Largely unchanged team for Saturday?

[Skillz]

Well thats my point. Why suggest keeping the same 11 when it is almost inevitable there will be changes. Especially when many would be seen as an improvement bar the 8-0. Having said that Friedk was only backing a team that perform well so I may have come across a bit harsh.

[fowlen]

I'd be more than happy with an unchanged starting team, if anything just so that we can say we fielded an unchanged team for once.....
It took Rafa 100 hundred games to do it last time

[Sir Bob]

I don't see how Rafa could possibly keep an unchanged team. His whole philosphy is based on picking what he considers to be the best 11 for each individual match. This is based on fitness levels, performances in training as well as the strengths & weaknesses of the opposition. it would make a mockery of this if after 1 stirring performance he changed his outlook.

[Joe King]

I don't see how Rafa could possibly keep an unchanged team. His whole philosphy is based on picking what he considers to be the best 11 for each individual match. This is based on fitness levels, performances in training as well as the strengths & weaknesses of the opposition. it would make a mockery of this if after 1 stirring performance he changed his outlook.

I agree. People say he doesn't know his first XI. He doesn't need a first XI in this system. It changes and Rafa believes its for the good.

[dww]

I don't see how Rafa could possibly keep an unchanged team. His whole philosphy is based on picking what he considers to be the best 11 for each individual match. This is based on fitness levels, performances in training as well as the strengths & weaknesses of the opposition. it would make a mockery of this if after 1 stirring performance he changed his outlook.

To be fair though only Aurelio would be a real fitness doubt and Fulham, like Besiktas are a poor team. Unlike a lot of times when there is a real incentive to make a match to match change this week I'm not sure there is one.

Having said that I guess changing Aurelio out of the team potentially means a cascade of changes to keep the balance. However I think that circumstances have thrown up an opportunity for us to keep a relatively similar squad even using Rafa's regular criteria.

[Shanks65]

Nor would I and I doubt Rafa will. Harry replacing Riise at LW is an improvement to our starting 11 though?

A bucket of monkey spunk replacing Riise at LW is an improvement to our starting 11