What team for Carabao?

[toptoon]

Ok we have sheff utd on Sunday, city in carabao (wed), burnley (sat) then PSG (wed)!!

Do we field a weakened team for City (Pep says he will play the seconds). Tough decisions for Eddie - I think it’ll be time for Hall and Livramento to start, certainly.

[Zippity]

Definitely. Start Lascelles with Burn alongside him. Miggy, Anderson, Miley, Barnes and Longstaff in midfield but we really are srewed when it comes to striker options. Gordpn thrpugh the middle?

[HughieG]

Agree with you both. Wilson, Barnes and Miggy up front for me. Not a bad line-up to be fair.

[TANYA_]

its a free hit for this game, nobody expects us to get past City so may as well throw the fringe players in to get some game time

_______________________Dubravka

Livramento_______Lascelles________Murphy_________H all

____________Ritchie_______Miley_____Anderson

Almiron-----------------------Wilson______________Barnes

[Tutfoster1892]

Strongest team possible.. the micky mouse cup is probably our only chance of any final or silverware this season so I'd like to see us going all out and fielding a weaker side against Burnley at home

[Sclox]

Strongest team possible.. the micky mouse cup is probably our only chance of any final or silverware this season so I'd like to see us going all out and fielding a weaker side against Burnley at home

This. Horses for courses. Strong against City and PSG and weak/fringe players for the other 2. Its a chance for the 2nd string to stake a claim and they will have a better chance to do it against the Blades and Burnley. Otherwise whats the point of them?

[Sclox]

Keep a bench full of starters incase they are needed. Get past City and we are looking good for our first trophy.

[Sclox]

Clean sheets are back. 2 more in the next league games are very possible.

[Nufcian]

Strongest team possible.. the micky mouse cup is probably our only chance of any final or silverware this season so I'd like to see us going all out and fielding a weaker side against Burnley at home

Completely disagree ;-)

I get it, but there’s 2 things…

1. We’re just asking for trouble by playing a weaker team against Burnley when they are still searching for their first win.

2. I’d rather pay fringe player and youngsters in every domestic cup game… to build out commercial partners and sponsors we really need to be finishing in the Top 4 ideally, but Top 6 at worst… and performing well in Europe… both provide the profile that will attract the best sponsorship deals and allow us to spend more under FFP.

I’d rather take a short term hit in terms of domestic silverware, and maximise the chances we can finish in the Top 4/6, let the other teams around the Top 6 have to play twice a week for the majority of the season, for a season or two, and then compete in domestic cups when we have the squad to be able to compete across all competitions.

This season City and Arsenal will end up in the Top 4, Liverpool will probably do a lot better so likely end up also there…

Man Utd look well off it, and Chelsea even more so, but Spurs look good, while Villa and Brighton have also been looking very good (Villa’s first game aside)… so if we don’t push on now and concentrate on the League and CL we could end up out of Europe completely next season, and let other clubs catch up/overtake our momentum if we do not grow the club commercially.

[GBruno]

The league is so much more important than this cup. I’d never risk playing a weaker team in the league. We don’t have enough quality.