How many should OC rest/rotate/drop for Spurs?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

After beating QPR, Wanderers' next fixture is at Spurs in the FA Cup. Some say we should play the best XI for each game, that momentum overcomes tiredness. Others say we should concentrate on the league, rather than risk fatigue or injury - especially with a league game at Villa on the Tuesday. Given past controversies with managers 'resting' players for cup games, here's your chance to shout or get off the pot: how many changes would YOU make?

Starting line-up v QPR was:
Bogdan; Steinsson, Wheater, Ream, Ricketts; Reo-Coker, Mark Davies, Pratley; Miyaichi, Ngog, Petrov

Feel free to explain your choice with a post, but place your vote - or forever shut your yap.

[The Axman]

Like being in a 60s sweet shop. So many choices...
I'll kick off with some controversy: 2 : Muamba for Pratley and Klasnic for Petrov [in the new 4-4-2 is the old 4-5-1 formation]

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I'd put Muamba in for Pratley. Eagles for Petrov and Jussi in for Bogdan seeing as cup games are for ressie keepers

[BWFC_Insane]

I don't know the specific answer but I'd pick whatever Coyle thinks is his strongest team for Villa and for me NONE of those should feature at Spurs!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I don't know the specific answer but I'd pick whatever Coyle thinks is his strongest team for Villa and for me NONE of those should feature at Spurs!

Please don't say that otherwise we might see the following against Villa:

Jussi
Robinson
Mears
Knight
Wheater
Eagles
Davies
Pratley
Petrov
K Davies
Klasnic



Edit: I can't count!

[BWFC1874]

Spurs have lost three in a row now and with last night's result at the Emirates, Arsenal are just a point behind them in fourth place. I think that Redknapp might choose to rest some players to focus on Champions League qualification. For this reason, I'd play our best XI.

Same 4-5-1 formation as Saturday with Muamba taking Pratley's place for me.

[bedwetter2]

I'm in a bit of a quandry being a firm believer in you shouldn't change a winning team, no matter how many games they are due to play. However the team on Saturday wasn't really a winning team which dominated QPR. Despite the goal from Pratley, someone in another thread compared him to Cohen and that rings true to me. He is potentially a liability and a few goals do not make up for the danger that he may get sent off at any time. Petrov appears to have lost interest again.

All the evidence I have seen is that tinkering with the team (any team, not just Wanderers) is a bad thing and that is what Coyle has been doing all season. We must play all our best, in form players in their natural positions. So Pratley to make way for FM and Klasnic to replace Petrov. Ngog to play just behind Klasnic and M Davies to further link up play in a 4-4-1-1.

Furthermore, the same team should be played against Villa unless Alonso is fit enough to replace Ricketts whose form has slumped.
The insane one thinks it a good idea to change the whole team between cup and league games; I don't. In fact, unless injuries force it, I would play my suggested team for all remaining league and cup games. They need to get used to winning and they won't do that unless they continue to play together.

[boltonboris]

But their side with players rested, is better than our side with players rested..

Redknapp might want to get his first teamers some momentum back, so could go for it, so to speak

[Prufrock]

I'm in a bit of a quandry being a firm believer in you shouldn't change a winning team, no matter how many games they are due to play. However the team on Saturday wasn't really a winning team which dominated QPR. Despite the goal from Pratley, someone in another thread compared him to Cohen and that rings true to me. He is potentially a liability and a few goals do not make up for the danger that he may get sent off at any time. Petrov appears to have lost interest again.

All the evidence I have seen is that tinkering with the team (any team, not just Wanderers) is a bad thing and that is what Coyle has been doing all season. We must play all our best, in form players in their natural positions. So Pratley to make way for FM and Klasnic to replace Petrov. Ngog to play just behind Klasnic and M Davies to further link up play in a 4-4-1-1.

Furthermore, the same team should be played against Villa unless Alonso is fit enough to replace Ricketts whose form has slumped.
The insane one thinks it a good idea to change the whole team between cup and league games; I don't. In fact, unless injuries force it, I would play my suggested team for all remaining league and cup games. They need to get used to winning and they won't do that unless they continue to play together.

Not if we don't play any of them!

[CrazyHorse]

Harry will take this game 100% seriously & will field the strongest side he can. Anyone who can't see that wants their bumps feeling.
This isn't an early round, it's a home game which if he wins will take them to Wembley. He's out of the race to win the league now so the FA cup is his best shot at stamping his final mark on the club before he knobs off to the England job in the summer.

Which is why we've in for a dry reaming.

[Athers]

Rest everyone.

It's not only the Villa game but accumulated fatigue for the Blackburn game after that too.

Please no mention of how much they're paid and "should be able to play 3 in a week," we all know it makes a difference..

[CrazyHorse]

Rest everyone.

Aye, that's what I meant to stick on the end of my last post.

[Puskas]

Does resting players actually work, though?

I know folk claim Allardyce had stats showing it did, but have these been published in any reputable journal? Or do we just have to take it on faith?

Because, looking back at previous attempts at resting players, hmm.

Well, there was Robinson, rested for the cup semi-final - he played a blinder in that, didn't he?

And then there was the whole team rested against Sporting Clube de Portugal. They went on to thrash Wigan in the next game, didn't they? Totally flippin' destroyed the pie-eaters. Imagine if we hadn't rested everyone - they might have snivelled to a 1-0 defeat, and then where would they have been?

[Athers]

Or after Red Star when we beat Wigan 4-1!

Or the other week after Millwall when we got walked all over by a misfiring Chelsea...

Not read a proper study on it but it would surely show up on the stats nowadays and it's still done. Know what you're getting at with a lot of received wisdom in football but I'm inclined to agree with this one. Also there won't be a morale-dampening effect as there was to those senior pros left out on the trip to Lisbon, we get beat at Spurs every season as it is.

[Puskas]

Or after Red Star when we beat Wigan 4-1!

Or the other week after Millwall when we got walked all over by a misfiring Chelsea...

Not read a proper study on it but it would surely show up on the stats nowadays and it's still done. Know what you're getting at with a lot of received wisdom in football but I'm inclined to agree with this one. Also there won't be a morale-dampening effect as there was to those senior pros left out on the trip to Lisbon, we get beat at Spurs every season as it is.

Indeed - and I genuinely have no idea whether it's a good thing or not. There must be some evidence, somewhere, one way or the other? Even just bare results (obviously, just taking these isn't much good without looking at strength of opposition, whether they'd played in midweek, and so on - but it would be a start...)

[Relentless09]

Few changes to the side that played QPR, keep defence the same unless Alonso or Riley is fit, muamba in for "saviour", Eagles for Ryo and N'gog for Klasnic or Sordell

[a1]

play pratley or zat in goal.

not even joking. and would look about ten times less suss than the vs. city line up did.

[P.O.S.]

He usually plays his strongest or near enough strongest team in the cups, I dont expect this to be any different. He loves the FA Cup, always goes on about its history and tradition, and usually backs that up with his team selections

[Wandering Willy]

Pratley out, Muamba in.

Play the best available eleven. Every game.

[Tombwfc]

Sam's theory on resting players saw us fielding the likes of Steve Howey and Jon Otsemabor the week before the Carling Cup final IIRC.

Regardless of whether it makes a difference (it probably does tbh), play the first team (which for me, would be Klasnic and Muamba in for Petrov and Pratley). It's the quarter finals of the FA Cup and a massive game.