is on here every night to see what expert advice he can pick up before selecting the team.[:D]

[Harry 0]

Broadstairs the reason I said Steer is PL tends to rest (not drop) first team keepers in cup games as he did in the last round when Steer acquitted himself really well.

I''m not saying he definitely play Steer, as we all know by now you can''t second guess PL, all we do know he will be putting out a team to win.

[Largey24 0]

Unless there are fresh injury concerns, I see no other choice but to start the team that played at Swansea, they deserve it!

I know Naughton is out so that will have to be shuffled, hopefully something along the lines of Drury, Barnett, Ward, Martin, injuries permitting perhaps Whitbread, Tierney instead.

[Bovril 264]

The team I expect PL to put out..

Steer

Martin Ward Barnett Lappin

Fox

Crofts Johnson

Hoolahan

Morison Jackson

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

[quote user="Harry"]Broadstairs the reason I said Steer is PL tends to rest (not drop) first team keepers in cup games as he did in the last round when Steer acquitted himself really well. I''m not saying he definitely play Steer, as we all know by now you can''t second guess PL, all we do know he will be putting out a team to win.[/quote]

 

Yes. I see that point but this is a round further and things are getting a bit more serious  now. The sight of big John in goal would indicate to the Leicester side that we mean business. A relatively inexperienced youngster between the posts might give them confidence.

 

As good as Steer might  be becoming, he is more likely to make that crucial mistake than Ruddy who has had great presence and been immense of late.

 

Besides, we are that few more points better off in the Premiership now, so priorities have shifted a bit.

 

I do realise that Steer was excellent last time out, but he will have his time. That''s for sure.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Ideal scenario.

 

4-0 up with twenty minutes to go. Give  Jed some playing time and JR a little rest. Goal difference doesn''t matter in the Cup. Wheelie might get another look in at the end too.

 

Tempting fate eh?  [6]

[Jim Smith 2,610]

I really can''t believe some of the stuff I am reading about this game on here and I also sincerely hope that Lambo is bluffing when he talks about Man United being the priority.

This is a home 5th round FA Cup tie against championship opposition. We are not going to go down. This is our best chance of doing something in this competition for donkeys years. We are two wins away from Wembley and quite possibly three wins from a place in Europe and people want to rest players and chop and change the team. Having seen how well the midfield has functioned in the last 2 games I simply can''t understand why people want to see Crofts and Johnson brought back into the side when it is abundantly clear that with those two playing together our midfield is pedestrian and we can''t keep possession.

I expect with them being a champ side Lambo will play the diamond. I also expect Wes will come in, probably for Bennett if he has a knock.  Mozza might get a start as there is nothing between the front 3 at present and obviously there will need to be a change at the back as Naughton can''t play but other than that for me we have to play our full strength side and really go for it in the Cup now. If lambo does anything else on Saturday then i will be disappointed.

[ron obvious 1,711]

Lambert''s team will be that which he thinks best suited to beating Leicester. He will have done a lot of groundwork to make sure he gets it right.

Unless you''re prepared to do that (& I doubt you''d have his inside knowledge & experience to go with it), then it''s going to be very difficult to guess his team.

Which makes it all the more fun of course!

[Cantiaci Canary 610]

Does / can Lambert rest the ''better'' players?

 

As far as I see it apart from Wilbo (in comparison to Holt, Morison and Jackson) all of our players are of equal ability.

This has been the key to our success ... whoever PL plays they know the system and have the ability and intelligence to maximise it.

 

 

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

[quote user="Cantiaci Canary"]

Does / can Lambert rest the ''better'' players?

 

As far as I see it apart from Wilbo (in comparison to Holt, Morison and Jackson) all of our players are of equal ability.

This has been the key to our success ... whoever PL plays they know the system and have the ability and intelligence to maximise it. [/quote]

 

Yes, it''s down to tactics befitting the opponents up front, and in the middle too. Wilbo is OK, but OK is not enough for me in this very important game. I don''t think we need risk a banana skin in any way shape or form. A cup win against a Prem. outfit would be the Leicester player''s incentive to make up for the very disappointing season they have had so far. I believe they were favourites before the season began. Maybe they are showing their true worth in the Cup. I just don''t see it as the pushover that some do. We should win, but it ain''t gonna be easy. If it''s a draw, in a funny way, I think we''d be more likely to romp the replay. Does that make sense to anybody?

 

The defensive choices might determined by the injury list and there may have to be changes. It is therefore imperative, IMO, to keep the rest as "untinkered" with as is possible and that includes Ruddy being chosen.