Team for Preston...

[the rev leeroy brown]

We have a whole week free after the game.

I would take the game very seriously and play our first 11 with the exception of Torres. We should be looking to win the Cup and no reason why we can't play our strongest team. Barnsley hurt last year, lets take this seriously

each to their own but i disagree with this. the cups ( FA and Carling ) are just distractions this year. although its always nice to win some silverware i'd take this chance to rest the key players and keep them safe from injury for what is gonna be an exciting 2nd half to the season. defeat to preston wouldn't hurt half as much as not winning the league this season after such a good start. i'd happily give torres a full game or an hour to get him fit. i wouldnt risk the rest if i could help it. anyhow, the cups are a great chance to let the youngsters get a game under thier belts without the pressure of ruining our season should they fail. it lets them get on with just playing football.

[-V-]

Lol, after i wrote that i had a quick change of heart and edited it. I would play a strong team though

[Matt]

I'd be tempted by:

Cavalieri
Derby Skrtel Agger Dossena
Lucas Plessis
El Zhar Keane Babel
N'Gog

You think Lucas and Plessis can play together? I've made my feelings clear on Plessis a few times and think if he's going to play it has to be with someone to boss him around.

Apart from that I like the side, not much difference from mine although I'd stick with Insua - even if he's now first choice some continued exposure to first team football wouldn't do him any harm at all.

[dww]

You think Lucas and Plessis can play together? I've made my feelings clear on Plessis a few times and think if he's going to play it has to be with someone to boss him around.

Apart from that I like the side, not much difference from mine although I'd stick with Insua - even if he's now first choice some continued exposure to first team football wouldn't do him any harm at all.

I'm not sure about whether the pair can play together and I suspect my misgivings are not unrelated to your own. I think both need to learn to impose themselves more on games and to front up and to a degree in Plessis case think for themselves. However I think that they would be capable of giving a really solid base in the style that Mascher and Lucas did today if it worked which would allow the attacking players freedom. I'm of the opinion that the flaws in both Plessis and Lucas are best worked on by giving them competitive games.

In my head resting Insua would be confirming him as first choice, I think that the boost of being told that would be as good for him as another game. With Aurelio's injury record I think we need Dossena to get more games to see if he is capable of covering. I like some of his passing and crossing so I would like to hope that he can come good.

[-V-]

In my head resting Insua would be confirming him as first choice, I think that the boost of being told that would be as good for him as another game. With Aurelio's injury record I think we need Dossena to get more games to see if he is capable of covering. I like some of his passing and crossing so I would like to hope that he can come good.

Very good point. If Insua is going to be a regular now we badly need Aurelio to get fit and stay fit. So it makes sense to play Dossena as Fabio is rarely fit.

Although considering Dossena hasn't been involved in the last couple of squads at all it makes me wonder if that AC Milan link might be true

[blacky]

Winning is a good habit so I'd like to see a stronger team play preston than we played in the carling cup. I'd go with.

-------------Cavilieri--------------
Darby----Skrtl-----Agger----Aurelio
El Zhar---Lucas--Alonso-----Babel
---------Keane---Ngog-----------

[frank the tank]

each to their own but i disagree with this. the cups ( FA and Carling ) are just distractions this year. although its always nice to win some silverware i'd take this chance to rest the key players and keep them safe from injury for what is gonna be an exciting 2nd half to the season. defeat to preston wouldn't hurt half as much as not winning the league this season after such a good start. i'd happily give torres a full game or an hour to get him fit. i wouldnt risk the rest if i could help it. anyhow, the cups are a great chance to let the youngsters get a game under thier belts without the pressure of ruining our season should they fail. it lets them get on with just playing football.

i said something similar in august/september.....i just wanna concentrate on the big two this season.....also, i reckon that with all of the young players we have now, (like plessis, ngog, darby, speering) we should e giving them games like preston in the cup to assess their progress.....otherwise, why invest in youth???

i reckon that we have such a good chance of prem and cl glory this season (particularly prem) that we should solely concentrate on those two....

plus i reckon that we can take preston with a team of:

........................cavalieri................. .........

darby........skrtel............hyypia.......dossen a

...............plessis............spearing........ .......

pennent...............lucas....................... ngog

.........................nemeth................... ........

anyway!!! put a few first teamers on the bench and we should be okay.....if we are not, then **** it at least we have learnt something.....(will probably be dossena's fault!!!)

[Parm]

defo would like to see El zahr and darby given a starting role,
if nemeth can be involved along the way that would be superb

[Neil Young]

defo would like to see El zahr and darby given a starting role,
if nemeth can be involved along the way that would be superb

What does he have to do with who's picked? Or are you trying to tell Shaggy something he won't like...?

[BobTheCharmer]

Can't believe the distain with which so many are taking the FA cup with.

If we put the reserves out we'll probably get beaten. Preston are far from mugs. Burnley, Barnsley anyone? I've no objection to resting the odd one or two but anything further is unacceptable. I hate the feeling of being out of the cup so early whilst the likes of Utd waltz their way through to another final.

Obviously the league is our priorty and rightly so but treating the FA cup lightly is best left to the likes of Arsenal.

It'd be a good game for Torres to start in.

[BigChief]

I think Gerrard will be (ar)rested for this game.

Spearing to step up, hopefully. Apparently he did a cracking Gerrard-deep-striker job in the last reserves game.

[MindGuerrillas]

if nemeth can be involved along the way that would be superb

I think he's picked up another knock and may not be available. He missed the last reserve game after just making his comeback from the long-term injury a week or so earlier.

[Matt]

i said something similar in august/september.....i just wanna concentrate on the big two this season.....also, i reckon that with all of the young players we have now, (like plessis, ngog, darby, speering) we should e giving them games like preston in the cup to assess their progress.....otherwise, why invest in youth???

i reckon that we have such a good chance of prem and cl glory this season (particularly prem) that we should solely concentrate on those two....

plus i reckon that we can take preston with a team of:

........................cavalieri................. .........

darby........skrtel............hyypia.......dossen a

...............plessis............spearing........ .......

pennent...............lucas....................... ngog

.........................nemeth................... ........

anyway!!! put a few first teamers on the bench and we should be okay.....if we are not, then **** it at least we have learnt something.....(will probably be dossena's fault!!!)

Never gonna happen in a million years mate.

[rage]

as long as doseena doesn't play i'm happy.

time to rest the likes of carra, gerrard, kuyt, alonso and riera

Brazilian
darby skertel hyypia aurelio
lucas masch
el zahr yossi babel
keane

[Neil Young]

I think Gerrard will be (ar)rested for this game.

Topical.