Team against Crewe

[AucklandRover]

Interesting game. The players will be desperate to make up for the 9-man chaos, but it's obviously not the high priority of a League match. Still, the possibility of big-name/big-money opposition later on must be attractive.
I wonder if TM will start with an inexperienced team, while keeping some of the top players on the bench in reserve - just in case.
How about:
Leutwiler
Caddis Ward Wharton Hart
Conway Tomlinson Harper Antonsson
Graham Nuttall

Might be interesting, but probably not enough defensive cover, so I imagine Smallwood (and Downing?) will have to start.

[robinrover]

I would be inclined to have a mix of reserves and first team
I am sure Mowbray won't want to throw the game despite the inconvenience of it
Gk leutwiler
Rb nyambe
Cb ward
Cb Wharton
Lb Williams
Lm antonsson
Cm Tomlinson
Cm Harper
Rm Conway
Fw nuttall
Fw Graham

[champs95]

I would be inclined to have a mix of reserves and first team
I am sure Mowbray won't want to throw the game despite the inconvenience of it
Gk leutwiler
Rb nyambe
Cb ward
Cb Wharton
Lb Williams
Lm antonsson
Cm Tomlinson
Cm Harper
Rm Conway
Fw nuttall
Fw Graham

There is a bit of needle from the first game. They had a player called Ng. He was the guy flying into challenges, and he was the guy who should've gone off instead of Bennett, he caused it. At the final whistle, Caddis was telling him he'll get hi in the replay. Caddis will be the first name on the team sheet, he will be the senior pro in this match. The rest will be made up of Under 23 players, Nuttall etc etc. Tomlinson will play, and he has been the young player I really wanted to see in the first team. I don't get why we are brining on WBA under 23 players, when we have better in our own academy, who need games. Tomlinson is ready.
We are on a hiding to NOTHING in the FA Cup. The game vrs Hull (if we won) is an absolute non entity. It will get a crowd of about 3/4 thousand tops. Its a nothing team we are playing, who we may or may not beat. But we are much better being out of this. We will make no money, its a distraction, and the league is our only priority. Had we got ManU away in the next round, then I would've said lets go for it, we need the money. But a cup run is pointless.

[AucklandRover]

It now sounds as if Conway isn't going to be risked either. All the same, Mowbray will want a win and I'm sure the players feel they have something to prove after the first game.
Incidentally, Champs, I don't think we do "KNOW" our Under-23 players are better. Until you see them in senior football, there's always guesswork involved. After all, not all supporters are convinced by Nyambe yet.
Wharton and Tomlinson definitely seem ahead of the rest - and I mean in the minds of DJ and his staff, not just in TM's.
Presumably, Harper (and possibly Hart) are judged to have an edge over players like Hardcastle, Rankin-Costello, Travis and Doyle.
All the same, we are bound to see extra ones against Crewe - especially with Bennett, Gladwin, Chapman, Evans, Conway and Whittingham not available. We have to have some experience in the team, though - particularly in midfield - so I wouldn't be surprised to see Smallwood as captain.
If TM doesn't quite trust Hart, Travis OR Doyle at left-back, we might get Nyambe there, with Caddis on the right.
I'd have thought he would want to see both Tomlinson and Harper, but if Smallwood IS used, we probably can't fit both in, unless Tomlinson plays wide-right, which would be a bit unfair on him. The problem is, our four most talented U-23 midfielders are all essentially central players (Tomlinson, Rankin-Costello, Hardcastle and Mols), although I believe R-C has played wide.
To be honest, this would be a good moment to have Feeney available!
One more experienced player? Probably Graham - although it might be hard to stop Dack getting on the pitch at the moment!
A defeat would be a little bit of brake on the momentum, but getting the balance right is tough. And that goes for the League games too.
Some of the fans on the Telegraph site talk constantly about playing the "best XI' every week, but what is it?