The FA Cup Conundrum ????

We face Crewe next sunday coming off the back of 4 games in 12 days and three of them away fixtures with the solitary home game against the league leaders .

The HC in reality has 14 players to choose from and can't rotate his players to any great affect .

Survival in the championship is the only show in town , players need resting , recent knocks time to heal .

I love the FA cup , it's not the same as it was but I despair at the lack of respect many clubs now treat this competition .

Under Flickers great escape season the FA cup was a significant factor in us winning a number of ties right the way to the quarter final , gaining confidence along the way and beating the drop .

The Johnston's Paint trophy in 2016 also played a key part in our rise from the bottom of league one in December to play off triumph in May .

How do we play this one guys at Crewe next sunday ?

You are the HC , what would you do ? .

I'm going to go against my traditional stance and say give the fringe players and youngsters a go .


------------------- Collins --------------

Cavare ------ Sibbick ------ Moon ---- B Williams --


Green ------ Dougall ---- McGeehan ---- Thiam


-------------------- Wilks ---------------

---------------------- Schmidt ------------------

Am trying to remember any of the post 2000 seasons where we we did well in the FA Cup ie Quarter or Semi Finals but also got relegated. Perhaps it meant we edda decent team in both competitions.
This season's group of kids ev enough on feyting fo points in a Championship relegation struggle. Play the second string in the Cup.

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Originally Posted by SBRed48

Am trying to remember any of the post 2000 seasons where we we did well in the FA Cup ie Quarter or Semi Finals but also got relegated. Perhaps it meant we edda decent team in both competitions.
This season's group of kids ev enough on feyting fo points in a Championship relegation struggle. Play the second string in the Cup.

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Yep I think it's justified this season to play a second string and we will have to accept a defeat if necessary as the better of two evils .

I don't like it by any means but I understand it .

There could be some benefit to such as Schmidt , Wilks and perhaps young Moon going forward this season .

What I will say is that we don't move away from the second string even if we negotiate a couple of rounds and draw City away in round five .

We go with what we go with in round three and do this thing right until we are knocked out .

I'd go with that team or one close to it as well Animal i'd probably stick Bahre and Thomas in who are only getting bit parts lately, the league is more important and that team should be capable of beating the "The likes of Crewe" lol......

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Originally Posted by perkytyke

I'd go with that team or one close to it as well Animal i'd probably stick Bahre and Thomas in who are only getting bit parts lately, the league is more important and that team should be capable of beating the "The likes of Crewe" lol......

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Flying high are Crewe this season and will be fancying their chances on their own patch .

It would be a difficult game with the first string turning out .

It could be a very uncomfortable afternoon .

We went art in the 1st round of the league cup to Carlisle but didn't get any benefit. As Animal says the escape under flitcroft was a momentum thing in which our fa cup run played a significant part in building the teams confidence in the league.

Personally I'd go full strength and try and progress as far as we can in the competition. Success breeds success. It won't be the fa cup that relegates us, it'll be how we operate in the transfer market this January. What you've got to bear in mind is that the team has only had 4 victories this season and are still developing an understanding playing together. Surely more game time together is only going to enhance the feeling of confidence in each others ability. We are on a good little unbeaten run at the moment, carry it through and onwards I say and respect the competition.

I just think what a kick in knackers getting knocked out by Crewe will be. I'd go full strength there's no guarantee we'll get survival anyway.

Decent team that Animal , Styles , Simoes, and Fielding may get a chance too, although I haven't seen any Under 23s or 18s games recently ,
I'd prefer to play our strongest possible side ,, but the situation we are currently in suggests we may make some changes ,

I've been told the Millers are looking to take Green initially on loan with a view to a permanent move

We could be swapping places wi Rovrum yet ageean this summer.

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Originally Posted by pass_and_move

We went art in the 1st round of the league cup to Carlisle but didn't get any benefit. As Animal says the escape under flitcroft was a momentum thing in which our fa cup run played a significant part in building the teams confidence in the league.

Personally I'd go full strength and try and progress as far as we can in the competition. Success breeds success. It won't be the fa cup that relegates us, it'll be how we operate in the transfer market this January. What you've got to bear in mind is that the team has only had 4 victories this season and are still developing an understanding playing together. Surely more game time together is only going to enhance the feeling of confidence in each others ability. We are on a good little unbeaten run at the moment, carry it through and onwards I say and respect the competition.

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It's a reight conundrum Pass innit .

There's no right way and no wrong way here at all , all the opinions put forward are credible .

My biggest beef with clubs who disrespect the competition are those who are halfway or above up the PL , safe from relegation , can't reasonably expect to qualify for europe and still send out significantly weaker teams in the early rounds , many of whom pay a hefty price for it too and rightly so .

I don't like the second string lads negotiating the early rounds for their clubs and then getting binned off when they get to the quarter or semi finals either .

If we were halfway up the championship table with 30 points then I'd expect the HC to send out our best eleven but if Struber doesn't at Crewe then he won't get any pelters from me irrespective of the result because I can see why he wouldn't field our strongest team .