Huddersfield Home

[Beachyboy]

53 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Think there will of course be lots of rotation next few games. 
 

Surely can’t just be me who fancies a cup run though? Doing so well in the league and the fourth/fifth round opens up the chance of testing out Enzo ball against premier league teams. 
 

So I’m hoping the Millwall lineup isn’t too weak. We’ve already seen they’re a threat recently. 

Mads

 

Hamza  coady  Vestegaard 

 

                 Praet (if fit/here) Doyle

                KDH       Akgun/Casadei

 

Marcal          Cannon         Mcateer/Marc

 

It's 6-8 changes from what we have seen recently but isn't weak if the likes of Doyle/Praet/Mcateer are fit. Akgun/Casedei will both need game time during Afcon, Coady should have the odd few games here and there

Edited 30 December 2023 by Beachyboy

[Xen]

56 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Think there will of course be lots of rotation next few games. 
 

Surely can’t just be me who fancies a cup run though? Doing so well in the league and the fourth/fifth round opens up the chance of testing out Enzo ball against premier league teams. 
 

So I’m hoping the Millwall lineup isn’t too weak. We’ve already seen they’re a threat recently. 

As much as a cup run is great, in 5 years time no one is gonna remember us getting to the quarter finals, and realistically we ain't gonna win it.

 

Focus on the league, go up in style and break the points record and that'll stand for years.

 

 

That said, I think it'd be more beneficial for us to get past Millwall and go out to a top prem side in the next round. Losing to championship opposition - even with a rotated squad - probably hits our momentum and encourages other teams in our remaining league games.

[whoareyaaa]

six pointer

[FrankieADZ]

strongest team again for me,

 

then rest most for the Millwall one

[Mr Weller 2]

No need for major changes unless some have taken knocks. Millwall will see changes for sure, both because it’s the cup and because of the AFCON. Maresca will have thought about this but he will assess again after the Huddersfield game.

 

Having said that Maresca doesn’t seem one for unforced wholesale changes and I think that’s wise. Teams that play well together improve together and momentum is important. Young, fit players who are playing well want to play every game but an unnecessary break can interrupt their flow and the momentum is lost.

 

Better to rotate a few when necessary but keep the core of the team together where possible.

 

[FoxFossil]

What's the latest on Vardy?

If he's to play a role whilst AFCON lot are away, needs some minutes soon.

[whoareyaaa]

1 hour ago, Xen said:

As much as a cup run is great, in 5 years time no one is gonna remember us getting to the quarter finals, and realistically we ain't gonna win it.

 

Focus on the league, go up in style and break the points record and that'll stand for years.

 

 

That said, I think it'd be more beneficial for us to get past Millwall and go out to a top prem side in the next round. Losing to championship opposition - even with a rotated squad - probably hits our momentum and encourages other teams in our remaining league games.

It might be good to have a little cup run against prem opposition to see where we stand but is rather we focused on winning the league of course 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

WIN

[frany104]

Strongest team again. Get the goals and take players off early. 
 

The beauty with our style of play is that it doesn’t take too much out the players. Keeping the ball allows us to keep some players constantly playing. I’m sure this is why Leeds and Ipswich are starting to fade and we arnt. 

[Wymsey]

Apparently their forward line can be pretty decent at times.

[Bert]

11 hours ago, Beachyboy said:

Mads

 

Hamza  coady  Vestegaard 

 

                 Praet (if fit/here) Doyle

                KDH       Akgun/Casadei

 

Marcal          Cannon         Mcateer/Marc

 

It's 6-8 changes from what we have seen recently but isn't weak if the likes of Doyle/Praet/Mcateer are fit. Akgun/Casedei will both need game time during Afcon, Coady should have the odd few games here and there

Surely this has to be a joke? Doyle, Marcal, Praet and Cannon haven’t started a game for months. McAteer and Albrighton have had 3/4 weeks out injured. This just makes absolutely no sense and would completely destroy our rhythm. Give the players that haven’t played much some game time should we be in a comfortable position come the 60th minute. 
 

Rest the key players against Millwall and let the lesser played players get a bigger bulk of minutes then some sort of normality resumes with 7 days inbetween games. 

[Dan LCFC]

I can't think of a team we have a better record against since I've followed than Huddersfield.

[J. James]

20 hours ago, AjcW said:

Think there will of course be lots of rotation next few games. 
 

Surely can’t just be me who fancies a cup run though? Doing so well in the league and the fourth/fifth round opens up the chance of testing out Enzo ball against premier league teams. 
 

So I’m hoping the Millwall lineup isn’t too weak. We’ve already seen they’re a threat recently. 

Me too, it's all too easy to dismiss either cup because "we need to concentrate on" promotion, staying up, champions league places, getting into Europe, winning a Euro cup etc etc, this thinking writes off 90% of seasons for the City!

I firmly believe the positives of a cup run far outweigh the negatives.

[Jazzy_Jeff]

Hermansen

 

Ricardo

Coady

Vestergaard

Faes

 

Winks

Ndidi

KDH

 

Fatawu

Daka

Mavididi

 

hopefully get Doyle some minutes in this 

 

Cardiff was like a training session so I’d expect everyone to be ok barring any injuries. Important we win here especially with some tough games for some of the teams closest to us 

[tinpot_fox]

On 29/12/2023 at 22:00, foxfanazer said:

Win this and I reckon we'll finish above Leeds 

 

On 29/12/2023 at 22:03, KFS said:

The best team on planet earth? No chance. 

 

On 30/12/2023 at 00:30, Cincinnati Fox said:

I think Leeds will win, best team in the league.

 

Loved Pipe’s remarks about this on the When You’re Smiling Podcast.
 

23 hours ago, Raj said:

If it's not 7-0 by 80 mins I'm walking out.

Not without a note from your dentist you’re not. New “bums on seats until the end” ruling.

 

22 hours ago, brookfox said:

Finish above Leeds and we’ll be 20th in the Prem!

The mighty Leeds!

[foxfanazer]

23 hours ago, Raj said:

If it's not 7-0 by 80 mins I'm walking out.

Standard home support then

[surrifox]

Kasey still not ready ? Seems a long absence for a muscle strain 

[Chelmofox]

19 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Standard home support then

If we were winning 7-0 by 80 minutes, they would all be off cos its 'job done'.

[VictorFox]

In the last 5 meetings we’ve scored 12 and conceded 3, W4 D1 should be a straightforward afternoon hopefully 

[Orange seat]

JJ scored a worldly and then will probably get dropped/rested for the next game!

[Chelmofox]

1 hour ago, Orange seat said:

JJ scored a worldly and then will probably get dropped/rested for the next game!

Which isn't an issue. Enzo has managed JJ and Riccy really well imho.

[Bert]

Does the team always arrive all together and go straight in pre game? My lad has been bugging me for ages to get some more pictures the players, is it worth going down before? 
 

I know you can get them after but before would be so much more logistically easier  

[volpeazzurro]

9 hours ago, J. James said:

Me too, it's all too easy to dismiss either cup because "we need to concentrate on" promotion, staying up, champions league places, getting into Europe, winning a Euro cup etc etc, this thinking writes off 90% of seasons for the City!

I firmly believe the positives of a cup run far outweigh the negatives.

Those positives are? 

 

Promotion seals around £135m +, the FA Cup £2m, the Carabao Cup a mere £100,000!

 

Cups are a nice bit of icing on a cake for misty eyed fans but football is a big business now. Another year in the Championship could set us back years as a club as the gap between the Championship and Premiership widens year upon year.

 

If you're a comfortable mid table Premiership team with little chance of making Europe, then throwing everything towards a cup can possibly be justified in a business and entertainment sense but, to risk relegation or potentially miss out on promotion would be foolhardy. 

 

The game against Millwall is a great opportunity to get some minutes into legs and form on-pitch understandings with between players that haven't had that much game time, particularly if we're going to be relying on them during Afcon. Why risk a KDH, Faes, Vestergaard, Winks or Mavidivi etc?

Edited 31 December 2023 by volpeazzurro

[MGLCFC]

Don't need a back log of Championship games because we might make the 5th round of the cup, because the reality is, unless we get very favourable draws that's as far as we are likely to get. Cup runs are nice if you have a chance of making the final, unfortunately all I see in a cup run is it interfering with the main objective of gaining promotion and risking unnecessary injuries to key players.

[KingsX]

On 30/12/2023 at 04:54, AjcW said:

Think there will of course be lots of rotation next few games. 
 

Surely can’t just be me who fancies a cup run though? Doing so well in the league and the fourth/fifth round opens up the chance of testing out Enzo ball against premier league teams.

 

It goes without saying, we aren’t winning another FA Cup this year.  We have bigger fish to fry than trying to make the sixth round.

 

Pissing it or not, the Championship is a tough and demanding league, and our priority has to be conserving the squad to maximize results in it.

 

For me personally, that trophy (much less with a record points total) would be far more memorable than a Cup run bound to end short of Wembley.