A whiff of Sulphur. Home to Harrogate Town, Sat Dec 2nd 3'O clock. F. A. Cup.

[TANGODANCER]

The Sulphurites (yes, that's Harrogate's nickname) come a visiting from White Rose country this weekend. "A rose by any other name smells just as sweet" quoth the Bard, but, it has to be a red one for the Super Whites. The Yorkies, currently lingering in the lower half of Division Two, bounced Portsmouth out of the Cup a couple of years ago, so full steam ahead and no casual stroll around the Unibol. With Port Vale a visiting in the League on Tuesday, how strong a team do we need for this one? Will JonBod finally get to lead the Whites forth or will Admiral Evatt stick with no change? A day and a half to air you views. Go forth and fight the foe..

[boltonboris]

Gonna be -3c by 3pm Saturday. So on Middlebrook, that will feel like -28c

Wrap up warm and stick some brandy in your hip flask!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Loads of players need a start, and we've now got two Cup games in which we can shuffle the pack while still expecting to win. The fact we have two games means we don't have to draft say 10 'newbies' for either but with 5 subs we can give serious minutes to several players.

Ashworth and Randell both available, says Evatt. Matheson deserves another start in one, other or both games. Coleman. I'd try Iredale back at centre-back to build his stamina, and obviously Forrester - make a decision on which of the usual three to put with those two (possibly not the same person in both games). In midfield, Dempsey and Morley need starts, so does CMG. Up front, Bod and Dan with Jerome off the bench.

Again, I'm not saying start all these in one game - but they should IMO get at least one start – say five per game, with five 'regulars' staying in for one game and then resting out for the other, whether it's to the bench or stands. It's kind of a pity this mini-break for very winnable cup games is so near to the last international break - the last until deep into spring, I think - but we should take where possible the opportunity to build up minutes for those who haven't started, to create new partnerships (Bod and Dion in one game, Ade and Dan another?) and to get all players ready and gagging to play.

[Worthy4England]

Are there "rules" around FA Cup and strength of team? I'm not sure they're as "specific" as the EFL Trophy....I too, would be inclined to give some game time out - not specifically "weaken" by playing the under 10's, but we have some players who need some pitch time. I suspect IE will still want to win, with the possibility of a R3 draw across the horizon...

[Prufrock]

I think he'll go pretty strong for the FA Cup. Coleman, one of two others, maybe a look at Bod with Dion, maybe Forrester, a few other maybes but strong.

And then ring the changes for Port Vale (albeit we're in a place where we have good options).

[truewhite15]

I think he'll go pretty strong for the FA Cup. Coleman, one of two others, maybe a look at Bod with Dion, maybe Forrester, a few other maybes but strong.

And then ring the changes for Port Vale (albeit we're in a place where we have good options).

See, I'd have thought it would be the other way around. FA Cup, facing a demonstrably weaker side, a tournament we're absolutely not expecting to win but a game in which our "second string" should be enough - that's where we ring the changes. The EFL Trophy comes with less prestige, but we're the holders, decent odds on retaining, and we're playing a tricky side in our own league - that should be first team, or close to it.

I'd have, for Saturday...

Coleman

Forrester, Rico, Iredale

Matheson, CMG, Morley, Dempsey, Ashworth

Dan, JDB.

Williams back on the bench, and then he starts on Tuesday.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Are there "rules" around FA Cup and strength of team? I'm not sure they're as "specific" as the EFL Trophy....I too, would be inclined to give some game time out - not specifically "weaken" by playing the under 10's, but we have some players who need some pitch time. I suspect IE will still want to win, with the possibility of a R3 draw across the horizon...

No such rules AFAIK in anything but the EFL Trophy/Pizza/SherpaVan. Although I think Stoke did once get told off in the EPL.

I agree that Evatt will fancy a Third Round game against big boys - and why not?

On which cup game to be 'stronger'/'weaker' for – I can see both points of view. Evatt won't want his trophy defence to end in a whimper at home to a D3 also-ran, but he also won't want to lose (again!) in the FA Cup to a team from a lower division. Luckily the 'reserves' are now people like Dempsey and Morley rather than Liam Gordon and Brandon Comley. Really, whatever XIs we put out from within the first-team squad should be good enough to win both games, but I suspect – particularly as we're a very process-driven team – that we may get two 'half and half' selections, not unlike Evatt has previously chosen for Easter double-headers.

[boltonboris]

He'll be desperate for a decent 3rd round draw, so I reckon we'll go pretty strong here and potentially rotate on Tuesday

Baxter
JDC, Jones, Santos, Toal, Williams
Thomason, Sheehan, Maghoma
Bodvarsson, Charles

Tuesday night
Coleman
Matheson, Jones, Toal, Iredale, Williams
Morley, Dempsey, Mendes Gomes
Nlundulu, Adeboyejo

[Worthy4England]

Yeah - can see the logic there. But then there's a few who don't get a rest - Jones, Toal, Williams, Thomason - of those, hopefully Williams is "rested" and just needs some running back in his legs, so maybe not critical, I'd like to get Thomo a rest in one of them and a bit of "wait and see" for Toal/Geth.

[boltonboris]

Thomason doesn't look like he needs a rest. Seems the sort who can play and play and play

I think Williams needs a good hour on Saturday, then 75 or so next Tuesday and see where he is for the following Monday - We do have the luxury of an extra 48hrs of rest after Port Vale compared to normal

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Yep six days between Vale and Pompey games so no worries about recuperation.

Slight pity that we've got three wingbacks we need to give minutes to - Randell, Ashworth and Matheson - but I'm sure we can divvy up 360 minutes between the three of them, given Williams' flexibility.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Thomason will get plenty of rest over the season due to his yellow card tally

[Worthy4England]

Thomason will get plenty of rest over the season due to his yellow card tally

Fair point. Schoolboy error on my part.

[officer_dibble]

Deffo want to see the forward partnerships mixed up - so Dion and third choice which appears to be jDB.
Victor and Dan Tuesday.

[sonicthewhite]

If he starts Baxter then that tells me he's going for the clean sheet record. I'd prefer to see Coleman start against Harrogate. My choice would be;

Coleman
Matheson, Forrester, Santos, Iredale, Williams
Morley, CMG, Dempsey
Dad Bod, Charles

When we're winning comfortably start making changes around the hour mark getting Ashworth on for Williams, Toal on for Santos and Dan on for Charles. Save the last two subs for injuries or Jerome for Dad Bod.

As for Tues pretty much the same idea but this time I'd go;

Baxter
Matheson, Jones, Forrester, Toal, Williams
Morley, Maghoma, Dempsey
Dad Bod, Victor

Again I'd be looking to start subs on the hour Mark with Ashworth for Williams, Iredale for Toal, CMG for Maghoma and Dan for Victor saving Jerome for Dad Bod. Everyone gets a run out and also some rest/protection for our first choice XI.

But what do I know

[Mar]

It's got to be Coleman to start for me. It's a team game and should be treated as such.
Harrogate should be a chance to rotate the squad and still come away with the victory.

I'd definitely be looking to bring in some of the players who haven't received much game time.

I'd echo the initial squad for Saturday from Sonic's lineup. I was tempted to give Jerome a start, but I think his role is finisher and should stay as such. He's not played for a while so regardless of who is performing on Saturday he should still get a run out.


Question for those in the know... is Conor Carty available?

[sonicthewhite]

Carty isn't available until January apparently.

[Mar]

Carty isn't available until January apparently.

I thought that might be the case for league registrations. This is the FA cup, so wasn't sure.

[The_Gun]

I'm much more interested in qualifying for the third round of the FA cup than I am in defending the EFL trophy, so I'd definitely go stronger tomorrow than on Tuesday. A potential away game at a big Prem team is a big incentive for both fans and club (cue Fleetwood at home if we get through).

That said, we shouldn't need to take too many risks with our better players in order to win both games and I wouldn't like to see the likes of JDC play more than say 70 mins before Pompey.


Baxter

Forrester Santos Iredale

Morley

JDC Maghoma Dempsey Williams

Charles JDB


2-0 Bolton

[boltonboris]

I'm much more interested in qualifying for the third round of the FA cup than I am in defending the EFL trophy, so I'd definitely go stronger tomorrow than on Tuesday. A potential away game at a big Prem team is a big incentive for both fans and club (cue Fleetwood at home if we get through).

That said, we shouldn't need to take too many risks with our better players in order to win both games and I wouldn't like to see the likes of JDC play more than say 70 mins before Pompey.


Baxter

Forrester Santos Iredale

Morley

JDC Maghoma Dempsey Williams

Charles JDB


2-0 Bolton

Agreed on the first point. I think Evatt would like a crack at an FA Cup run - I completely forgot though, that Mendes Gomes is back and available. He'll surely feature in at least one, if not both fixtures