Its not the Hatters that Matter but anther win on the spin. Bolton v Stockport EFL Cup away Tues 14th Nov 7:30pm

[sonicthewhite]

After a great result against the Tangerines from up the road attention now turns to the small matter of the EFL Trophy and giving a good kicking to the Hatters of Stockport County.

Even though the result should be a formality local pride will be at at stake. Despite that, I'd be resting as many first teamers as we can get away with. With that in mind my team would look like this;

GK - Coleman
CB - Forrester, Toal, Iredale,
RWB - Matheson
LWB - Ashworth
CM - Morley, Thommo, CMG
ST - Dion & Bod

Bench - Baxter, Santos, JDC, Williams, Maghoma, Vic, Dan

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Good team Sonic (apart from Charles de Gaulle on the bench!) but I’d pair Dan with Bod cos (1) Dan needs a goal (2) Dion needs a rest - he will be playing for Norn Iron so he may be unavailable anyway (as might the lesser-spotted Ashworth if Wales u21 are playing).

Having said that, Ade needs a goal too, so I might try him and Bod. If Bod hits form then Ade might soon be Dion’s sub…. Although he does good work for the team.

[BWFC_Insane]

Good team Sonic (apart from Charles de Gaulle on the bench!) but I’d pair Dan with Bod cos (1) Dan needs a goal (2) Dion needs a rest - he will be playing for Norn Iron so he may be unavailable anyway (as might the lesser-spotted Ashworth if Wales u21 are playing).

Having said that, Ade needs a goal too, so I might try him and Bod. If Bod hits form then Ade might soon be Dion’s sub…. Although he does good work for the team.

Vic was absolutely awful yesterday. Bod should be starting now for me. He’s miles about Vic and Dan in class and quality and Vic isn’t managing to even look effective with a press anymore.

If we want to strengthen in January and have the means then it’s course correction time up front. The two cash signings were a mistake and I think we need to replace one of them if we possibly can.

[sonicthewhite]

Good team Sonic (apart from Charles de Gaulle on the bench!) but I’d pair Dan with Bod cos (1) Dan needs a goal (2) Dion needs a rest - he will be playing for Norn Iron so he may be unavailable anyway (as might the lesser-spotted Ashworth if Wales u21 are playing).

Having said that, Ade needs a goal too, so I might try him and Bod. If Bod hits form then Ade might soon be Dion’s sub…. Although he does good work for the team.

Oops amended Dunno what happened there. I only thought about Dion starting to give him perhaps 60mins alongside Dad Bod to see how they get on. Vic was the other idea to start with Dad for similar reasons but also because he needs to remind himself where the onion bag is.

Reading today's BN it seems that young Forrester could be a doubt.

[TANGODANCER]

Having championed Jon-Bod all along, I'd love to see him up front from the off . Charles is just so good as a footballer and worker only injury or international duty will keep him out. In short, a bit of shooting practise all round and ninety minute commitment and we can beat anyone in this division. A cup game like this is an ideal time.

[officer_dibble]

I’d like to see Victor and JDB start together. Victor desperately needs a goal.

[BWFC_Insane]

We are down to bare bones for it given internationals all away including Gomes, Charles and Ashworth.

I’d play the kids for what is a meaningless game but I guess most of them are on loan!

[Mar]

We are down to bare bones for it given internationals all away including Gomes, Charles and Ashworth.

I’d play the kids for what is a meaningless game but I guess most of them are on loan!

It is meaningless for the most part, but what we do have to play for...

Top spot gives us a home game in the next round.
We'd get to persist our winning streak.
We owe Stockport one.

Winnings a good habit. Lets keep it going. I'd argue we've got our b team to give the outsiders chances.


Sonic's team is decent, but CMG has been called up for international duty IIRC and Forrester is injured, so tweaking the squad...

GK - Coleman
CB - Jones, Santos, Iredale,
RWB - Matheson
LWB - Ashworth
CM - Morley, Thommo, Maghoma
ST - Nlundulu & Bod

Bench: Baxter, Jerome, Williams, Santos, Sheehan, (2 from the b-team, Andreucci & Inwood perhaps)

[dave the minion]

I know Santos is good, but he isn't good enough to be both Sub and starter......

[BWFC_Insane]

We are down to bare bones for it given internationals all away including Gomes, Charles and Ashworth.

I’d play the kids for what is a meaningless game but I guess most of them are on loan!

It is meaningless for the most part, but what we do have to play for...

Top spot gives us a home game in the next round.
We'd get to persist our winning streak.
We owe Stockport one.

Winnings a good habit. Lets keep it going. I'd argue we've got our b team to give the outsiders chances.


Sonic's team is decent, but CMG has been called up for international duty IIRC and Forrester is injured, so tweaking the squad...

GK - Coleman
CB - Jones, Santos, Iredale,
RWB - Matheson
LWB - Ashworth
CM - Morley, Thommo, Maghoma
ST - Nlundulu & Bod

Bench: Baxter, Jerome, Williams, Santos, Sheehan, (2 from the b-team, Andreucci & Inwood perhaps)

Defo should be resting Thomason. Sheehan is away isn’t he? So is Ashworth though is also not fit apparently.

Matheson should start,

I’d not start with either wing back who played Saturday nor Thomason.

Morley and Maghoma and a kid. A kid at LWB.

[sonicthewhite]

Who's that kid that's been getting good reviews? Conway isn't it? Does he play LWB by any chance?

[The_Gun]

Who's that kid that's been getting good reviews? Conway isn't it? Does he play LWB by any chance?

He was on loan at Rochdale and I think maybe is now on loan at Fylde, which would rule him out.

I’m in agreement with Insano - play as many kids as possible.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Note that a new rule in this cup this season allows teams to borrow their loanees back temporarily. So we could (I think) play say Conway, if Fylde agree (or perhaps if we insist).

Should be noted that Stockport are a sight better than Rags Kids. That was the game we should have blooded kids in IMO. Can’t complain with the result (hehe) but we shouldn’t throw a team full of kids out there. Matheson aye, Khumbeni maybe, Ashworth if possible and maybe Inwood/Conway at LWB - but we’d need wide old heads out there to guide them.

[TANGODANCER]

Put the strongest possible team out or risk an early exit. Excuses mean little, blame changes nothing. Let's not make the mistake of getting ahead of ourselves.

[Harry Genshaw]

It's a dead rubber Tango. We're already through. BSA thought nothing of putting weak teams out in the cups and watching them get thrashed (6 nil at Spurs anyone?) but I'd rather protect our lot from that. Would love to see Khumbeni, Matheson and one or two others start, but with the experience of JDB, Dan, Morley, Jerome, Coleman in there too.

[Prufrock]

There are first team players who need minutes. They should all start. As should any kids who it won't hurt to play (i.e. they're at least possibly ready). After that it's rotate the first teamers so no-one important plays more than an hour.

[The_Gun]

Stockport’s manager confirmed they’ll be making lots of changes, so I don’t think either side is too concerned about this one.

I’d be playing all our first teamers who don’t usually start, and then our most promising kids (including from the U18s).

An injury to a key player is the worst possible outcome tomorrow.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Who's not available?
Iles reports that Charles, Toal, Sheehan and Mendes Gomes on international duty; Dempsey and Forrester injured. He doesn't mention Zac Ashworth but the loanee was named in the Wales U21 squad four days ago; he has been injured so might withdraw, but it would be odd to then play for us. So we can rule those seven out straight away, even before considering 'resting' players. With a fairly tight squad - only 20 players have made league appearances for us – that leaves us with a slim deck to shuffle anyway, so it's just prioritising and deprioritising.

Who needs minutes?
Coleman hasn't played a first-team minute since August, so he's a definite.
Iredale's only involvement in the last six games was vs Solihull, and has arguably dropped behind Forrester as first reserve at centre-back.
Morley, hampered by hip problems and largely displaced by Maghoma, has only played two full games in the last eight.
Bodvarsson, Nlundulu and Jerome have only three league starts between them - during Dion's suspension and Ade's knee injury.

Who needs a rest?
The wingbacks. Out of a theoretical 1,890 minutes (excluding time added on) this season, Dacres-Cogley has played 1,619 (85%) and Williams 1,525 (80%). Next on the (outfielders) list is Sheehan (1,420), Thomason (1,370), Jones (1,347 and carrying a knock). And then after Dion in attack (1,328) it's Rico at the back (1,260) - but without Toal and Forrester, the skipper and possibly his vice-captain might be asked to press on.

Who might be drafted in from the Bs?
Matheson has been around the first team, often taken to away games as 19th man in case of late injury, and it would be a major surprise if he isn't involved tonight, hopefully from the off. That would be his fourth cup appearance; the only other two Bs to be promoted, both against Rags Kids, are defensive midfielder Khumbeni (also an unused sub on 4 occasions) and LWB Sam Inwood, in his only first-team call-up so far. Other unused subs bulking out the first-team squad have been midfielder Noah Halford (vs Rags Kids) and striker Ben Andreucci (at Vale).

Best guess?
Coleman; Jones, Santos, Iredale; Matheson, Morley, Thomason, Maghoma, Inwood; Bodvarsson, Nlundulu
Subs: Hutchinson, Khumbeni, Jerome... after that, dunno.

[The_Gun]

No way would I be playing Santos, Thomason or Maghoma, but history suggests Evatt may well do so.

I get that we probably don't have many future stars lurking in the academy right now, but Evatt really doesn't like using youngsters, even in dead rubbers like tomorrow.

[TANGODANCER]

It's a dead rubber Tango. We're already through. BSA thought nothing of putting weak teams out in the cups and watching them get thrashed (6 nil at Spurs anyone?) but I'd rather protect our lot from that. Would love to see Khumbeni, Matheson and one or two others start, but with the experience of JDB, Dan, Morley, Jerome, Coleman in there too.

Then why bother playing and risk injury if it matters not? Any game we don't try to win is pointless (forgive the pun, it's the cup)
Who benefits?